Customer Reviews

Blackheart Man

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This album is deffinetly the best reggae album of it's time. It deffines reggae not just as a type of music but also as a state of mind. The gem tracks of this amazing album (in my opinion), are "Blackheart Man, "Fighting Against Conviction", "Fig Tree", "Dream Land", "Rasta Man", and "Bide Up". If you like reggae, you will love this album. I promise!

Another thing about this CD in addition to the greatness of Bunny, is the musicianship, which is other-worldly. The arrangements, particularly "Blackheart Man" itself, are stunning, and just even Tyrone Downie's multiple keyboard work on the title track (analog keyboards, 2 inch 16 track recording, great studios, the 70s, Island Records, Brian Eno - what an era) is a thing to behold. Bob Marley's drummer Carlton Barrett plays drums and is genius, Skatalites hornsman the late Tommy McCook, Robbie Shakespeare, all make this album a work of pure genius, one of those things that comes once in a lifetime. Bunny Wailer is as significant as Leonardo DaVinci.

First of all I am a roots reggae FANATIC so my review may be biased, but this IS a GREAT record. Bunny wailer has created a reggae masterpiece here and Armageddion truly stands out as the best track on the cd. I highly recommend Black Heart Man to everyone who loves nice pure roots jamaican reggae with soul. I also HIGHLY recommend Rootsman Skanking which is another beautiful recording by Bunny Wailer. You will not be disappointed. One Love!

When people think of the Wailers, they tend to think of Bob Marley. Hell, when they think of reggae music they tend to think of Marley. But here fellow foundation Wailer Bunny Wailer (aka Neville Livingston) shows that he too was a songwriter of note. Many of these songs had been done before by Bunny and the Wailers: "Dreamland", on which fellow Wailers Peter Tosh and Bob Marley lend backing vocals, is the most perfectly realized version of a song first recorded at Studio One in 1966, when Bunny first got a chance to shine with Marley away for a few months with his mother in the States, and also recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1971; "This Train"- also recorded by the Wailers ten years before but again, is beautifully realized here; and "Reincarnated Souls", which was originally to be the title song of what became the Wailers' "Burnin'" album. "Blackheart Man", "Bide Up" and "Fig Tree" are also highlights- although there really isn't a bad song on this. Among the Wailers' recordings, only the Lee Perry- produced Wailers recordings and Marley's "Natty Dread" rival this for near perfection.

I don't go to church, but I recently realized that I do: everytime I throw a reggae cd in my unit, I am listening to spirit, livity, the Rastafarian call for redemption. Blackheart Man, Bunny's first release after leaving the Wailers, is a gem, and as many have said, one of the greatest reggae albums of all time. Bunny's songs wrestle with THE tension: repatriation to Africa ("Dreamland") and the struggle for human rights in Jamaica ("Fighting Against Conviction"). And Wailer's beautiful, soaring voice is matched by his crack band (basically the Wailers sans B. Marley who shows up for one song) who delivers on every song. This album is a must for any serious reggae (or music) fan!

A great album for a reggae listener, and still a good album for someone who does'nt even know reggae!Great lyrics, catchy tunes and rasta all thrown into one album that blows the others clean out of the water.If you don't got it, get it.

Like most of us, you'll start appreciating Bob Marley as the centralized, most public face of The Wailers. You'll study and love his music and his lyrics and his pop sensibilities. You'll read the various books chronicling his life and lyrics and you'll have a respectable collection of t-shirts and rare tracks. Eventually, you'll become curious about Peter Tosh and learn to appreciate the steadfastness of his Pan-African political perspective and 'take no prisoners' musical approach that incorporates Rock and Blues. You'll learn to understand his deeper contributions to the original Wailers. After a few years, you'll be a learned student of Marley and Tosh. If you are truly devoted to the subject you'll then graduate to Bunny Wailer and learn that he personifies the best of both Marley and Tosh and outshines them both with his spiritual perspective, musical voice, lyrical texture, sense of melody and the absolute 'Jamaican-ness' of the end product. You'll discover that Bunny Wailer was the true, understated ego-less visionary of The Wailers - his desire to stay in Jamaica while Marley was courting the African-American R&B audience, and Tosh was rubbing elbows with British rock stars will reveal itself as a prescient act of well-guided self-determination. Each Wailer was perfect in their own musical right, and it would be foolish to say that any was more or less important than the others. However, as with any creative body, there's the obvious popular exoteric value and only a few will discern the less obvious esoteric qualities. What I've described above is the path to Wailers enlightenment (Bob to Peter to Bunny). Only after considering the Wailers' canon can you call yourself a true student of The Wailers. If you're ready, start with Blackheart Man. Learn to listen to Bunny Wailer, your life will be better as a result and you'll find yourself unable to listen to the music of the original Wailers without hearing his now-obvious influence.

this music is straight from jah .bunny's best by far and as good as any record by bob marley or peter tosh . mystical and revealing a true masterpiece for all times . he captures the essence of what rastafarian derives from ,the old testament, in a simple but poignant way that only reggae can ."in the begining there was only I then arose apolyon the devil claiming that it's you and I and from that day on there is trouble in the world and the world gone astray.

You know reggae is a not'a'bad. Blackheart, the first of Bunny's solo is a beautiful album. The number of times I have listened to it is beyond my comprehension. Religious, harmonious, classic reggae sung in the soft, sweet voice of one of the Original Wailers. Obtain a copy and enjoy.

I've heard Bob and I've heard Peter but Bunny Wailer is probably the most spiritual of the 3 original Wailers and this cd proves it.No need for you to fast forward any of the tracks,each is a perfect compliment to the album.The standout tracks are the title track Blackheart Man,Fig Tree,Rastaman,Reincarnated Souls,the extremely haunting(in a good way) Armageddon and perhaps the best was indeed saved for last as "This Train"is the ultimate album closer.For true Rastas of any level of overstanding and also for those seeking conscious music.Classic doesn't quite define it well enough.Try this for yourself and enter Bunny's world.I promise you won't want to leave and will probably burn yourself two backup copies just in case,as I did.It's roots and culture at it's best and after hearing this you'll understand why the Wailers had to branch in 3 directions since each man's spirit must follow it's calling.Bunny Wailer-Thank you.All the lyrics here needed to be said.