The 500 - #319 - Burnin' - Bob Marley and the Wailers

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: # 319

Album Title: Burnin'

Artist: Bob Marley And The Wailers

Genre: Reggae

Recorded: Harry J Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, Island Studios, London, U.K.

Released: October, 1973

My age at release: (I was 8, My guest blogger was not born)

How familiar was I with it before this week: Several songs, My guest blogger knew it very well.

Is it on the 2020 list? No

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Small Axe

I am delighted to welcome Patricia Thompson as guest blogger for this week. Patricia works with me at Sir Arthur Currie Public School where she provides me with preparation (prep) time by taking my students for both physical education and instruction in visual art. When she arrived at my portable last week, I noticed she was wearing a Bob Marley t-shirt. Coincidently, Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Burnin’ was up for review. Asked if she would share her thoughts about this legendary artist… she agreed. Enjoy.

It was a pleasure to be asked and featured as a guest blogger for this album. If asked to explain my connection to reggae music, no matter my age, I would say “reggae music pulses through my veins”. Fortunately, I grew up with parents who exposed me and my siblings to reggae music as much as possible. Reggae rang through the house as we did our Saturday chores, and music was always played during holiday gatherings. These days, I have it on constant rotation on my own playlists.

Reggae brought out stories from my parents' past, and usually ended with them teaching us dance moves, like the bump, in the rec room. Artists such as Sanchez, Coca Tea, Berres Hammond and many more are ingrained in my mind, surrounded by a wealth of memories encapsulated in my heart.

Going back to listen to Burnin’ brought about significant confusion. I know this album from front to back, or so I thought. In my mind, Small Axe is the first track on the album, but it is actually the first song on the B side. Burnin’ is a prized possession in my father’s record collection. However, thanks to my eldest sister who would put the record on the turntable, I thought the B side was the beginning of the record. I now have a greater appreciation for the songs that actually start the record, the first track Get Up, Stand Up, and the third, I Shot the Sheriff. But, at the time, if we didn’t flip the album, it was okay, I heard the songs that were my favourites.

The musical stylings of multi-instrumental members of The Wailers unveil layers of jazz and funk that burn through your listening experience. They are Peter Tosh (guitar), Earl Lindo (organ), Aston “Family Man” Barrett (bass), Carlton “Carly” Barrett (drums), Bunny Wailer (percussion) and the extraordinary legend, Bob Marley (guitar and lead vocals).

(l-r) Lindo, Tosh, Marley, C. Barrett, Wailer, A. Barrett

Burnin’, being their 6th studio album, is full of buried treasures and monumental lyrics. It wasn’t until I was older and listened to the album in a more serious way that I realized the musical talents behind the vocalist. This group of men, stringing beautiful chords together to create hit after hit, still invigorates my love for reggae music.

 

I Shot the Sheriff was controversial because the title implied violence against police officers. Researching the success and meaning of this song, I learned Marley has said there are “fictional and non-fictional elements to its story; but, it’s up to the listener to paint their truth when listening to this song”.

I took the time to listen to Eric Clapton’s cover of the song and, just like the original, its strong instrumental introduction sets the tone. I was shocked. I'd never heard this version until now. The success of Clapton’s cover introduced the rock audiences of the 70s to Marley’s music and it was Clapton’s only number one hit on the U.S. Top 100 on the Billboard charts. Clapton’s version was released in 1974 on his album 461 Ocean Boulevard, which is found at position #411 on The 500 list.

Another artist experiencing success covering Sheriff is rapper Warren G. His version combines his own lyrics while another artist sings the original chorus from Marley’s song in the background. Warren G released it as the second single on his second album, Take A Look Over Your Shoulder in 1997.

The song was also sampled on the title track to Strictly Business from New York hip-hop duo EPMD in 1988. Their album is at #453 on The 500. Consequently, it is one of the few songs to be a hit in three consecutive decades and to appear on this list three times.

The opening track, Get Up Stand Up, helps me recount one of the stories I heard as a young person. My father immigrated to London, Ontario, Canada, in the 1970s as a pre-teen. As most immigrants do, his family surrounded themselves with other immigrants, creating a close-knit community. My father, my Uncle (Chapi) and some friends were playing cricket on the street one Sunday afternoon. Many unsettled neighbours, who were uncomfortable with a group of young black men gathering in the streets to play a sport the onlookers did not understand, called the police. My father and his friends were arrested that day. Uncle Chapi, was incredibly vocal and stood his ground, saying they “were not in the wrong and did not deserve this unfair treatment”. My father tells the story as saying Uncle Chapi wanted to “Get Up, Stand Up” for his rights.

Get Up Stand Up also brings another tearful memory to me, as this was the last song Bob Marley performed before his untimely death due to cancer. My dad has always said, one of his greatest regrets was…. “giving away my Marley tickets,” believing he would simply, “catch him at his next concert”.

Guest Blogger - Patricia Thompson