Arise For Bob Marley (Uprising - Bob Marley & The Wailers)

Member Name: basil40

Product:	Uprising - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Date:	01/02/05 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bob Marley!, Chilled stuff

Disadvantages: Bit too political, Samey

WHO'S THIS THEN?
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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. He's one of the few artists whose voice leaves me awestruck.

THE TRACKS
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1. Coming In From The Cold
This is classic mid-70s reggae. Quite bassy and rootsy with a gorgeous mix of baritone male and soprano female backing vocals allied to Marley insistent voice. Some great drumming from Bunny Wailer ensure professionalism remains throughout. "Would you let the system get on top of and everything?" Bob asks whilst simultaneously setting out his stall for the rest of the album.

2. Real Situation
This starts with some lovely, twee whistling and Hammond organ. "It seems like total destruction is the only the solution", sing the Wailers in the background as Bob pleas against the "ruination" of his homeland. Forget the music, even me - and avid reggae fan - acknowledges that one 70's reggae backing track sounds like another, it's the vocals and the sentiment that grab you here. Great stuff.

3. Bad Card
A busier track, this, with nagging reggae rhythms as Bob sounds pretty down about something or other. Crime probably. There are natty little harmonies and melodies all over the place if you listen carefully enough and a great line in early reggae pastiche when he sings - in a serious manner - "in a rub-a-dub style".

4. We And Dem
I love this title, it's so Jamaican. We and dem! It's a slow burning track and by that I mean really mellow and it takes it's time to really appeal to you. It sounds like fellow 70s afficianados The Ethiopians in it's driving murkiness. The productions is certainly unsheened and Bob's vocals are quite low in the mix giving it the impression of being recorded in a shed. Which is nice.

5. Work
Sounds like it should be the title a heavy early 90s dance track, but it's a cool breeze in an otherwise politically intense album. Has some very muso Steely Dan-like guitar bits throughout and some affecting, period Afro chants. The backing track sounds like reggae-by-numbers and as such is rather laboured throughout. So, apt title then.

6. Zion Train
18 minutes in and already we're on the sixth track. I have to say this album is a reviewers dream, with an average track length of three minutes and the whole ten tracks only weighing in at 36 mins. "Zion train is coming our way", pipes Bob over a history lesson fr the rastafari out there. A brill track ruined by Thomas The Tank Engine-esque peeps after every mention of the Zion train.

7. Pimper's Paradise
A smooth track stuck in the middle of side two that really should have been given pride of place on side one (yup, I'm listening to this album on vinyl). The forthright backing vocals are back in all their soprano majesty on this tune and Bob - after tackling pollution and oppression on previous Uprising tracks - gives us his thoughts on prostitution. And guess what? He doesn't approve.

8. Could You Be Loved
Hurray! One we all know! This track is very different to the version that ends up on Legend. Whilst it has the insistent bass and same lyrics, there's something different about the vocals and the added instrumentation here. Nonetheless, it's the song we all know (and love?) and as such brightens this album up no end.

9. Forever Loving Jah
I expected to find a track so lovely to be about religion. But sentiments aside, this is a great tune, sandwiched as it is between two of Marley's finest compositions. And it holds up well in intimidating company.

10. Redemption Song
The other track from this album to feature on Legend album. It's the acoustic one that haprs on about songs of freedom. Totally un-reggae in its musical composition and therefore a welcome breath of fresh air and arguably the greatest ever non-reggae song made by a reggae artist, if that nakes sense.

OVERALL
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Not for everyone really, but then reggae never really is, is it? Newcomers should start with Legend, pick their favourite tracks from there and go and buy the subsequent albums. Which is exactly what I did and am currently having great fun discovering Bob Marley's lesser known music.

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