Customer Reviews

From the Secret Laboratory

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Two killer songs and some standard Scratch make up this 1990 collection. "Push Push" and "You Thought I was Dead" are the standouts here and worth the price by themselves, while "African Headcharge" and "Seven Devils Dead" are also fine examples of the Madman Perry style. As usual, ya gotta love the freestyle, always funky rantings from the Professor across each song. Here they include items ranging from Lufthansa to Edward Seaga to Hurricane Gilbert. All in all this is among the best of his post-Black Ark efforts.

Ok. One thing I don't understand is that Amazon has two listings for this CD. One (this one) is correctly entitled "From *the* Secret Laboratory" the other "From *my* Secret Laboratory", which I've never heard of. True, I could be completely out of touch and Lee may have produced another CD with a strikingly similar name to this one, but wilymanc's review would indicate that it is the same product.

Anyhow, to the CD itself: The cover drew me immediately. There's Lee, sitting in royal robes, probably in the Alps somewhere (he lives in Switzerland these days). This was the first Lee Perry CD I ever purchased, and it has always been my favourite.

Every tune is rich with subtle layers of brass, back-up vocalists, keyboards and last but not least, the madness of the dreaded Lee himself.

"African Hitchiker" has warped lyrics and is good for a laugh, but "You Thought I Was Dead" has crushing electronic movements, with Lee taking us straight back to Jamaica's political to-ing and fro-ing in reggae's heyday, with taunts at Michael Manley.

Every time you listen to "From the Secret Laboratory" you will hear something new. A true journey of sound.

A friend of mine loaned me a cassette tape way back in 1990...one side said 'King Tubby' and the other said nothing. I really wasn't really familiar with Mr. Perry at that time, especially how his voice sounded. I had purchased 'Scratch Attack' a couple of years earlier, with little/no vocals, and as far as Reggae went, I was basically into BOB, Tosh, Steel Pulse and Black Uhuru at that time, and some early Dancehall...

The other side of this cassette. Wow. It really grabbed me...seduced me, amazed me, compelled me, and inspired me. Was this reggae? Dub? What was it? I had no idea of whom I was listening. Neither did my friend, as the tape was made for him by an acquaintance. It wasn't until many years later, after many Perry CD's, that I realized/remembered it was him on that tape all along...that tape that was long since lost/disappeared...I NEEDED to find it once again, no matter what...

I would never forget several phrases from two of my favorite songs on this release. The internet age came about, and then the Google age. I continued to type in these couple/few lines every once in a while...with no luck, again and again...I thought I would never hear these songs again, and that they would forever remain just a fading memory. Perry's catalog is huge. I think I researched every song he ever made, produced, and sang on - until finally one day, Hallelujah...I found it...'From The Secret Laboratory' was rediscovered...Thanks & Praise!

I do not care for the first three tracks...that's just me & my opinion. But from 'Vibrate On', the rest of the release in my opinion is real Magic...wonderfully made by and between Scratch & Adrian Sherwood, and it has a real continuity; the songs seem to blend seamlessly from one to the next...

Pardon me...I get carried away sometimes with this sort of thing. Like the title says, 'Love'. I Love this release. It would be (in my opinion) the only great thing (brand new material) Perry would put out for the next eighteen years (aside from 1997's 'Live at Maritime Hall')...until he would hook up with Adrian Sherwood once again in 2008 for 'The Mighty Upsetter'...

Big Up Scratch...Thank You for all You have done and continue to do. And Praise Jah.

Lee Perry e Dub Syndicate : Time Box X De Devil Dead

Mystic Warrior