Super Scratch 1969-1999: The Almost Complete Album Discography by Gary Simons (Secret History Books, 150 pages, 1999)

Anyone who peruses the reggae aisle of their local music store (or in many cases, the dark, dank back corner of your local music store) on a regular basis knows to expect new Lee "Scratch" Perry albums several times a year -- even more when you take into account the work that he produces but doesn't perform on.  While some contain new material, most re-issue older stuff, so much so that you might think he was dead -- since artists like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh have had many more posthumous releases than they ever did when they were alive.  Well, mega fan Gary Simons has decided to help you sort through the morass of Perry material by compiling the most extensive discography currently available.  Super Scratch is an amazing, exhaustive labor of love, gathering over 30 years of releases that represent Perry the artist, Perry the producer, even Perry the engineer.  Simons even goes so far as to list compilations that include songs that Perry produced or performed, pushing the total albums to 250-plus.  Although the author doesn't list singles, this listing of albums nonetheless clocks in at a whopping 150 pages, a testament to the need for a detailed discography for such a prolific figure.  Where Super Scratch really goes above and beyond a normal discography, though, is in Simons' personal touches that display how big a fan he really is.  One amazing feature is that he actually goes through and debunks bogus albums that claim to be Perry material.  Believe it or not, this is a big problem, and if you have a large stash of Scratch albums, chances are pretty good you have a dubious release that may not involve Perry at all.  Furthermore, Simons provides a summary for each album, detailing Perry's involvement and his own personal opinion of whether or not he recommends it.  There's even a brief history of the rise to fame of both Scratch and The Upsetters, plus a report on a 1997 concert the author attended at San Francisco's Maritime Hall.  Since Super Scratch was published in 1999, there are several more recent releases not included, something that may prove problematic to anyone who tries to catalog such an ever-changing list; indeed, Simons may need to publish an updated edition every few years.  All in all, this is a great but highly specialized book that, although truly valuable only to a limited group of people, is something that fans of Lee "Scratch" Perry should definitely check out.  You can purchase it at http://www.eight4eight.com .