My 5-year-old (at the time) son's all-time favorite song is Three Little Birds. Because of him, I really got into Marley, more than just my copy of Legend. I now have all but 7 of his albums - all compilations. As a completist, I must have them all For me, the albums that I would recommend to you, would be these:

Studio
African Herbsman - This is a compilation, but it is by far the album that I listen to the most of his. It's pretty much his Soul Revolution album with some other songs added. It is comprised of songs from his pre-superstardom releases. The whole album has a nice flow to it, IMO.
Natty Dread - This is a pretty good one. And it has Them Belly Full, which I love.
Uprising - His last album before he died. A solid album, with Redemption Song and Could You Be Loved
Rastaman Vibration - I find this one to be an enjoyable listen start to finish.
Exodus - His Exile. Just a great, great, classic album.

If you want a compilation of all of his radio-friendly, most popular songs, I'd recommend Africa Unite over Legend.

Live
In my opinion, there is only one live album to get - Live Forever: The Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, September 23, 1980. This is the last concert Marley performed before his death, and it is absolutely astounding. The setlist is great, and the band's performance is simply incredible. Marley's singing is in top form, and one would be hard-pressed to know he was already dying of cancer, and would be gone less than 5 months later.


As mentioned previously, there are others in the genre, and I would also highly recommend Stephen Marley's Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life. This is the reggae album that I listen to the most. It is an absolute classic!! Stephen is one of Bob's many children.

Wherever you decide to start, I wish you all the best!

VL13

Great post VoodooLounge13. Can't argue with any of it. I can only say that you must include the Survival record. He was really hitting his groove in 1979 and songs with like Africa Unite and Zimbabwe it's just too good to pass up.

Based on your recommendation I will have to check out the Live Forever record.

peace

new material coming out ! [www.itv.com]

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detroitken
I'd go with double disk set of "Catch a Fire" & the 1st Bob Marley & Wailers live ....

Wayne Perkins plays on Catch A Fire. The deluxe edition of that album includes the original Jamaican version on one cd and the finished Island version with Perkins on guitar and Rabbit on keys on the other. Each version is worthy in its own way.

The first Live set is short, but exquisite. Tremendous ambience!

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Naturalust
Great post VoodooLounge13. Can't argue with any of it. I can only say that you must include the Survival record. He was really hitting his groove in 1979 and songs with like Africa Unite and Zimbabwe it's just too good to pass up.

Based on your recommendation I will have to check out the Live Forever record.

peace

Hey Naturalust,

I saw Survival mentioned a few times, and I was going to include it, but when I looked over the songs on it, nothing was really jumping out at me. I was too sick last night to give it a listen, and unfortunately, my head is still killing me today, but I will give it another listen as soon as I'm able to put on music again!

I don't think there is one bad Marley release. You can't go wrong with any of them.

I wonder which albums will be released at deluxe versions this year?

I would love a deluxe Natty Dread but I have a feeling they will do Survival or Uprising first.

Gave Survival a listen today. It is a good, strongly political album. Listening to Kaya now. That one's pretty good too.

Well, what would need deluxe versions? Natty Dread, Survival, Uprising. Doubt there's much in the way of leftovers for a Confrontation deluxe.

I believe there is to be more live releases besides Easy Skanking, too.

Interestingly enough, I find Ziggy to be the one son whom I like the least. A lot of his work is just sort of fluff to me. For me, I like Stephen and Damian the best - which one comes out on top depends on my mood that day. And both Ky-mani and Julian have put out some good stuff as well.

Haven't really ever checked out any of Rita's albums, and I haven't made my way down to the grandkids yet either.

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VoodooLounge13

Interestingly enough, I find Ziggy to be the one son whom I like the least. A lot of his work is just sort of fluff to me. For me, I like Stephen and Damian the best - which one comes out on top depends on my mood that day. And both Ky-mani and Julian have put out some good stuff as well.

Haven't really ever checked out any of Rita's albums, and I haven't made my way down to the grandkids yet either.

Why settle for the son's when The Wailers are still kicking butt in their live shows. I have been more than impressed with some of their shows, even without Bob they are awesome. I'd be interested on what your #1 favorite non-Marley reggae is these days. I am so spoiled by Bob and the Wailers, I tend to hear him in all reggae. peace

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Naturalust

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DaveG
I was watching the Bob Marley movie on Palladia the other day and was intrigued by his life and music. Over the years I watched and listened from a distance, not ever "into" his music. Can someone recommend to me your choice of his greatest studio album and his greatest live album, please. Is there a general consensus as to which would albums would be recommended?
Thanks.

All his records are great but if I had to pick a couple to recommend they would be Survival and Babylon by Bus. As far as my favorite live track it has to be No Woman, No Cry although there are many close seconds. I didn't get Bob Marley at first listen, had a roommate who played him constantly, then one day it just hit me like a ton of bricks and I've loved him ever since. Jah Rastafari

That Bablylon by Bus must be his best live album by far, it certainly gets fave reviews.

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Naturalust

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VoodooLounge13

Interestingly enough, I find Ziggy to be the one son whom I like the least. A lot of his work is just sort of fluff to me. For me, I like Stephen and Damian the best - which one comes out on top depends on my mood that day. And both Ky-mani and Julian have put out some good stuff as well.

Haven't really ever checked out any of Rita's albums, and I haven't made my way down to the grandkids yet either.

Why settle for the son's when The Wailers are still kicking butt in their live shows. I have been more than impressed with some of their shows, even without Bob they are awesome. I'd be interested on what your #1 favorite non-Marley reggae is these days. I am so spoiled by Bob and the Wailers, I tend to hear him in all reggae. peace

Well, Naturalust, this may surprise you, as I must admit that I don't listen to much Reggae that isn't Marley-related, but my favorite non-Marley would be Matisyahu. Although his style has certainly evolved quite a bit. I'm listening to him right now actually. I've seen him a few times, and I really really enjoy him. I also like Dominic Balli a lot. And I have a couple of Trevor Hall albums. And though I don't have any of their albums, I really enjoy a band out of Cali by the name of Tribal Seeds. I think they have some good stuff. Easy All-Stars aren't too bad. Rebelution are OK. Wailing Souls are OK. I must admit that I am not at all familiar with Tosh or Jimmy Cliff, though I've certainly heard of them both. Not big on the Dirty Heads. Matis is by far my fave non-Marley.

Had the chance to go see the Wailers a couple of years back, but my son - the same one who got me further into reggae - actually didn't want to go. Was kind of disappointed.

Matis singing one of my favorite Marley songs. I like this cover.

Redemption Song



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-02-21 04:35 by VoodooLounge13.

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VoodooLounge13

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Naturalust

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VoodooLounge13

Interestingly enough, I find Ziggy to be the one son whom I like the least. A lot of his work is just sort of fluff to me. For me, I like Stephen and Damian the best - which one comes out on top depends on my mood that day. And both Ky-mani and Julian have put out some good stuff as well.

Haven't really ever checked out any of Rita's albums, and I haven't made my way down to the grandkids yet either.

Why settle for the son's when The Wailers are still kicking butt in their live shows. I have been more than impressed with some of their shows, even without Bob they are awesome. I'd be interested on what your #1 favorite non-Marley reggae is these days. I am so spoiled by Bob and the Wailers, I tend to hear him in all reggae. peace

Well, Naturalust, this may surprise you, as I must admit that I don't listen to much Reggae that isn't Marley-related, but my favorite non-Marley would be Matisyahu. Although his style has certainly evolved quite a bit. I'm listening to him right now actually. I've seen him a few times, and I really really enjoy him. I also like Dominic Balli a lot. And I have a couple of Trevor Hall albums. And though I don't have any of their albums, I really enjoy a band out of Cali by the name of Tribal Seeds. I think they have some good stuff. Easy All-Stars aren't too bad. Rebelution are OK. Wailing Souls are OK. I must admit that I am not at all familiar with Tosh or Jimmy Cliff, though I've certainly heard of them both. Not big on the Dirty Heads. Matis is by far my fave non-Marley.

Had the chance to go see the Wailers a couple of years back, but my son - the same one who got me further into reggae - actually didn't want to go. Was kind of disappointed.

Thanks, and I'm not too surprised... my reggae is dominated by Marley and I haven't been able to really connect as well with any other band. But, I also like Matisyahu and noticed his big hit "One Day" is the same chords as No Woman No Cry.

Here is one that probably started it all for Bob, such a perfect little number, great melodic bass line, sweet vocal, it's got it all. One of my first musical memories is hearing this tune....yeah, probably the Johnny Nash version.





peace

ROCKMAN

The Studio One recordings, I get the studios mixed up but these were his first or close to it.

Wailers And Friends: Top Hits Sung By The Legends Of Jamaica Ska

[www.amazon.com]

[i.ebayimg.com]

Bob Andy's "I've got to go back home" is so great.

The Melodians, ring a bell? One of Bob's early groups?

But for me,sometimes I'd rather listen to Desmond Dekker, Yellowman, 3rd world, a lot of very good music out there.

But basically everything Bob Marley did, to me, is good, it's just a matter of excellent, very good or good and no filler. It's kind of like some rock artists basically have no bad albums, none of BMW is filler or not up to par.







Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-02-21 09:37 by BroomWagon.

I think Survival is a synthesis of everything the band learned over the years. Like Sgt. Pepper it has a beat, a pulse throughout the record without having a "singles" hit. It is a mature, consistent work of a band that knows and is content with who they are and what it is about. It is a beautiful, inspired work. The arrangements, production is nothing short of astonishing. Take a listen to "So Much Trouble." It is a beautiful song. To make another comparison to the Beatles, it is the band's Abbey Road.

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BroomWagon
The Melodians, ring a bell? One of Bob's early groups?

The Melodians were a three piece vocal group like the Maytals, Pioneers and the Wailers

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pmk251
I think Survival is a synthesis of everything the band learned over the years. Like Sgt. Pepper it has a beat, a pulse throughout the record without having a "singles" hit. It is a mature, consistent work of a band that knows and is content with who they are and what it is about. It is a beautiful, inspired work. The arrangements, production is nothing short of astonishing. Take a listen to "So Much Trouble." It is a beautiful song. To make another comparison to the Beatles, it is the band's Abbey Road.

Well said pmk251. As Bob said, Brother, you're right, you're right, You're right, you're right, you're so right!

It is also a very political record, some might even say preachy....but somehow coming from Marley, it's easy to swallow and digest. Maybe it's just the nature of the music that opens you up gently and allows that pill to enter or maybe it's just the sweetness and genuine delivery of the vocals, but in any case it's effective. I get the feeling Bob could probably even take a tune like Sweet Neo Con and make us all believers.





peace

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Naturalust
Well said pmk251. As Bob said, Brother, you're right, you're right, You're right, you're right, you're so right!

It is also a very political record, some might even say preachy....but somehow coming from Marley, it's easy to swallow and digest. Maybe it's just the nature of the music that opens you up gently and allows that pill to enter or maybe it's just the sweetness and genuine delivery of the vocals, but in any case it's effective. I get the feeling Bob could probably even take a tune like Sweet Neo Con and make us all believers.





peace

Well stated Naturalist,

Survival is political but when I look at Africa, how sometimes I think how the world could especially have a Bob Marley nowadays and in all of the intervening years since his passing.

"Ambush in the Night" is, from what I understand, actually about an assassination attempt on Bob Marley's life. I think there was a stabbing attempt.

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http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Remembering-that-ambush-in-the-night_17119306
Remembering that ambush in the night

A novel revisiting the December 1976 assassination attempt on reggae star Bob Marley is due out soon.

The book, A Brief History of Seven Killings, is by Jamaican Marlon James, the Irish RTE.ie website reports.

...

No one was ever arrested for the attack which inspired the Marley song, Ambush in The Night.

[www.jamaicaobserver.com]

So, considering the events in his life, maybe he did comment a bit politically.

"Top Ranking" is a great song, I think things have not gone well in "Zimbabwe"; and the other songs do well.

I see Wikipedia seems to assert perhaps "Survival" was militant in response to the previous "Kaya" being received as very mellow.[en.wikipedia.org]

Reminder:

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TooTough
Get this, a great show from Germany 1980. Sound is 7 out of 10,
but a great document with a great German crowd:

Official release!!!

The encore:
Lively Up Yourself...

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BroomWagon
Survival is political but when I look at Africa, how sometimes I think how the world could especially have a Bob Marley nowadays and in all of the intervening years since his passing.

Yeah, me too. I was inspired to research places like Zimbabwe and other African nations I knew nothing about after hearing Marley sing about them.

And thanks for that post TooTough, really enjoyed it. peace

Yeeeeahhh....mon.

Got this last summer...for the completist, for Marley I'm not, funnily enough.

I have a hard time distinguishing all of the many, many compilations that are out there for Marley. I definitely buy all of the Island/Universal releases, and I will also buy others if they are on the Trojan label, as that seems to have been another label with which he was associated prior to superstardom, or at times simultaneously.

I have a few different compilations of those Lee Scratch Perry songs. Not sure how much overlap I actually have. Most of them are currently packed away as a result of my having moved to 6 different places in 11 months - divorce is great LOL

Have some of those Studio One compilations too, but again, not sure if any of them contain that set of songs above with "Friends."

What is that 2-disc edition of Legend TooTough? Is that the Legend and Legend Rarities 2-disc edition??

I agree with all here that we could definitely use someone like Mr. Marley nowadays. I wonder how his music would have evolved in the time since his passing. What he would think of the world these days. He was a real inspiration. Sorely, sorely missed.

ROCKMAN

Theres a Trojan double containing all Lee Perrys cuts (brilliant)Catch a fire (the Jamaican mix)and theres a great live set from 1973 live in Leeds.

My favourite:

A very nice song indeed, thank you for that.

wailers on Ksan and in London as well as the SF boarding house gig 1975 and teh quiet knight in chicago are all very very great shows that circulate in trading circles and are worth the effort to dig up.

I won't be original but my favourite Bob Marley song will always be: