Introduction to Bob Marley

Interesting comment/insight from Tom Moulton from an old thread here:
Bob Marley & The Wailers "YOUNG MYSTIC" SACD stereo vs. mono question


In the old days (60's) They basically recorded music on consumer tape machines.I worked on a number of things in the early 70's. I found most stages of a number of tapes for Studio One. I was a Heptones nut and was taking tapes out of Jamaica to work on them here in New York at (Media Sound) Just a few of them came out. I had several Wailers stages ( Go Jimmy Go ,Small Axe,Bend Down Low and a couple others) They would record a basic track and then start bouncing to another two track to add the overdub. This might go on for several stages.I was fascinated with this style of recording. I realize after hearing the stages why so many of the early tracks from Jamaica sounded so inferior. I was amazed at the quality of the first stages and took on the task of putting them together and then mixing them.These tracks were done in the mid 60's. Studio One was amazing and considering these were recorded on Home machines and the first stages I felt should be preserved in in a way where other could really appreciate the Raggae sound as much as I did without all the noise.

 

I think Bob got better and better, so if you loved Catch A Fire I think you'll be ecstatic about Kaya, Survival and Uprising (and Confrontation, which was post-humous).

Save the early stuff for after, I do enjoy it also but it's not in the same league as the albums from '77 onwards. Kaya is my fave for sure, wish they'd get Bob Clearmountain to do 5.1 mixes of all the Island releases, his 5.1 mix of Exodus is an experience that must be had to be believed...like dropping acid but being able to turn the trip off after 8 mins.

Given you've already started listening, I'd keep working your way through the Island studio catalogue. I do agree with the initial posters that Songs of Freedom is an excellent introduction to virtually all years Marley was active.

My family moved to the Cayman Islands from the UK a few months before Bob died, we quickly became aware of just how popular a figure he was. As a teenager one night on the beach (1991 or so) feeling irie, we listened to Kaya on cassette...that's when I personally realized how brilliant he was and never stopped listening since.

 

The released Catch a Fire also removes 2 songs ( reducing 11 tracks to just 9 )

One of the removed songs is High Tide or Low Tide one of Bob's best ever songs...and such a beautiful performance. I was always surprised that he didn't re-record it for one of the later albums.

 

To me it sound like you need to think about exploring Lee Perry rather than purely Tosh Marley, if this is the version you like 400 years is closer to other vocalists at the Black Ark Studio.

 

This is an opinion you see from time to time, and I have to comment on this, but don't take it personal, it is just a general remark.

If you listen to a late album like Survival, is that "watered down and poppy"? Or if you listen to any concert, which will invaribly be based around live staples such as "Get Up, Stand Up”, ”Burnin' and Lootin’”, ”Them Belly Full", "Rebel Music", "War / No More Trouble", "Rat Race", "Crazy Baldhead / Running Away” and "The Heathen", is that "watered down and poppy"?

I think this view of Marley becoming "watered down and poppy" is the influence of Legend in full swing, that version of Bob Marley is "watered down and poppy", and that was kind of the intention of it and that is how he has been presented since then. But I don't think anyone would have had that opinion back when he was still alive.

I had a look over on Apple Music to see what's there since you say that is where you listen, and there wasn't that much early stuff available. A selection of the earliest Ska material you will find on the one called Collections (these will probably be versions with later era overdubs). The later material produced by Lee Perry in the period leading up to Island is sampled on the one called The Best of the Early Years. There are also other in-between stages that are not represented on either of these, but the very best songs from the whole pre-Island period are also to be found on disc one and the first half of disc two of the excellent Songs Of Freedom.

What he is talking about there (when he says "I worked on a number of things in the early 70's") would be the "Anthology Of Reggae Collectors Series" on United Artists: Anthology Of Reggae Collectors Series

 

Pastafarian?

 

Talking Blues is a great live (in the studio) album.

 

Get Legend for a primer.... Then start with the sublime Rastaman Vibration! then check out Catch A Fire, Exodus, and Uprising. Any of his Island Studios albums... you can't miss!

 

Definitely! I just got into Marley myself right before the holidays, and have tracked down a few Diaments. It was a coincidence - I was surprised to see his name on the back - but true to his style, the cd's are very dynamic and natural sounding.

 

Good one. And you can hear more live songs of that lineup on the deluxe edition of burnin' from leeds 11/73.

 

Why have I never seen this before?

 

Super fantastic post...I remember seeing this before, and thinking the same thing.

 

Several folks have mentioned Live! as a good starting point and I don't disagree. It's worth noting that a deluxe edition of this was released last year, including the full set from both nights at the London Lyceum. The original album is a mix of both nights.
https://www.amazon.com/Live-CD-Bob-Marley-Wailers/dp/B074WKJZTG

The early Island albums are my favorites, "Catch a Fire" through "Exodus" is a glorious string of recordings. The later Island albums are pretty good too but maybe not as consistent.

Also, as others have mentioned, the first two Peter Tosh albums "Legalize It" and "Equal Rights" are amazing, I couldn't really get into his music after that. Ditto for Bunny Wailer's first solo album "Blackheart Man." It's spiritual and meditative but I get diminishing returns after that.

 

I started with the deluxe edition of Catch a Fire and strongly preferred the Jamaican version. I enjoy the Island years and there are some timeless songs there. I much prefer his pre-Island material, though, and that double disc Catch a Fire pointed me in that direction.

If you were iffy on Burnin’ after hearing Catch a Fire, you are doing a disservice to not go further back into his catalogue. Any of the samplers listed above will get you started.

 

I think Survival is his most consistent, but there you go...

They're actually all indispesible, the quality is very high and consistent all the way through, even Confrontation, which I used to view as a dropping of in quality, is one I enjoy fully nowadays.

 

Get “Catch a Fire” original Jamaica mix.

 

I'le agree with this. Survival is my favorite of them all, and they are all excellent.....And, especially if you have a decent stereo system. Survival sounds so good.

 

My first introduction to Bob Marley and the Wailers—like most children of the ‘80’s and beyond, I imagine—was the ubiquitous collection Legend. It’s a top-to-bottom truly greatest hits album. and probably the best place to start. For a newbie, it’s a perfect length, nearly flawless in its curation, and makes you want to dig deeper. It’s certainly not cool to say that, as it is/was so beloved that it became almost instantly overplayed and trite to many in no time.

So many of his live and studio LPs stand out in retrospect, but the first deep cuts that pulled me past the big hits were “Them Belly Full” and “3 O’clock Roadblock” on the stellar Natty Dread!

Rebel Music,

Bill

 

On the contrary I think it is deeply flawed, the "curation" gives a very skewed picture of his output (but then again that was the intention, as I mentioned in a previous post). This is a much more balanced and representative compilation: Gold (Bob Marley & The Wailers album) - Wikipedia

 

Amazing replies here. I’d respond to each individually but that’s somewhat frustrating on my iPad. I’m happy I’ve begun to like Natty Dread. Some of those songs rank as the best I’ve heard thus far. I should have started with Legend. I knew about it and what it was, but I like to listen to things in order. The Remastered version (there’s also a deluxe version with the full set of Jamaican versions) of Catch a Fire is the original version but with All Day All Night and High Tide Low Tide added on the end. Both amazing songs, especially High Tide. Can’t imagine not having those songs on the album.

 

Fair enough—and Gold is a fine collection. But Legend has a power that can't be denied in its succinctness that larger collections lose over their breadth.

I like those old greatest-hits anthologies limited by the vinyl-medium length. I think a lot more thought had to be put into what could be included, which made them great starter albums for introductory fans. Double-CD sets and boxed sets are wonderful for an experienced fan looking for more than what they've enjoyed already. Legend was of an electric and sad time for Marley and reggae fans, being compiled and released a year after his final posthumous album. This reverberates throughout the LP.

Legend is the best-selling reggae album of all-time. Nothing else comes close. It doesn't mean it's the best Marley or reggae album, but it indicates that hearing it for the first time has compelled nearly 30 million people to purchase it. According to the Wikipedia entry, it still sells 3-5,000 copies per week in the US alone over 30 years later, speaking to its ability to instantly connect with fans. I count as one of them, and I'm sure I'm not alone on this thread.

Regardless, as long as we appreciate the music, it ultimately doesn't matter which collections we personally prefer. Enjoy!

Bill

 

While 'Legend' is full of good songs I believe it to be entirely unrepresentative of Marley's work. It is a well designed easily digestible product designed to sell with barely a hint of Bob's power, passion or political militancy. I think it is largely responsible for the spliff happy cuddly Marley stereotype which seems to dominate public perception. Which is a sad travesty in my opinion.

 

There are so many wonderful little musical touches in Survival that I only noticed after listening to it for years.

 

I'm so happy I have the headphones to give these albums justice because they sound gorgeous as well.

 

Pastafarianism promotes the agnostic humorist view of religion, whilst opposing the teaching of intelligent design and creationism, so no connection with Rasta.