![]() ![]() Nevertheless, in its historical moment, the subtle transformation and finessing of the band’s sound worked well and, particularly in the UK and the US, the album garnered the acclaim Blackwell had sought for the Wailers. In places this so-called “English” version of the Wailers’ material now sounds a little too saccharine and awkward - for example, the rock licks of “Concrete Jungle” and the slide guitar twang of “Baby We’ve Got a Date (Rock It Baby)”. Having taken the master tapes to London, Blackwell enlisted two white American session musicians - guitarist Wayne Perkins and keyboard player John “Rabbit” Bundrick - to flesh out the Wailers’ sparse textures and had the album remixed, effectively translating it into a format that British and American rock audiences would find more palatable. Ever the shrewd businessman - Lee “Scratch” Perry would say a “vampire” - Blackwell convinced the Wailers that certain changes were in order if they were to achieve the degree of success he had in mind. On hearing the tapes of the album that would be Catch a Fire in late 1972, however, he changed his tune slightly. This the last time they worked together as a unit, and there is no better example of their teamwork than what you hear on ‘Burnin’”.C atch a Fire, Bob Marley and the Wailers’ first major label release, was the album that set the band - primarily Marley, of course - on the road to global fame.Īs numerous music critics have noted, this was a little ironic since the record that broke the group outside of Jamaica was not, strictly speaking at least, the album that Bob Marley and the Wailers presented to Island Records boss Chris Blackwell.Įxcited by their work with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry on records like 1970’s Soul Rebels, Blackwell recognized the Wailers’ potential as the band to take reggae to the rest of the world and signed them to Island. Teamed with Tosh, Livingstone (Bunny Wailer) and Marley, plus keyboardist Earl Lindo, they made a formidable unit that ultimately changed the face of music. Together, they forced musicians to think outside of the box. Aston “Family Man” Barrett was one of the most talented influential bassists of any genre, especially when teamed with his drummer brother, Carlton. Clapton was quick to jump on board and in his wake, it seemed as though everybody wanted to tackle this new style, but as far as rhythm sections are concerned, The Wailers were untouchable. Most American and English groups felt compelled to tackle the rhythm, and handled the change awkwardly (including Clapton), but reggae started to spread exponentially as band after band grew attracted to its unique feel. With reggae, a downbeat was no longer explicitly obvious. The general public may have been denied, but musicians of all stripes couldn’t help but take notice of a music style that redefined their fundamental ideas of rhythm. Radio programmers’ need for categorization rendered reggae music into a square peg in a sea of round holes, and marginalized the band. They were decidedly not a rock act, but they didn’t fit at all comfortably with R&B stations, either. In America, the biggest problem facing the Wailers was radio’s inability to determine an appropriate slot for them. Wedged between these serious topics are the gospel-tinged “Hallelujah Time” and the celebratory spiritual pull of “Put It On.” “Burnin’ and Lootin’” is not far behind and self-explanatory, while “I Shot the Sherriff” is yet another tale of the plight of the underdog. “Get Up, Stand Up” is a call to arms for the disempowered and one of the Wailers’ most blatantly political songs. Side one of the original album highlights this contrast. Perhaps because it features all three singer/songwriters, it is one of the most diverse records in the Wailers catalog, with heavy political sentiments sitting comfortably beside more spiritual works. The album is also unique in that it represents the last time that Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer would record together as a band. It should be noted that the album’s chart peak occurred almost two full years after its release, due partially to Clapton and partially to Marley’s subsequent fame, particularly in Great Britain. Initial sales may have been modest, but Clapton’s endorsement made the world aware of Bob Marley and his bandmates, helping to launch “Burnin’” as a best-selling catalog item. Although “Burnin’” did not sell particularly well when first released, it is nevertheless the album most responsible for spreading knowledge of reggae music around the world, helped in no small part by Eric Clapton’s diluted cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sherriff” (which first appeared here in its original form). ![]()
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