How to collect Bob Marley?

[antonkk]

Of course I know all the hits (who doesn't?) and heard a few albums over the years yet I never started to buy myself a BM collection. I have the Uprising remaster (which I don't like that much because of the brightness) and Steve's disc as well but I guess this doesn't count as it's early non-classic stuff. So the question is basically: what's the good way to collect his classic era? And by the way when did it begins? Catch a Fire? Natty Dread? Should I pick up all the Deluxe Editions? What's the first one that I need and where do I go then? Questions, questions...

[ZappaSG]

You NEED Live at the Roxy 1976! That show is just a classic, trance filled smoker!

You also NEED Burnin' DE not just for the album itself but more so for the absolutely funky '73 performance at Leeds on Disc 2. Killer material!

The Rainbow DVD from '77 is also very, very, very nice!

[johmbolaya]

Catch A Fire would be the beginning of the Island Records era, the moment when there were plans to market his music outside of the islands. The album was credited simply as The Wailers, which is how it was when Bob shared vocal duties with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. Gradually, Bob would take the spotlight and perhaps it was inevitable. That would lead to the collapse of the old Wailers and what would become Bob Marley & The Wailers, with a more Western approach to reggae music. There is a Deluxe Edition of Catch A Fire with both the Island mixes, and the original Jamaican mix of the album, which is fairly raw compared to what everyone else would hear. After hearing it, I prefer the Jamaican version myself. But start there.

You can then start exploring every angle of his career. A lot of people enjoy the early work he did pre-1970, and also the work that was produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry. There are a number of different compilations and box sets highlighting the early work, and it shows Marley as a Jamaican crooner, a romantic, which is something he would continue to be on his later work but it would be overshadowed by his more political material.

Some of these comps and box sets are of questionable quality and legality, as ownership of the masters seems to go around every few years.

You can be safe by sticking to what came out on Island, but to fully understand what lead to him being signed to Island, you have to hear his early work, whether it's "Simmer Down" or "Guava Jelly".

[SamS]

I would say start with the "Songs of Freedom" boxset. Decent sound-wise and gives you a digestable version of his career from start to his untimely end.

You'll start to find your favorite songs and periods of his music, and expand on individual albums from this starting point.

[GuyDon]

The Ska Years (1963-1966):
One Love at Studio One (2CD)
Destiny: Rare Ska Sides From Studio One
Wailers and Friends
Climb The Ladder
Reggae Christmas From Studio One (one track)
If you purchase the above five titles, you will have all the Coxson material that has been released on CD.

The Rock Steady & Early Reggae Years (1967-1972):
Grooving Kingston 12
Fy-ah Fy-ah
Man to Man
The above three box sets from Universal/Hip-O collect all material from these years including all the Wail'n Soul'm singles, the Leslie Kong productions, Lee Perry productions (excepting the mid to late 70's collaborations) and the other Tuff Gong single releases. To get the mid to late 70's Perry/Marley collaborations (Keep on Skanking, Turn Me Loose, Natural Mystic, Rainbow Country, I Know a Place, Who Colt The Game) you will the Complete Upsetter Collection box set on Trojan.

The Island Years (1972-1980)
Catch a Fire
Burnin'
Natty Dread
Live
Rastman Vibration
Exodus
Kaya
Babylon By Bus
Survival
Uprising
Confrontation

You will also need various compilations for material not released elsewhere. These include Songs of Freeedom (a-sides of his first two 45's, other unreleased tracks), the Deluxe Editions of albums (Catch a Fire, Burnin', Rastaman Vibration, Exodus), Live at the Roxy, Talkin' Blues, etc.

[anhedonia]

Start with Catch A Fire and move on from there... My personal favorite is SURVIVAL... Ambush In The Night and Babylon System are just spellbinding and the flute sound at the beginning of Africa Unite is just splendour...

Here's my proposed order of purchase for a newbie to the original catalog:

Catch A Fire
Natty Dread
Survival
Burnin'
Live! or Babylon By Bus (for live stuff)
Exodus

maybe??

I have personally assembled a collection of Survival outtakes and rehearsals that's fantastic.

Mike

[sungshinla]

Interesting.

I always thought the audiophiles' favorite is "Rastaman Vibration" (which is my favorite, for overall consistency of the songs, sound and performance).

I have always wondered why there is no audiophile reissue of this LP, although the other "famous" LPs have been reissued by an audiophile label. IMHO, it's just as well, since the sound of ANY US pressing of this I have heard is already good enough for this picky audiophile.

Also, if you would like to start with a sampler, try the "Legend" (best of) LP on UK BMW 1. This sampler has the Marley anthem of MY generation, "No Woman, No Cry" (live version). Hmmm, perhaps it is just the anthem of my class in college and grad school (Berkeley and Columbia) -- lol.

[robby]

Try 1978´s Kaya!...10 songs, and everyone is great. I have the early mastering CD by Barry Diament. A natural sounding disc... Also try Steve´s compilation SACD from the Lee "Scratch" Perry era. The mos powerful bass, and remixed in stereo, many for the first time ever...

[antonkk]

Thanx everyone! So i assume there's no DE for Natty Dread?

[ec461]

How's the sound on the Natty Dread remaster?

[rdnzl]

Originally Posted by antonkk

Thanx everyone! So i assume there's no DE for Natty Dread?

Not yet, but it would surprise me, if "Natty Dread" won't get a DE someday...

[peerke]

I suggest you start with Trenchtown Rock (Anthology 1968 - 1979)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=glance&n=5174

It has all the tracks (minus the countless dub versions) produced by the fabulous Lee Perry, from Marley's best period: 1969 - 1971. Plus some tracks from a later collaboration.

Awesome stuff!
Unsurpassed in later years.

[rjp]

if you don't want spend big bucks on the box set get "legend". a pretty good 1-CD overview that might point you in the direction you'd like to go.

renny

p.s. there is 2-CD deluxe edition of "legend available also.

[head_unit]

Geez, I knew this guy wrote a lot of songs, but Holy Cow! Anyone know how many songs he wrote?

GuyDon, you da man! Thanks for all the info.

If I look at yourmusic.com, they have:
- A 4CD box "Soul Revolutionaries (The Early Jamaican Albums)" which seems to contain the albums ""The Best of the Wailers" (recorded for Leslie Kong's Beverley's Records), "Soul Rebels," "Soul Revolution," and "Soul Revolution Part II"
- "African Herbsman" which appears to be from the "Soul Revolution" sessions, but with a chunk of material NOT in the above box
- A number of the Island albums
- Other stuff which is basically compilations (not what I'm looking for).
Is this a correct take?

I'm thinking of joining emusic.com where I can scoop a bunch of this. And/or possibly Rhapsody to subscribe, though there's the difficulty of transferring to an iPod + sound quality issues.

[DanG]

Originally Posted by anhedonia

... My personal favorite is SURVIVAL... Ambush In The Night and Babylon System are just spellbinding and the flute sound at the beginning of Africa Unite is just splendour... Mike

My favorite album, too. I love One Drop and Zimbabwe. Amazingly catchy tunes.

I think SURVIVAL is the culmination of the Marley/Wailer band. Fantastic lyrics, concept album, catchy melodies, wonderful instrumentation and vocals. Great, great stuff.

That said, I would not start with it. I'd go with the classic songs, start with LIVE and BABYLON BY BUS to get all the hits, then chase the other albums based on what you like from the live sets. Marley was a taskmaster, the live sets are great, and a great representation of the studio cuts.

[drumz73075]

Start with the Catch A Fire Deluxe Edition, after listening to both versions of the album I prefer the Jamaican mix over the final cut.

[Matti Saari]

Originally Posted by johmbolaya

Catch A Fire would be the beginning of the Island Records era, the moment when there were plans to market his music outside of the islands. The album was credited simply as The Wailers, which is how it was when Bob shared vocal duties with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. Gradually, Bob would take the spotlight and perhaps it was inevitable. That would lead to the collapse of the old Wailers and what would become Bob Marley & The Wailers, with a more Western approach to reggae music. There is a Deluxe Edition of Catch A Fire with both the Island mixes, and the original Jamaican mix of the album, which is fairly raw compared to what everyone else would hear. After hearing it, I prefer the Jamaican version myself. But start there.

You can then start exploring every angle of his career. A lot of people enjoy the early work he did pre-1970, and also the work that was produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry. There are a number of different compilations and box sets highlighting the early work, and it shows Marley as a Jamaican crooner, a romantic, which is something he would continue to be on his later work but it would be overshadowed by his more political material.

Some of these comps and box sets are of questionable quality and legality, as ownership of the masters seems to go around every few years.

You can be safe by sticking to what came out on Island, but to fully understand what lead to him being signed to Island, you have to hear his early work, whether it's "Simmer Down" or "Guava Jelly".

Catch A Fire DD is a must. Original Jamaican version is way much better than the one that's better known, IMHO.

[ec461]

Another vote for the Jamaican Catch A Fire mixes! IMHO, they are the way to hear this album.

[ec461]

Quick question: did Barry Diament do the original Live CD? And if so, is that the one bmgmusic.com sells?

[RoyalScam]

Yet another vote for the Jamaican original mix of Catch A Fire on the Deluxe Edition. A revelation.

Legend is the best place to start for beginners, then for a little more go for Songs Of Freedom, which will give you a taste of each of his phases and styles. Then you can progress outward with the phase you like best by using the info in Post #5 as a primer.

And, finally, ALL of the Island-era Deluxe Editions are must haves.

And since this thread will eventually morph into a Diament vs. Jensen match, here's the distilled version: Diament's original masters are fantastic in the pure Hoffman-like way, though while Jensen's remasters are a bit smiley-faced, they do have copious bonus tracks...so the completist in me swings toward the Jensens, though I kept my Diament-mastered Legend.