TS: "War Ina Babylon" vs "Police and Thieves"

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lee perry-produced albums FITE

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

Album it's War Ina Babylon (and it's not even really close, the Junior Murvin album is really good, but there isn't anything else on there quite as good as the title track whereas there are 3 or 4 classics tracks in the same class as "War Ina Babylon" on War). Since these are two of the greatest songs ever I'm not going to even to pretend I could pick between them.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 21:52 (twenty years ago)

yeah sorry i meant album-wise

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 22:01 (twenty years ago)

Police and Thieves. Song-wise I reckon the albums are more-or-less equal, but as a singer I'd take Junior every time. He gets more expression out of his falsetto than Romeo gets out of his straight-ahead delivery, and the "oh-ho-ho-ho/ho-ho-hooooo" at the end of the "Police and Thieves" chorus is immortal in a way that none of Max's performances are. Beyond that, "Tedious" is maybe my favourite Lee Perry song/production; it's haunted and celebratory at the same time, it manages to channel some peculiar Old Testament vibe and it doesn't sound like anything else either from its time or out of it. It's not even really close ;)

― I Oppose All Rock and Roll (noodle vague), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

Haha can we at least agree that neither is actually Perry's best Black Ark album?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

what would be? "roast fish, etc.." ?

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 22:57 (twenty years ago)

:) Yeah prob'ly not Alex tho I don't think I know enough of the full studio albums to call a best one. Neither of those two are particularly production heavy so I guess a best Black Ark album would be more like Heart of the Congos cos it's so thick and dubby. I think the original question is totally an individual taste thing, God knows I love both of those records. I'm fixated on "Tedious" tho.

― I Oppose All Rock and Roll (noodle vague), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:01 (twenty years ago)

War ina Babylon.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Wednesday, 21 September 2005 01:17 (twenty years ago)

War ina Babylon. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a dumb-ass uptown baby - stop crying!

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Wednesday, 21 September 2005 02:24 (twenty years ago)

Both great but a bit uneven. I prefer a greater percentage of numbers on "Police & Thieves," though I think the real classic from this period is the groovy and danceable "To Be A Lover" album by George Faith.

― Dee Xtrovert (dee dee), Wednesday, 21 September 2005 23:19 (twenty years ago)

thanks for reminding me which album i've been wanting to buy!

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 21 September 2005 23:30 (twenty years ago)

The bonus tracks on the Police and Thieves CD are pretty good.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 22 September 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

Hmm. Both are all-time faves for me. War Ina Babylon has the edge on songs, but overall I gave it to Junior, for his superior pipes. I wrote a little annotated Lee Perry discography a while back: Lee "Scratch" Perry: Now Well-Loaded.

― Fastnbulbous (Fastnbulbous), Saturday, 24 September 2005 00:44 (twenty years ago)

dee, you have a burn-able version of the Faith?

― Beta (abeta), Saturday, 24 September 2005 02:30 (twenty years ago)

oops did i send you ther george faith disc? i disagree with dee but its still super nice.

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Saturday, 24 September 2005 05:41 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

police and thieves could sure use a remastering

― craig sager (eman), Wednesday, 10 December 2008 15:15 (seventeen years ago)

Didn't they just release a deluxe edition with scads of bonus tracks?

― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 15:26 (seventeen years ago)

did they? there was this one in '03 http://www.amazon.com/Police-Thieves-Junior-Murvin/dp/B00008NRK9 not sure if i have a rip of that or the vinyl but it sounds tinny

― craig sager (eman), Thursday, 11 December 2008 06:43 (seventeen years ago)

ok my rip was shitty. found a remaster + bonus trax and it sounds excellent

― eman, Wednesday, 24 December 2008 04:26 (seventeen years ago)

did they do the same w/ war ina babylon?

― eman, Wednesday, 24 December 2008 04:27 (seventeen years ago)

Yes, Hip-O Select issued a limited edition run of 2500 in 2004, and it's still available. Remastered with five bonus tracks. It blows my mind that they can't sell 2500 copies in four years of one of the top ten all time greatest reggae albums. I have #539. I'd be curious to see what they're up to now.

http://www.hip-oselect.com/scr.public.product.asp?product_id=35c31810-b344-7523-f9f4-045e5e12adfd&cat_id=D2692ADF-1D5D-4CF3-831F-E130642D82E3

― Fastnbulbous, Wednesday, 24 December 2008 04:39 (seventeen years ago)

two years pass...

this is the thread that comes up if you're listening to George Faith's To Be A Lover on a lovely summer night and want to post about how awesome it is

― love in a grain elevator (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 3 July 2011 03:36 (fourteen years ago)

WTF i listened to that song like 15 minutes ago FUCKING SPOOKY

― balls, Sunday, 3 July 2011 03:50 (fourteen years ago)

http://cdn8.wn.com/vp/i/68/297cfabef0c3c5.jpg

― balls, Sunday, 3 July 2011 03:51 (fourteen years ago)

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