Customer Reviews

Hail Him

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is noticeable for the fact that it has Bob Marley's backing band, "The Wailers" laying down the grooves and beats for Winston Rodney (aka Burning Spear). The album features a terrific drawing by Neville Garrick depicting Haile Selassie in full imperial dress riding a white horse, with the sand dunes of Ethiopa as the backdrop. This album released in 1980, was never released in the United States until the Heartbeat CD of this album came out in 1994! Was the shunning of this album by America for fourteen years due to the fact that the record was no good? Here are my reviews of the songs based out of 5 *****:

"Hail H.I.M." - Hail H.I.M. (His Imperial Majesty) starts with Winston shouting "Hail Jah Rastafari!" A very laid-back, mellow, thick groove starts the journey. "Hail HIM" is chanted in the background throughout the song. Aston lays down a funky, grooving bass line that is very dub like. The groove is soooo heavy, the thickness/heaviness is almost palpable! It feels as if a cloud of thick smoke is hanging/shrouding the piece (and there proably was)! A GREAT TUNE! Rating - *****

"Columbus" -The keyboards are more prominant here, along with chugging guitar, congas and heavy bass lines. This song tells the tale of how the Arawak Indians were were the first people in the "Americas" NOT Mr. Columbus. "Christopher Colombus is a damn-blasted liar!" shouts Winston with a ton of emotion. "He's a liar!" is repeated as the song closes out. Another FANTASTIC tune with some thought-provoking lyrics. Rating - *****

"Road Foggy" - The horn section introduces this tune, accompanied with some great multiple percussion instruments and cool triangle playing. Very heavy bass lines again from the "Family Man". He keeps a groovy, melloooow beat going throughout the piece. A very moody, heavy atmosphere permeates this song. Winston sings "The road is so foggy, foggy. So foggy, foggy." Probably from the thick smoke of the burning Kind! Hypnotic! Rating - ****

"Follow Marcus Garvey" - Aston begins this with ANOTHER heavy bass groove, accompanied with low Tenor and Alto sax playing in the background. Chugging guitar, and smooth guitar licks from Junior Marvin gives this piece some added punch. You'll want to catch the next "Black Star Liner" out of town after listening to Winston preach! Rating - ****

"Jah See And Know" - The horn section takes front stage on this piece. Thumping bass and chugging guitars. DAMN! Aston Barrett has to the HEAVIEST/FUNKIEST cat to walk this planet! This guy can keep a groove going like no-one else! "Your hearts desire. Your meditations. Your thinking. Your doing. Jah Jah see and know yes." That can either be good news or BAD news! Rating - *****

"African Teacher" - Keyboards kick off this piece and a chugging guitar soon follows. Junior gets in some great guitar licks and Aston lays down the thick beat. "Teach me teacher" is chanted in the backgound. Conga rolls from Winston are heard throughout. A great, moody, "Teach me Aramaic teacher!" song! Classic! Rating - *****

"African Postman" - My favorite cut from this album. Opens with Winston lecturing his son about the "African Postman". Repeated chime clanging helps to herald in the postman and call everyone to hear the latest news. "Them a Holy folk." proclaims Winston and this phrase is chanted repeatedly in the background. Aston lays down a VERY HEAVY bass groove! Awesome song! Rating - *****

"Cry Blood Africans" - Winston wails "Cry Blood Africa!" at the start of this tune. Winston's sadness is apparant and very emotive. Chunky bass and moody horns add dimension. "Cry Africa" is chanted in the background. "The whole world feels it when the African continent cry." Rating - ****

"Jah a Guh Raid" - I love this song. Winston's anger/feelings come through like a Burning Spear! "Raid em' Jah" is chanted in the background while Winston's call for vengance "You raid em'! Someone gots to pay!" sends chills down your spine. "You raid em' Jah!" pleads Winston! Keyboards are prominant as well as chugging guitar. GREAT tune! RAting - *****

This album is a CLASSIC piece of music! The refusal to release this record in America for FOURTEEN years just proves that the powers that be fear the masses having knowledge. This album is a stirring call for the world to WAKE UP and realize they are being duped! Winston Rodney crafted one fo the greatest records ever. This is a classic piece of MUSIC that will educate, invigorate and spur debate wherever it is heard. Feed your soul. Get this album!

In 1980, Winston Rodney, better known as the "Burning Spear", turned to The Wailers bass player Aston "Family Man" Barret to produce his first EMI album. Spear was seeking a major career breakthrouh in a period of rapidly changing tastes. The Roots Reggae had reached its climax in the mid seventies and by the end of the decade it seemed to deteriorate, giving place to other external musical influence and even some incipient prototypes of dance-hall style. "But people who are interested in our music will get to hear it. I can't beg" Burning Spear told once, in an environment where disco music prevailed in regular airplay and musical charts. The album is divided between hymns to JAH Rastafari, chants of repatriation to the mother land of Africa, and accurates historic descriptions:"First gangster/first bad boy/first rude boy/Cristopher Columbus!".
Spear's outstanding 1980 album is complete from beginnimg to end, no weak side at all. I guess I can't say this from many albums made this year, including Marley's "Uprising"(who by these period was trying hard to get to black american audience)."Hail H.I.M." must be listened very carefully and open minded considering you're being part of a musical masterpiece experience where every song paves the way to the next one.Musicians included Nelson Miller on drums, Junior Marvin on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earl Lindo on keyboards, Family Man Barret on bass plus a horn section. This trascendant album can easily be considered as reggae's peak achievement, chek it out you won't regret it.

I could not believe how wonderful this CD is. I can not listen to this CD enough. If I had to only own one reggae CD (god forbid) it would be this one.

I dont know if it was because of the marley's (imminent) death or just the sign of the times - that the liberal party was over, not just in jamaica but the rest of the world i.e reagan, margaret thatcher, edward seaga, etc - but Spear went deeper and deeper than he has has ever gone and the result is this album which is the only equal to bunny wailer's 'Blackheart man" for pure righteousness i've ever listened to. this album is an unknown gem, most certainly one of the top five reggae albums made. PERIOD. if you doubt it, hell, i'll but it FOR YOU.....

This is classic old school roots reggae at its finest. For those Spear fans who are into the Marcus Garvey LP, this is right along those lines. With "Familiy Man" from the Wailers producing and on the bass, the entire package is increadible.
From the very first note you'll be itching to whip out a spliff.
Foggy Road and African Postman are my current faves from this album, with Hail HIM and Columbus right behind them.

The first of three albums Winston Rodney did for EMI and the one that springboarded him to international fame, if you were to buy only one Burning Spear album, this should be it! Be warned, however that this is some heavy, heavy roots! If you're looking for an album with nice, little reggae tunes to sing along with you will be dissapointed. But that doesn't mean this CD isn't for you. On the contrary, this is an incredable set for anyone who likes reggae music at all. And if you're looking to expand your Roots Reggae experience beyond Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, this is perfect.

I got this CD because everywhere I turned I was always reading rave reviews on it. The 30 sec intros didn't do a thing for me but I took a chance and bought it anyway thinking that if it was as good as the reviews said I would eventually appriciate it. When I first heard the whole thing all the way through, I didn't know what to think. The music, overall seemed really dry and I couldn't tell one song from another. None of the tracks seemed to have any structure at all (although "African Teacher" seemed to strike me right away). I listened to it more and more determined to be happy with what I purchased and to learn why this was such a classic but it just wasn't working. "There must be something I'm missing," I said to myself. One day I was listening to it in the car on a long drive and it was getting so oppressive I had to change it.

....I don't know at what point my opinion of this cd changed but now I think it's on of the greatest Reggae albums ever created! I listen to it all the time. One of the few albums I can listen to all the way through even. How could I ever think the things I did before? How could this be anything but great music? Why didn't I see it right away? Burning Spear is a genius! Today it seems like every time I set out to buy a new reggae CD, it ends up being another Burning Spear.

My suggestion: put on the headphones, turn it up just high enough not to hurt your ear drums, close your eyes and listen to the whole thing. No distractions, no interuptions. I don't know if others have had the same experience with this CD as I did, but if you're not impressed with it at first either, I urge you to persevere. It is a priceless treasure and belongs in your reggae collection.

This is one of the finest cd's of the burning spear, in which he achieves the perfect community between roots reggae music and rasta lyrics, being backed by the great Wailers, giving it's sound a mesmerizing and powerfull energy...One of the best cd's of reggae of all time, you'd better get it, otherwise you'll never know what you're loosing.

This is my favorite Burning Spear CD. It has an excellent mix of cultural lyrics and hypnotizing beats. There is a version of this album that contains the dub versions also, but I can't find it anywhere!!!! If you are a reggae fan you have to have this cd in your collection!!!

Burning Spear is flawless on this CD and the Wailers sound as good as they did with Bob. Hail H.I.M. and Follow Marcus Garvey are two "must-have" selections in any Reggae collection.

This CD is strong and smooth, sexy and spiritual ... I cannot recommend it enough. ... Six Stars!

I can't say enough about this album. Great, Great Roots Reggae by one of the leaders ot the genre. Mr. Rodney in prime form, every track is an instant Spear classic. Rivals any Burning Spear album I've heard, and better than a few. Winston Rodney, sir, keep roots alive, Jah Bless, One Love.