Marcus Garvey

I really enjoyed this album. It is very beachy and reminded me of being in Jamaica

Really good, i didn't think I would like reggae enough to listen to the whole project.

Solid reggae sound throughout, happy to have heard this.

Feels like a political bob marley- it’s been a while since I listened to reggae. Nice a chill on a warm day vibes

I wish I were a more astute judge of reggae and dub. But I like this a great deal.

Hardcore

Well made.

I like it - not sure why the horns are a bit flat in places - but great album!

Heerlijk reggae album met wat bekende hits erop

Bestial

Cool reggae. Good background music for working (though I feel bad for listening so casually when he's actually singing about slavery and stuff)

raggaee

Solid roots reggae. Worth revisiting.

Reggae

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

An enjoyable dub reggae record

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.

I am not a big fan

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

Nothing amazing about it, but some parts were enjoyable?

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.

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.

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...

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

Not bad, mostly unremarkable.

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

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

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.

(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.

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

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

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

3 stars

Perfectly cromulent political reggae

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

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

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

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)

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

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.

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

smoke weed everyday

Definitely the inspiration for Bobby Marl

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

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

3 - good album

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

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.

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.

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

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⭐️

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.

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

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

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

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.

Fav/ Marcus Garvey 3/5

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.

3/19/26 - listened while driving. It was fine for a genre I don’t really enjoy. Middle of the road. Top Song - Slavery Days

Reggae. There's not a huge variety in the pacing or sound, so I didn't get into this that much. My memory of Bob Marley is that there is much more dynamism in his music, which I prefer.

Not a ton to say. Its just a solid reggae record. Im not huge into that scene but I loved ska growing up ,which today I guess is lame but It always was, but its like giving props to the older generation. Its just telling your grandma you love her. Or grandpa either way. Good record with good song, even if im not all the way in on it.

Good vibes

This album felt so much longer than it actually is. It's well done but not for me.

Not my favorite style but well done

Always a bummer to hear 50 year old songs talking about how there’s too much pollution. Sorry it hasn’t gotten better! That said I enjoyed my time with this album. The vibe is easy-going as is typical for the genre. I’m probably not going to be back until the next time I’m on a beach though.

Solid reggae

Very pleasant music

2.7 2x Bob Marley-esque and not super memorable.

Good. I like the flute if I recall right.

Another reggae album I found solid, even if I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of the genre. It was an enjoyable listen all the way through. My biggest criticism is that some of the songs sounded similar to me. At one point I thought I accidently hit replay on an earlier song, but it actually was a new one. Overall: 3.25/5

It’s a good listen, and at times, Reggae is just what the doctor orders. End of the day, it all sounds about the same.

allegro, bello, apprezzato. interessante il fatto che sia dedicato a un attivista del kenya

Very decent reggae album 3.2

3.5

Pretty good reggae album. I prefer UB40 and Marley so for but not bad at all. 3/5

Great reggae. Unfortunately, never heard this before.

Don’t know if I’ll be back but how can you not love that classic reggae sound? 3.5

marcus garvey by burning spear not burning spear by marcus garvey

Usually I'm a fan of genre mixing but some of the non-reggae elements on this record clash a bit. Still quite good.

Love some reggae and it was nice to hear some not from Bob Marley.

Enjoyed this - I'm not a massive reggae fan but this was good.

Love the sound and the sentiments, but the lyrics and the music both tend to get stuck in a groove and the pace is relentlessly laid back.

Goeie maatschappelijke teksten, lekker ganja roken en dit album opzetten. Lekkere raggea

3.5/5

Definitely a cool record with a cool thesis. Maybe this was the editors’ attempt to look less square… it’s hard for me to hear reggae as not so monotonous but it’s always an easy listen on the ears and I really like that this record was explicitly political. - Ruby Don’t know much about reggae but this was an enjoyable listen. I read the dub version of this album is called “Garvey’s Ghost,” which is the name of a Max Roach song on the album “Percussion Bittersweet.” I went and listened to that one after this. —Noah

Temp

2,9 Highlights: Marcus Garvey, The Invasion

Album reggae mid

It got a bit samey. Not bad though.

Enjoyable!

Marcus Garvey is a very middle of the road reggae album. There is just not much i can really say about it's quality. I guess one interesting thing i can say about this is i thought that the album was called Burning Spear and the artist was called Marcus Garvey but when i did a bit more reading, it turned out that i got them mixed up. I think that is the most interesting thing about this album since musically and lyrically, it's just nothing special to me. There just really isn't anything here that this album does any differently than Bob Marley or his band, The Wailers do. I wouldn't say it was bad or intolerable just very forgettable is all. Best Song: Tradition Worst Song: Slavery Days

I like getting a new album from an artist with whom I'm otherwise largely unfamiliar. Burning Spear was new to me and I dis enjoy it. Music with a message - reggae isn't just fun party music evoking an island restaurant, although I'd venture a guess that most people who say they like reggae are only familiar with Bob Marley's greatest hits album from their college days. If that's the case, they need to listen to this and pay attention to the lyrics.

I find quite frequently reggae albums start off well but the sameness does wags over you after a while. Still decent 3.5*

Solid Rasta

This album is sad reggae. Not just hopeful sad, but sad sad. Powerful lyrics and an important message carry this short album where sometimes the instrumentals fall a bit flat. 5.5/10

Day746 - good for them for making such angry protest songs sound so good. thirty four minutes was the perfect length

Reggae isn’t really a genre that I gravitate towards so I was a little excited to have one come up from someone I had never heard about. For the most part I enjoyed it with Tradition being a highlight for me. Will I listen to it again… I think that is a strong maybe.

Don't hate it. Its pretty standard reggae but done well and jazzy too.

Eh. Reggae is cool but I couldn’t really handle this much activism in a single album.

Nice reggae. Mellowish...

Chill reggae. Quite repetitive, but it's a good album.

Decent listen.

Not typically a fan of reggae, but for what it is, this is fine.

196/1001 :: Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 6 Listen before you die: Yes Unless I’m island time, multiple rum and cokes deep it’s rare that I’m gonna listen to an entire reggae album not named Bob Marley. I generally like my reggae in smaller doses like hanging out in the back half of a Bad Brains album. That said, this album was quite good and if you’re a reggae fan my guess is you’ll love this.

Very easy for me to listen to, though most certainly not on the same level as Legalize It or any of the Marley records on this list. 3.5/5

2 songs I liked were Marcus Garvey and Slavery days

I liked it. I don't really have a distinct ear for reggae, but it's a pleasant listen.

Generic reggae, hard to find but likeable

For a different person than me

Pretty repetitive but still good. Doesn’t have shit on any Marley I’ve listened to though.

Marcus Garvey, the album title, was unknown to me. Now I know he was a Jamaican political activist in the early 1900s. Also, lots of references to Marcus Garvey on the album. This was an early reggae record - now it seems rather standard. Just barely good enough for three stars.

Marcus Garvey? Isn't that the new Timothée Chalamet flick? I guess it's good to hear a little non-Marley reggae. But I still don't have much to say about it. It's reggae! Sounds upbeat even though the lyrics are kind of a downer.

Good reggae

Nice listen, great energising reggae rhythm and words.

Giving it a 3.5

Not bad, easy to listen to, nice musical performance

When I first saw this, my brain clocked it as the album titled "Burning Spear" by Marcus Garvey and I was stoked to give it a listen. Now, obviously I was a little wrong. But this was some good, rootsy reggae. Like something the Mayor of Portland would listen to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4KCB3-UZqM

White guy listening to a song where the chorus is "Do you remember the days of slavery?" This one has some of that variation that I feel like is lacking in the other reggage stuff I've listened to. My quest to like reggae continues... Favorite Tracks: Marcus Garvey, Red Gold & Green, Jordan River, Slavery Days

Very nice - grooving beats and strong message. A breakthrough in Reggae and influence on future generations. solid 3.

5.5/10

i didn’t mind this

Good, historically important, but not my thing.

Not really into reggae but it’s nice to get something different every once in a while. Enjoyed it

good enough, though i'm not much of a reggae fan.

This was fine.

To listen to this album, I read about Marcus Garvey (quite a long Wikipedia entry) and the connection between him and Rastafarianism. I think there's a lot of hidden meaning in this album, beyond just the surface lyrics. The music is fine, but not the best Rasta music I've heard, so this leads me to consider this is more of a political album than a musical album, and in that perspective, it comes across as accepting and supporting rather than pugilistic.

Felt like I was listening to Blue Ark radio while I had this on durning my drive to work. Could explain why I felt inspired to run a few people over and steal someone else’s car.

A high three for us. We enjoyed this quite a bit.

Checks of all the raggae/rastafari boxes you’d hope for in an album like this. Great use of the dub bass on almost every track. “The Invasion” is my pick from the album. The “wadada-ooooh-wadada” melody is super cool. Not much else to say, standard 3/5

I really liked the first song of this album. I just wish that they didn't keep repeating it over and over again.

I enjoyed it in an atmospheric way, and I appreciate its political assertiveness, but it didn’t make a big impression.

good ol groove music, power 2 the people

6/10 It's very reggae, which is fine.

70’s political reggae well executed.

Seems like a solid reggae record. The atmosphere of Folky fun and joviality is really nice. I like the voices and their expression and the seemingly improvised echos, fills and ad libs. There seems to be some good musicianship. In the brief time I've had with the record, I didn't notice anything to really blow me away - but I found it solid and satisfying.

Low-end three. Don’t have much to say here, it’s fine. Liked Old Marcus Garvey and Red, Gold and Green well enough

solid reggae album with good hits overall, found it a little repetitive but motifs and production were incredible.

= The Beatles

Reggae isn't my cup of ganga. I don't dislike it, don't love it either. This was fine.

I've heard of these guys, wasn't quite sure if it was the same as the reggae band and they are them.

It sure is reggae

Marcus Garvey // Live Good // Red, Gold and Green //

Sometimes I think my ratings of these albums are entirely circumstantial, or based solely on how much each jibed with what I was doing when I decided to listen - a system that makes this more of a journaling project than one of musical expansion. Whatever. I'm not a huge reggae fan, but for some reason it's a pretty good soundtrack to waking up at 5am and washing the pile of dishes you left in your sink

This album reminds me of days sitting in some crappy basement in college listening to Burning Spear, drinking a Red Stripe and, though I wasn’t directly imbibing, I was always happy to make a run to the local Wendy’s within 20 minutes. I appreciated and respected roots reggae, though I would never claim to be an aficionado. What I Iiked about this album was the combination of rich Jamaican history and tying its roots back to the Pan African movement Garvey inspired back in the 1920s, and later turned into the Black Nationalism movement from the 1950-60s. I don’t know if I have a key track but I appreciated how the collective unit was almost its own concept album, moving from songs like Slavery Days to The Invasion to the religious-Rastafarian inspired songs like Jordan River and Red Gold & Green. From a historical, musical and cultural perspective, this is a great album.

It's got a good flow to it but it gets a but repetive after awhile

reggae! Nice music, nothing stuck out to me

regi regi regi regi di uuf na sags mer

Jamaica Strong!!! A coincidence I got an album by a Jamaican artist during Hurricane Melissa? It was a short album and pretty enjoyful reggae. Probably some good lyrics here but I didn't pay much attention and isn't special outside of that.

3.5/5

I’ve never really been able to get into reggae, so I’m glad this project got me to listen to Burning Spear. Love the political lyrics and the music is great. Still not my thing but I see how great an example of the genre this is.

Highlight Song/s: Live Good and Jordan River This album is nothing too different from the reggae albums that I've heard before, though the main difference for me is 1. the voice of Burning Spear, his singing is quite good and that, 2. this is some very luscious-sounding reggae, the horns are just superb.

I'd probably love this album if I was more into reggae.

I can't be positive but I don't think I heard a single mention of smoking weed in this record, which is a new one for reggae music for me. On the contrary, it's all pretty revolutionary, and given the title it makes sense. I'm not a reggae connoisseur but I do enjoy it here and there and I liked this one.

Feels like kinda run of the mill reggae, the themes are on point, and brevity is the soul of wit. Just don't care for reggae generally

3.5

3.3 Probably one of the better Reggae albums on here, but still doesn't mean it's fantastic. Every song again sounds the same, but at half an hour it doesn't drag too long. Not much more to say about reggae

20.10.25 # 23 Favourite Track: Tradition Rate: 5/10

The music itself seems secondary to the importance of the political message--and here the music itself is viscerally (and delightfully) engaging. While it doesn't reach the heights of, say, Marley, few things in the universe do. So just kick back, doob up, enjoy.

Great driving music and cool rhythms. Had a very calming vibe - after a while the songs didn’t sound too different from each other but I found it an easy listen.

Good as this is, I have a limited capacity for reggae. 3 is all I got.

Used to love this album. Wanted to give it a 5. So unvarying.

This album like most reggae feels like it would benefit from being played on s sunny summer day. Unfortunately it’s a bleak October weekday, but the old school groove of the first few tracks is still infectious

I had never heard of this artist before, but as soon as the opening bars of track one began I knew I’d enjoy this. It really is hard to beat a bit of reggae, especially when it’s done well. For me, the first half of the album stands out more than the second, where I began to lose interest. And I don’t think any track is better than the opening one. However, this may be my most enjoyable listen from an artist I had never heard of before this project.

plenty of good stuff in isolation , but monotonous in an albums worth . 3.5

Decent reggae

Good reggae album. Not exactly my jam, but I could definitely see the talent behind the messaging and music.

3.5. Fun album

I'm not a reggae fan, but I like this challenge and the fact that I have to listen outside my 'usual' playlists. Although relaxing and chill, I find reggae very repetitive and much like every other reggae track. An additional star for having one of the all-time great surnames.

Enjoyed it, appreciated it, forgot it instantly. That's maybe more dismissive than I'd like to be, but it's an album that somehow feels even shorter than it is. When it grabs you, it grabs you nicely, but often it's just in the background.

Was ok for the most part

Never really been into ravage particularly but can usually appreciate it for its place in music. I actually quite enjoyed this one as it flowed nicely and had a good sound.

Well that was a rarity, a reggae album that didn’t repel me. I’m not 100% sure why, but the production and the wider diverse instrumentation including the brass definitely made it feel much a more complete sound compared to the awful Marley/Wailers stuff. The dub style bass was pretty also chill, and the more politicised messaging was more engaging (and Marcus Garvey, never read about him before, interesting chap).

There was nothing extraordinary with this album. I've never had much interest in Reggae as a genre. This was fine. I don't know what else to say.

This was a reggae album. Nothing here to make me think it's seminal album that I need to have listened to, but it's a decent one.

Burning Spear was a solid 3 for me too, I enjoy a bit of roots reggae but rarely love it

Not heard this one before. Will listen again

A good voice

Album qui peut être écouter en fond chez soit avec un rythme lent 3/5

Cool reggae I’d not heard before

Reggae has never really been my jam. It's perfectly pleasant to have on in the background, and it's a good vibe, but I was just so-so on it.

Decent reggae album. Sometimes a bit repetitive lyrically though.

Reggae is not my thing so this is hard to rate.

Standard reggae fare of the period, but pretty enjoyable. Lead vocalist has a nice delivery and strong voice. If you’re familiar with Bob Marley, this has the same vibe. Notable songs include Marcus Garvey, Slavery Days, Old Marcus Garvey, Tradition.

Ágætis reggí til að hlusta á á sunnudegi

Fun enough that I missed the lyrics (and political messages) the first time through. Is it not engrossing, or was I just not giving it the attention is deserves? Probably deserves 100% attentive listening.

It's a vibe

Cool reggae album. I was into it.

Cool

Cool sound but the first 4 songs sounded very similar so I quit on it

Very cool. I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Standard reggae- good but nothing elevating it above the crowd

Reggae isn't really my thing. Struggle to see past the repetitive, slow, rolling rhythms. I find myself waiting patiently for the horns and occasional woodwind to spice things up. I mean I dont hate the album, its easy enough to listen to, just the grooves tend to blur together after a little while. The atmosphere is strong, and I respect the political and cultural weight behind the lyrics, but its not a record i would be rushing to spin again. Favourite track - Marcus Garvey or Old Marcus Garvey. 6.5/10

Saw the front cover, knowing nothing about Burning Spear and assumed this was some hardcore/punk stuff. I also assumed Marcus Garvey was the artist and Burning Spear was the album. Apologies to him as I hit play and discovered this was some pretty sunny reggae and I quite enjoyed it on what seemed like the last day of summer.

Good flow of the album. Didn't particularly liked his voice on some tracks. The lyrics are deep and say something, but I had too look them up to understand them

Reggae! Never heard this before, but it's got a good groove to it. This is reggae that feels definitively reggae, not too commercial, just sounding like itself. Themes of social injustice and spirituality weave throughout.

Love me some reggae. That second song was fire

This album is very obviously so pro-Jamaica in ways I really wish I knew. The lyrical matter sounds incredibly important but unfortunately I'm to ignorant to understand, but not that ignorant because I am a black man. The only reggae I truly know is Bob Marley, one of my favorite artists of all time, but this album sounds very similar and makes me more interested in more reggae especially if it sounds like this. Tradition is my fav song by far.

Haven't listened to much reggae so far in my life, but this album was decent. I love learning about historical events and figures through the medium of the album, especially when they're a blind spot to the eurocentric canon within academia. Musically the band was incredible. A very tight yet relaxed vibe. Pretty good

Cool

Good

Nice reggae. Funky.

Like the lyrics, can’t stand the sound.

The good and bad of reggae: the "sameness" of each song is both relaxing and tedious.

Whole album's a vibe. Not particularly memorable but enjoyable.

Haven’t listened to a lot of Reggae but this was interesting. A solid 3 but didn’t go beyond that for me

Marcus Garvey Mon. Reggae.

Un ascolto divertente, ma ha confermato il mio pregiudizio per il quale il raggae in linea di massimo è tutto un "more of the same". Da ascoltare a piccole dosi

Raw but deep and solid.

Cool old school reggae album. Not quite a 4 star for me, but certainly better than 3.

Worse reggae I suppose

Not my jam. Not bad, but no particular standouts for me.

3.4

Cool reggae album

muy bueno, perfecto para consumir estupefacientes

Think this is my first reggae album to review. Pretty nice, but nothing standout.

Nice reggae. Not my absolute favorite but very nice to listen to and seemingly political though ill have to listen more! 3.7

I like reggae, but for me it is best experienced live. I happen to like this quite a bit but I could only imagine how much more transcendent it would be in person. So, as music I would rate it high, but as an album not as much.

I enjoyed this, and I'm not all that familiar with the band, though I know they are a favorite of my wife and a few of my friends.

Marcus ging vanaf het genre-dragende eiland in zee met Island Records. De maatschappij die (zo lees ik) ome Bob en anderen al aan internationaal succes had geholpen. Marcus had volgens de maatschappij ook wel die potentie, wellicht omdat een deel van de band gedeeld werd met Bob. Maar als Marcus dit ook wilde, moest het wel wat gematigder. Wij broze blanken kunnen niet tegen die dreigende teksten (die op het eiland blijkbaar doodnormaal zijn). Maar dat kan niet! Zomaar zijn teksten toegankelijk maken... Marcus was woedend! Mooi natuurlijk dat je achter je muziek en teksten staat en niet met de meute mee wil. Maar Marcus, wat had je dan gedacht? Zo'n label dat zich richt op internationaal succes? Ja, die zullen jouw muziek meer commercieel maken. Hoef je niet in mee te gaan, maar je kon het van tevoren wel verwachten. Als dat je al boos maakt, dan snap ik de behoefte aan censuur wel... Daarnaast, wij broze blanken zullen nauwelijks naar jouw teksten luisteren. Eerlijk is eerlijk, ik weet niet eens welke versie ik nu heb geluisterd. Je hebt namelijk de definitie van een vergeetbare 3 geleverd. Ik heb het twee keer geprobeerd te luisteren, maar het zakt heel snel weg. Mijn gedachten dwalen af en ik weet na afloop niets meer over de muziek te melden. Vandaar dus mijn focus op de achtergrond.

Ik ben niet bekend genoeg met reggae om alle nuances te kunnen horen. Reggae klinkt voor mij altijd redelijk hetzelfde. Het ritme hier is geen uitzondering op de reggae die we kennen. Het wordt wat aangevuld met rustige blazers. De teksten schijnen nogal activistisch te zijn, maar ik luister zoals gewoonlijk amper teksten. Het klinkt een beetje als eilandgenoten Bob Marley en Peter Tosh, maar het mist de hitjes. Ik heb er zelfs UB40-vibes bij, van die debuutplaat die we niet lang geleden te horen kregen. Ik vind het niet vervelend om te luisteren, maar zin in reggae heb ik verder zelden. En als ik zoiets opzet, dan zet ik toch gewoon een van die Bob Marley albums op met hitjes. Ik werd door mijn Brabantse luistergenoot nog wel gemotiveerd om die dub-versie ook even mee te pakken, omdat die een stuk interessanter zou zijn. Het is wel iets anders, in die zin kun je wel goed horen dat er dus verschillende reggae is. Het doet me nog steeds niet van mijn stoel opveren. Reggae kabbelt zoals gewoonlijk rustig voort op de achtergrond. Maar ik mis er ook totaal niks aan, als ik niet van dit album had geweten. Het kabbelt dan ook ergens tussen de 2 en de vergeetbare 3 in. Omdat ik er geen hekel of ergernis aan heb, rond ik het naar boven af.

I’m not a fan of reggae, and that colors this review. On first listen I found this repetitive and boring, but on subsequent listens it clicks, and the hypnotic nature of the grooves coupled with the incendiary lyrics make their mark. Add in the subtle touches such as the flute in “Give Deep” and it becomes slyly captivating. It’s never going to be my thing, and it's unlikely this will be on regular rotation, but full respect for moving my opinion on a genre I’m not fond of just a little bit.

Decent reggae, still not my thing.

Solid reggae album

Average reggae

Really happy to have a good roots reggae album instead of the typical British trash on here

Liked this more than I thought I would. Good songs.

Good lyrics and message cool music but not for me

The prominent bass is very nice here. I very much enjoy when bass isn't buried in the mix

Consensus mid

A fine ragga album

No es malo. Muy repetitivo se hace aburrido.

I've never been the biggest reggae fan overall, this album was fine, nothing wrong with it muscially.

I am not the biggest Reggae fan, but this is fine. Mid 3.

Good, not my favourite genre but the title track was a standout moment. Good on a sunny day.

Well, I’m not a reggae person at all, and most of it is annoying as hell, but this album was not too bad for what it is. I can definitely see that it was probably ahead of its time.

Nice reggae music. Better than expected

3/5

6/10…Reggae

yeah well it's a Reggae album. i like them but the mostly sound the same to me :D

3.5 stars. Early reggae with heavy Jamaican culturally-relevant lyrics. Standout is "Slavery Days", "Old Marcus Garvey" is good too.

I liked it but it didn't go hard enough for me. I think it felt like a sanitised version. But saying that the song Marcus Garvey is one of his top listened songs for a reason.

its just reggae dont except more 3.35

Good.

“Who was Marcus Garvey?” was my first question. And after I’d found out, the next was “did I miss a reference to him in ‘BlacKkKlansman’?” Yes, I did. This record – as well as providing a much-needed history lesson on an influential, albeit slightly outre thinker in the domain of racial politics – has some of the most buzzing dub bass I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy. It’s a total feast of low end frequencies; whole songs, and often very enjoyable ones, hung off the robust framework of a rumbling bass note. Mercifully, this album is far more than “one note”. It’s a thought-provoking, Wikipedia-visit-inspiring collection of songs that advances its perspective with ruthless conviction and artistic vision.

quite repetitive to me but ultimately fine

3.5

Good Reggae