Double Seven

It’s credited to the Upsetters, but the guy on the cover is producer Lee “Scratch” Perry. Which is fitting, because the Upsetters were his creation and their sound was defined almost entirely by Perry’s approach to production in his Black Ark studio. On this album you get a mix of instrumental tracks, deejay cuts featuring the likes of I Roy and U Roy (including the brilliant “Double Six”), and straight-up weirdness: “Waap You Waa” sounds unlike any other reggae tune you’ve ever heard, and the album-opening “Kentucky Skank” consists of Perry extolling the pleasures of Kentucky Fried Chicken over a tensile Upsetters groove (pull quote: “A whole box of chickens/Keeps the drums kickin’”). Newcomers shouldn’t start here — that’s what Arkology is for — but for those already familiar with the unique charms of Lee “Scratch” Perry, this album is a must.