January 4, 1999

Lost Treasures Of The Ark

Eschewing fastidious old Noah's two-by-two ruling, tunes have emerged mob-handed from the charred remains of [B]Lee 'Scratch' Perry[/B]'s Black Ark studio in recent times....

8 / 10 Eschewing fastidious old Noah's two-by-two ruling, tunes have emerged mob-handed from the charred remains of Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Black Ark studio in recent times. And with 'rarities' from the exalted Jamaican now so ubiquitous, you wonder what this three-CD set can possibly offer to match last year's exemplary 'Produced And Directed By The Upsetter' and 'Arkology' collections.

Try the presence of another exalted Jamaican, Bob Marley, because the first CD largely focuses on the reggae savants' sporadic alliance in the '70s (both with and without The Wailers), and it's a sound to soothe the weariest ears. Though Marley's political incantations are in their rudimentary stages on these hitherto unreleased recordings, rarely has his voice radiated as much honest affection as on the almost-rock'n'roll 'Shocks Almighty' and utterly paradisiacal 'I Know A Place'.

A frighteningly hard act to follow, you'd imagine, yet no great problem for the other two CDs of 'Lost Treasures...' from the '60s and '70s. The indelible influence of rock'n'roll continues with the graceful skanking of Val Bennett's 'Baby Baby', while 'Runaway Girl' is primetime Motown soul refracted mellifluously by nifty rhythms and Dave Barker's plaintive singing. Head deeper still into this 41-track line-up and as the pace drops, the righteous discourse increases, courtesy of Shuamark & Robinson's 'Peace And Love' and the cotton wool-coated yearning of Brent Dowe's 'Down In Babylon'. Better still, few of the previously unheard curios turn out to be ill-formed let-downs of the kind which often blight such releases. 'Bring It Up' by The Soulettes (featuring Marley's wife, Rita), for instance, is so footloose, fancy-free and imbued with raw personality it's a wonder it's never reached the shops before.

Like last year's two collections, this commits dreadful damage to Perry's reputation as solely a gibbering barnpot, instead paying testament that few producers have shown more acumen for the subtleties of the song than him at his peak. Even the instrumental version-excursions - best of all 'Dollar In Teeth', 'Glory Glory Dub' and 'Poor Man Dub' - speak of someone more concerned with empathic melody than pummelling the mixing desk until unrestrained mayhem ensues.

Further affirmation, then, that the reverence bestowed on Lee Perry is entirely warranted and not just a freak of fashion. Making this a lost Ark worth raiding forthwith.

Rate this album

Average rating

Be the first to rate this album

To read all our reviews first - days before they appear online - check out NME magazine, on sale every Wednesday

For the latest music videos and backstage interviews, check out our sister site, NME Video.