Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey

http://www.burningspear.net

http://www.myspace.com/burningspearmusic

Origine du Groupe : Jamaica

Style : Reggae Roots

Sortie : 1975

Some argue that the reputation of this release rests on the fact that it was created by the first Jamaican artist other than Bob Marley to compose songs that were written specifically for an
album. Before Marley, Jamaican artists didn't have "albums" as a rule. If a singer had enough popular singles they might be rereleased together on an entire record later, but albums were rarley
made.



The difference with Burning Spear (Winston Rodney and his back-up singers, Rupert Willington and Delroy Hinds) was that the strength of his music was never with singles. A Burning Spear song by
itself didn't mean as much until you put it in a group of Burning Spear songs. It was with albums that Spear would gain his popularity and here was his first big breakthrough. It was a huge
success in Jamaica and afterwords, Spear was signed up with Island Records until he gradually reached international fame.



This album may not be for everyone. The music is jerky and old sounding. The tracks are short and often repetitive. But there's something ethereally timeless about this set. The music seems to
transcend space and time to make us beleive that it's always been there. As if Winston Rodney brought it with him from his premortal existance to be shared with the world in our present day.
Perhaps I was going through a transitional period in my life when I first heard it, but anything Rodney ever did afterword (even if it was just as good or better) would never feel like this. It
is truly a unique masterpiece.



P.S. The accompanying band, "The Black Desciples" also deserves mention in helping Burning Spear accomplish this unequaled acheivement.



by Matthew Channon  permalink

Tracklist :

1. Marcus Garvey

2. Slavery Days

3. Invasion, The

4. Live Good

5. Give Me

6. Old Marcus Garvey

7. Tradition

8. Jordon River

9. Red, Gold, And Green

10. Resting Place