I love reggae music. No matter the lyrical content, reggae for me has a joyous and uplifting feel to it. It reminds me of a wonderful family trip to Jamaica, which is full of warm memories for me.
I may love reggae, but I know very little of substance about it as it’s never been a part of my listening tradition other than in a tertiary way. So, while I had heard of Burning Spear (Winston Rodney), I wasn’t versed in his music. At all. This album is really good, and I enjoyed listening to it. And if you listen closely to what he is singing, there are some powerful messages in there. Even if I don’t have a top-notch grasp of Jamaican history, the music itself is enough for me to appreciate the record.
The record company enraged Rodney by re-mixing it to make it more palatable for the largely white record-buying public in America.1
My Rating:
Let’s move on to some of the rock writers’ thoughts:
“The most African (and political) sounding reggae LP yet to crease the USA. Deceptive polyrhythms and horns that hint at highlife add to the hypnotic force of Winston Rodney's eerie ululations, resulting in chants so compelling that when Rodney cries "Give me what is mine" you half expect Chris Blackwell to hand over the record company.”2
“The only question is, who in America knows enough to really appreciate it? Whom does Island expect to buy records like this?
“The title tune is a microcosm of the problem. The rhythm is compelling but the brass is out of tune, countryman style. As for the words—how much do you know about Marcus Garvey and his prophecy? Unless you're really familiar with Jamaican culture, the words simply won't make sense. Fortunately, the group's singing and the incredible backup by members of Jamaica's top studio band, the Soul Syndicate, make the sound itself compelling. Melodies like "Tradition," with its three-part "doot doot" hook, or the brooding, hypnotic "Slavery Days" might even get on the radio, but it's hardly the place for novices to begin listening.”3
“Marcus Garvey hit Jamaica like a force ten gale…It made an instant hero of Winston Rodney, and the album remains a cornerstone of the entire roots movement.”4
If you care to read about Winston in more detail: Burning Spear at Wikipedia
You can learn about Roots Reggae here: Roots reggae at Wikipedia
If you’d like to read up on Marcus Garvey himself: Marcus Garvey at Wikipedia
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Jim Harrington wrote:
“…the album was a poignant blend of religious aspirations and cultural concerns that came across as both warning cry and peaceful meditation.”5
Charts
• Peak on Billboard 200 album chart: n/a
• Singles on Billboard Hot 100 chart: n/a
• RIAA certification: n/a
Released on December 12, 1975. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: Fly, Robin, Fly by by Silver Connection6
• Number one album: Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits by Chicago7
• Number one movie: Let's Do It Again by Sidney Poitier8
• Most watched TV programs: All in the Family, Rich Man, Poor Man, Lavern & Shirley9
• NYT bestseller, fiction: Curtain by Agatha Christi10
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: Bring On The Empty Horses by David Niven11
Other albums released that month
• Equinox by Styx
• T.N.T. by AC/DC
• Stephen Stills Live by Stephen Stills
• Live! by Bob Marley & The Wailers
• Blast from Your Past by Ringo Starr
• Mothership Connection by Parliament
• Elite Hotel by Emmylou Harris
• Head On by Bachman–Turner Overdrive
• Ricochet by Tangerine Dream
• Wouldn't You Like It? by Bay City Rollers12
Sport
• Dec 6 41st Heisman Trophy Award: Archie Griffin, Ohio State (RB)
• Dec 16 Bill Veeck buys 80% of MLB Chicago White Sox from John Allyn.
• Dec 21 Davis Cup Men's Tennis, Stockholm, Sweden: Home town hero Björn Borg beats Czech Jan Kodeš 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to give Sweden unassailable 3-1 lead; ends 3-2.
• Dec 23 Chairman of MLB arbitration panel Peter Seitz rules pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally to be free agents.
• Dec 28 "The Hail Mary", with 32 seconds left in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach throws a legendary 50-yard winning touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to defeat the Minnesota Vikings, and the "Hail Mary" play gains national recognition.
Dec 28 New York Rangers become first team in NHL history to face a touring Soviet hockey squad; Soviet Army beats the Rangers, 7-3 at Madison Square Garden13
Notable Births
• Dec 8 Kevin Harvick, American auto racer (NASCAR Cup Series Champion 2014), born in Bakersfield, California.
• Dec 11 Frank Rubio, American pilot and NASA astronaut (US record longest spaceflight), born in Los Angeles, California.
• Dec 12 Mayim Bialik, American actress (Blossom, The Big Bang Theory), born in San Diego, California.
• Dec 13 Tom DeLonge, American rock guitarist (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves), born in Poway, California.
• Dec 17 Mila Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (The Fifth Element; Resident Evil), born in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union.
• Dec 18 Sia [Furler], Australian singer-songwriter and producer (Titanium), born in Adalaide, Australia.
• Dec 18 Trish Stratus, Canadian professional wrestler14
Historical Events
• Dec 9 Iraq completes nationalization by taking over the BP, CFP, and Shell shares of the Basrah Petroleum Company.
• Dec 10 Andrei Sakharov's wife Yelena Bonner accepts the Soviet dissident's Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo - Sakharov not allowed to leave the country.
• Dec 17 John Paul Stevens appointed to the US Supreme Court.
• Dec 17 Lynette Fromme sentenced to life for attempt on US President Ford's life.
• Dec 19 British guitarist Ron Wood joins the Rolling Stones.
• Dec 19 The Red Hand Commandos, a very secretive Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, explode a no-warning car bomb in Dundalk, killing 2 civilians and wounding 20.
• Dec 20 Joe Walsh recruited to join Eagles.
• Dec 23 Richard S Welch, American CIA station chief in Athens, Greece, assassinated by revolutionaries at 46.15
Notable Deaths
• Dec 4 Hannah Arendt, German-American political theorist and historian (Origins of Totalitarianism), dies of a heart attack at 69. (Hannah Arendt bio)
• Dec 7 Beatrix Loughran, American figure skater (Olympic gold 1924, 1928, 1932), dies at 75.
• Dec 7 Thornton Wilder, American playwright and writer (Bridge of San Luis Rey), dies at 78.
• Dec 8 Gary Thain, New Zealand bassist (Uriah Heep, 1972-75), dies of respiratory failure due to a heroin overdose, at 27.
• Dec 9 William A. Wellman, American director (Ox Bow Incident), dies at 79.
• Dec 14 Arthur Treacher, British character actor (The Little Princess; Thank You, Jeeves), TV announcer/sidekick (The Merv Griffin Show, 1965-70), and fish and chips restaurant namesake, dies of cardiovascular disease at 81.
• Dec 17 Hound Dog Taylor [Theodore Roosevelt], American Chicago blues guitarist and singer, dies of lung cancer at 60.16
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
On Prime: 127. Marcus Garvey by Burning Spear
More of the videos: 127. You're Welcome 127; Marcus Garvey by Burning Spear
Harrington, Jim, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, ed by Robert Dimmery, p. 342.
Harrington.
Ibid.
Just saw Burning Spear on June 4 at Red Butte Gardens. Most excellent. Tonight Ziggy Marley with Lettuce at Deer Valley.