Burnin' (Bob Marley and the Wailers album)

Last updated

Burnin'
TheWailersBurnin'.JPG
Studio album by
Released19 October 1973
RecordedSpring 1973
Studio
Genre Reggae
Length38:28
Label
Producer
The Wailers chronology
African Herbsman
(1973)
Burnin'
(1973)
Rasta Revolution
(1974)
Singles from Burnin'
  1. "I Shot the Sheriff"
    Released: 12 February 1973
  2. "Get Up, Stand Up"
    Released: 14 September 1973
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide A [2]
Select U+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A1.svg [3]

Burnin' is the sixth album by Jamaican reggae group the Wailers (also known as Bob Marley and the Wailers), released in October 1973. It was written by all three members and recorded and produced by the Wailers in Jamaica, contemporaneously with tracks from the Catch a Fire album with further recording, mixing and completion while on the Catch a Fire tour in London. It contains the song "I Shot the Sheriff". It was the last album before Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer decided to pursue solo careers, while continuing their local releases through their company Tuff Gong Records. A commercial and critical success in the United States, Burnin' was certified Gold and later added to the National Recording Registry, with the Library of Congress deeming it historically and culturally significant.

Contents

Recording

The album was recorded at Harry J's studio in Kingston, Jamaica, with the Wailers producing. [4] It was mixed and overdubbed by Chris Blackwell at Island Records' Basing Street studios in London during the spring of 1973 while the band were touring in support of their previous album, Catch a Fire . [4]

Music and lyrics

Burnin' opens with one of The Wailers' best known songs,[ citation needed ] the call to action "Get Up, Stand Up" and includes a more confrontational and militant tone than previous records,[ citation needed ] such as in another Wailers standard turned into a number one hit by Eric Clapton, "I Shot the Sheriff". The songs "Duppy Conqueror", "Small Axe", and "Put It On" are re-recordings of songs previously released on their co productions with Lee Perry’s Upsetters Label.[ citation needed ]

Critical reception

The Wailers' gold record award for Burnin' in Nine Mile, Jamaica Burnin-The-Wailers-Gold.JPG
The Wailers' gold record award for Burnin' in Nine Mile, Jamaica

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "This is as perplexing as it is jubilant—sometimes gripping, sometimes slippery. It's reggae, obviously, but it's not mainstream reggae, certainly not rock or soul, maybe some kind of futuristic slow funk, War without the pseudo-jazz. What's inescapable is The Wailers’ ferocious gift for melodic propaganda. It's one thing to come up with four consecutive title hooks, another to make the titles 'Get Up Stand Up,' 'Hallelujah Time,' 'I Shot the Sheriff,' 'Burnin' and Lootin'.'" [2]

In 2003, the album was ranked number 319 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [5] The album maintained the same position in a 2012 update of the list. [6]

In 2007 the album was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical and cultural significance. [7]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Get Up, Stand Up"Bob Marley, Peter Tosh 3:15
2."Hallelujah Time"Jean Watt3:27
3."I Shot the Sheriff"Marley4:39
4."Burnin' and Lootin'"Marley4:11
5."Put It On"Marley3:58
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Small Axe"Marley4:00
2."Pass It On"Jean Watt3:32
3."Duppy Conqueror"Marley3:44
4."One Foundation"Tosh3:44
5."Rasta Man Chant"Traditional; arranged by Marley, Tosh, Livingston 3:43

The Definitive Remastered edition (2001)

Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Reincarnated Souls" (b-side of "Concrete Jungle")Jean Watt4:01
12."No Sympathy" (previously unreleased)Tosh3:08
13."The Oppressed Song" (previously unreleased)Livingston3:16

Text from 12 June 2001 Tuff Gong cat# 314 548 894-2 CD liner notes: [8]

Deluxe edition (2004)

Disc one: Burnin' remastered (bonus tracks)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Get Up, Stand Up" (unreleased alternate take)Marley, Tosh3:42
15."Get Up, Stand Up" (unreleased single version)Marley, Tosh3:11
Disc two: Live at Leeds, 23 November 1973
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Duppy Conqueror"Marley6:03
2."Slave Driver"Marley4:59
3."Burnin' and Lootin'"Marley8:29
4."Can't Blame the Youth"Tosh5:08
5."Stop That Train"Tosh3:57
6."Midnight Ravers"Marley6:29
7."No More Trouble"Marley6:59
8."Kinky Reggae"Marley5:56
9."Get Up, Stand Up"Marley, Tosh6:15
10."Stir It Up"Marley7:25
11."Put It On"Marley4:29
12."Lively Up Yourself"Marley13:35

Personnel

Musicians

Additional musician and production staff

Artwork

Charts

Chart performance for Burnin'
Chart (1975)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [10] 151
US Black Albums [10] 41

Related Research Articles

<i>Natty Dread</i> 1974 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Natty Dread is the seventh album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1974. Previously Marley had recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer as the Wailers, and this was his first record without them.

<i>Exodus</i> (Bob Marley and the Wailers album) 1977 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Exodus is the ninth studio album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers, first released in June 1977 through Island Records, following Rastaman Vibration (1976). The album's production has been characterized as laid-back with pulsating bass beats and an emphasis on piano, trumpet and guitar. Unlike previous albums from the band, Exodus thematically moves away from cryptic story-telling; instead it revolves around themes of change, religious politics, and sexuality. The album is split into two halves: the first half revolves around religious politics, while the second half is focused on themes of making love and keeping faith.

<i>Legalize It</i> 1976 studio album by Peter Tosh

Legalize It is the debut studio album by Jamaican singer-songwriter and former Wailer Peter Tosh, released in June 1976. It was recorded at Treasure Isle and Randy's, Kingston.

<i>Catch a Fire</i> 1973 studio album by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Catch a Fire is the fifth studio album by the reggae band The Wailers, released in April 1973. It was their first album released by Island Records. After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, they had started laying down tracks for JAD Records when a disputed CBS contract with Danny Sims created tensions. The band did not have enough money to return to Jamaica, so their road manager Brent Clarke approached producer Chris Blackwell, who agreed to advance The Wailers money for an album. They instead used this money to pay their fares back home, where they completed the recordings that constitute Catch a Fire. The album has nine songs, two of which were written and composed by Peter Tosh; the remaining seven were by Bob Marley. While Bunny Wailer is not credited as a writer, the group's writing style was a collective process. For the immediate follow-up album, Burnin', also released in 1973, he contributed four songs. After Marley returned with the tapes to London, Blackwell reworked the tracks at Island Studios, with contributions by Muscle Shoals session musician Wayne Perkins, who played guitar on three overdubbed tracks. The album had a limited original release under the name The Wailers in a sleeve depicting a Zippo lighter, designed by graphic artists Rod Dyer and Bob Weiner; subsequent releases had an alternative cover designed by John Bonis, featuring an Esther Anderson portrait of Marley smoking a "spliff", and crediting the band as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

<i>Rastaman Vibration</i> 1976 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Rastaman Vibration is the eighth studio album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in April 1976.

<i>Kaya</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Kaya is the tenth studio album by the Jamaican band Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1978. The album consists of tracks recorded alongside those released on the Exodus album. It was produced by the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Marley and the Wailers</span> Jamaican reggae band

Bob Marley and the Wailers were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Marley</span> Jamaican singer-songwriter and entrepreneur (born 1946)

Alfarita Constantia "Rita" Marley is a Cuban-born Jamaican singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. She is the widow of reggae legend Bob Marley. Along with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, Rita was a member of the reggae vocal group the I Threes, the backing vocalists for Bob Marley and the Wailers.

<i>Equal Rights</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Peter Tosh

Equal Rights is the second studio album by Peter Tosh. It was released in 1977 on Columbia Records.

<i>Soul Rebels</i> 1970 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Soul Rebels is the second studio album by the Wailers, their first album to be released outside Jamaica. The Wailers approached producer Lee "Scratch" Perry in August 1970 to record an entire album, and the sessions took place at Randy's recording studio above Randy's Record Mart at 17 North Parade in Kingston, Jamaica, until November. First issued in the UK by Trojan Records in December 1970, the album has since been re-released several times on several different labels. Perry's production is sparse and haunting, only featuring guitar, bass, drums, electronic organs, and vocals with no horns or other embellishments.

<i>Talkin Blues</i> 1991 live album by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Talkin' Blues is a live album by Bob Marley & The Wailers, released in 1991. It contains live studio recordings from 1973 and 1975 intercut with interview segments of Bob Marley. The majority of tracks are taken from the recordings Bob Marley & The Wailers did on 31 October 1973, at The Record Plant in Sausalito, California, for San Francisco radio station KSAN. They include "You Can't Blame the Youth", sung by Peter Tosh, and "Get Up, Stand Up" with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh alternatingly taking lead vocals. The remaining tracks are taken from recordings made before the release of 1974's Natty Dread album, a performance at The Lyceum Theatre in London and interview segments from Jamaican radio in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Marley and the Wailers discography</span>

Most of Bob Marley's early music was recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who together with Marley were the most prominent members of the Wailers. In 1972, the Wailers had their first hit outside Jamaica when Johnny Nash covered their song "Stir It Up", which became a UK hit. The 1973 album Catch a Fire was released worldwide, and sold well. It was followed by Burnin', which included the song "I Shot the Sheriff". Eric Clapton's cover of the song became a hit in 1974.

<i>Blackheart Man</i> 1976 studio album by Bunny Wailer

Blackheart Man is the debut album by Bunny Wailer, originally released on 8 September 1976, in Jamaica on Solomonic Records and internationally on Island Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Marley</span> Jamaican reggae musician (1945–1981)

Robert Nesta Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of the genre, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady in his music and was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. Marley's contribution to music increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and made him a global figure in popular culture. Over the course of his career, Marley became known as a Rastafarian icon, and he infused his music with a sense of spirituality. Marley is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture and identity and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms. Marley also supported the legalisation of cannabis and advocated for Pan-Africanism. In 1976, Marley survived an assassination attempt in his home, which was believed to be politically motivated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Kinsey</span> American guitarist and singer (1953–2024)

Donald Kinsey was an American guitarist and singer, best known as a member of the Word Sound and Power Band, the reggae backing group for Peter Tosh.

<i>Bob, Peter, Bunny & Rita</i> 1985 compilation album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Bob, Peter, Bunny & Rita is a roots reggae album by Bob Marley & the Wailers, released posthumously in 1985, four years after Marley's death. All tracks were previously unreleased recordings by Jad Records Co., Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunny Wailer</span> Jamaican musician (1947–2021)

Neville O'Riley Livingston, known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he is considered one of the longtime standard-bearers of reggae music. He was also known as Jah B, Bunny O'Riley, and Bunny Livingston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Tosh</span> Jamaican reggae musician (1944–1987)

Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM, professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963–1976), after which he established himself as a successful solo artist and a promoter of Rastafari. He was murdered in 1987 during a home invasion.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Bob Marley:

<i>Easy Skanking in Boston 78</i> 2015 live album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Easy Skanking in Boston '78 is the fifth live album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers. It was released on February 3, 2015, by Island Records and Tuff Gong. It was recorded at the Boston Music Hall on June 8, 1978, as part of the band's Kaya Tour in support of their 10th studio album, Kaya.

References

  1. Ruhlmann, William. "Bob Marley / The Wailers – Burnin'". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  3. Cook, Richard (September 1990). "Return of the Saint". Select . No. 3. p. 101.
  4. 1 2 Steffens, Roger (2006). ""Burnin'"—The Wailers (1973)" (PDF). Library of Congress. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2014.
  5. "319 – The Wailers, 'Burnin'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  6. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . 31 May 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  7. "Recordings by Historical Figures and Musical Legends Added To the 2006 National Recording Registry". Library of Congress. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  8. "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Burnin' (CD, Album)". Discogs . Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  9. 1 2 Buskin, Richard. "Classic Tracks: Bob Marley & The Wailers 'I Shot the Sheriff'". SoundOnSound. Sound On Sound. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Burnin' – Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 May 2014.