Scratch Perry is something of a mad genius. His whole style can be a bit incomprehensible.
But the prodigious output that Perry and his studio (Black Ark) have produced over the years is quite staggering. Not only is there a lot of music, but the quality is fairly consistently high.
Not only that, but Perry’s output, whether under his name, with The Upsetters, or producing for other bands, has a distinctive touch. He is most definitely up there with King Tubby and Scientist in terms of the most musical and innovative dub music.
“Fisherman Dub” is the dub version of “Fisherman” from The Congos’ Heart Of The Congos, released in 1977 and also produced by Perry. The song has a smooth swing to it, with the gospel-like singing of the Congos utilised to great effect. The whole thing has a decidedly smokey feel to it, with the music layered up in a crusty symphony.
In fairness, Perry was known for blowing smoke on his master tapes to give them a warm vibe. So this might be the case here…
The song was already great, but the dub really lets Perry’s production shine!