Natty Dread [VINYL]

I am a huge fan of The Wailers and have been listening to them for 15 years. This was the first album to feature the I-Threes, the new backing vocalists drafted in to fill the void left by the departed Pete Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Despite their absence this album became the first to really establish The Wailers outside of Jamaica and brought them the cross over success that Island Records had been craving since first signing them. Bob Marley became a household name after this and his road to superstardom had begun. I personally feel that although it gets rave reviews elsewhere, for me it lacks a little something that would've made it a real classic. It's still an excellent album which features many great songs but as an album it doesn't quite reach the same heights as Catch A Fire and Burnin' had before it.
The album opens with a reworking of Lively Up Yourself which is a nice song but when compared with the original, feels a little flat. Next is one their most famous songs, No Woman, No Cry. If like me you heard the live recording of this first, then this will disappoint. The live recording is slower and the organ and vocals blend perfectly, but on this version it doesn't have that same wow factor. Again not bad just not great and let's face it the live recording featured on Legend has to be one of the greatest live songs ever. On the third track the album begins to step it up with the awesome Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) which is followed by the militant brilliance of Rebel Music (3 O 'clock Roadblock). So Jah Sey is next up and while not quite a classic it's a nice song. The joyful Natty Dread raises the standard again with it's faster, insistent beat, but the reworking of Bend Down Low like Lively Up Yourself just leaves you longing to listen to the original. Talkin' Blues happens to be one of my favourite songs on the album with it's sparse arrangement and excellent backing vocals by the I-Threes. Revolution is good but i don't feel it's quite as strong as some of their other rootsier songs like Burnin' and Lootin' or I Shot The Sheriff etc. The bonus track Am-A-Do is ok but by no means a classic and bearing in mind that The Wailers always released relatively short, streamlined albums it isn't too hard to see why they cut it and left Natty Dread as a 9 song album.
The rhythm section is quality, as always Aston and Carlton Barrett never disappoint. There are some lovely licks of guitar too by Al Anderson on many of the songs, overall the musicality is superb. But whereas other albums by The Wailers are consistently classic, this album has classic songs interspersed with good songs. My problem with this album is down to the material being not quite up the standard that The Wailers had set themselves previously. But that's understandable. This was the first album with the new line up and the next album, Rastaman Vibration, was back to classic status. If you're new to The Wailers buy Songs Of Freedom. It's the best introduction to their work that you can get. If you already have a compilation of some kind and are looking into getting some of the original albums try starting with Exodus and Kaya. Then buy the harder but incredible Catch A Fire (Deluxe Edition), Burnin' and Survival. Once you've got them i'm pretty sure you'll buy the rest.

While I haven't heard this edition, the quality of other recent Marley reissues from Universal makes it very probable that this is superbly mastered.

But a great opportunity has been missed here, unlike with Exodus: that came out in a deluxe double CD edition with 12" and dub versions, additional 45s and some fine live material. This contains one previously issued bonus track from the same sessions. I do hope Universal will eventually see fit to issue a deluxe version of this album because, amazing as it may seem, there's some top quality material associated with it that has NEVER been reissued, namely the 3 Jamaican singles released from it plus their B-sides. These are: Knotty Dread (different mix) c/w dub version; Belly Full (again a different mix) c/w dub version and Talking Blues (different mix) c/w a DJ version by I Roy. A slightly different mix/edit of the latter is the only one of these six tracks that's ever been issued outside of Jamaica. The mixes of the single A-sides are notably different from those on the album, and the two dub versions, especially Belly Full, are absolutely superb. Sorry this is a rant more than a review - if you aren't already familiar with Bob Marley this is as good a place as any to start and one of his greatest albums, but for serious fans this is just the same stuff all over again. Maybe Universal are quietly scheduling a Marley Jamaican 45s album for some time in 2010. Or maybe they aren't, but they should be because this is the last notable Marley material that hasn't been reissued - there's more than just the three I've mentioned here.

Re-mastered release from THE artist to play every single summer, all day long. Great album, featuring some of The Wailers' best work (but then, which of their albums don't?). If you ignore the version of No Woman No Cry (after you've heard the live version, nothing else comes close), this is a perfect album, the bonus track just adds to the whole affair.

Buy It Now.