Burning Spear's Marcus Garvey

In 1976, Burning Spear released the classic Marcus Garvey album. I write that the album is classic because upon its release in Jamaica it was immediately accepted as such and catapulted Spear into one of the world's most celebrated reggae artists. Years later it stands up as a classic of the genre and has levitated into a classic album by any genre's standards.

The music inside the jacket is both infectious, uplifting and filled with history and political meaning. The track names say it all: Slavery Days, The Invasion, Live Good, Tradition, Jordan River, and Red, Gold & Green to name but a few.

Burning Spear is chiefly Winston Rodney, Delroy Hines and Rupert Willington.

The band employed by Spear to turn his ideas and lyrics into music was dubbed The Black Disciples and is a version of The Revolutionaries. Robbie Shakespeare and Aston "Family Man" Barrett provide bass. Earl "Chinna" Smith and Valentine "Tony" Chin fill in the guitars. Leroy "Horse" Wallace on the kit. Tyrpne "Organ D" Downie and Bernard "Touter" Harvey sit at the organ and piano Vincent "Trommie" Gordon, Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall, Herman Marquis, Bobby Ellis and Carlton "Sam" Samuels make up the horn section.

The session was produced by L Lindo (Jack Ruby) and engineered by George Philpott and Errol Thompson. Spear recorded at Randy's Studio and the album was mixed at Joe Gibbs Recording Studio.

The Invasion
Tradition


Reprinted below is Robert Christgau's reviews of the Marcus Garvey album and the dub version, Garvey's Ghost which is attached to the reissue:

Marcus Garvey [Island, 1976]
The most African (and political) sounding reggae LP yet to crease the USA. Deceptive polyrhythms and horns that hint at highlife add to the hypnotic force of Winston Rodney's eerie ululations, resulting in chants so compelling that when Rodney cries "Give me what is mine" you half expect Chris Blackwell to hand over the record company. Or at least to release the group's next album when this one doesn't sell. A-

Garvey's Ghost [Mango, 1976]
Marcus Garvey dub, with the instrumental tracks remixed to create illusions of depth and focus. I know two people who consider it one of the great reggae albums, and oddly enough neither is a doper. Odd because, though I'm not much of a doper myself, I find that marijuana greatly enhances appreciation of this music. Which makes sense--marijuana certainly enhanced its creation as well. But which also makes me suspicious. B+

Read Them and more at Rob Christgau's website.

If you like what you heard please by the album at your local retail seller of fine albums. If you don't like what you heard please by another album at your local retail seller of fine albums.