get ahold of the original Jamaican releases. The sound quality on this record is infinitely superior to any of the British collections currently available. Side one proves the point by kicking off with a restored classic, “People Funny Boy.” Perry accentuates his musical slashing of his ex-boss Coxsone Dodd with a tape-loop of a whining baby, recorded way back in 1968. The inclusion of two of Perry’s “slash songs” on the album is significant because it illustrates Perry’s keen sense of “conceptual continuity” as Frank Zappa calls it. Perry is able to convey a body of information just by referring to his old songs. There is an abundance of fun on “Some of the Best.” Lee Perry collections usually take themselves far too seriously by focusing on only one period in Perry’s long and varied career. Heartbeat’s wider scope has produced a highly entertaining record released with the Upsetters’ blessing.
