Natty Dread review

The 7th album by Bob Marley and the Wailers. This is the first studio released without Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer and the first recorded with the I-Threes.

Tracks:

1. Lively Up Yourself: 7/10 incredibly forgettable and repetitive for half the run-time, but it finally gets into gear halfway through.

2. No Woman No Cry: 7/10 it can't live up to the live version, but it's still deeply moving.

3. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry): 9/10 a highlight of what Marley does best: an emotional and sobering yet simultaneously heart-warming and inspirational song with a deeply human focus that will move all but the coldest, most Scrooge-like listeners.

4. Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock): 8/10 even if the lyrics don't always make sense, they're interesting to interpret and the song is 6 minutes of highly pleasant reggae rhythms.  

5. So Jah S'eh: 8/10 more lovely stuff, although it doesn't break any new ground for Bob Marley.

6. Natty Dread: 8/10 not the best on the album, but another good one which feels like Bob Marley's equivalent to Ziggy Stardust.

7. Bend Down Low: 7/10 pretty confusing, but there's enough relaxing music here to compensate.

8. Talkin' Blues: 8/10 he may be well-known for his delightfully relaxing and uplifting songs, but as this song shows Marley is arguably at his best when he's political.

9. Revolution: 8/10 an excellent political song which concludes the album in style.

Best song: Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
Worst song: Bend Down Low

Summary: Another excellent album from Bob Marley. It still isn't as good as Catch a Fire, but this is a record with so much to say and has so much to offer. It's got such a peaceful yet deep vibe, and Marley's vocals are still utterly fantastic. It's not my favorite of his albums since most of the songs aren't classics, but it does still pack plenty of punch. It's well worth listening and showcases Bob Marley's skill as a musician, as a singer and also as a songwriter.




Final rating: 8/10