High Plains Drifter

This release both excites and disapoints. If you like top quality re-mastered releases then forget about it as the label clearly states that these are obscure Jamaica 45 rpm releases. The sound has a good, clear volume but you can tell that every track is taken from a vinyl source. It is vinyl quality BUT at least Pressure Sounds HAVE made these tracks available at last. The cover gives off the impression that the collection is from the 'Spaghetti Western' era of Scratch's Upsetter output (1968-1970) but in truth only 4 tracks are or could be described as 'Spaghetti Western' inspired. Also, the other thing I noticed about the names of the tracks is that many of them have simply been 're-titled' for the release (many wrongly). 'Val Blows In' is a version of 'Bronco' (which was also later re-titled 'Django Shoots First'), a better name for this track would have simply been 'Bronco Shoots First' (in order to give it that 'Spaghetti Western' feel and connection to both 'Bronco' & 'Django Shoots First' titles). The track itself has Val Bennett (of 'Return of Django') blowing over the already established track. He does a good job but the eerie 'organ' was always the main instrument sound for this track and somehow the sax blow over isn't as good as it should be. 'Amigo' is one of the best tracks of the album. It is a 'striped down version of both 'Sipreano' and 'Fresh Up'. It has a brilliant intro by Scratch and is quite percussive. It misses the 'organ' terribly though. The track 'High Plains Drifter' is actually a brilliant alternate version of 'Dig Your Grave' which was cut in 1970 - Eastwood's film came out 3 years later in 1973 (& incidentally wasn't a Spaghetti Western either) so it couldn't have possibly been titled 'High Plains Drifter' when it was originally recorded in 1970. It would have better been called 'Face To Face' (a 1967 Spaghetti Western title) or 'Dig Your Grave - Version 2'. The track 'The Man With No Name' is the real deal, that of being an obscure eerie organ instrumental track from 1969. Although this is not a confirmed statement of fact, it is probably in all but likely a track called 'Wagga Wagga' that was released as a B-side to 'Medical Operation' in Jamaica in 1969, and has again been retitled (but like I said this is not established fact). What is fact though is that the track 'Rockfort Physchodelion' is actually NOT by the 'Upsetters' at all! It's actually by British band Freddie Notes & The Rudies and was originally released with a longer intro on their 'Unity' L.P. by Trojan in 1970 under the simple title of 'Rocco'. It may have some Scratch input as it WAS released in Jamaica on his label but it is absolutely 100% 'Freddie Notes & The Rudies' from England. The track 'Boss' is credited to 'Count Sticky' but it certainly does not sound like him - not by a long shot and is probably somebody else (in all probability it's another UK track). 'It's Growing' has a better sound quality release on Trojan's 'Motor City' box set and its rhythm was used for Hugh Roy's 'OK Corral'. The original ( actually titled 'It Grows') was released on the Pama 'Escort' label in 1970 and credited to Martin Riley. The tracks 'Big Joke', & 'Bhutto Girl' have already been released on the WIZDOM releases of similar quality. And 'Ain't No Love' and 'The Thanks We Get' are also available on other releases. 'Awake' and 'Inequity Workers' are Rastafari tracks and should'nt have a place on this release as it is supposed to be a 'Western-inspired' release. I hate releases that do this mixed Rasta stuff with the early non-racist Skinhead Reggae sound - 2 world's apart! 'What's Wrong With You' is brilliant and is probably by 'The Race Fans' and not 'The Bleechers' as it has the 'Bookie Man' vocals going on. 'What A Botheration' is another version of the Mellotones' song with 'tin pan' accompanyment. 'He Don't Love You' is an out of key ('messed-up') alternate version by The Silvertones of their 'He'll Break Your Heart' song (found on the 'Silver Bullets' LP/CD from 1973, although recorded in 1968). 'Rub Up Festival '71' is an excellent gem by Junior Byles. The Dave Barker tracks 'Next To You' & 'Sitting & Waiting' (both using the same rhythm track) are in all probability 'One More Bottle Of Beer // Part 2'(original titles) of a single that was originally released on the Trojan subsidary 'Smash' label in the UK in 1970 - which credited Bunny Lee as the producer! This CD release is a real mixed-bag of both good and bad which makes it real ugly! Personally I would have scrapped the Jamaican 45's idea and just released Upsetter stuff from both JA and UK that has never been available on CD before, keeping the years of 1968-71, and by removing the later Rasta tracks like 'Awake' (to be put on other releases that have a different subject matter) and added tracks like 'Soul Juice' and 'Lennox Mood' (from the UK Punch label from 1969) giving it a more complete feel release. Instead it's scatty BUT having said this I still like it.