The Upsetter Collection is aptly titled as there is no indication here or on the box that the 113 tracks mostly consist of three or four versions of the same song. So you actually get maybe two CDs worth of music. . . Not a good deal unless you are a Marley collector of the rare and obscure.

First of all, this is NOT a ska collection. Recorded in the post-ska era from 1970 on, these songs have a slower, more militant, rebel feel than the Wailers previous work. In fact, many musicians and enthusiasts feel that Lee "Scratch" Perry's work with the Wailers helped create the "reggae" beat. Many also feel that Perry helped the band find it's definitive sound...Scratch's house band, the Upsetters would soon leave to work fulltime with Peter, Bunny, and Bob. It is also felt that Perry helped Marley to find his distinctive vocal style. If you listen to Scratch's vocal tracks, there is a remarkable resemblance between his vocalization and Marley's. Although no great vocalist in the traditional sense, Perry has a "feel" for the material he voices...and he helped Marley realize his potential. Listen to Marley's pre-Perry work with Studio One and Coxsone Dodd...the difference is obvious.

For those only familiar with Marley's Island Records output, the material here will be instantly recognizable...many of the songs Perry produced were later re-recorded by Chris Blackwell for Island.

Also, don't be afraid of the multiple versions and takes. "Version" and "dub" are vital parts of the Jamaican music scene, and the various takes reveal subtle and important aspects of the songs. Plus, you get to hear great deejays like U-Roy and Big Youth toasting over rock-solid Upsetter rhythm tracks! Also included is the super-rare "Who Colt The Game" and "I know a Place" tracks...songs Marley had Perry record as 4-track demos (they would continue to work together throughout the seventies, even when Marley was signed to Island)...ESSENTIAL.

I tend to agree with many Marley fans that his Upsetter recordings have a raw power that gives them an artistic edge over the later Island recordings (which are themselves gems). This package provides the best available overview of these records, with superb sound quality. The music is simply magnificent: for those who think of reggae as a very limited genre, you will be amazed at how many wonderful grooves are possible within the general formula. The rhythmic variations are stunning.
My caveat is with the sequencing and the notes. I have several other albums in which the dub versions immediately follow the master take, and no matter how sweet the groove it is tiresome to hear six takes in a row of "Small Axe" and "Soul Rebel." I wish that Trojan had put the master vocal takes on one disc, the alternate takes and versions on another, and the dubs on another. The liner notes are also inadequate considering the importance of the music. There are no session notes or discographies.
For those who hesitate to have ALL this music, I highly recommend purchasing "African Herbsman" and "Rasta Revolution," also from Trojan. If you want everything though you will not regret buying this set.

I've listened to Bob Marley for 5 or 6 years now and have decided that the music he made with Lee Perry is the best... I was thrilled when I found this for $23. It has 'everything recorded with the Upsetters', but seems to be missing a good vocal version of Duppy Conqueror, which appears on the Songs of Freedom box set. It does get a bit tiresome to hear the same song 5 times in a row (because of alternate & dub mixes) but is still worth it if you like great reggae music. There are less-expensive compilations with much of the same music that appears here, but if you want everything, this gives it to you. And this has high sound quality and quality packaging too.

Sa Good Sa Good! Ska lives on baby, in this incredible box set. Buy it now and enjoy a piece of the beauty of a Marley experience. YaaaaH Ska Good!