I don't really feel comfortable around the reggae area because I ain't no specialist in the field. But I do know a couple of people who are, and they consider this album to be one of the best in the genre. Well, truth be told, you don't have to be a reggae-freak...hell, you don't even have to like reggae, to appreciate this great album. Lemme show you why...
Well, personally, what I think really makes it a great release is it's production quality, the sheer warmth of the sound of the record (which probably sounds even better on an oldschool valve amplifier, the type used by reggae bands back in the day, where the bass got thicker and heavier as the amp heated up). Winston Rodney, alias Burning Spear, got himself a pretty neat backing band - the Black Disciples, as they were called, had in their ranks:
- Bobby Ellis on trumpet
- Vincent "Trommie" Gordon on trombone and clavinet
- Carlton "Sam" Samuels on flute
- Herman Marquis on alto saxophone
- Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall on tenor saxophone
- Tyrone "Organ D" Downie on piano and organ
- Bernard "Touter" Harvey on piano, organ and clavinet
- Earl "Chinna" Smith on lead guitar
- Valentine "Tony" Chin on rhythm guitar
- Robbie "Rabbi" Shakespeare on bass
- Aston "Family Man" Barrett on bass
- Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace on drums
No shit that's a pretty big band. Now you get it where that rich and moist sound comes from.
Still, another thing is to put all the pieces together. This was done at Island Records (the label that helped Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff make it big) and the guy responsible for making it all work is Lawrence Lindo (aka Jack Ruby). Credit is also due to Errol Thompson, the sound engineer (who also worked on albums of Marley and Barrington Levy) for getting that sweet, sweet sound.
That magical quality, with the fat bass, the guitar twanging on the off-beat (the so-called 'skank'), the subtle piano and the soft, soothing horns, is perfectly complemented by the hypnotic force of Rodney's chants.
That's about it when it comes to the music....howbout the lyrics?
Well, let's start with explaining the awkward name of the band (which is also Rodney's "nom de guerre", so to speak). Burning Spear actually came from the first name of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenyas first prime minister and founding father of the nation. 'Jomo' is roughly translated in English to 'burning spear'.
Marcus Garvey, on the other hand, is a Jamaican national hero, a prophet, according to the Rastafari movement. He was a black nationalist, strong supporter of the pan-African movement (philosophy/ideology that aims to unite all Africans and people of African descent into a global African community by mass movement and economic empowerment) and the founder of the organisation called: Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL for short ;) ).
Then it's no wonder that Rodney's lyrics oscillate around topics like slavery, anti-materialism, anti-colonialism, black nationalism and poverty - in fact, most of his songs seem to be very politically engaged and promote the teachings of Marcus Garvey as well as the whole Rastafari movement. Burning Spear, then, tries not only to entertain us but also portrays a very engaged approach in that it aims to raise the social and political consciousness of the listener. Rodney very often criticizes the shape of society in his songs, like in 'Resting Place':
Where must I find my resting place?
Over the hills, across the valley
I'm sure I can see, I'm sure I can see
Too much pollution, too much pollution
I would like to see
A broad-shaded tree
Just I can rest my head, my head underneath
Cause the sun is so hot
What says the father
Oh gosh! Oh gosh! Oh gosh!
Well, what else can I say? It's a really fantastic album, an important part of music history. And even if reggae is not necessarily your cup of tea, you should definitely check it out. And, if, like me, you're a sucker for Jamaican accents then I'm sure you'll enjoy the album even more!
- Burning Spear - Resting Place
- Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
- Burning Spear - Slavery Days
- Burning Spear - Old Marcus Garvey
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