Legend (Deluxe Edition) - Bob Marley

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it rate alongside the competition	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Rythmic, Soulful, Funky .  .  .  etc etc
Disadvantages:	He is sadly no longer with us and able to grace our ears

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Bob Marley and the Wailers ~ "Legend: The Best Of.." (Deluxe Edition)

This is a double CD and is available for £12.99 on Amazon.co.uk

I originally had a single version of this album until my home was burgled around 5 years ago and it was robbed. When the insurance company replaced the CD, they did so with this fabulous deluxe collection ~ result!

"Legend" is a very apt description for a man who was a truly inspiring artist and held worldwide acclaim, generating a harmonious feeling of love and peace at his gigs. Unfortunately, Bob was taken from us a little too early, during May 1981, after an 8-month battle with the disease.

The official website of the "legend" that was Bob Marley states that he "…worked tirelessly in spreading reggae music and the message of rastafari worldwide. Through his work, he gave the world profound and beautiful music."

Reggae music, to me, is rhythmic and full of meaning, vibrancy and life. Bob was keen to instil this within his music, and it's evident to anyone who listens to it. Bob Marley's music is the type of music that is perfect to listen to live at a carnival or festival and you know it will bring the whole crowd together in unity, stretching the cultural and racial divides that exist in society to unite one and all. The music is funky, soulful, joyful and many other adjectives besides.

Bob was the lead man and the artist, but "The Wailers" were his band and were a huge influence over the music. The Wailers are still gigging and performing the old tracks today. In fact, I saw them support UB40 in December 2005 at the Birmingham NEC and they were awesome! Better than UB40 you might say!! And before anyone asks, I do actually like UB40, but I wouldn't choose to pay to see them live … I won a competition I didn't know I was entered for in work.

The album;

CD 1;

1) "Is This Love" (3:50) ~ You tell me? Track starts with percussion, bongs, keyboard and gentle guitar strumming, until about the 18-second mark, when Robert Nesta Marley starts his unique and recognisable vocal.

The song remains at the same tempo throughout the whole song. The song is questioning whether he has found love, and is stating his intentions and commitments towards wanting to love.

2) "No Woman No Cry" LIVE (7:08) ~ A classic, as - in fairness - are most of the songs on this album, but this is one of the most well known and loved of all Marley tracks with a soft instrumental intro of just over 50-seconds… keyboard, percussion and bongos, before Marley softly sings 4 verses of "No Woman No Cry"

3) "Could You Be Loved" (3:57) ~ One day, I hope so !! Hehehe … "Don't let them fool ya! Or even try to school you"

Another musical intro, this time of around 15-seconds, with guitar solo, then percussion, and then the tones of one Bobby Marley….. "Could you be loved"

This song is quite funky, with a number of good instrumental moments, with rhythm and guitars.

4) "Three Little Birds" (3:00) ~ Starts with percussion beats, rhythm and organ, before Bobby sings "Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing is gonna be alright.."

This reminds me of my childhood, because Mummy used to sing it to us !! She's a big Bob Marley fan. This song may just give me a sense of warmth just because of that, but it's a very joyful happy song, centring around the peaceful sounds of singing birds and that feeling they give you when you her them tweeting in the morning.

Another slow to mid-tempo track, with nice harmonies throughout.

5) "Buffalo Soldier" (4:18) ~ This song is about the African mans fight for survival in America, and - I think - centres on the slave trade, with Africans taken from Africa and given to America .. "Stolen from Africa, brought to America", and the subsequent plight and fight for survival.

A poignant song, with a lot of meaning, starts gracefully with percussion, rhythm guitars and keyboards / organ.

6) "Get Up Stand Up" (3:17) ~ This song begins with the chorus, something not many songs do, which is after a short rhythmic guitar intro. Mid-tempo track, with light percussion and emphasis on funk rhythmic guitar sounds and background organ.

"But if you know what life is worth, you would look for your on earth.."

Bob is telling us not to worry about death and to worry about heaven or hell but to concentrate on making good of life whilst on earth. If you make good of your life on earth, then you will be judged accordingly when the time comes.

7) "Stir It Up" (5:30) ~ A nice mellow track, with a selection of different guitar riffs throughout, whilst the rhythm guitar gives plenty of funk in the background. Percussions is fairly light and slow on this track.

8) "Easy Skanking" (2:57) Bonus Track ~ Quite a chilled and rhythmic track … hehe .. wonder why?! It's about enjoying a spliff!!

9) "One Love / People Get Ready" (2:52) ~ Basically, this song has religious connotations and the theme is centred on love and the fellowship of man, and people getting ready to meet their creator, when there will be no hiding place for the sinners.

Starts with a nice piano riff and percussion, before Bob starts with his very melodic vocal "One Love". Beautiful soulful song.

10) "I Shot The Sheriff" (4:40) ~ Well, if your gonna shoot anyone, you may as well do the head honcho! This song is about a man who was about to be shot by the Sheriff, but in typical Western gun slinging style, shot the Sheriff first, in self-defence. The song is ironic as the authorities try to bring him to justice for shooting the Deputy, whom he has not shot, only the Sheriff !

Bob has backing singers for this track, which is another mid-tempo track, using rhythmic guitar for the full funk effect, along with piano!

11) "Waiting In Vain" (4:16) ~ The theme of the song is about a man who loves a woman and is waiting in vain for that love to be reciprocated.

Starts with organ and percussion and is quite a chilled track.

"It's your love that I'm waiting on, It's my love that your running from…"

We've all been there haven't we boys and girls?!

12) "Redemption Song" (3:48) ~ This was the last single before Bob's untimely death, and it couldn't have more aptly summed up his life and everything he stood for, in terms of freedom and redemption. It was also the last song he ever performed, from a stool at a show in Pittsburgh USA in September 1980.

The song encourages people to discard there own mental shackles and "emancipate…" themselves "..from mental slavery"

Song starts with a guitar sole, gently strumming, before Bob starts singing around 20-seconds in. This is a beautiful song, which has been covered by a number of modern artists from different musical genres. I have versions by both Cast and The Fugees, which aren't bad, but will never live up to the original.

13) "Satisfy My Soul" (4:31) ~ A song about that fact a specific woman is for him and thus satisfies his soul. Simple as!

Starts with trombone (I think that's the instrument), rhythmic guitar and percussion and is a slow-mid tempo track.

14) "Exodus" (7:40) ~ Many of Bob Marley's songs contained biblical references or themes and this no more than any other, as he sings about the movement of Jah people from Babylon.

Starts with guitar and piano intro, with accompanying harmonica and trombone or trumpets. Another funky chilled track.

15) "Jamming" (3:31) ~ Quite a self-explanatory theme to this one … no not spreading something on toast, but creating music .. pure and simple.

16) "Punky Reggae Party" (6:52) Bonus Track ~ The song describes the joy, the heart and the soul of a "Reggae Party", central to Bob's music!

Track starts with percussion and piano, and a mix of brass sounds, before Bob's vocal kicks in. very funky track to finish the album off.

CD2 Listing;

This CD comprises a number of remixed tracks, done so by different artists after Bob Marley's death in 1984, with only two tracks remixed during another year. I have indicated the tracks that were not remixed in 1984, by stating the relevant year next to them below.

1) One Love/People Get Ready (Extended Version)
2) Waiting In Vain
3) Jamming
4) Three Little Birds/Three Little Birds (Dub Version) - 1985
5) Could You Be Loved - 1980
6) No Woman No Cry
7) Coming In From The Cold
8) Buffalo Solider
9) Jamming
10) Waiting In Vain
11) Exodus
12) Lively Up Yourself
13) One Love/People Get Ready

The CD packaging itself is quite "Luxurious" and is a fold over double CD cover, with a picture of a pensive Bob Marley on the front sleeve, a picture of a lion on the rear and the three colours of the Jamaican flag - red, yellow and green - on the sides. This is encased in a clear plastic case, which the CD album slides in and out of, with the track listings detailed on the rear.

On the inside sleeve of the album is a plotted history of the singers life, and a booklet, with the same pensive picture of Bob, which contains the words to all the songs along with the band names and the instruments all are responsible for playing.

This is an album I would highly recommend to anyone.

Thanks for reading

Newty