Bob Marley
The Lee Perry ConnectionBob Marley Label: Charly SNAP141CD Price: £ 6.84 (£5.95 outside EU)
Bob Marley had already established himself as the leading voice of Reggae music before his signing to Island Records and his subsequent rise to international super-stardom in 1972, as demonstrated by these highlights from his earlier recordings with Lee Perry. These remarkable recordings from the late Sixties and early Seventies were very much roots-based, in contrast to the later ones he made with Island, where his sound was deliberately tailored towards the lucrative Rock market. They remain as testament to Marley's enormous song writing and singing talent. Bob Marley had already established himself as the leading voice of Reggae music before his signing to Island Records and his subsequent rise to international super-stardom in 1972, as demonstrated by these highlights from his earlier recordings with Lee Perry. These remarkable recordings from the late Sixties and early Seventies were very much roots-based, in contrast to the later ones he made with Island, where his sound was deliberately tailored towards the lucrative Rock market. They remain as testament to Marley's enormous song writing and singing talent. The seminal Bob Marley & The Wailers' recordings made with oddball producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry during this period are considered by many authorities to be the reggae superstar's finest hour. For many reggae purists the roots sound which Perry developed with the group remains definitive. Perry stood revealed as the Phil Spector of the Caribbean - his incendiary productions not only blitzkrieg dance floors all over Jamaica, but blasted open a route to global acceptance. Whether he knew it or not, 'Scratch' would prove as crucial to honing the Wailers sound as George Martin had been for the Beatles.Lee Perry will be instigating and hosting London's prestigious 'Meltdown Festival' this summer. Hosted in recent years by the likes of David Bowie and David Byrne, this event is guaranteed to raise Perry's profile and cult status in the coming months. Here are 25 highlights from those now-legendary sessions with Lee Perry. They include 'Concrete Jungle', 'African Herbsman', Duppy Conqueror' and 'Natural Mystic'. Tracklisting
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