Customer Reviews

Burning Spear - Ultimate Collection

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, if you haven't heard Burning Spear, I suggest ANYTHING by this great band. With some bands you must be very selective about what you buy when you see so many releases, but Burning Spear has not put out one single bad release and I have nearly all of them. As an avid collector of reggae (mostly Jamaican roots) I rank Spear among the absolute best. His music is hypnotic, fun, serious, playful, and deeply rooted in the Spirit of Jamaica and Africa. The horns do not intrude, but balance the music. Spear's voice is beautifully mesmerizing, and adds a vocal decoration to the music. Now after hearing the cd and finding out what I am talking about, you must EXPERIENCE Spear. To witness this legend live is truly a must. Spear has a presence like no other. I have witnessed quite a few reggae concerts and none quite equal the presence of Burning Spear. Highly recommneded band coming from one with quite a bit of reggae experience. One Love!

Burning Spear is a legendary musician and performer. If you get a chance to see him perform you realize this. And although this collectin of his music is solid, be warned- it is a compilation. You're at the mercy of whoever chooses the tracks on the cd. But all the tracks on this cd are very good, they are mostly the more well-known songs and singles.

But Burning Spear's music goes too far and deep for 1 cd to cover, you miss out on alot...But this compilation is good for someone who only wants 1 great Burning Spear cd, and doesn't care to build up a larger collection. 5 stars for sure.

Burning Spear produces some of the best roots reggae currently available. Period. His songs are based upon his beliefs in the teachings of Marcus Garvey and the essence of Rastafarianism. For the enlightened, history, and the meaning of history, is recorded in his music. His words are recited by those in the Carribean, sometimes only to gather a few dollars from the tourist trade. Burning Spear should be quoted because of his meaning and revelence to all cultures.

As an owner of most of Buring Spears' catelog, I would highly reccomend "Hail HIM", which in my opinion is the best reggae / rasta album ever produced.

Bob Marley is surely the one reggae artist everyone has heard of and his "Legend" CD is usually the first reggae CD new fans of the genre buy, myself included. Burning Spear has a bit more of an edge than Bob, more like the true vintage reggae sound (more along the lines of Marleys "Burnin'" album). This is a good place to start with Burning Spear "Marcus Garvey", "Christopher Columbus", "Red, Gold, and Green" are among the best tracks on here. Really good reggae.

First of all, if you haven't heard Burning Spear, I suggest ANYTHING by this great band. With some bands you must be very selective about what you buy when you see so many releases, but Burning Spear has not put out one single bad release and I have nearly all of them. As an avid collector of reggae (mostly Jamaican roots) I rank Spear among the absolute best. His music is hypnotic, fun, serious, playful, and deeply rooted in the Spirit of Jamaica and Africa. The horns do not intrude, but balance the music. Spear's voice is beautifully mesmerizing, and adds a vocal decoration to the music. Now after hearing the cd and finding out what I am talking about, you must EXPERIENCE Spear. To witness this legend live is truly a must. Spear has a presence like no other. I have witnessed quite a few reggae concerts and none quite equal the presence of Burning Spear. Highly recommneded band coming from one with quite a bit of reggae experience. One Love!

Great job by Hip-O Records, Dana G. Smart (compilation producer) and Pat Lawrence (executive producer) always giving music fans what they crave, unforgettable and political music from the reggae genre...featuring Winston Rodney (Burning Spears), performing twenty tracks of finger-pointing phrasing. Entire album is very good, just missed a five star rating by a hair, no doubt he is one of the greats from Jamaica.

If reggae is your bag, other titles by Hip-O ~ "Third World Ultimate Collection" (314-541-123-2), "Lee "Scratch" Perry Ultimate Collection" (314-541-301-2), "Steel Pulse Ultimate Collection" (314-541-463-2)...

Total Time: 74:48 on 20 Tracks ~ Hip-O Records 314-524-834-2 ~ (2001)

BURNING SPEAR'S ULTIMATE COLLECTION IS THE BEST REGGAE CD THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD. BOB MARLEY WAS FABULOUS, BUT BURNING SPEAR IS PHENOMINAL.

Do yourself a favor and only buy his albums. They're much more solid. One Love. Peace.