Words of My Mouth

The market is saturated with various-artist compilations produced by the great Lee “Scratch” Perry, and it can be hard to know where to start. The reality is that there are lots of good places to begin, and this is one of them. It features some of the earliest tracks recorded at Perry’s Black Ark studio, and shows his signature sound developing: Junior Byles’ “Curly Locks” is a gentle love song from a conscious Rasta to a girl whose father doesn’t want her hanging out with him; “Words of My Mouth” is the Gatherers’ plea to a God whom they love but also clearly fear; “Stay Dread” is Perry’s warning to the people of the covenant not to let Babylonian blandishments lure them away from the true path. And “Bathroom Skank” finds Perry encouraging good personal hygiene (“Take a towel/An’ scrub you bowel”). Everywhere the Upsetters deliver rock-solid rhythms, and the inimitable Black Ark sound blankets everything in dank, echoey vibes.