Jamaican E.T.
Lee "Scratch"  Perryis inarguably one of the most important figures in the history of  Jamaican reggae. Launching his career as a producer for Coxsone Dodd's Studio  One label, Perry helped mold the signature sound of the Wailers, was a pioneer  in the invention of dub, and in the 1970s released a stream of brilliantly  eccentric 45s with a roster of artists that included Max Romeo, Junior Byles,  and the Congos from his own Black Ark studio. Unfortunately, widely reported  mental health problems over the years and a love of hallucinogenic experiences  have apparently robbed him of the focus and continuity needed to produce a  creative act as sustained as a single song. That said,Jamaican E.T.still has the merits of a spacey ambience, and in terms of content it's an  avant-garde document that makes the most out-there rap attack seem conservative  by comparison. On each track, a super-tight instrumental outfit outputs a  no-nonsense reggae groove occasionally abetted by female choristers. Scratch stirs  up the mix with multilayered voice transmissions from Planet Perry that cross a  nursery rhyme aesthetic with boasts and cryptic observations. While the result  isn't exactlySun Ra, the  whacked-out value is both inestimable and unexpectedly pleasant. And if buying  this CD helps keep one of Jamaican music's most seminal, mysterious, and  mystical figures with a full stomach and roof above his head, consider the  gesture your faith-based initiative for the year.--Bob Tarte