Published on Apr 4, 1997
Reggae is very much an acquired taste – you may not like it the
first time, but you’ll soon find yourself skanking to its hypnotic
rhythms. Desmond Dekker got us grooving to “Israelites” in the
mid-’60s (which was the subject of a hilarious Maxell commercial –
if anyone hasa copy of it, e-mail me pronto). Even Paul Simon
dabbled in it with “Mother And Child Reunion.” But the group best
known for bringing reggae to the masses was Bob Marley And The
Wailers.
Their third outing for Island Records,
Natty Dread, was a transition period for the group. Founding
members Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer had left the group, leaving
Marley to carry on. And while there are some excellent moments on
this album, one can hear that Marley had not matured into the great
songwriter he would eventually become, and the influence of the
departed members is missed.
Natty Dread opens up strongly with “Lively Up Yourself,” a
song which had me Snoopy-dancing around the Pierce Memorial
Archives (watch out for the Ratt… sorry, couldn’t help myself)
with glee. With long-time backing vocalists the I-Threes (including
Marley’s wife Rita), the band is able to create a happy, loopy mood
that one wishes would never end. (I still prefer this version to
the faster-tempoed one on
Live.)
The first mistake comes on the classic track “No Woman No Cry.”
What the hell is this – a
drum machine? What I remember as a solemn, moving number
from
Live, in its original form sounds like Marley farting around
with a cheap Casio keyboard. Three words:
no, no, no
! I will concede that this version is a little more clear in
the lyric department; Marley always had a tendency to be difficult
to understand.
The tide turns again on the final two tracks of the side. “Them
Belly Full (But We Hungry)” and “Rebel Music” are both solid pieces
of songwriting and performing, especially the drum work of Carlton
“Carly” Barrett. “Rebel Music” is an especially satisfying track,
with Marley being in fine voice.
If only the second side of
Natty Dread was as good as the first; it is here that
Marley’s songwriting proves itself to be limited at the time. “So
Jah Seh” and the title track fail to do anything for the listener.
“Talkin’ Blues,” however, seems to have Marley exploring new
musical territories previously unventured into in reggae. The track
is a tad slow, but interesting.
So why is
Natty Dread dsiappointing? Without the benefit of Tosh and
Wailer to play off of, there is no track like “Stir It Up,” “Get
Up, Stand Up” or “I Shot The Sheriff” on this one. Yes, Marley
would go on to become one of the greatest voices in reggae, and his
songwriting would greatly improve to the point that he would
overshadow Tosh and Wailer. But on this one, he’s not yet achieved
that nadir.
Natty Dread is an album that reggae fans will find somewhat
enjoyable. But for the long-time Marley fans like myself, the album
screams of what could have been. And had Tosh and Wailer stuck
around for one more album this could have been the Wailers’ shining
moment.