Bob Marley & The Wailers - Catch a Fire [Bonus Tracks] (CD)

Marley on "fire"

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Oct 13, 2006

Pros: Flawless 1973 album from the Wailers

Cons: None here

"Catch a Fire" may not be the first album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, but it did help put the band (and, by extension, reggae music) on the map with mainstream listeners. As with virtually all Marley albums, this 1973 CD stands tall on the merits of its tight melodies, solid instrumentation, and the often politically charged lyrics on cuts like the impassioned "Slave Driver," "400 Years" (a Peter Tosh original), and "No More Trouble," a tough jam that can be interpreted as a pro-peace/anti-war anthem. But for me, the album's high point is the catchy "Stir it Up," one of his most familiar tunes that captures the essence of a classic reggae song. Some complain that it's a bit long-winded at over 5 minutes, but for me, the groove is just fine as it is. This reissue has two bonus songs that really aren't bonus songs at all: "High Tide or Low Tide" and "All Day All Night." They were actually available on the early version of "Catch a Fire" but were later deleted from future pressings. It's good to have them back so the listener can absorb the album as it was originally released. I wouldn't exactly recommend this album as a first Bob Marley purchase, but it's still an essential recording and a definite classic that definitely shouldn't be overlooked.