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CD reviews

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Natty Dread Audio CD

A fair review of the Bob Marley & the Wailers "Natty Dread" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Bob Marley & the Wailers reviews here, or go back to the Bob Marley & the Wailers tabs.

Band: Bob Marley & the Wailers
Title: Natty Dread
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-05-31
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Lively Up Yourself 2: No Woman, No Cry - Bob Marley 3: Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) 4: Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Road Block) 5: So Jah Seh 6: Natty Dread 7: Bend Down Low 8: Talkin' Blues 9: Revolution

Bob Marley's Breakout Album
The songs on here such as No Woman, No Cry, Natty Dread, Lively Up yourself, and Talkin' Blues are the songs that helped Bob Marley reach a worldwide audience. As one who listened to my mother's Bob Marley records in my childhood (she's from Jamaica), this the one I like the most.

A Conerstone Album In The History Of Music
This is true, no doubt. It is often said in the world of raggae music that there are bands other than Bob Marley and The Wailers out there. But, it is also true that Bob Marley and The Wailers in their many forms are the best raggae musicians that ever lived and that will ever exist. Their music cannot be matched because they were inventing the true spirit of raggae, not simply following a formula as musicians do today. Although Bob and his bandmates wrote a number of great songs, "Natty Dread" is perhaps the most complete and perfect album they put together. Anyone who considers themself to be a connesieur of music has to not only have this album, but know it inside and out. If you're just entering the world of raggae, be careful with this album. Once you listen to it, you will forever be hooked by the infectious grooves of Bob and his band. You'll never listen to music the same way again.

Rebel Music
Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer had left the band and Mr. Natty Dread was an extremely important album for Bob Marley. Marley was out on his own. He delivered an album that painted a vivid portrait of live in the shanties in the ghettoes of Jamaica. Many of the songs like "Them Belly Full (But We Hungary)", "Revolution", "Rebel Music" and "Bend Down Low" were a call to arms, songs that didn't asked for change, but demanded it. "Talkin' Blues" takes its cue from Bob Dylan's early 60's songs. Not everything on Natty Dread is angry, "Lively Up Yourself" is a bouncy number about having a good time and the original studio version of "No Woman No Cry" is a reaffirmation that as the line goes, "everything's gonna be alright".

Doesn't get much better than this
1. I'll go song by song to give you a full picture of this album. Lively Up Yourself--one of Marley's best, most groovy songs. When the brass comes in at around minute 3, forget it. Just too good. 2. No Woman, No Cry--this is an unfortunate version of a great song. The music sounds computer-generated and bizarre. Much better version on "Live" 3. Them Belly Full--I love it-the beat is fantastic and the lyrics are top-notch. 4. Rebel Music--has a blues-y kind of feel. Great driving music. 5. So Jah Seh--the brass is perfect in this one. 6. Natty Dread--"Dreadlock congo bongo I!"--don't quite know what this means, but the way Bob sings it is amazing. 7. Bend Down Low--sounds like a little kid toy song. I always skip this one. 8. Talkin' Blues--nice slow, mellow tune. 9. Revolution--great closing track. Makes sure we understand Bob's cause and fight for freedom. Well, that's the whole album! The only complaint I have is that it's too short, but that concern just further shows how great the album is--it always leaves you wanting more! Buy it now!.

'Now the fire is burning!...
. . ride, Natty, ride; Go deh Dready, go deh'. Although these lyrics are from a later song, they perfectly describe the frenzied greeting that this album received in Jamaica when it was released in 1975. It also received critical acclaim in Europe and although it climbed the album chart in the UK, it still was not the commercial success that either Bob or Island Records wanted. Commercial success is one thing; musically it is considered a masterpiece. It is more focused than previous albums and has great lyrical strength. Most reggae historians see it as Bobs' finest album and I can't argue with, or put it better than the authors of a reggae book (K. Chang/W. Chen) who said - "it was a continuous tour de force in which every track crackles with the energy of a liberated artist free to chart his own creative destiny. "

Bob was wailing as a solo act, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer having left. Providing harmony in their place were the I Threes - Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt. The group was most definitely now Bob's, he was up front and centre and totally in charge. The band had also been strengthened. Alongside Bob and the Barrett brothers was Bernard 'touter' Harvey on keyboards, filling the vacancy left by the departure of Earl Lindo. There was also Al Anderson as full time lead guitar.

Starting with the fresh sounding 'Lively up yourself' with some serious guitar licks from Anderson, Bob, far from sounding unsure with his new solo career, was at his best. This is a positive and lighter call to action, similar to the first track on the previous album -'Get up, stand up'- but obviuosly much less militant. Bob even has fun with the line 'Reggae is another bag'. Listen to the last lines and the play on the words - 'What you got in that other bag?' Natty Dread has a sense of humour! The album has it's share of old Wailer tunes, revamped and redone - 'Them belly full' and 'Bend down low' as well as 'Lively up yourself'. The hits were the title track, 'Rebel Music' and 'Talkin Blues', which contains one of the most controversial lines of any song, ever - "Feel like bombing a church". Bob could say this without actually causing harm because he was never seen as an angry dread. His was a voice of consciousness, not a call for revolution.

The album is most well known for the first cut of 'No woman, no cry'. This is not a Marley classic or a reggae classic, its simply a classic. A poignant, tender look back at suffering, while looking forward with hope. A perfect summation of where he was at in his career - looking forward with optimism.

You can see a complete list of all Bob Marley & the Wailers discography, or go back to the Bob Marley & the Wailers tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.