The original Jamaican extra-terrestrial is still going strong and this record marks a return to the power of
Lee "Scratch" Perry's most spaced-out work, picking up where his last great record, 1990's
From the Secret Laboratory, left off. On
Jamaican E.T.,
Perry creates a contemporary and challenging set by applying his
psychedelic dub to
roots reggae (
"10 Commandments"), modern
reggae (
"I'll Take You There"),
hip-hop (
"Hip Hop Reggae"), and dazed, otherworldly
exotica (
"Jah Rastafari, Jungle Safari"). The riddims are groovy, transporting even, but
Perry's greatest strength has always been his mixology. On this album, instead of his usual
dub mixes full of insane rhythmic effects,
Perry utilizes the voice as his primary instrument of
dub. Throughout
Jamaican E.T., vocals -- laid-back toasting, singing, mumbling, and
gospel backups -- come in and out, criss-crossing and swirling, truly setting a new mark for the
reggae voice. At the beginning of
"I'll Take You There," Perry repeats, "
Lee 'Scratch' Perry forever," a statement that, after a decade of misses, listeners can finally get behind and chant along with him. ~ Charles Spano