334. Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey (1975)
















Track Listing

1. Marcus Garvey
2. Slavery Days
3. Invasion
4. Live Good
5. Give Me
6. Old Marcus Garvey
7. Tradition
8. Jordan River
9. Red Gold And Green
10. Resting Place

Review

This album has its plus and minuses when compared with stuff that came out at the same time by Bob Marley. On the plus side it sounds more "authentic" less produced for Western consumption, its lyrics are also more referential to Jamaican history and thought. On the minus side it isn't as exciting or plain good as Bob Marley.

Burning Spear brings us a very politically charged album, talking around the character of Marcus Garvey, a historical Jamaican character and focusing on the same problems as other Reggae artists, such as slavery.

There is really not a large amount to say about this album, except that it pales quite a bit next to Catch A Fire or Natty Dread, but it is a good album to look at if you want to expand your horizons on mid-70's Reggae further than Bob Marley's work. What really shines here is the brass instruments, sounding very much like Ethiopian music, the kind you listen to in the soundtrack of Broken Flowers. So in the end I would recommend it if you have a specific interest in Reggae.

Track Highlights

1. Old Marcus Garvey
2. Marcus Garvey
3. Slavery Days
4. Red, Gold And Green

Final Grade

7/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Winston Rodney (born March 1, 1948), also known as Burning Spear, is a Grammy Award winning Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Like many famous Jamaican reggae artists, Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.

Rodney was born in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica, as were Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey; who both had a great influence on Rodney's life. Garvey in his philosophy, which Burning Spear greatly took to, and Marley in directly helping Burning Spear get started in the music industry. Burning Spear was originally Rodney's group, named after Jomo Kenyatta, the first Prime Minister and President of an independent Kenya. As fame took hold the name of the group gradually became synonymous with Rodney.

Burning Spear is one of the strongest proponents of Marcus Garvey's self-determination and self-reliance for all African descendants, thus leading to several album releases in commemoration of the African activist.

In 2002, Burning Spear and his wife, Sonia Rodney who has produced a number of his albums, founded Burning Spear Records.

Burning Spear advocates messages of honesty, peace, and love, which tie in with his religious and political messages of Rasta and black unity.

Marcus Garvey: