Introduction to Bob Marley

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by A Saucerful of Scarlets, Feb 4, 2018.

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  1. A Saucerful of Scarlets

    A Saucerful of Scarlets Commenter Turned Viewer Thread Starter

    Sorry to necro this thread but, does anyone else feel like Catch a Fire is far better than the others? I’ve only heard Catch a Fire and Burnin’ now, about 7 times each. Catch a Fire is far, fat better imo. One of the nest albums I’ve ever heard, which is saying a lot. Burnin’ has some great songs but admitedly I find it a disappointment and if the rest is only at that quality I don’t think I’m interested. I’ve only heard Natty Dread once and I didn’t like Catch a Fire first time either. Anyone else feel like this?
     
  2. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    The Live Bob Marley record has been mentioned a few times already, it's really one of the great live recordings, regardless of genre. While not having the raw 'fever' of the 1st, Live At The Roxy is fantastic! A double CD (more music!) that's recorded beautifully. Kinda surprised no one's mentioned 'Legend', one of the greatest 'greatest hits' records of all time!
     
  3. Muggles

    Muggles Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    I also like Catch A Fire more than Burnin, but all of his Island albums are very good to great. Other favorites: Natty Dread, Survival and Uprising.
     
  4. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    I like Burnin' better if I had to choose between those two.
     
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  5. ianuaditis

    ianuaditis Matthew 21:17

    Location:
    Long River Place
    No, the opposite, though I was like that for probably the first 10 years or maybe more of being a fan. (That is, I liked Burnin' for a couple of songs but liked other albums, especially Catch a Fire better.)

    I think the songs on Catch A Fire might be 'better' (there are more 'old timey' chanty kinds of things on Burnin like 'Put it On' and 'Duppy Conqueror,') but what I've come to appreciate about Burnin' is the band is really together and it's kind of a more democratic vibe with the tunes from Bunny and Peter, no outside overdubs etc. 'I Shot the Sheriff' is like the perfect Wailers song to me.

    I went through a period of Catch A fire being the favorite, then after that it was Natty Dread, then Survival, then I came around to Burnin' again. Survival might be my very top, but Burnin is up there too.
     
  6. pinkrudy

    pinkrudy Senior Member

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  7. spherical

    spherical Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    I'd recommend the Heartbeat series of CDs that have the 60's Jamaican ska, R&B, records. great stuff.
     
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  8. fallbreaks

    fallbreaks Forum Resident

    Peter Tosh had more vocal spotlights in the early years, when they were the Wailers, rather than Bob Marley and the Wailers. Although, even then it wasn’t exactly often. If you like Peter’s vibe in a harmony-group context I’d suggest looking into their earlier stuff, up through the Lee Scratch Perry productions. They had such a cool blend together, it’s a shame they couldn’t make it work for longer.

    Personally I find his solo albums less varied and textured than the Wailers stuff, but your taste might be different than mine.
     
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  9. LuxInt

    LuxInt Forum Resident

  10. jneilnyc

    jneilnyc Free Range Responder

    Location:
    New York
    Marley had a decade-long career in Jamaica before he signed with Island and started the series of albums there
    that broke him to international fame. When most people think of Marley and the Wailers it's this later period
    they're referring to, but all the earlier material is worth a listen, especially if you're a fan of ska/rocksteady/reggae
    already. Many of the tracks on his Island records are remakes of earlier versions, and sometimes the earlier ones
    are just as good if not better.

     
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  11. jneilnyc

    jneilnyc Free Range Responder

    Location:
    New York
    Those would all be collections of material from the early 60s, doing ska and more R&B-based material (they were big fans of The Impressions) for Studio One label.
    There's another major block of recordings that they did with Lee Perry and the Upsetters in the late-60s/early-70s that has come out on dozens of collections as well.
     
  12. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
  13. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    Interestingly, this single of Second Hand says Peter Tosh and the Wailers.

     
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  14. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    Burnin' is probably my least favorite, but that is a minority opinion I'm sure. And after Burnin' Tosh and Bunny are gone, so the other records are quite a bit different. Maybe you'll like them better, maybe you won't.
     
  15. 99thfloor

    99thfloor Senior Member

    Location:
    Sweden
    Actually they were only billed as "The Wailers" on Catch A Fire and Burnin' (to make them seem more like a self contained band and thus appeal to a Rock audience), before that they were usually always credited as some form of "X & The Wailers" depending on who sang lead (as seen in the example above). So it is a myth that Chris Blackwell used the name of the group as a way to push Bob as a frontman (he did that in other ways though), he actually did the opposite.

    The three first you list there are 90's Heartbeat titles made available agan, while the fourth is a recent reissue of their first album.

    A company called Yep Roc has started a Studio One reissuing campaign, they have done nine titles so far, the rest that appear on Bandcamp are old titles, either originally released by Hearbeat (in which case they generally sound good), or by Studio One themselves (in which case they generally sound bad).
     
  16. bluejimbop

    bluejimbop Thumb Toe Heel Toe

    Location:
    Castro Valley, CA
    No.
     
  17. Jimi Bat

    Jimi Bat Forum Resident

    Location:
    tx usa
    Double no.
    Just give all the albums a chance.
    They will not let you down.
    If your going the CD route look for the ones mastered by Barry Diament.
    They are a forum favorite and can usually be found cheap.
     
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  18. WayneC

    WayneC Hopelessly addicted to vinyl

    Location:
    England
    I tend to think of them as two distinct groups. before and after Tosh & Livingstone left. Up to that point the sound like a terrific three part harmony reggae band, and the balance between them makes a lot of the songs. All wrote, but Bob's songs and voice mostly are strongest. Just listen to the weird but brilliant harmonies on Duppy Conquerer on Burnin'. There's no way that would have appeared after they left.
    So, a simple list would be Herbsman, Catch a Fire, Burnin'. Personally I prefer this era.

    After that the revised line up became more...watered down and poppy for acceptability? Certainly they became more Bob's backing band and for me a little of the magic and edge was lost without Tosh & Livingstone's influence. I love Natty Dread, Live and Exodus, Rastaman Vibration a little less so and then downhill from there.

    Pop or harmonies? You choose.
     
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  19. Jem

    Jem Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lathbury
    Start with Exodus. A number of songs you will know on a very strong and good sounding album. After that I would recommend Uprising for someone new to Marley. Rastaman Vibration is probably third in the ‘easy to get into’ list. If you wanted something a little more characterful that Natty Dread and Survival tick those boxes.
     
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  20. A Saucerful of Scarlets

    A Saucerful of Scarlets Commenter Turned Viewer Thread Starter

    Okay, I take back what I saw about Natty Dread. I relistened to the first four tracks again and they are fantastic. Will listen to the whole thing again tonight. I never judge an album until at least 3 listens so those were really just my first impressions, but I was worried since Burnin’ was only good. Nothing more, nothing less.
    Thanks for the replies guys. I’m going through from Catch a Fire until the end in order. If I become a big enough fan of everything or most things, I’ll try and find the stuff before Catch a Fire. It’s just very problematic when my only source of listening to music is through streaming.
     
  21. Turbo2k

    Turbo2k Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I bought the 2-CD best of... ”One Love” in 2001 and then quickly bought all the Island albums. But for some reason I kept going for the best of most of the time I wanted to listen to Marley. The original Jamaican mix of Catch A Fire also became an early favorite.
    But a couple of weeks ago I started to listen through the whole albums from start to finish and I was hooked! Favorites are Catch A Fire (original Jamaican mix) , Exodus, Survival and Uprising but every Island album is very solid, can’t think of one song I don’t like. What a solid discography!

    I have been listening constantly since then mixed with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Tosh’ Legalize It and Equal Rights are just as great as the best Marley/Wailers albums. Bush Doctor, Mystic Man and Mama Africa are very good too but not as solid IMO. Wanted... is weaker but still some good songs and the amazing Fools Die.
    The Bunny Wailer albums I’ve been listening to, Blackheart Man, Protest and Struggle are still too new for me to rate. I like them but they haven’t grabbed me like Marley and Tosh yet.

    I need to look into the pre-Island Wailers too.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  22. A Saucerful of Scarlets

    A Saucerful of Scarlets Commenter Turned Viewer Thread Starter

    Is the Jamaican version of Catch a Fire the original mix by Marley before the edits or something? Why is it different?
     
  23. southamorican

    southamorican Forum Resident

    Location:
    São Paulo
    You should check out the pre-Island stuff as soon as you can. It is awesome and widely available.

     
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  24. Dubmart

    Dubmart Senior Member

    Location:
    Bristol, England
    It's a modern mix from 2001, but one that attempts to replicate how it would have sounded if it had originally been mixed in Jamaica rather than London with Rock orientated overdubs and a more commercial "Rock" sound.
     
  25. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    The Jamaican recordings, pre-overdubs are available on the 2CD Deluxe Edition of 'Catch A Fire'.
    This is the tape the band gave Island Records before Chris Blackwell decided to add some overdubs and "sweetening".

    This Jamaican version had a final mix by Errol Brown in 2001 for the deluxe.

    It's really a great mix of what 1972 Wailers sounded like. Errol created a great mix, but I've really come around to preferring the original Island released mix.
     
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