Tracks:
1. Is This Love?: 8/10 kicking off the album is an excellent love song. It repeats itself both literally- as the title question is repeatedly asked during the excellent chorus- and metaphorically as Bob Marley's unfortunate habit of repetition in his song writing reveals itself a little bit but overall it's a lovely song and a good start.
2. No Woman No Cry: 9/10 the live performance of the No Woman No Cry is one of Marley's masterpieces. Aching with emotion, honesty and optimism, this performance is genuinely brilliant and the applause heard at the end is well deserved. It's a little too long but I'm not complaining.
3. Could You Be Loved: 9/10 with its smart lyrics, excellent harmonies and awesome baseline this one is an absolute tune and one of the best on the album.
4. Three Little Birds: 9/10 you have got to love this. Yes it just says the same thing over and over but it's a track with unbeatable spirit and it makes you believe every little thing will be alright. A true classic.
5. Buffalo Soldier: 8/10 once again it keeps saying the same stuff again and again, but this is an exuberant and meaningful song which shows Marley's talents for telling compelling stories in an accessible way. The woy yoy yoy chorus is fabulous.
6. Get Up Stand Up: 7/10 the verses are full of clever lyrics which do get under your skin but the chorus is a bit dull.
7. Stir It Up: 8/10 lyrically this one doesn't hold an awful lot of substance, but the brilliant and unique sounds created throughout the song overshadow any flaws.
8. One Love: 10/10 a deeply touching and brilliantly written song which has a great message and represents Bob Marley at his best. Simple but devastatingly effective.
9. I Shot the Sheriff: 8/10 another strong political song. The lyrics are a bit confusing at times but it's still thought provoking and meaningful and still has a strong beat.
10. Waiting in Vain: 7/10 this one has a less upbeat tone and some very good moments but overall it's difficult to distinguish among the other songs of the album.
11. Redemption Song: 9/10 this one has no gimmicks or big musical effects or instrumentals. It's just one man and his guitar who, in the quietest song of the album, speaks a powerful and important message louder than an earthquake. It's a shame this one isn't longer.
12. Satisfy My Soul: 7/10 another less memorable song, which is pretty good overall but feels somewhat generic.
13. Exodus: 8/10 an excellent song full of energy and punch which it manages to sustain throughout its excessive length.
14. Jamming: 9/10 such a great song. One of the most purely enjoyable tracks on the album, this is a vastly entertaining song which also boasts one of the best intros on the album. It's a great one to just relax to.
Best Song: One Love.
Worst Song: Satisfy My Soul.
Album review: A very good album overall. While the songs do often feel a bit too similar to one another, at its best the album is completely brilliant. The music itself is uniquely relaxing and affecting while the lyrics are touching, soulful and show that less is more. There isn't a bad track on here overall and if anyone's looking for a reason as to why Bob Marley is by far the most well known reggae artist, just play them this album.
Final rating: 8/10
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