Bunny Wailer - Retrospective (CD)

All Music Guide

Never as commercially successful as Bob Marley, nor as militant as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer will probably forever remain the most underappreciated of the original Wailers. Yet, since leaving the group in 1974, the singer has quietly constructed an impressive catalog as a solo artist. By the time Shanachie released Retrospective, Bunny's discography included 12 albums of original material, one live set, and a trio of Marley tributes. Retrospective covers the years 1985-1992, drawing heavily from excellent albums like Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae (1987), Liberation (1989), and Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley (1991), while also selecting highlights from the remaining titles. Roots, Radics spawned "Love Fire," an exquisite avowal of Rastafarian faith, as well as "Rockers," a heavy, near instrumental track peppered with dub effects. Though he arguably never surpassed his 1976 debut, Blackheart Man, Bunny came closest with Liberation, one of the finest collections of reality materi...al in his catalog. Representative cuts like the title track, "Want to Come Home," and "Rise and Shine" balance sobering details of oppression with cries for freedom and unity. While that album was his greatest artistic success from the period, the Grammy-winning Time Will Tell was his greatest commercial victory. Included here are readings of "Soul Rebel," "Redemption Song," and the title track, three of Marley's most stunning lyrical statements. Throughout this collection, Bunny is backed by musicians from both the roots and dancehall eras, creating a fundamentally '70s sound updated with a mid-'80s sheen. It wasn't until the early '90s, however, that he embraced the new music fully, the influence finding its way onto both Gumption and Dancehall Massive. Selections like "Warrior" and "Conscious Lyrics," while not quite as spectacular, keep the pace, rounding out an excellent overview. - Nathan Bush, All Music Guide Read more Less