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Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
1975
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!I've been listening to lots of 1970s reggae lately, so happy to give this another spin. Another record that is clearly important and influential, but which is not one of my favourites. HOWEVER, just as I was thinking how it always sounds a little too slick, I read that the Island release was remixed by the label without the artist's blessing/input. Can't believe I didn't know that. Now listening to the original Jamaican mix for the first time, and it has so much more of the darker, atmospheric sound I look for in roots reggae. Also just generally finding that the record is clicking with me more than it did in the past. None of the tracks are filler, and the instrumentation is great. My only mild criticism is that I'm not a huge fan of Burning Spear's voice (or let's say "the lead singer", since he hadn't yet taken the Spear name for himself). It's good and it fits the whole sound, but it doesn't compare to some 1970s reggae vocals. Overall, loved this a lot more on revisiting (and hearing the original mix).
Brilliant album - uplifting and full of righteous anger. Burning Spear is one of the key artists in roots reggae and this is my favourite of his albums. The dub is rather special too.
I love this album - one of my favourites. If you don't like reggae, I don't think it is going to convert you - but I love the raw elements - his plaintive voice, the 'country' horns, poewrful lyrics in patois etc etc
Never was into reggae, but always appreciate an album inspired by political and social movements.
Pure distilled passion and energy. Colourful arrangements, meandering and beautiful. (Although I would love to hear the original Jamaican pressing)
I'm generally a fan of reggae from this era. Reggae is the most amazing genre to me: a musical form originating from such a small geographic area, which was a melting pot of influences, that then evolved into something so distinct and unique and went on to then influence others around the world in turn. I'd be curious to hear the original Jamaican mix. I went on to listen to the dub (instrumental remix) version of the album "Garvey's Ghost" as a follow up bonus listen and I almost like it better.
Nice, some reggae! Honestly wouldn't have expected an album like this one here. Without knowing much at all about reggae, I think this album is great. Some great conscious lyricism, contrasted by the pleasant island vibes. I feel like I'm on island time, but I've got a serious zoom call in an hour. This was really enjoyable! Feels much more authentic than the ska/reggae album we had a little while back from The Specials. Favorite tracks: Slavery Days, Marcus Garvey, Tradition, Live Good. Album art: I love this one. The art style is fantastic, the text is bold and strong, and the imagery perfectly conveys the heft of the subject matter. Very, very cool. 4/5
I honestly thought that I didn’t like reggae, but I guess I just didn’t like other reggae. This album was really dope and I can see why it belongs here. I don’t know that I’ll listen to it again, but I enjoyed the ride. I also love the talk about Marcus Garvey and the Black Star Line. What a crazy part of history.
The beats of chill reggae album makes me pine for a nice day on a tropical beach. Listening to the lyrics though, Burning Spear's singing about very serious and unhappy themes: slavery, poverty and oppression. Made me look up information about Marcus Garvey, Burning Spear and Jamaica's political history that I am glad to have learnt.
Reggae really isn't my thing but this might be some of the best I've heard. It's somewhat a shame that it is clear that there is a message that is so specific to the Jamaican context and black experience that I only begin to understand. There are surely those who get a lot more out of the content of the lyrics than I ever will. I will say that the lyrics have a haunting quality to them and yet a certain melancholy to some of the songs, not necessarily for what was but for what could have been. It is a beautiful but heavy album. There are movies that I have watched that I describe as great movies that I will never watch again, and I have finally found my musical equivalent. I'm glad to have listened to it but it is unlikely that I will seek it out again, but I am interested in exploring more of Burning Spear's discography though.
pretty chill. i haven't really listened to reggae albums outside of bob marley. it's interesting to listen to more perspectives about black oppression.
Dope reggae album. Want to keep track of this one so I’m giving it a 5. Good music for hanging
An OKs favorite of mine. Brilliant album..Winston Rodney's singing is incredible especially on Days of Slavery Not sure what else there is to say . 5 🌟
Splendid. Musically flawless, such a warm, rich sound. Lyrics are mournful but ultimately spiritual and full of hope. Fave Songs: The Invasion, Jordan River, Marcus Garvey, Red Gold and Green, Live Good
This is different gravy! Top tier roots reggae - cool arrangements and a conceptual consistency that lends the album a rare potency. Burning Spear has a helluva voice. Love it.
I'd heard the first two tracks before quite a bit, but the rest was new and showed a lot of depth. Will likely add to the rotation and learn more about this album.
The most emotionally intense reggae album I've evert heard. It is evident in every note Winston Rodney sings. His singing is a tour de force, the songs are compelling and the music matches the intensity of the singing. 5 🌟
Cool reggae. Good background music for working (though I feel bad for listening so casually when he's actually singing about slavery and stuff)
Feels like a political bob marley- it’s been a while since I listened to reggae. Nice a chill on a warm day vibes
Really good, i didn't think I would like reggae enough to listen to the whole project.
Great album. Funky and fun and energetic in places and quiet snd comptemplative in others. Woke as SHIT. Felt that struggle
Really enjoyed this album.... the whole reggae scene is very relaxing and carefree... sets the mood for time off from work and siesta time!!
Bouncy and fun yet relaxing at the same time. This was a fantastic reggae album I really enjoyed.
First Time listening: 8/10 songs liked While I personally prefer more ska rooted and and more melodic reggae (the name leaves me at the moment) this is an overall enjoyable album! No songs saved
overall just a massive vibey sounding album i wanted to dance to slavery days aha would definitely listen again: 6/10
Solid reggae album. Excellent example of the genre, well-produced, and generally quite interesting. It does go on a bit, though. At some point, all the songs start to blur together into a low-tempo, dubby, backbeat hash. Not in a bad way, necessarily... it just gets a bit old by the end.
An album I know well. Listening on a grey, windy, rainy day - spirits lifted. Saw Burning Spear live at the Tower Ballroom, Birmingham under the plastic palm trees. Female brass section were - jaw-dropping. Came on a 1.00 am. to an amazing intro - just GLARED at the crowd. Power died after 30 seconds. Came back over an hour later to do it all again. One of the great concerts.
Great classic reggae sound with strong anti-colonial, pro-black unity lyrics. Frequent use of echo/repetition of hooks by back up vocals for emphasis. Island drums/instruments mixed with brass/wind, with funky bass.
Reggae kinda makes me some out but maybe that’s the point? Definitely enjoyed and will listen again
Not a bad album, it sounds good. But reggae is not my genre 100% so it doesn't appeal that much to me but can still appreciate it
Pretty great reggae album, but as previously stated, it's not really my jam unless I'm in the right setting. Would listen again, but wouldn't seek it out. 3 stars.
This was ok, can never differentiate good from bad Reggae but it's enjoyable to listen to. Also read Marcus Garvey's wikipedia while listening and learnt a fair bit. Interesting guy with some controversial views
Not a huge reggae fan. I like it as background but don't know enough to know what's good and what isn't. Either way this was A okay.
This album was good, but I lost interest pretty early. There were interesting sounds, but they were fairly repetitive.
Perhaps I didn't give this one enough of my attention but it didn't massively stand out. A few on there were really cool, but the rest just sort of blurred into one
Enjoyable listen. My reggae knowledge is not discerning enough to dig too deep into this or pick up on the subtleties between tracks. But this album is relaxing and unobtrusive to have on in the background on a Tuesday.
Roots Reggae and Dub are my favourite types of Reggae as you can really settle into the hypnotic groove. This record starts off great with Marcus Garvey but it after that it gets a bit preachy and one note sounding.
Honestly pretty good considering I’m not a big reggae fan. The songs kinda blend together annoyingly and his accent isn’t my favorite but I can tell the album is about important stuff and it’s short enough so as to not get boring. This also prompted me to look up Marcus Garvey, who was a very odd person.
I'm a huge fan of reggae! I'm not afraid to say that I am openly reggae but don't ask me what type of bass I prefer (I might be more of a rude boy). This wasn't my most favorite reggae but I can't complain when there are so many worse albums I've listened to on this list. Only Red, Gold and Green stood out to me, but I enjoyed listening all the way through on this and hope more reggae finds its way onto this list. Very cool album cover as well, there was a Marcus Garvey center at UNC that we had to patrol the lot of so theres some good memories around that, on top of everything Marcus did as a person.
Tiene buenos temas, pero sigo siendo mas del estilo de Bob Marley en relación con este ritmo.
A very political album. I remember the title track well. It got a lot of play at CKCU back in the day and forced me to find out who Marcus Garvey was (not so easy before wikipedia). I find the production kinda muddy, even for the seventies, but it was better the second time round with the volume and sub-woofer turned UP.
enjoyable as someone who likes reggae, but it sounds like a lot of the reggae from the period. felt somewhat forgettable after marcus garvey and slavery days
Listenable reggae with a message even if tampered with by Island Records for international ears.
I guess, for as much as I’m into reggae, this is nice. Perfectly listenable. Agreed. Not as loveable as Bob, but easy listening for background music .
Decent, no real standout tracks, but overall, an enjoyable listen. Opening song "Marcus Garvey" probably the best. Solid 3.
Nothing else quite gripped me as much as the opening number and album title track but I still enjoyed the rest of the album. The lyrics don't mess about. Very frank.
Not really a big reggae fan, but I can dig it. Probably wouldn't normally listen to this, but I can imagine enjoying it in the right circumstances. (2.7)
Reggae again, enjoyable again but I’ll stick with Marley as it’s not my keenest genre. Some cracking tunes on this though, the lyrics are heavy but the music is light. It’s really cool.
Felt like pretty generic reggae to me. Could see putting it on in for some background music.
My second straight reggae album and neither was a Marley disc. I wasn't much of a raga fan, but this is definitely worth the listen and I will revisit again.
I'm vexed. This is a thought-provoking album that examines interesting political themes. At the same time, it is a reggae album and maybe it's being a NZer, but this kind of roots reggae is easy to consider as background music for a lazy weekend barbecue. As a result, while the album took me along on its musical journey, there were times when I forgot it was even happening at all. The album ended, Spotify's algorithm gave me a few reggae tracks by other artists and I didn't even notice for a while.
Good reggae albu I had never heard in the past. Will add to a playlist when in the mood.
19th November 2021 Started listening on the way to meeting Sav and Sally in Battersea Park having not been able to listen on the Friday. Finished Monday morning. Historical, cultural and sadly more timely now than ever. Powerful and groovy in one.
Schoolhouse Rock guy, lol. I think this is actually the kind of reggae that appeals to me. It blends into the background effortlessly, is incredibly consistent in rhythm, and is (above all) brief. 34 minutes was not a minute too long. I'd put this on again, even if I don't recall many specifics aside from the fact there was a song about slavery and one about pollution. But hey, if you gotta pick two social issues to sing about you could do a lot worse than those two, CRAIG.
Solid reggae. A lot of it blends together into one long jam sesh but that’s a-okay by me. Favorite Tracks: “Marcus Garvey”, “Live Good”, “Old Marcus Garvey”, “Tradition”
I think I would like this album more if I was more familiar with reggae, but I appreciate the skillful instrumentation, even if the grooves can feel repetitive. I also admire the poignant lyricism. BEST TRACKS: Marcus Garvey, Slavery Days, The Invasion, Give Me, Tradition WORST TRACKS: N/A
I didn't enjoy this, I found it quite bland. Initially I was pleased to hear some reggae had made it onto the list. It soon became clear this album wasn't my thing though. Lyrically some of the songs are interesting, with the protest themes throughout, but musically it all sounds very alike and does nothing interesting.
Lyrically a very impressive album. Releasing this in the west in the 70s was very bold and must've been incredibly difficult. Musically, it just isn't for me. I find reggae super repetitive even in the best instances and this entire album suffers from the same issues I have with almost all reggae.
This is good reggae. But I find it starts so strong and then slowly dies off never getting back to the level of the first song "Marcus garvey". Its not that the other tracks are inherently weak just they don't live up to the opening.
Lazy music, lazy lyrics. Makes you feel lazy or want to smoke a spliff. Nothing to really dislike, but reggae is definitely not my thing. I did actually listen to the whole album as I drove to and from the chemist.
Cool reggae tunes 😎but I was overloaded by a whole album. So many of the songs seemed to start with the same percussion start.
Might have been some african 217-tone system but it sounded pretty off to me. Nice reggae vibe, but the execution wasn't too good imo.
Forgettable Reggae music, since it was modified to be more "poppy" for international audiences. The album did try to tell a story by blending religious and cultural concerns from this "hippy" era.
I came into this album with a preconceived notion that most reggae sounds similar. I did not have my mind changed. The rhythm I get, but the same two chord progression gets old.
I'm really not a reggae fan, and this won't convert me. I found it to be 33 minutes of the same song with no dynamic changes or anything interesting to keep me interested. Background music at best, for me. But fans of reggae probably love this.
Entweder ich werde altersmilde oder ich habe gerade einen ultratoleranten Tag. Sehr gute zwei Sterne.
Songs had little variance and singer repeated lyrics until your head hurt. Obviously reggae not my cup of tea.
I think I know why I don't like reggae - it's one of those genres that's built on a specific sounding beat. So there's a point where it all runs together and I tune out. It all sounds very well done here, but there are no stand-outs for me like on some Marley Records.
It's so very reggae and I'm not a fan. Nothing outstanding maybe except for lyrics which usually are "woke" either way...
I get the importance to Roots Reggae but it didn't leave a massive impression on me