Customer Reviews

Rebel Music

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This 1986 release is a compilation of the finest songs from a man who barely wrote a bad song. As the title indicates the emphasis is on the rebellious aspect of his work but it is this work that is the inner core of why Robert Nesta Marley is great. A great CD for those new to the mans music or a great tape for the car for those who are fanatics. "Rebel music" makes for a great companion to "Legend" the much better known compilation or "best of" albums. What sets Marley apart as a poet is his abilty to take deeply personal esoteric topics and make then seem universal. No broad brush anthems to homelessness or world hunger, rather a song like "them belly full" which is personal and germaine to his own life experiences. The collection begins most appropriately with "rebel music" a song about oppressive police who single out rastas for search and siezure of their ganga. Who can argue with these words? "Why can't we be who we want to be? We want to be free!" Another favorite is one of the wailers best known songs, a live version of "Get up stand up" a song cowritten with Peter Tosh that is as much a chatisement of the christian notion of a better after life than just a call for social justice.

The record reaches it's peek with "War, no more trouble" another live cut on the record. Marley takes the words of a speech by his messiah Haile Selasse(rastafari) and broadens the message as divine prohecy for the whole world. "Crazy baldhead" is well, crazy.

All the cuts run together in a seamless hard driving jolt of energy. This is Bob Marley at his baddest and why i rate the recording a strong buy!........cool runnings......socks

If LEGEND is the must-have anthology of Bob Marley's most commercial and accessible works, REBEL MUSIC is the must-have anthology of his non-commercial, less-known compositions. More than just an entertainer, Marley was a social critic and activist of the first order, as REBEL MUSIC teaches us. A diamond-bit drill that pierced with finesse and a hammer that struck massive and harsh blows against the empire, Marley's art is a singular creation that speaks to the spirit in each of us.

I agree with the concept of a Marley cd with his more political tracks on it. It is a great way to focus in on one of Marley's overlooked facets of his songwriting.

While former Wailer Peter Tosh certainly was the better of the 2 in terms of topical songwriting, Marley's songs were no slouches, either, as the powerful "Slave Driver," perhaps Marley's greatest political song, shows. Marley's quiet demeanor in these tunes differs greatly from Tosh's over-the-top approach; still, Bob's songs are very effective in their own way.

A nice collection for the fan of topical songwriting.

Why am I recommending this album, amid all of Robert Nest Marley's other great albums? Because Rebel Music is such a powerful and consistent collection, interconnecting a strong set of some of Bob's heaviest hitting, non-mainstreamed songs.

The mood and meaning of each song transitions beautifully into the next one, beginning in descriptive-of-life songs, deepening into reflection, and culminating in the messianic call-to-action of "Ride Natty Ride", "Chase the Baldheads" and "Getup Standup".

Also, the song "roots" I haven't seen on other albums (its one of my all-time favorites).

Bob is the best