Review Summary: A beautiful album, that summarizes the best sides of the reggae genre.
In 1973 the Wailers released Burnin’ which was the last album to feature Tosh and Wailer in the band as these two members pursued solo careers. However the album was a massive success among Jamaicans, who preferred the Trenchtown sound over the style of Catch a Fire, thus closing the short tenure of the aforementioned members with a commercial and artistic success.
First of all, let’s take a look at the atmosphere and vibe of the disc. It is without a doubt a very relaxing listen and very cheerful in general. Even on the 'darkest' songs you can still find optimism, as far as music goes. The lyrics are quite dark and bitter on these songs, thus making a nice contrast between the music and the words. A prime example of this contrast is 'Hallelujah Time' which has the following lyrics:'Hear the children crying, But I know they cry not in vain'. The music however is more uplifting and joyful and the chorus is cleverly written. It is a pity that this song is not considered a classic as the track that follows it and the track that precedes it, namely 'I Shot The Sheriff' and 'Get Up Stand Up'. The former is a song made famous by Clapton, but for me the original will always be better. The reason is that Marley treats the song in a natural, loose way without even trying. Clapton on the other hand is extremely tight in his rendition, and that is a quality that doesn't suit Marley's compositions at all. And I guess there is no need to talk about the controversial, in 1973 at least, set of lyrics that Bob had originally written with far more bite, if you will.
The opener is a signature song too, with an addictive as hell vocal melody and motivational lyrics inspired by Haiti's poverty. A hallmark in Marley's career and the best track on the album, no doubt.
But the record is more than these three songs after all. What about the wonderful wah-wah introduction of 'Put It On' that gives the song a subtle sorrowful aura? It has to be one of my favorite intros on the album and the prayer-like lyrics match perfectly with the simple but charming melody. This track is also a prime example of the Wailers' playing style. It is neither professional neither sloppy, but rather a perfect merging of the two approaches, with the instruments being loose and spontaneous but without missing a beat. It is this balanced playing that gives the songs their trademark sound and on a larger scale, the Wailers' identity.
As far as lyrics go, this album delivers too. Marley is no Dylan when it comes to conveying complex and at the same time emotional statements. No, he is rather simple and direct in his writing, but what makes the lyrics stand out is the pictures they portray. Whether it is a complain about poverty, a prayer, a chant, or a narration about killing police officers, Marley makes sure you get the whole picture and moved by the words. This is what 'Pass It On' achieves, a song about morality, from my point of view:'What your hands do, It is your own eyes that have seen, So won't you judge your actions, To make sure the results are clean'. The plaintive piano in the beginning compliments in the best way possible Marley's changes between regular tone and falsetto and the background vocals define spirituality. Meanwhile, 'Small Axe' deals with Marley's frustration with one of the biggest record companies and 'Burnin' and Lootin'' is referring to a society that feels like a prison.
I could talk about the last three tracks, but I feel there's not much to them. They're very good, of course -you will not find a bad track in here- but they're not highlights either, because the main melodies while okay, don't excite me too much.
In the end, this record is a must listen for every fan of Marley and for every listener who wants to start listening to reggae music, because it showcases the best aspects of the genre (as well as the rest of Marley's 'prime' albums) and makes the monotonous feel of the album seem like a little trivial minus.
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