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The first CD also includes 5 bonus tracks recorded at the same sessions. Two are completely unnecessary inferior alternate mixes/takes of Get Up Stand Up, the other three are evidence of Bob Marley's reluctance to allow his fellow members of the original Wailers trio, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer to play more than a supporting role in the group, with one only issued as a single B-side at the time and the other two not realeased at all for nearly 30 years. They include two excellent songs that Bunny re-recorded for his awesome "Blackheart Man" album, Reincarnated Souls and The Oppressed Song, and though they are perhaps inferior to his solo versions, they are still very fine. The remake of Peter Tosh's No Sympathy, originally recorded for Lee Perry about three years previously, is less impressive but still interesting.
The second disc is a snapshot of the Wailers live during a transitional phase of their history, with Bunny Wailer already gone and Peter Tosh about to leave. Bunny had refused ever to tour with the group in cold European countries where it might conceivably snow, so this gig at Leeds Poly in late November 1973 would not have been to his taste. But the recording is good, the vocals are great, the rhythm section swings. Shame, then, that this potentially excellent recording is so mediocre. It's a classic example of the "you had to be there" variety of live album, where the (in some cases very) extended versions of songs and ad-libs added to the experience on the night, but get a bit tedious at times on CD. Add to that the group's tendency to ignore the songs' original tight arrangements in favour of playing the chords for a bit and then eventually singing, not to mention the at times rather loose keyboards, and you have a fairly dissatisfying experience. Don't get me wrong, there are some great moments here - but none of them last for a whole song. Peter Tosh's excellent Can't Blame The Youth, otherwise not recorded by the Wailers, starts superbly, but loses focus as it goes on, and this is fairly typical. Losing one third of their vocals, especially as talented a harmony singer as Bunny, damaged the group's sound and it's all a bit makeshift - I'd love to hear a Wailers concert recording from earlier in 1973, with Bunny still on board.
So while this set is a fine example of the work of one of the biggest talents in any kind of popular music at the time, unless you're a Marley diehard, particularly one with an interest in collecting live recordings, you're probably better off with the single CD version, which includes the extra Tosh and Bunny songs but omits the extra versions of Get Up Stand Up and the live recording.
Bob Marley contributes the majority of the songs and lead vocals, re-working two songs recorded earlier with Lee "Scratch" Perry, Small Axe and Duppy Conqueror, as well as Put It On, an earlier version of which (produced by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd) played for six hours non-stop at his wedding to Rita in 1966. All of these new interpretations, as well as more current material such as Burnin' and Lootin' and I Shot The Sheriff display Marley's fantastic gift as a writer.
What gives this album its true strength, however, is the range of musical and lyrical expression. The soulful, gospel styles of Bunny Wailer's Hallelujah Time, a tale of the struggle of Jamaica's country people, and Pass It On, which teaches Rastafari's karmic lessons of respect and equality, and Peter Tosh's powerful message of unity in One Foundation provide a real insight into the true creative power of the group. Each contributes something to enhance the work of the others - Bunny described the three of them as being branches from the same tree. The opening track, Get Up, Stand Up, written by Bob and Peter, is an outstanding example of their ability to deliver a powerful lyrical message submerged in a complex funky groove. The original album closed with the deeply spiritual Rasta Man Chant, a nyabinghi-style devotional.
As well as two alternative versions of Get Up, Stand Up, bonus tracks on DIsc One include two songs which later appeared on Bunny's first solo album, Blackheart Man, albeit in re-recorded form. Reincarnated Souls and The Oppressed Song are classic Bunny Wailer material, a combination of Biblical and universal themes of struggle and sufferation together with his unique musical expression and phrasing. Peter Tosh's No Sympathy was re-recorded for his first solo album, Legalise It, and is the story of his struggle for strength after being let down again and again by friends. That these tracks were not included on the album after being recorded in the original sessions at Harry J studios may indicate that, however close the three were personally, their musical creativity required separate outlets. All three contributed vocals or instrumentation to Blackheart Man and Legalise It (both of which are highly recommended), but never worked together again under the Wailers banner.
The second disc is a live recording from Leeds Polytechnic in the Winter of 1973. Bunny Wailer had left the group by this time, so Peter and Bob provide all the vocals and guitar. The rest of the band (Aston "Family Man" Barrett on bass and his brother Carlton "Carlie" Barrett on drums and Earl "Wire" Lindo on keyboards) is on blinding form, combining the dazzlingly precise timing and relaxed, swinging groove required to make the music come alive. The set draws heavily on the Catch A Fire material, as well as Burnin' tracks, and finishes with an extended version of Lively Up Yourself, which opened Marley's first album without his two companions, Natty Dread.
This Deluxe Edition shows not only where the Waliers were at in 1973, but also where all three were going in the years to come. An essential purchase for any music fan.
The album also shows Tosh taking lead with Marley on "One Foundation" and alongside Marley on "Get Up, Stand Up". The album's biggest gem, however, was "I Shot the Sheriff," soon to be made a favorite in the U.S. and the U.K. by rock artist Eric Clapton on his 1974 "451 Ocean Boulevard" album.
The deluxe edition also features a concert from the tour in Leeds, U.K. just one week before the Wailers broke up. (Bunny, however, was already absent, having refused to tour outside of Jamaica once and for all earlier that year. His temporary replacement,the Wailers' old vocal coach, Joe Higgs was also absent, quitting the tour after they completed their shows in the U.S.) 1973's "Burnin'" shows the original Wailers at their very best before their breakup and is a timeless classic for music fans everywhere, I can guarentee it.
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