LEE PERRY – Rude Walking

The bulk of this album has been released before under a variety of titles, but now this popular Lee Perry compilation gets even better with the addition of dubs and a bonus song. Part of the original set’s success was presumably its eclectic nature, pulling together vocal tracks and instrumentals, Perry’s own numbers as well as other artists’ songs he oversaw, drawn from both the rocksteady and pre-roots eras of reggae. Along the way, the set attempts to showcase the many moods and faces of the Upsetter, from his Western obsession (“D’Jango Shoots First” and “Clint Eastwood Rides Again”), to his persecution complex (“People Weird” [aka “People Funny Boy”], “Funny Baby” [aka “You Crummy”]), and “Labrish,” where he’s joined by an equally grumbling Bunny Lee. There’s the rude Perry, la “Water Pump”; the vindictive Perry, threatening Coxsone Dodd on “Run for Cover”; and the eloquent Perry, riding to the defense of the rudeboys on “Set Them Free,” an exquisite retort to Prince Buster’s “Judge Dread.

• A1 Run For Cover
• A2 Something You Got
• A3 Set Them Free
• A4 Wind Up Doll
• A5 Labrish
• A6 You Funny
• A7 D’Jango Shoots First
• A8 People Weird
• B1 Water Pump
• B2 Clint Eastwood Rides Again
• B3 Set Me Free
• B4 The Night Doctor
• B5 Rude Walking
• B6 Iron Crew
• B7 News Flash