Trenchtown Days (The Birth Of A Legend) - Bob Marley

Advantages: Fantastic tracks, very listenable album
Disadvantages: Sun is SHining is not on it

...Since seeing The Wailers perform at the London Rise Against Racism festival, it reminded me of how many great songs they have in their repertoire with Bob Marley and decided it was long overdue to buy a Best Of compilation. The album starts off with Is This Love the Marley penned classic from 1978 and the song really needs no introduction. It was taken from the Kaya album, which revolved around the duel themes of love and marijuana, and this instance the song was about love. It is a beautiful song, and certainly at the Rise concert, got the crowd singing. It is followed by No Woman, No Cry originally from the Natty Dread album and is about the struggle of life in the Trenchtown, the rundown part of Kingston, Jamaica where Bob grew up with his mother after his father died. The version of the song on Legend is not from Natty Dread... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: all of his best songs in one brilliant box set
Disadvantages: there are none!

...Well what can i say? This cd box set is everything you will ever need when it comes to Bob Marley his life and his music. This has got to be the biggest review written but due to the shear size of this album I cant possibly talk about individual songs. BOB MARLEY- SONGS OF FREEDOM This album has been released a couple of times, firstly on the 6th of october 1992 then again in 99. Label: Tuff Gong Genre: Reggae Length: Aprox. 4 hours This is a four disc box set with Bobs first song Judge Not recorded in 1962, to a live version of Redemption Song, recorded in 1980 at his last ever concert. Front Cover: Is a dull black merging into an amber glow with a picture of a relatively youthful Bob playing his guitar with a spliff burning in his hands (the latter edition removed the spliff) Inside the case: The case opens... Read review

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Advantages: Old favourites remixed as "urban duets"
Disadvantages: Not for the purists; this isn't real reggae

...---WHO'S THIS THEN?--- Why, it's Bob Marley: without a doubt the man who single-handedly brought reggae to the attention of the planet. He recorded some 700 tracks and 40 albums between 1965 and 1981. Albums, such as 1984's perfect Legend, are still being issued, and "lost tapes" were still being rescued as recently as 2001. He died in 1981 of lung cancer. ---WHAT'S THIS ALBUM LIKE?--- It's a bizarre concept. The mastertapes of old Marley tracks were handed to various rappers and singers in 1998 to add vocals or remix the tracks in a contemporary style. The results are at once spooky, sacreligious and intriguing. This album was released in 1999 amid a bluster of publicity and the first single release from the album was the Lauryn Hill-assisted "Turn Your Lights Down Low". Lauryn HIll is Bob Marley's daughter... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful