In 1969, following stints at
Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd
's
Studio One
and a period as a freelance producer,
Lee "Scratch" Perry
struck out on his own as
the Upsetter
(a trinity of label, personal moniker, and backing band). The year saw
Perry
focusing on instrumental terrain with a group of veteran
rock steady
players that included (in its original incarnation), bassist
Clifton "Jackie" Jackson
, guitarist
Lynford "Hux" Brown
, pianist/arranger
Gladstone "Gladdy" Anderson
, and organist
Winston "Brubek" Wright
.
Return of Django
collects some of the group's early efforts. The title track earned
his first taste of international success, and it's easy to see why.
The Upsetters
lay down an infectious pulse, highlighting piping hot sax work. Its only draw back is that it seems entirely too short. Still,
"Return of Django"
is something of an anomaly on the collection. Instead of the horns, you find
Wilson
's simmering organ in the spotlight. It is very much his hour as other elements are pushed to the music's periphery. Spending hours at local movie houses was apparently a favorite pastime of
and
the Upsetters
. As a result, the band absorbed the music from popular
spaghetti westerns
spy
films.
incorporates these styles, reducing them to playful lines that can be almost childlike in their simplicity. Oozing Jamaican cool, he shifts between sustained drones, choppy grooves, and bizarre flourishes that bubble at the top of the mix. Assembled quickly in the wake of
's success, the tunes can sound like the sort of spontaneous jams that might have taken place in between proper recording. Even so, the album's whimsical, carefree vibe and undercurrent of rugged rhythms make it difficult to resist. ~ Nathan Bush