Arkology

Lee "Scratch" Perry

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Arkology Review

by John Dougan

Purportedly the definitive Lee "Scratch" Perry compilation, the three-CD set Arkology is loaded with good intentions and is carefully constructed, but with a back catalog like Perry's -- where it's nearly impossible to find out what's what -- definitive in this case is a dream. Still, the compilers have done a fine job of providing an overview of Perry's career that makes sense musically, historically, and culturally. For those who want to jump headlong into Perry's world, this is the way to go. (Otherwise, buying two to three individual releases would be recommended.) Arkology's foundation is the 1979 anthology Scratch on the Wire; the compilers took those tracks and added a significant number of remixes and a few previously unreleased dub tracks to give it some weight. And that is perhaps the set's biggest drawback; it doesn't cover quite enough of Perry's career. Remixes are nice, but a representative sampling of the early, mid-, and late periods at Black Ark would have been better, as well as a few of the early-'60s ska tracks that didn't make it onto Heartbeat's excellent Chicken Scratch compilation. There are also some irritating audio considerations here; sometimes reggae reissues lose that warm, extremely loud bass sound that is crucial to the riddims. That's not always the case on this release, but there are some moments when you wish there was just a little more blood coming from the speakers. So, all that said, is Arkology worth it? Absolutely. Don't think that this large purchase will give you all the crucial Lee "Scratch" Perry recordings; it provides a good overview and is an excellent introduction, but consider it the start, rather than the completion, of your journey with Scratch and the Upsetters.

Track Listing - Disc 1

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Lee "Scratch" Perry & the Upsetters 04:44 SpotifyAmazon
2 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Max Romeo 03:52 SpotifyAmazon
3 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 04:06 SpotifyAmazon
4 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Devon Irons 03:17 SpotifyAmazon
5 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 03:16 SpotifyAmazon
6 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Heptones 03:55 SpotifyAmazon
7 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 04:17 SpotifyAmazon
8 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Junior Dread 04:32 SpotifyAmazon
9 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Congos 04:05 SpotifyAmazon
10 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Meditations 03:56 SpotifyAmazon
11 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 04:42 SpotifyAmazon
12 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Meditations 04:46 SpotifyAmazon
13 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 05:07 SpotifyAmazon
14 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Junior Murvin 05:04 SpotifyAmazon
15 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Max Romeo 04:51 SpotifyAmazon
16 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 05:01 SpotifyAmazon
17 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Heptones / Jah Lion 04:13 SpotifyAmazon
18 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Max Romeo 03:28 SpotifyAmazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 Lee "Scratch" Perry 03:46 SpotifyAmazon
2 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Mikey Dread 03:47 SpotifyAmazon
3 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Errol Walker 04:39 SpotifyAmazon
4 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 03:24 SpotifyAmazon
5 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Max Romeo / The Upsetters 08:42 SpotifyAmazon
6 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Junior Murvin 03:40 SpotifyAmazon
7 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Glen DaCosta 04:03 SpotifyAmazon
8 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Jah Lion 04:09 SpotifyAmazon
9 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 03:18 SpotifyAmazon
10 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Junior Murvin 04:02 SpotifyAmazon
11 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Errol Walker 04:21 SpotifyAmazon
12 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Enos Barnes / Errol Walker 04:23 SpotifyAmazon
13 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Dillinger / Junior Murvin 08:59 SpotifyAmazon
14 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Meditations 03:30 SpotifyAmazon
15 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 04:20 SpotifyAmazon
16 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Dr. Alimantado / Raphael Green 04:54 SpotifyAmazon
17 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 04:34 SpotifyAmazon

Track Listing - Disc 3

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Augustus Pablo / The Upsetters 04:40 SpotifyAmazon
2 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 04:35 SpotifyAmazon
3 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 03:30 SpotifyAmazon
4 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Congos 05:52 SpotifyAmazon
5 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 03:39 SpotifyAmazon
6 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 05:16 SpotifyAmazon
7 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Heptones 04:57 SpotifyAmazon
8 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Heptones 03:45 SpotifyAmazon
9 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 06:15 SpotifyAmazon
10 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: Keith Rowe 03:26 SpotifyAmazon
11 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 03:33 SpotifyAmazon
12 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: George Faith 07:56 SpotifyAmazon
13 Lee "Scratch" Perry 03:58 SpotifyAmazon
14 Lee "Scratch" Perry 04:09 SpotifyAmazon
15 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Congos 03:36 SpotifyAmazon
16 Lee "Scratch" Perry 04:26 SpotifyAmazon
17 Lee "Scratch" Perry feat: The Upsetters 04:26 SpotifyAmazon
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