Review #140: Catch a Fire, Bob Marley & the Wailers
#140: Catch a Fire, Bob Marley & the Wailers
I just knew one of these albums would have a big ol’ blunt on the album cover.
It’s a little challenging to reach a Bob Marley album at this point, because we’ve already heard Legend, his Greatest Hits album, and Exodus, his other big one, and it’s beginning to feel like I’ve heard all of these songs at least fifty times in the last six months.
Anyway. This isn’t the Wailers’ debut, but it is their major-label debut on Island Records, and it’s the album that blew up Bob Marley. Apparently their producers took out a lot of the natural Jamaican flair, so many of these songs were re-released as their “Jamaican Versions” later on. The Jamaican versions are much better, of course.
FAVORITE SONGS:
“Slave Driver” — “Catch a fire” means “Go to hell.” Well, if I had a slave driver, that’s probably what I’d say, too.
“400 Years” — This one is haunting.
“Stop That Train” — I’m not sure why this one is my favorite, but it is.
“Baby We’ve Got A Date (Rock It Baby)” — Like a sexy nursery rhyme!
“Stir It Up” — I just love the way he says “stir” like “steer.”
“Kinky Reggae” — I was convinced that I’d heard this on one of the first two albums, but I hadn’t.
“High Tide On Low Tide” — I’m gonna be your friend/I’m gonna be your friend. Weirdly comforting.
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:
“Concrete Jungle” — This is one of the best songs on the album, so I know I’m wrong. I just failed to vibe with it.
IS RS FULL OF IT?
I don’t know. I just don’t know.
I guess I don’t know what the purpose of including so much music AGAIN does. I guess that’s the real issue with the Greatest Hits albums being included. You end up hearing all the same music over and over and over.
RS is full of it, I’m full of it, all of us are full of it except for Bob Marley.
