"This is not "Bob Marley and the Wailers." That's an anachronism. Bob Marley and the Wailers didn't come into existence until after the breakup of the original Wailers. This is the masterpiece of that original band. Marley's solo work was brilliant, of course, but it's a different kettle of fish from what you get here. Here you get the vocal and spiritual harmonies of three great musicians -- Marley, Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. The songs, many of them recorded years earlier without the sound quality they deserved, are beautiful, soulful, spiritual, and righteous (I can't deal with Scratch Perry's brilliant but rather low-fi productions of the time, so the pre-Island stuff is out for me.) If you get this, and also the deluxe issue of "Catch a Fire" with the original Jamaican mixes (sans Chris Blackwell's cheesy overdubs -- you should hear how pure and amazing "Stir It Up" is without that d*mn synth), you've got all the Wailers you need, and two amazing documents from the fountainhead of reggae."
His most brilliant
sbrooks76 | Newark, De United States | 03/13/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is his ultimate work. Brilliantly orchestrated and emotionally evocative, Marley created a timeless work that appeals aesthetically and philosophically. Marley calls the listener to participate from the first song, begging us to move both to the music and to the message. There is a rawness to this album that harkens back to earlier Marley and appears in the sound of Hallelujah Time.
Tracks 4,5,6,7,8 are the most powerful in the Marley cannon. Kaya is maybe the only album that juxtaposes such brilliance. The cool and reserved genius shows that Marley can move both subtly and peacefully. Small axe warns of the toppling of the power structure, but does it so harmoniously and beautifully that it exudes a wonderful irony.
This album is the "cornerstone" of any Marley collection or music collection for that matter. It is almost impossible to fathom the immense genius that Marley had, but it is slowly apprehended and revelaed by listening to this album over and over, and then some more."
Wailers when they were just a band...
Michael K. Moore | San Diego, CA USA | 01/11/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Don't get me wrong, I love Bob Marley. But outside of Jamaica, it seems like all anyone knows of reggae is Bob Marley. With "Burnin'" we get The Wailers, with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer comprising the band. I always prefer bands to solo acts, and though Bob kept the Wailers name alive after he split with Tosh and Bunny, it was really just Bob and a backing group. With the Wailers, you get different voices (literally and figuratively) and different perspectives. And I always preferred male backing vocals for reggae (as opposed to Bob's later use of female vocals).
But as for the album -- the songs are great. "Put It On," "Small Axe," "Duppy Conqueror" and "Rastaman Chant" are all favorites of mine, and for those who like the bigger hits, you'll find "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Get Up Stand Up" on there as well. The album is simply a classic, and anyone who claims to like reggae needs this CD in their collection (and should probably branch out from the Marley tree and check out other reggae acts like Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, Desmond Dekker, et al.). If you don't have this one, buy it!"
Good, but not the best.
MamboCha. | Cherry Hill, N.J. US | 10/18/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"They say 2nd albums usually fall short, and Burnin' is no exception to that. Yes, it has merit, songs like Get Up-Stand Up, I Shot the Sheriff, and Burnin' and Lootin' definitely stand out as Wailer classics and the album sure has that warm original Wailer's sound (good mastering), but besides these songs the rest of the repertory is so so. At the end, the album as a whole did not surpass their debut album Catch A Fire nor did it surpass many of Bob's records after it.
The forte of the first album was the variety of emotional melodies and its accentuated instrumentality (as far as root-reggae for 1973). In this one, the recurrence to rhythmic formulas starts to become present, the sound was more simplistic. In reality, Bob Marley and the Wailers never again did an album with such caliber as Catch A Fire. But for me successive albums like Exodus, Kaya, and surely Babylon By Bus are definitely before this one."
Remastered to Perfection
Mark A. Kintzley | Phoenix, AZ | 01/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Every song here is beautiful. This is proof that you can do a lot with very little. The talent of Bob, Bunny, Peter and the band is just astonishing and the sounds they produce are simply the best.I love to hear Bunny front the mic on a few songs here. Each of the performers are so solid even on their own. No wonder they were such a powerful force for reggae. When you corner the market on talent you can't lose. I am sure you will love this entire cd. Not one bad song.Peace and Love to ya"