Marcus Garvey

A solid reggae album that I'd listen to again.

Above average reggae. If you have to have 1,001 albums on the list, I suppose this on squeaks into the late 900's.

While reggae is not usually my cup of tea, a lot of it has to do with the fact that the albums from the 70s era all sound fairly dated in their production style. This album did not suffer from that somehow which really elevated it for me.

was pretty decent for a listen Will I listen to again: 4%

As per usual: I can see the historical significance of reggae but I cannot find me enjoying it musically.

Magnificent, still.

A perfectly acceptable reggae album. Is it 1001 albums worthy? Top 100 reggae albums? Sure. Maybe higher. But trying to show your street cred dilutes things. And yes maybe I’m way too harsh.

OMG, a proper reggae album! I read that Burning Spear was "outraged" when Chris Blackwell of Island Records remixed the album to make it more commercially viable for white audiences. I understand his artistic outrage, although the album is not nearly as sweetened (read as: "compromised") as some of Bob Marley's Island albums. I love that there is also a proper dub version of the album available (Garvey's Ghost).

After finishing Bob Marley and The Wailers discography, I didn't know when the next time I'd hear Roots Reggae would be, but thankfully Burning Spear came across my table so I guess it is time to pick back up this very joyous genre once again! This album is once again a very nice to the ears album with a lot of very timeless political lyrical material that still weighs heavy today. It always impresses me how so many Reggae acts are able to fit such dark material into such happy sounding projects, but Burning Spear is yet another to add to the list. I wouldn't say there is any stand out track here as everything is solid. I can definitely see for some people this album being very influential to them or to Reggae music as a whole, but as we stand here in 2026 I think it is just solid and not much more. Nuff said!

Interesting both musically and lyrically. Good find! Follow it up with the instrumental dub version, Garvey’s Ghost, to keep the vibe going.

Usually reggae isn’t my thing, but this was a nice mix of instruments and emotional topics.

Reggae schmeggae

Love this album, playing whilst cooking tonight- Jamaican Reggae is hard to beat, the Rhythm is sooooo cool

Would rate 2.5 but can't. Was groovy but repetitive.

This is the kind of thing I'd hoped to be introduced to when I started this project. Even so, reggae has never really clicked for me - which is odd, considering I have a huge soft spot for 1st wave ska. I'll have to give another listen or two, focusing instead on the lyrics rather than the music. There's a seriousness and a heaviness here that I'd like to spend more time with and trying to understand. 3 stars.

C’est toujours sympa du reggae

While not a huge reggae fan this was worthy

Solid reggae album. No Bob Marley.

No. 417/1001 Marcus Garvey 3/5 Slavery Days 4/5 The Invasion 3/5 Live Good 3/5 Give Me 3/5 Old Marcus Garvey 3/5 Tradition 4/5 Jordan River 3/5 Red, Gold and Green 3/5 Resting Place 3/5 Average: 3,2

A Jamaican ting

It occurs to me that reggae is like jazz in that you can tell what it is pretty clearly, but is it any good? Because it all sounds (Bob Marley excepted) pretty much the same. This was ok. It was definitely reggae. Was it *good* reggae? Who can tell? Not me. Not me.

Pas le pire reggae, mais quand même du reggae

Poliitiline ja jutustav reggae. Päris mõnus kuulamine ja veits on tunne, et ma komistasin reggae alguse otsa. Tundub väga mõjus album olevat, kahjuks lood väga ei eristu, sp hinne ka madalam. 3.4/5

Really good album I enjoyed it. Highlight was Tradition. 7/10

How is only Bob Marley famous when this is the exact same vibe and sound? (This is positive!)

Not a big reggae fan, but this album smokes! I will definitely revisit.

There hasn't been enough reggae on this list so far, but this is a great album.

Kinda fire

Not bad… Not bad at all

Vibra caribeña. No me encantó

No strong feelings about this one. Decent reggae album. I'd be interested to hear the original, darker mix

I wouldn’t normally be quick to buy a reggae album, but this one wasn’t too bad to listen to. Three stars…

Not my vibe, but I could definitely see this album being background music at some hip coffee shop while drinking an over priced latte. Still a pleasant listen, but nothing really gripping about it

blah... blah... blah..Am I missing something?

I don't know much about reggae, but I did enjoy "Marcus Garvey". I also listened to "Garvey's Ghost", and I'd recommend it to others too.

553/1089 - ||: Some neat sounds :|| x40 till fade out. They are neat sounds though!

Another reggae album. I'd say this genre is probably overrepresented. Once more, the album is ok but not my favourite style. So, three stars for me. I enjoyed "Slavery Days" or "The Invasion". And, in any case, the lyrics and the overall message of the album are indeed interesting.

So good, one of my fav reggae albums. Best paired with Garvey's Ghost.

Old school irie

Bob does it better

Not what I want right now. Maybe I'll come back later but I doubt it. Super repetitive.

Not for me

Absolutely sensational

I like this, summer vibes.

8.5/10

Seems like a well made album and all but I just don't care for reggae.

It’s. Classic.

It's reggae.

I usually have a really easy time getting in to and listening to reggae and while this album isn't exactly bad it just didn't vibe with me. I couldn't get in to the music and I found it to slow even though it probably has about the same rhythms as a lot of reggae. Its hard to put a finger on exactly what made it so I couldn't get in to it but unfortunately that was the case today.

Du reggae

Sympa, plutôt ska

Des sonorités raggae qui sont pas trop ma came mais j'ai quand même bien aimé, je connaissais Slavery Days

I like it

Реггей-реггей, растаманский джаз.

Impressive messaging, especially for the time. I just don't like reggae all that much

c'est vraiment pas pour moi le reggae sorry😔🙏

One of the best examples I've seen of an album that mixes thought-provoking social commentary with just amazing music. That's kinda the point of reggae, but whatever, it's good

A classic and an old favourite - an album I’d recommend to anyone. Favourite track: Old Marcus Garvey

Not really my genre, but I can appreciate that it’s good music.

Fantastic social commentary, excellent sound.

Ég og reggae eigum litla samleið, en þessi var alveg svoldið töff og stundum skemmtileg.

Great reggae that I had not heard before. Thank you 1001 Albums!

Okayish reggae album. I was fine with listening to it, but it did not floor me in any way.

Took me by surprise but a fantastic album.

One of those rare albums whose political potency is equal to its musical prowess. My only complaint is it’s not long enough!

Catchy, poignant and well produced. Short and sweet. Just what I look for in an album. Consistent and contextualized, "Marcus Garvey" is a fantastic release by the legendary Burning Spear. Now it's time to listen to Garvey's Ghost.

This was good, Tradition was a standout for me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Var lite avvaktande men efter några lyssningar har jag svårt att värja mig och jag börjar gilla den ena låten efter den andra. Det känns genuint och äkta och produktionen är super. Det blir en 4a. Bäst är Marcus Garvey, Slavery days, The invasion, Old Marcus Garvey, Tradition, Jordan River

First three songs, "Marcus Garvey", "Slavery Day's" and "Invasion", I really got into. There was a fierceness to it that kind of reminded me of War's more political sings in the early 70s. But by the time you get to "Live Good" it kind of goes right to that laid-back reggae feel that I just personally can't get myself into. It's good but, eh (6.8) ★★★

I don't like reggae, but this is not inherently bad. 3 stars

3.5

Lukewarm spear. Not the worst reggae album by any means but gets a little old and samey after track 0. For a better quality, more essential reggae album not already on the list I would pick Night Nurse by Gregory Isaacs, a Simply Red mixtape of reggae songs that includes a cover of Night Nurse or the UB40 album with the Chrissie Hynde duet of I Got You Babe on it.

I love the vibes, but this all just sounded like the same song to me. Maybe I just don't resonate with reggae, which would make sense i guess. 2.5

213.

Im not a reggae person so it probably deserves a better rating than this.

Great listen and interesting place in history.

This Skanks along quite nicely. Three stars. 1 "Marcus Garvey" (4/5) 2 "Slavery Days" (4/5) 3 "The Invasion" (4/5) 4 "Live Good" (3/5) 5 "Give Me" (3/5) 6 "Old Marcus Garvey" (3/5) 7 "Tradition" (4/5) 8 "Jordan River" (4/5) 9 "Red, Gold & Green" (3/5) 10 "Resting Place" (3/5) Total - 35 Average - 3.5 369/1001 196/369 albums reviewed were new to me.

# Album Name: Marcus Garvey # Artist: Burning Spear # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Alright. Was expecting a bit more tbh and it just didnt hit. Nice background music though # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? Yes

​If you want to understand the true heart, soul, and political conviction of roots reggae, Marcus Garvey is essential listening. It is a raw, beautiful, and deeply hypnotic journey that sounds just as powerful and relevant today as it did decades ago. A flawless 5/5 masterpiece

I was hoping to like this a lot more, I enjoyed it but it did not wow me

Probably an ignorant take but it sounds like boring reggae to me, nothing remarkable If I were going to listen to reggae, this is not the album I would pick.

big up slavery

Mnogo je krut

Decent but I prefer my reggae a little more dubby and weird.

Marcus Garvey. I know who that is now.

Peak reggae. Smooth beats with a message. That's how ya do it. Marley is the goat of course, but these guys are awesome.

Nah. Raggae is not for me.

I gotta appreciate that this list has introduced a fair amount of reggae and ska to me that I otherwise never would have listened to. Lots of funk, just celebratory beats all around, I cant really emphasize how enjoyable this was. You just have to listen to it, preferably on a day in nature.

Fun and funky reggae album. I’m so grateful there’s more reggae on this list beyond Bob Marley. This was a great one to cap off the initial 1001

repeating, monotone and... boring in consequence

Leuke regae (of dub of ska? Ik weet t verschil niet zo goed). Maar voor mij wel veel van hetzelfde

2/5

3. 4 Jordan River was a burner. Not super familiar with burning spear but will check out more

Perfectly fine reggae. Better than that Finley Quaye album I got a few weeks ago. But honestly, reggae is one of those genres where I really only need to hear one artist and that's Bob Marley.

One of the great roots records. Deep.

Not my style

Classic reggae. Well done...

Quite forgettable with a mediocre singer. I think unfortunately reggae is starting to miss more often than it’s hit.

I didn't dislike it, really, but man that beat gets repetitive after a while. 2.6

I’m not a fan of reggae. I can tolerate Bob Marley, but I don’t want to listen to any other reggae artists.

Not that great. Just not my vibe.

I liked this. A little repetitive, but that's ok.

fire

I dont like

not bad but not for me

7/10

335/1089 love the intention and the commentary. I also think the music carried that message nicely. just not a massive fan. Though another listen down the line might give me the time to reconsider 55/100

Decent.

I saw them live in the 80’s

Great reggae

Fun album, hadn’t heard of it before

Really tight vocals and band. Enjoyed it

Solid reggae album.

Musically quite good but lyrically a bit too much politics for laid back listening pleasure. 3

Winston Rodney AKA Burning Spear recorded this album in 1975 and brought it to Chris Blackwell of Island Records for international release. However, Blackwell took the controversial decision to remix it and tone down the bass heavy dub elements for a mainstream US/European audience, much to Rodney’s dismay. I can sort of see the point - most home listeners would not have had any way of playing this back as it was meant to be heard via a massive sound system. Listening on a little transistor radio just doesn’t cut the mustard. The original version was released 4 months later as Garvey’s Ghost and that’s the one that you should listen to, preferably on the most bass heavy system that you have. It’s a powerful experience, sung from the heart with true emotion and the music will make you want to dance.

It's a pretty solid reggae album. Also, Burning Spear is a cool name.

Seemed like standard reggae to me, with none of the messages hitting me. 3/5

My raggae days are gone. Hard to fit anymore in.

So this isn't bad and I think it's quite good, but I just wish this kind of music impacted me more than it does.

Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Marcus Garvey Date listened: 13/06/26 Listen when: Afternoon/ evening bbq in the sun I thought I disliked reggae then I listened to Bob Marley's Exodus and felt converted because it was way more dynamic and different sounding from song to song than I thought. However this album disappointed me off of that but that's not the album's fault necessarily, it's mine for thinking I like reggae now.

Ok

An enjoyable dub reggae record

I definitely need to check out more by this artist.

Solid three stars. I could tell from the first 10 seconds this would be a good album, but I have to add something to my analysis -if I feel it gets repetitive, it is never a good sign.

Not my tempo

I am not a big fan

Je n'ai pas encore eu des masses d'albums de reggae, jusqu'à aujourd'hui, donc ça fait bien plaisir. Je ne connaissais pas Burning Spear, mais visiblement, c'est un cador du genre, un explorateur au même titre que Bob Marley, la célébrité auprès du grand public en moins. De ce que j'en ai entendu, c'est un peu plus énergique que Bob Marley, avec beaucoup plus de trompette et c'est à peu près tout ce que je peux en dire, puisque le genre m'est presque totalement inconnu. Par contre, je peux dire que j'ai beaucoup aimé, l'aspect politique des paroles est toujours plaisant, même si j'ai pas tout suivi et vu l'ancienneté de l'album, il n'est pas impossible que quelques dingueries aient échappé à mon attention. Dans tous les cas, c'était une musique entraînante, énergique et suffisamment variée pour éviter que le moindre ennui s'installe dans sa courte durée.

I’m vacationing at a beach right now, so if there was ever a time for a reggae breakthrough, this is it. Unfortunately, this is another in the series of almost objectively good albums in a genre that I just don’t like.

A normal reggae album.

It's reggae. It's the same song all over again, with different lyrics.

Nothing amazing about it, but some parts were enjoyable?

nogal veel uit hetzelfde vaatje getapt... het was ook geen bijster goed vaatje

Pretty decent reggae, liked the themes, Old Marcus Garvey was a bit rubbish but the rest reggaed along nicely.

Hadn't heard of these guys before this. Reggae for me is very hard to dislike and this is no exception. Nothing here blew me away, but equally it was just all very solid. No complaints. Didn't outstay it's welcome either. 3.5 but closer to 4. Enjoyed it

I appreciate this list for keying me in to the fact that reggae is not Jimmy Buffet. Really, truly the list is worth the price of admission just for that. This albums lyrics are pointed and strong and I appreciate the delivery. Musically, I still have trouble with, to my untrained ear, how limited the range of reggae sounds to me. I think the same of punk but they are posers and reggae is more about righteous anger.

Great classic reggae tones and performances with verses highlighting the brutal reality of historical oppression. 3.8/5.0

I enjoyed this on a Friday afternoon. If I had gotten it on a Monday morning it probably wouldn't have hit as nicely. Good '70's reggae. A good mix of chill vibes and social justice messaging.

enjoyed it! i don't listen to a lot of reggae but the more i hear the more convinced it's impossible not to like it at least a little.

Autre sujet que le 377e album: c'est le show vendredi de Amyl and the Sniffers avec L7 qui fait sa tournée d'adieu. À ne pas manquer.

Non, Guillaume, je ne suis pas foncièrement anti-reggae! Mais lui est probablement mon préféré à date. Bon j'ai réécouté Exodus depuis et j'ai été bien trop sévère avec 1 étoile je l'avoue. Mais le côté laidback et chill de celui-ci bat tout ce qu'on a eu à date à mon avis (je me souviens UB40 et Marley, je sais pas s'il y en a eu d'autres). Ça reste un style que je juge très répétitif et pas très novateur. 4.

Du beau reggae. Parfait pour ecouter sans trop poster attention. Le gros beat de basse me fat hocher de la tête bien malgré moi.

Es wirkt heute wie eine entspannte, fast meditative Jam‑Runde: warme Grooves, viel Raum, wenig Eile. Die spirituelle Kraft ist spürbar, aber das Album trägt mehr Atmosphäre als Dynamik. Ein wichtiger Baustein des Roots‑Reggae – nur eben keiner, der durchgehend zündet.

This reggae sound just hits the spot. The grooves are right in the pocket with bass lines and sounds that are so front and centre they will awaken any dead space in your soul. This is backed by solid, but simple drums. All of this is delivered with meaningful messages. Liked Songs Added: Marcus Garvey Slavery Days Live Good Old Marcus Garvey Jordan River Red, Gold And Green Resting Place

По какой-то причине, я всегда чувствовал некоторое единство с этим народом, хотя я там даже никогда не был. Но, возможно, духовные связи у нас какие-то есть... Этот альбом - это одновременно молитва и революционный лозунг. Это слезы о прошлом и сила в настоящем. Это история о прожитой боли многих поколений людей, но эта боль не делает их слабыми, она дает им опору для противостояния несправедливости сегодня. Я слушал его не первый и точно не последний раз.

Haven't really listened to a lot of Reggae, but I really liked this. Hard to imagine what the original mix of this would have sounded like Favorite Songs: The Invasion, Marcus Garvey

Yas

Reggae is not really my thing and the vague references in the lyrics to the theme seem obscure to me. Still, it's a well put-together record that sounds good. The music is complex and layered even as it's repetitive as reggae tends to be. This is considered a classic reggae record and who am I to disagree. It was certainly worth a listen.

Moui... pourquoi pas...

OK

Just sounds like reggae to me.

It wasn’t the worst album this list has dished up, but it was just a little too much “let’s hate whitey” for me. A far cry from Marley, which I admire.

Meni u klasi malo lošijih monotonih reggae albuma, preferiram one gdje se više dešava, ali nije ni ovo loše uopšte.

decent album, not a huge fan

Cool, but a bit underwhelming

Like a warm hug while your consciousness is raised.

Great roots reggae album, revolutionary and political. The first 2 songs really set the tone. Love the vocals and the instrumentation. A cornerstone of the movement, any reggae fans out there should give it a spin.

Not bad, mostly unremarkable.

Pode ser só porque ontem me sentei à frente da tv e estava a dar um documentário sobre o Bob Marley que fiquei a ver, mas gostei da vibe

Not bad, but nothing I'm going to rush to listen to again.

Really wish I hadn't slept on the recommendations of my hippie friends 30 years ago because this is exactly the type of reggae I love. Firmly in the Roots category but including more old Ska elements often left out of this style. Loved this so much I sought out the companion dub album that followed (Garvey's Ghost).

First listen: I really enjoy the talk-like nature of Marcus' voice. Feels natural and raw. His name isn't Marcus, Marcus is a Jamaican politician. Really enjoyed Slavery Days' call and response. Almost like a ... slave song... The flute in live good is really nice. Again the vocals are rough, but in a really nice way. Things feel loose and jammy. Up to this point I've been enjoying a lot of the political messaging in the lyrics. Kinda related, but I feel like the background vocals have a lot more African influence than most reggae I've heard. I need to check out who this Marcus Garvey guy is. Tradition's intro is my new stim. I do think I miss some of the cultural references they make in the lyrics. Lots of political and rastafarian references going over my head. Jordan River's groove hits so hard. Short and sweet, the type of album that makes you want to dig in to the context around it to learn more. Overall: The first three tracks are an insane run. Marcus Garvey is immediate and haunting, with lyrics feeling like the realization of prophecy. Slavery Days' background vocals feel like an American slave hymn, and feels like Winston begging the youth to remember their origins. African roots can be heard in The Invasion, and another reminder of the Jamaican peoples roots. The rest of the album is enjoyable, especially the sort of silly sounding Tradition, and the Latin influenced Jordan River, but the middle couple of songs hold it back for me. An album that makes me want to explore Jamaican history and religions, and to try to understand Winston's lyrics. 7/10 T3: Marcus Garvey, Jordan River, The Invasion

Excluding Bob Marley, not too familiar with the Reggae genre. This album immediately establishes itself in the roots of Jamaican history and whom the album is dedicated to. Marcus Garvey of course. Really like the opening title track. Looking into the Marcus Garvey more, I found this track to be a great start to the atmosphere we'll be seeing for the rest of the album; a lot of harmony with the vocals that supporting or representing the feeling Garvey is known for invoking for Jamaicans and other African-decedents all over the world. I appreciate what this album provided me; an interesting figure in history that I was ignorant of until now. I'm a sucker for harmony vocals and trumpets supporting them. Tradition is my favourite example of this. The Black Disciples are great and Burning Spear's lead vocals are always soothing to the ears. I hope to see more Reggae from the list in the future that can match the energy this album provides. T3: Marcus Garvey, Tradition, Slavery Days

never heard of this reggae before. it's not bad, probably wouldn't listen to again tho

Bob Marley no2 ? Nice but repetitive and not so much my music

I liked this album, but I probably won't be listening to this ever again.

This was great and it made me realize that I need to listen to more reggae.

Nice surprise! An album I will definitely listen to again.

I have listened to this before and promised myself I'd come back to it to better understand the themes. I haven't done that until now and don't have the time today to better understand the themes. Sorry. Burning Spear. It is a compelling, murky mush. I promise I will return to it properly some day. 3 I liked this. It’s a gloomy album and it feels like everyone is half-cut; the slightly out-of-tune horns, the purposeless, meandering flute parts on Live Good and Give Me, the vocals are a mixture of hushed mumbling and pained groans. There is even a half-assedness about the mix. It’s endearing but rather funny and I gather that there is some seriousness of intent in the subject matter. There is no unevenness though - the atmosphere holds through the whole album. I don’t know much about Marcus Garvey and I had no time to read because I had to go to a funeral yesterday. I found that Jordan River works particularly well when your car is following a hearse. 3/5

70s reggae. Very solid, very standard.

3.0

I think this album got me stoned lol

Just not very engaging. Not a fan of his vocals.

This is hope. Bringing everyone together in a shared vision of what it could be. Today, tied to a better tomorrow. The energy to keep up the pace, even when it feels impossible. Steady. Steady. Steady.

Want to understand the bass - not just learning some scales and locking into a rhythm but true understanding - listen to this album. Robbie Shakespeare of the infamous Sly and Robbie and Aston "Family Man" Barrett from the Wailers put on a masterclass of restraint and demonstrate the power of low end. It's not shut what you play but what you don't. Hypnotizing while politicizing. 4.5 stars.

(70/100)

Like many others I am not a huge fan of reggae music but like all music I usually find some songs that I do like. And I'm not going to label the music as bad, as many do here, because it's very good to millions of listeners. I'm a big fan of opera and I can imagine how that would be rated if it was on this site. I was highly engaged when I first started listening to the album but the song just kept going on so I looked to see how long it was and found out I was on the fourth song, it just sounded too similar. That is the problem I have with reggae.

Based on the selection from the 1001 Albums, reggae artists seem to focus their songs on sociopolitical themes. Marcus Garvey sounds like an anti-colonial, political statement. But I had a hard time deciphering the rest with how similar the songs flow. It's a little too cohesive, but the longer I listened to it, the more it felt hypnotic and blended nicely (3.5-4).

Hat mir schon ein Lächeln aufs Gesicht gezaubert. Ingesamt aber ziemlich monoton und daher für mich zu lang.

196 / 1089. Marcus Garvey was a charlatan and a demagogue who allied with the Klan and personally thrived on Jim Crow. He thought he was "President of Africa," despite never visiting the continent. And on top of that, Marcus Garvey most likely would have hated the Rastafari and their proclivities for the smoke. Reggae is such a mess of a genre - conceptually and musically - for me. I appreciate the grooves and most of the messaging, but I'm usually feeling the exact opposite way than what was intended. A 7/10 album based on sound, but dropped to a 5/10 based on the album's elevation of a divisive historical figure.

Everything I want in a reggae album- 70s production and political lyrics

Not the biggest reggae guy but this is pretty chill. I'm just kind of vibing along, I am sure there is a ton of lyrical subtext I'm missing re: the subject matter at hand. Totally fine, probably not super memorable to me based on my inexperience with reggae.

Marcus Garvey was cool

Like it 3/5

3.5 A lot of the songs start off really well but do kind of dissolve into being a bit samey

Love roots reggae

A very solid reggae album that was new to me. Reggae is at its best when it’s political, and regardless of one’s viewpoints in Garvey’s philosophies (I admittedly didn’t know who Marcus Garvey was until I listened to this and went down a rabbit hole about him) it helps the album to be conceptually rooted in his teachings. Musically it’s a good listen. Rodney isn’t as compelling as a singer or lyricist as Bob Marley, to whom he’s impossible not to compare, but he’s still good on this record and the band sounds excellent. It’s on the lower end of 4 stars for me but worthy of the score for its consistency and curiosity it caused for its subject.

Decent listen but nothing too crazy to me. In the right mood I love reggae but today 3/5

Probably the fourth most influential reggae artist behind Bob Marley, UB40 and of course the reggae legends Houmous & Chutney 4.3 1/10 Marcus Garvey

The same song, over and over.... 2/5

3 stars

Perfectly cromulent political reggae

Enjoyed it quite a bit

This is reggae music...

The lack of popular consciousness about reggae beyond Bob Marley says way more about the American music scene than anything else.

This was a fun album, and it feels like classic reggae in a pure way. It may not be as fun in 2026 as some other reggae albums that are more well-known, but this album feels foundational and important, and it definitely has a lot of great instrumentation and very good songs.

It’s good. It is. Marcus Garvey really spoke to me and told me to remember how fortunate I am to live in the high quality recording and streaming age. Quality was part of the charm to me. Marcus Garvey felt like it connected me to people the way looking at a pilfered relic does. Such a 70s sounding piece which always fascinates me when we get these cross genre type albums

The sounds of sipping on an ice cold soda from a bottle in the heat of the Summer, with a doobie.

Uh, it's reggae so yea, kind of what you'd expect. 2.5/5

Average, dont get the hype

Its reggae. Not particularly fascinating and limited in utility for that rare time when I actually want to hear the genre. 3/5

YEAHHHH

For a genre I have hardly any experience in, this sure did feel generic. Well, maybe generic is the wrong word but it didn't captivate me as much as I would expect from a genre that does interest me as much as reggae, considering how little I actually know about it. I liked a lot of the lyrical themes on the album, but sonically I really just didn't find it all that interesting.

Poor man's Bob Marley it seems

I really hate reggae

And here we have my final reggae album of the 1001 Albums project! We really are nearing the homestretch of this thing, aren't we? Crazy. Anyway, this album's alright. It's not my favorite reggae album of the project, but it's nice. This album's a lot more explicitly political than the other reggae albums on the list. Like, all of the actual reggae albums on this list are political to some degree, but this is the only one that's named after a political activist, so take that for what you will. The atmosphere here is a bit more muted as a result of this, which I think is respectable. The album is still quite repetitive, as many reggae albums are from my experience, but the music is good, so I can't complain that much. Although, the album does easily start off on its best foot. "Marcus Garvey" the song is pretty great. I love the horns on it. Burning Spear's voice throughout the album is solid. He's not my favorite reggae vocalist, but he gets the job done. The writing has some good themes about slavery and history and such. I respect this album, but I think I respect it more than I enjoy it, and I think that's mostly because reggae just isn't my favorite genre. I respect it a lot, as is the case for every genre, but reggae just isn't a genre that I listen to a ton. I like everything of what I have heard, but only a bit of what I have heard has been so excellent to warrant keeping it in my frequent musical rotation. I'm sure I'd enjoy this a lot more if I was really into reggae, but as it stands, I think the furthest I can go is saying that I like it quite a good deal. High 3/5.

It was fine. Very nice to vibe with 👍. The fact that it was a concept album commemorating Marcus Garvey made it a little better 🍃. Overall, I would give it a 2.9/5 🌝!

3/5

Okay but it's not really my thing.

Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey hits like a slow‑burning fire—steady, spiritual, and unshakeably grounded. The album’s roots reggae foundation is unmistakable, and its political and cultural weight gives it a sense of purpose that still resonates. Tracks like “Marcus Garvey” and “Slavery Days” stand out with their hypnotic grooves and meditative vocal delivery, creating an atmosphere that feels both urgent and timeless.

Never heard of Burning Spear. Solid reggae album, but nothing that stood out for me. After a while it all starts to sound the same and a few songs were pretty repetitive. (3)

About as reggae and reggae can sound. I listened to this on a sunny day and it just sounded "right". Great lyrics, great content, infectious groove. Tidy.

A perfect day for a bit of reggae, 27 degrees outside and the music just bouncing turned right up. Not usually my thing but I enjoyed listening to this album, my favorite track by a long way was ‘Marcus Garvey’ The only track I had a problem with was ‘slavery days’ I mean how many times can you be asked if you remember the slavery days? And is he really that self centred about his culture that he doesn’t think slavery still exists in today’s world so the question eventually becomes painfully annoying as the song plays. Not sure it would score this highly in a cold winters day but today it’s a solid 7/10

Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey Like an iron fist in a velvet glove, this album feels like it gives you no choice but to give in to it's relentless, encompassing rhythms. The metronomic guitar chops, machine gun precision of the drums, a bass that rolls like the sea. I love it, and as soon as it got to the end I went back to the beginning. Best Track - Slavery Days Worst Track - None of them but if we have to pick then Live Good. 9/10

Nice Reggae music

Clearly a good album with some powerful meaning behind it, but I just didn’t love the sound and style of it

I do not know much about reggae and hard to avoid comparing this vs Bob Marley. Whilst I really enjoyed Exodus and gave that a 5 - this feels very on par with the two other Marley albums which I gave 3's to. I enjoy the vibe/ pacing of the album - but none of the songs really connected or would make it onto a playlist.

Burning Spear I find Reggae hard to write about. I like it, some I like more than others, some is excellent, some isn't, but I can’t seem to articulate much beyond that. I definitely like this, I think it’s great - I like his voice, the grooves, the horns, but I really can’t think of much else to say, other than I listened to it a lot and it's a 4. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Playlist submission: Old Marcus Garvey

Less anthemic than the 'Exodus'album, and not every track is a winner but, as a roots reggae album, this feels about definitive along with Marley. Like Marley this is history and politically conscious, probably more so in that it is really the only preoccupation here. There's no fannying about singing about women or love as Marley was prone to do. But hypnotic hooks abound - I nearly found myself singing "Do you remember the days of slavery?" on the northbound to East Croydon, which is ill-advised at best.

Reggae isn't my thing but it was upbeat and nice.

it's a really good album!! and it was pretty good to listen to. Just not my style !! but really good overall

Nice album, nothing to dislike really. 3/5.

was ok, its music you cant dislike even if you dont like it a lot. I enjoyed it

Awesome stuff - love the production and dynamics here. The themes touch on lots of heavy stuff that confirm reggae as revolutionary music, to my mind. Another great discovery from this list.

Not a fan

smoke weed everyday

Definitely the inspiration for Bobby Marl

Erfrischend

Absolutely nothing to fault, beautiful flowing reggae. Strong words softly sung, great accompaniments

Album 173. Marcus Garvey (https://open.spotify.com/album/2YsfYi8B9pEuts9qwa3TSN?si=8-0IkdXdQjyzS8Qmc8I1kQ) — Burning Spear (1975) Viiiibbbees I love reggae so much on this Wednesday my dudes🐸 Really, I caught the perfect moment for reggae today, it was great. I had zero expectations, but I liked this album since the first seconds. 3/5 Liked: — Marcus Garvey — Slavery Days — The Invasion — Live Good

LOVE. Fkn love. I have been in a season of 50s-70s soul/r&b/adjacent over the last few yrs & while I'm enjoying this project I'm going thru spells when I'm listening to a fair amount of stuff that I flat don't enjoy. This was so refreshing & reenergizing. Now to the tough part. Easily got 5 stars of enjoyment. Is it 5 stars of greatness tho? On which am I basing my rating? Honestly I don't even know. This is what happens when you enjoy philosophical refreshments as you listen. I'm going with an overall 4.5 which will round up for the fun but reserving the right roll it back to 4 when the smoke clears

The repetition and layering of space, instrument and echo on this shift it towards dub, which might be why this is maybe the first reggae album I’ve ever liked without qualification. The political content feels embedded in the delivery; meaning can be intuited without looking up Garvey, or though I did, and his ambiguous, ferocious and divisive legacy fits this precarious sound. This is uneasy music with a rehearsed rawness, a quality cherished.

Perkier than your Bob Marley monotony, I found this quite enjoyable. Can you really take a religion that's barely as old as Willie Nelson seriously, though?

This is the real authentic unadulterated deal. I wonder what the Jamaican mix sounded like?

Reggae. Not terrible but every song sounded the exact same. I had to check once or twice just to make sure it hadn’t got stuck on repeat.

qué chidas las segundas voces

I don't love reggae but this is a really good album. Three stars.

3 - good album

A phenomenal reggae offering that I never would have listened to if not for this project. While reggae isn't my go-to, this album might find its way onto my rotation. 8/10

I haven’t listened to a lot of Reggae, but this was pretty good. I like the groove, I like the lyrics. 3.5/5

Nice

Enjoyable

The only bad thing about this album is that its not long enough.

Good reggae

Unfortunately I don't have the cultural context to begin to appreciate this album beyond how it sounds and what limited amount of importance I'm able to glean, and the fact that I'm not a huge fan of reggae doesn't help anything

Bloodclot

Classic reggae and I'm liking it so far. Bob Marley is the equivalent of Led Zeppelin to Burning Spear's Fleetwood Mac...this feels very much like Reggae Light Rock. A lot of flutes on this album. He really loves Marcus Garvey, I wonder if he named both Marcus Garvey and Old Marcus Garvey as Marcus Garvey while he was working on them and then realized he'd have to change one title when he put them both on the album.

No se, reguae piola pero hasta ahi

Reggae. I understand that it's a more edgy/political album than most others, but I'm not familiar with who is Marcus Garvey or the associated topics. So for me it's just Sunday morning style music.

Conflicted. I want to gove this a 4, but I gave all the Bob Marley albums 4s, and I definitely like those albums more. This voice is more charismatic and some of the Burning Spear songs flirt with being too repetitious. So, call this a low 4 ans Marley a high 4.

This isn't bad, just kind of same-y, with a chill vibe that sometimes undermines the defiance of the lyrics.

Above average Reggae, which is a very shallow genre that hasn't really evolved in any interesting ways.

Decent reggae

primera vez que escucho reggae por más de 3 minutos en continuación y al contrario de mis creencias fue más que disfrutable y la repetición se me hizo amena, me pareció muy solid como album pero no dispongo de los conocimientos para ponerme picky 8,5/10

Very good

muy buen reggae, da una buan ambientación

Track after track off passionate reggae jams, flawlessly arranged and recorded. I didn’t find any riff or song to go on for too long. Everything just flowed nicely.

Very nice reggae joint that isn't the Police. Political importance

Reggae, 6 eme album =>1/5

Lyrically a very impressive album. Releasing this in the west in the 70s was very bold and must've been incredibly difficult. Musically, I find reggae super repetitive but this is a great example of 1970s roots reggae. 3.5⭐️

Groovy and well-meaning, but gotta be honest, i’m not a massive reggae guy so i can’t glaze it too hard, it’s solid though. No real standouts for me as it was balanced across the board.

This was just great reggae from start to finish. Nice jams with socially conscious lyrics. It really doesn’t get much better than to vibe along to this. I am glad that this project is broadening my horizons like this because I never would have sought this out.

I didn't notice that the album ended and the next one came on, is how much refinement I have in listening to reggae not for me. probably good? 3 stars? I call my mom collect , she doesn't care. She knows I'm a hater.

A good listen, but I wish I could have listened to the Jamaican mix. I know I could handle it. I’m so brave

It's hard for music like this to reconcile how the subject matter is so explicitly political but the sound is something that I as an American think of as so relaxing/"chill". It's probably a bigoted simplification of the genre? I liked this though, and I love the album cover.

A little goes a long way with reggae. This is better than some of the others I’ve heard. Still not for me though.

Some great protest songs on here but this isn't really my preferred genre. Feels like something I'd want to listen to relaxing on a beach somewhere, but, the lyrics are a bit heavy for that.

1.25 - I just really don't like reggae music, especially the repetitive sounds. I think the content of these songs are good/important though.

Reggae is an interesting genre. It is protesting music against the injustice of black slavery, and political with its calls for resistance of ongoing suppression of black people; yet it is also religious with songs that celebrates love and humanity. Its spread worldwide has been significant enough that it has been recognized by UNESCO. Musically, it is relatively simple music, with consistent 4/4 beats expressed through traditional bass and guitar. This gives reggae a distinctive vibe, which fans find groovy. I personally find the music relaxing. Like other religious music, music complexity was never the intent of reggae, the message has always been the point. As reggae migrated out of Jamaica, its unique sounds started to work their way into other forms pop music, making breakout albums like Marcus Garvey by Burning Spear an essential part of music history. I need to be in a certain mood to really vibe with reggae, but when I am I really enjoy it. This album is among the better examples of the transition from Jamaica to the rest of the world. I enjoyed the album.

This was alright. No issues, just don’t know if I would replay it. Reggae is not my go-to genre but it’s got its time and place

I like reggae so this was a nice listen.

sory do dupy sa te piosenki, nie jara mnie sluchanie w kolko tego samego fragmentu, nudne, nie sa asluchalne i jakis tam przekaz jest ale nie jestem z afryki wiec nie reluje

Nothing noteworthy here

Beautiful recordings, great arrangements. Not much in the way of songs to listen to; just simple grooves that ramble about.

Fun Jamacia vibe. Great work focus background.

Bijedni repetativni reggae beatovi. Jedna pjesma s jazz elementima mi je bila dobra, ali ostalo dosta lejm. 2/5, 3/10

Utterly great!

A nice change from Bob

👎

A good album remembering a good man, but reggae is outside of my preferences.

I guess I like my reggae a little more upbeat. Maybe I should give this one a try on a different day.

Solid enough reggae album, and understanding some of the background gives this +1 star from me

Unqualified to speak on this is a lot of ways. I know nothing about reggae or the experience of those who made it, and my knowledge of Marcus Garvey extends no further than name recognition. Still, great reggae album! I know this is a reductive take on the genre, but there was sun shining in through my window while this played and something about that just works.

для меня тупо дефолтное регги

Giving this 3 stars cus I feel like if I were in a certain state of mind I would appreciate it a lot more

Marcus Garvey named himself President of Africa at one point. What a legend.

first time listening to this one. I wasn't even really aware of it before this, seeing as I'm not much into reggae. I can dig some dub, but something about straightforward reggae has never captured me. maybe a combo of the pace the music typically takes combined with repetition that doesn't feel particularly interesting to me. for the most part I liked this album tho. it's not something I'd put on repeat, but from my limited reggae knowledge, if I had to throw something on, this wouldn't be a bad choice -- and it's brief! I particularly enjoyed the songs with "Marcus Garvey" in the title. "Slavery Days" is an arresting three-and-a-half minutes. 3.5 stars.

Nice to add someone to my Reggae list besides Bob.

My dumb ass thought Marcus Garvey made a reggae album.

I'm just not a huge reggae fan

Nice, but it felt a bit redundant.

beautiful album I like the political lyrics but without ever exaggerating the production is beautiful but long repetitive but it is one of the characteristics of Reghea either you like it or you don't like it

First time listen through and really enjoyable politicised but accessible reggae

I get it, but it's not for me.

Fav/ Marcus Garvey 3/5

Felt like dancing and lighting a blunt. My type of album for sure!

Sorpresa en un género que no conozco muy bien.

Solid reggae

I saw Burning Spear in concert once nearly 30 years ago. Possibly the most religious experience I've felt at a show. Good jams here for sure. 3.5/5

I think this is worth hearing in the context of the exercise. I don't know the whole history of reggae but it seems as good an entry as any to me. I at first felt like it wasn't made for me as a demographic and while that could definitely still be true it did get me to read about Marcus Garvey on wikipedia so that's something.

I'm not sure what constitutes good reggae or bad reggae, so I'm just going to put this one in the middle. I enjoyed it.