LEE SCRATCH PERRY
King Perry (False Idols)
Lee Perry: a legitimately, unendingly important musician and studio engineer who changed what was considered possible for a large swathe of recorded sound. No hyperbole! When his legacy is considered, as it frequently was even before his death aged 85 in 2021, it won’t necessarily be the Jamaican dub reggae architect’s artist albums that receive most attention, and especially not those from the last few decades – even though Perry maintained a workrate perhaps healthier than the man nicknamed ‘Scratch’ himself was, with an arsenal of collaborators to do the necessary legwork.
This is what transpires on King Perry, the last album to be recorded under his own name: Daniel Boyle, credited as its producer, speaks of the youthful stamina the great man demonstrated in the studio, though it’s not clear exactly what Perry’s role was there. Certainly, his vocal contributions are plentiful, with most of these 12 tracks enlivened by his free-associative croak; he shares vocal airspace with guests including Tricky, Shaun Ryder – both audible runners with the Scratch baton – and new-skool reggae singer Greentea Peng.
Stylistically, King Perry is a dub production without doubt, although not one for the purists among Perry’s fanbase with its outbreaks of rock-leaning techno and chillout-y electronica. A few moments come close to the classic style nevertheless, with the heavy bassline of King Of The Animals a perfect foil for some typically tall proclamations from a guy who held icon status for half a century in life, and will for much longer in death.
words NOEL GARDNER
