1001 Albums Summary

How on earth to review this? I'm trying to listen to it on its own terms, but it feels dated in a way that so many other things from 1959 (Kind of Blue, The Shape of Jazz to Come, Moanin' in the Moonlight, Mingus Ah Um, Time Out) don't. Obviously these lists have to be subjective, but it feels a tier below top-1000 quality to me. Listening to it as a studio album it sounds rather as if the dance is missing. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, but nor is it one I particularly wish to repeat. I guess that sets the standard for me: 2* is neutral, 1* actively bad, and 3-5 represent something increasingly special.

I think this is the first Marley album I've listened to from start to finish; obviously I've heard several of the songs on it many, many times. And it's ... fine, I guess. Perhaps it's not fair to compare it with a dub album, but it's nowhere near as good as the same year's King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown; I can't help but wonder if it's made its way onto the list (which contains shamefully little reggae) by being a reggae album that appeals to people who don't like reggae. A pleasurable enough listen, and I'd consider playing it again.