In 1975, on a rising tide of militant political consciousness and the ascendancy of Rastafari, Winston Rodney--the Burning Spear--transcended cult status to achieve international fame via Marcus Garvey. The album pays tribute to the messianic black leader and still sounds like nothing you've ever heard. Produced by sound-man Jack Ruby, the horn-driven, muscular music (give thanks for the rhythm section of Robbie Shakespeare, "Family Man" Barrett and "Horsemouth" Wallace) underpins Spear's heaven-bound voice and the harmonies of Rupert Willington and Delroy Hines. "Do you remember the days of slavery?" "Give me what is mine", wails the Spear, and it is his voice, which swells with pain and release that has guaranteed Marcus Garvey classic status. This disc's dubwise bonus, Garvey's Ghost , is more instrumental than dub but gives a further taste of a unique sound that side-stepped Kingston's rockers revolution. --Paul BradshawThis was where it all started for Burning Spear, in those days a vocal trio of Winston Rodney, Delroy Hines, and Rupert Milligton. And what a bomb to drop for a debut! It was heavier, and more militant, than anything that had ever been heard in reggae before, taking elements of the music and combining them in a new way. A concept album of sorts, it helped raise awareness of the black leader while still keeping a strong Rasta vibe to the sound, hypnotic and dread. Time has shown it to be one of the classic albums of reggae, charged and powerful. Chris Nickson

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.




Winston Rodney in sparkling form - an essential purchase, 29 Jan 2006
Burning Spear and his team got together to try and recapture some of the magic the man had performed on some of his 70s classics, like 'Social Living' and 'Hail H.I.M.', which remain some of the finest spiritual music EVER put down on vinyl.
And yes, they succeeded. This is a MAJOR return to classic form. Now, don't get me wrong, the Spear has never issued second rate material, and all his albums are worth consideration, but 'Our Music' deserves its Grammy for the wonderfully warm, organic, feel of the music, and the sheer pleasure and good groovedness it imparts to the listener.
Friends, I haven't heard music this good for very many years. Don't mess with MP3s - get this in the best audio quality you can - its WELL worth it. I'd love to get it on vinyl, myself.

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.




Winston Rodney in sparkling form - an essential purchase, 29 Jan 2006
Burning Spear and his team got together to try and recapture some of the magic the man had performed on some of his 70s classics, like 'Social Living' and 'Hail H.I.M.', which remain some of the finest spiritual music EVER put down on vinyl.
And yes, they succeeded. This is a MAJOR return to classic form. Now, don't get me wrong, the Spear has never issued second rate material, and all his albums are worth consideration, but 'Our Music' deserves its Grammy for the wonderfully warm, organic, feel of the music, and the sheer pleasure and good groovedness it imparts to the listener.
Friends, I haven't heard music this good for very many years. Don't mess with MP3s - get this in the best audio quality you can - its WELL worth it. I'd love to get it on vinyl, myself.

Great Album, 06 Feb 2007
This is basically a hits package of some of their earlier Island days and some would say more productive time.

This band or Winston Rodney have seen off the majority of the competition and are still making music some 30 years later.

This is a great album drawing from Marcus Garvey and Man in The Hills, Dry and Heavy.

Not a bad track on the album a no brainer for under a fiver

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.




Winston Rodney in sparkling form - an essential purchase, 29 Jan 2006
Burning Spear and his team got together to try and recapture some of the magic the man had performed on some of his 70s classics, like 'Social Living' and 'Hail H.I.M.', which remain some of the finest spiritual music EVER put down on vinyl.
And yes, they succeeded. This is a MAJOR return to classic form. Now, don't get me wrong, the Spear has never issued second rate material, and all his albums are worth consideration, but 'Our Music' deserves its Grammy for the wonderfully warm, organic, feel of the music, and the sheer pleasure and good groovedness it imparts to the listener.
Friends, I haven't heard music this good for very many years. Don't mess with MP3s - get this in the best audio quality you can - its WELL worth it. I'd love to get it on vinyl, myself.

Great Album, 06 Feb 2007
This is basically a hits package of some of their earlier Island days and some would say more productive time.

This band or Winston Rodney have seen off the majority of the competition and are still making music some 30 years later.

This is a great album drawing from Marcus Garvey and Man in The Hills, Dry and Heavy.

Not a bad track on the album a no brainer for under a fiver

pure pleasure, 05 Jun 2006
I'm not the best person to write interesting, factually correct and animated reviews but I do know good music when I hear it. If you are a fan of smooth, soulful, heartfelt reggae then this is a must for you. Great tunes, inspiring lyrics and thumping rhythms - you don't get much better than this.

If you like reggae and have not ventured much further than Bob Marley then try some Burning Spear. Albums such as: "Social Living", "Farover", "100th Anniversary: Marcus Garvey + Garvey's Ghost " and "Hail H.I.M." are some of his best works.

I've just ordered more burning spear for my collection and wanted to spread the word on this living legend.

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.




Winston Rodney in sparkling form - an essential purchase, 29 Jan 2006
Burning Spear and his team got together to try and recapture some of the magic the man had performed on some of his 70s classics, like 'Social Living' and 'Hail H.I.M.', which remain some of the finest spiritual music EVER put down on vinyl.
And yes, they succeeded. This is a MAJOR return to classic form. Now, don't get me wrong, the Spear has never issued second rate material, and all his albums are worth consideration, but 'Our Music' deserves its Grammy for the wonderfully warm, organic, feel of the music, and the sheer pleasure and good groovedness it imparts to the listener.
Friends, I haven't heard music this good for very many years. Don't mess with MP3s - get this in the best audio quality you can - its WELL worth it. I'd love to get it on vinyl, myself.

Great Album, 06 Feb 2007
This is basically a hits package of some of their earlier Island days and some would say more productive time.

This band or Winston Rodney have seen off the majority of the competition and are still making music some 30 years later.

This is a great album drawing from Marcus Garvey and Man in The Hills, Dry and Heavy.

Not a bad track on the album a no brainer for under a fiver

pure pleasure, 05 Jun 2006
I'm not the best person to write interesting, factually correct and animated reviews but I do know good music when I hear it. If you are a fan of smooth, soulful, heartfelt reggae then this is a must for you. Great tunes, inspiring lyrics and thumping rhythms - you don't get much better than this.

If you like reggae and have not ventured much further than Bob Marley then try some Burning Spear. Albums such as: "Social Living", "Farover", "100th Anniversary: Marcus Garvey + Garvey's Ghost " and "Hail H.I.M." are some of his best works.

I've just ordered more burning spear for my collection and wanted to spread the word on this living legend.


A curious pairing, 28 Sep 2007
While these two LPs were originally released by Island one year apart in 1976 and 1977, they don't really fit together as a double; "Man In the Hills" featured original songs apart from a rather weak cover of "Door Peeper". On the other hand, "Dry and Heavy" consisted almost entirely of covers of his Studio One songs, all given new titles, with "Throw Down Your Arms" as the only new song.

Thus, listeners who know and love his early Coxsone recordings are likely to be disappointed by the later tracks, while those coming to his music without much knowledge of his history might well prefer the "Dry and Heavy" tracks. While the playing is dense and layered, and while Winston Rodney is in good voice throughout, few of the remakes really add much (apart from more modern recording techniques) to the original recordings backed byn the Soul Defenders five years earlier. One for the dabbler rather than the dedicated fan, and I speak as someoone who has admired Burning Spear for well over thirty years

Heaven!, 28 Jun 2007
Boy oh boy! Two of Burning Spear's great albums on one CD, with remastered sound.This is an American reissue, and the sound is heavenly! I also got the 'Social Living' re-issue as well, and I gather they (along with Marcus Garvey) were all reissued together in US two years ago. Great sleeve notes and pictures too!

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.




Winston Rodney in sparkling form - an essential purchase, 29 Jan 2006
Burning Spear and his team got together to try and recapture some of the magic the man had performed on some of his 70s classics, like 'Social Living' and 'Hail H.I.M.', which remain some of the finest spiritual music EVER put down on vinyl.
And yes, they succeeded. This is a MAJOR return to classic form. Now, don't get me wrong, the Spear has never issued second rate material, and all his albums are worth consideration, but 'Our Music' deserves its Grammy for the wonderfully warm, organic, feel of the music, and the sheer pleasure and good groovedness it imparts to the listener.
Friends, I haven't heard music this good for very many years. Don't mess with MP3s - get this in the best audio quality you can - its WELL worth it. I'd love to get it on vinyl, myself.

Great Album, 06 Feb 2007
This is basically a hits package of some of their earlier Island days and some would say more productive time.

This band or Winston Rodney have seen off the majority of the competition and are still making music some 30 years later.

This is a great album drawing from Marcus Garvey and Man in The Hills, Dry and Heavy.

Not a bad track on the album a no brainer for under a fiver

pure pleasure, 05 Jun 2006
I'm not the best person to write interesting, factually correct and animated reviews but I do know good music when I hear it. If you are a fan of smooth, soulful, heartfelt reggae then this is a must for you. Great tunes, inspiring lyrics and thumping rhythms - you don't get much better than this.

If you like reggae and have not ventured much further than Bob Marley then try some Burning Spear. Albums such as: "Social Living", "Farover", "100th Anniversary: Marcus Garvey + Garvey's Ghost " and "Hail H.I.M." are some of his best works.

I've just ordered more burning spear for my collection and wanted to spread the word on this living legend.


A curious pairing, 28 Sep 2007
While these two LPs were originally released by Island one year apart in 1976 and 1977, they don't really fit together as a double; "Man In the Hills" featured original songs apart from a rather weak cover of "Door Peeper". On the other hand, "Dry and Heavy" consisted almost entirely of covers of his Studio One songs, all given new titles, with "Throw Down Your Arms" as the only new song.

Thus, listeners who know and love his early Coxsone recordings are likely to be disappointed by the later tracks, while those coming to his music without much knowledge of his history might well prefer the "Dry and Heavy" tracks. While the playing is dense and layered, and while Winston Rodney is in good voice throughout, few of the remakes really add much (apart from more modern recording techniques) to the original recordings backed byn the Soul Defenders five years earlier. One for the dabbler rather than the dedicated fan, and I speak as someoone who has admired Burning Spear for well over thirty years

Heaven!, 28 Jun 2007
Boy oh boy! Two of Burning Spear's great albums on one CD, with remastered sound.This is an American reissue, and the sound is heavenly! I also got the 'Social Living' re-issue as well, and I gather they (along with Marcus Garvey) were all reissued together in US two years ago. Great sleeve notes and pictures too!

Spear at the top of his game, 02 Apr 2004
This is a terrific selection from a golden period of Burning Spear albums in the early 1980s - Hail HIM, Farover and the Fittest of the Fittest. If you don't feel ready to buy all three records, here is an excellent summary of a time when Spear was on the top of his game, whether on 'lighter songs' like Firecoal Man or the driving Rasta epics like Follow Marcus Garvey.

But, as ever with compilations (even one as full as this) there are some great things missing - like Old Boy Garvey and Jah is My Driver. The only other reason I can think of for not getting this CD is that you might blow your speakers if you have the volume on too loud.

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.




Winston Rodney in sparkling form - an essential purchase, 29 Jan 2006
Burning Spear and his team got together to try and recapture some of the magic the man had performed on some of his 70s classics, like 'Social Living' and 'Hail H.I.M.', which remain some of the finest spiritual music EVER put down on vinyl.
And yes, they succeeded. This is a MAJOR return to classic form. Now, don't get me wrong, the Spear has never issued second rate material, and all his albums are worth consideration, but 'Our Music' deserves its Grammy for the wonderfully warm, organic, feel of the music, and the sheer pleasure and good groovedness it imparts to the listener.
Friends, I haven't heard music this good for very many years. Don't mess with MP3s - get this in the best audio quality you can - its WELL worth it. I'd love to get it on vinyl, myself.

Great Album, 06 Feb 2007
This is basically a hits package of some of their earlier Island days and some would say more productive time.

This band or Winston Rodney have seen off the majority of the competition and are still making music some 30 years later.

This is a great album drawing from Marcus Garvey and Man in The Hills, Dry and Heavy.

Not a bad track on the album a no brainer for under a fiver

pure pleasure, 05 Jun 2006
I'm not the best person to write interesting, factually correct and animated reviews but I do know good music when I hear it. If you are a fan of smooth, soulful, heartfelt reggae then this is a must for you. Great tunes, inspiring lyrics and thumping rhythms - you don't get much better than this.

If you like reggae and have not ventured much further than Bob Marley then try some Burning Spear. Albums such as: "Social Living", "Farover", "100th Anniversary: Marcus Garvey + Garvey's Ghost " and "Hail H.I.M." are some of his best works.

I've just ordered more burning spear for my collection and wanted to spread the word on this living legend.


A curious pairing, 28 Sep 2007
While these two LPs were originally released by Island one year apart in 1976 and 1977, they don't really fit together as a double; "Man In the Hills" featured original songs apart from a rather weak cover of "Door Peeper". On the other hand, "Dry and Heavy" consisted almost entirely of covers of his Studio One songs, all given new titles, with "Throw Down Your Arms" as the only new song.

Thus, listeners who know and love his early Coxsone recordings are likely to be disappointed by the later tracks, while those coming to his music without much knowledge of his history might well prefer the "Dry and Heavy" tracks. While the playing is dense and layered, and while Winston Rodney is in good voice throughout, few of the remakes really add much (apart from more modern recording techniques) to the original recordings backed byn the Soul Defenders five years earlier. One for the dabbler rather than the dedicated fan, and I speak as someoone who has admired Burning Spear for well over thirty years

Heaven!, 28 Jun 2007
Boy oh boy! Two of Burning Spear's great albums on one CD, with remastered sound.This is an American reissue, and the sound is heavenly! I also got the 'Social Living' re-issue as well, and I gather they (along with Marcus Garvey) were all reissued together in US two years ago. Great sleeve notes and pictures too!

Spear at the top of his game, 02 Apr 2004
This is a terrific selection from a golden period of Burning Spear albums in the early 1980s - Hail HIM, Farover and the Fittest of the Fittest. If you don't feel ready to buy all three records, here is an excellent summary of a time when Spear was on the top of his game, whether on 'lighter songs' like Firecoal Man or the driving Rasta epics like Follow Marcus Garvey.

But, as ever with compilations (even one as full as this) there are some great things missing - like Old Boy Garvey and Jah is My Driver. The only other reason I can think of for not getting this CD is that you might blow your speakers if you have the volume on too loud.

2nd Only To Bob Marley In My List Of All Time Reggae Greats, 21 Aug 2003
"Chant Down Babylon" is the biggest and best Winston Rodney, AKA Burning Spear, collection ever which charts all of his finest work under the famous Island record label. Spear is a serious artist who's music is deep and soulfull, which this collection shows.
It has to be said though that to me the 1st CD here is streets ahead of the second. Although the second would be classed as an extremely good Reggae album, Burning Spears pre-1980 recordings on the first disc are what makes him a reggae legend. Songs such as "Marcus Garvey", "Black Soul", "Black Wa-da-da" and "Door Peep" define Spear's unique style of roots reggae. "The Sun" also shines due to it's poppier melody while the disc finishes brilliantly with two great live songs.
As the songs on the second disc go deeper into the 1980's and 90's the sound changes. Although there are still great songs like "My Roots", the sound does not seem to carry Burning Spears messages quite as intensely and eerily as the first disc.
In writing that, "Hail H.I.M" (an album not recorded on Island so none of it's songs feature on "Chant Down Babylon") and this fantastic 2 disc set are all you need if you don't want to buy every single Spear album. In my opinion there are by far more than enough great songs on this to make it worthy of 5 stars and everyone must hear the unique sound of Winston Rodney.

Genius, 05 Sep 2008
Probably the best album I own of any genre! It's actually two albums: Marcus Garvey, and Garvey's Ghost, which is a dub remix of Marcus Garvey. It's so good, I can't really think of anything else to say: words don't do it justice!

reggae on the slide, 06 Aug 2008
it was around this time, the mid 70's, that reggae moved away from being the accesible, joyful music that could appeal to everyone, into the darker, more politicised platform for artists like burning spear. for lillywhite listeners like me, i couldnt relate at all to the black stuggle lyrics being sung with excessively heavy jamaican accents. i still dug the music, but the lyrics and whole vibe just left me cold.

most of this album is chock full of somewhat clumsy political messages lamenting the fate of the black man. ok, fine. but give me ken booth, bob marley or desmond dekker anyday. at least when they approached sensitive subjects they did it without too much of a large chip on their shoulder, unlike burning spear, who might as well have come out with a song called 'burn in hell white devils' i mean, tell it like it is man.

musically the album is pretty sweet. nice basslines and sax. but the patois and lyrical stance isloates me from it. thankfully toward the end of the 70's we moved into the era of lovers rock which gave a nice respite from the oppresive feel of albums like this, but then of course it all went into its death throes with the advent of 'ragga' and the likes of shaggy

its a shame cos for a while there reggae was a real nice musical style that produced some wonderful songs, especially between 69-74 - with the advent of this sort of approach within the music however, it just polarized itself

Catch them Garvey, 27 Apr 2008
What a blissful recording, so pastoral and evocative. The first 20 seconds of Jordan River is just the most sublime reggae arrangement imaginable and I never tire of hearing it.

Still a masterpiece, 20 Sep 2007
Winston Rodney had "enjoyed" two years of limited success at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, beforetaking a long sabbatical from the music business. When he returned, it was on Jack Ruby's Fox label with the single "Resting Place" (not on the Jamaican pressing of the album in 1975), followed by this album, which remains, in my view, one of the top five or six LPs ever released in Jamaica. the lyrical themes (restoration of the reputation of Marcus Garvey, calls to Jamaicans never forget their slave history) are well-known, and the musicianship was uniformly excellent, as is borne out by the dub set. Unusually for its time, the album consisted entirely of new songs, on purpose-made rhythms. How times change.

Timeless Classic, 21 Jul 2007
In my humble opinion, this is a better album than any by Bob Marley. Although Marley had some excellent tunes, I never thought he stretched it over a whole album.
Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost is superb throughout. There is no filler on here.
Rodney's voice is plaintive, rousing, many other things that I can't put into words. If you don't feel anything listening to 'Slavery Days' then you're either deaf, or dead.
This is essential roots, especially at the price.
It's interesting to note that the dub version, Garvey's Ghost, was significantly 'lightened' as it was thought, by the record company gimps, not to appeal to European or American listeners.
I'd love to hear the album as it was originally intended.
If you're only going to have a handful of reggae albums in your collection, make sure this is one of them.


Simply Brilliant, 15 Apr 2005
This collection of early Burning Spear tracks produced at the legendary studio one studios is simply the best compilation cd ever made. Not the most commercial reggae but if you only have one ounce of soul in you, you will not fail to love this. In the sleeve it states "If you are listening to this for the first time I envy you". A truer word was never written. This cd is simply brilliant, it makes you smile, it makes you feel, it makes you dream. What a Gem!!! A must for everyone even if your not a massive reggae fan. If you are and haven't got this I ask why? Buy it now!!!!

Spear's greatest album, 14 Apr 2006
To these ears without a shadow of a doubt Burning Spear's best album - the original vinyl is supplemented by two bonus tracks including the 12" cut of the title track. Spear's vocals at their most impassioned and committed. The music is possibly the most imaginative to be found on a reggae album - there is a deep, multilayered quality to the backings that make it sound like dub and funk. Lots of horns and keyboards give the album a really full sound - compare this to what to my mind are the somewhat thin backing tracks on the Marcus Garvey album.
This is the kind of album which would get an honorary 6 star review such is the quality on every level.




Winston Rodney in sparkling form - an essential purchase, 29 Jan 2006
Burning Spear and his team got together to try and recapture some of the magic the man had performed on some of his 70s classics, like 'Social Living' and 'Hail H.I.M.', which remain some of the finest spiritual music EVER put down on vinyl.
And yes, they succeeded. This is a MAJOR return to classic form. Now, don't get me wrong, the Spear has never issued second rate material, and all his albums are worth consideration, but 'Our Music' deserves its Grammy for the wonderfully warm, organic, feel of the music, and the sheer pleasure and good groovedness it imparts to the listener.
Friends, I haven't heard music this good for very many years. Don't mess with MP3s - get this in the best audio quality you can - its WELL worth it. I'd love to get it on vinyl, myself.

Great Album, 06 Feb 2007
This is basically a hits package of some of their earlier Island days and some would say more productive time.

This band or Winston Rodney have seen off the majority of the competition and are still making music some 30 years later.

This is a great album drawing from Marcus Garvey and Man in The Hills, Dry and Heavy.

Not a bad track on the album a no brainer for under a fiver

pure pleasure, 05 Jun 2006
I'm not the best person to write interesting, factually correct and animated reviews but I do know good music when I hear it. If you are a fan of smooth, soulful, heartfelt reggae then this is a must for you. Great tunes, inspiring lyrics and thumping rhythms - you don't get much better than this.

If you like reggae and have not ventured much further than Bob Marley then try some Burning Spear. Albums such as: "Social Living", "Farover", "100th Anniversary: Marcus Garvey + Garvey's Ghost " and "Hail H.I.M." are some of his best works.

I've just ordered more burning spear for my collection and wanted to spread the word on this living legend.


A curious pairing, 28 Sep 2007
While these two LPs were originally released by Island one year apart in 1976 and 1977, they don't really fit together as a double; "Man In the Hills" featured original songs apart from a rather weak cover of "Door Peeper". On the other hand, "Dry and Heavy" consisted almost entirely of covers of his Studio One songs, all given new titles, with "Throw Down Your Arms" as the only new song.

Thus, listeners who know and love his early Coxsone recordings are likely to be disappointed by the later tracks, while those coming to his music without much knowledge of his history might well prefer the "Dry and Heavy" tracks. While the playing is dense and layered, and while Winston Rodney is in good voice throughout, few of the remakes really add much (apart from more modern recording techniques) to the original recordings backed byn the Soul Defenders five years earlier. One for the dabbler rather than the dedicated fan, and I speak as someoone who has admired Burning Spear for well over thirty years

Heaven!, 28 Jun 2007
Boy oh boy! Two of Burning Spear's great albums on one CD, with remastered sound.This is an American reissue, and the sound is heavenly! I also got the 'Social Living' re-issue as well, and I gather they (along with Marcus Garvey) were all reissued together in US two years ago. Great sleeve notes and pictures too!

Spear at the top of his game, 02 Apr 2004
This is a terrific selection from a golden period of Burning Spear albums in the early 1980s - Hail HIM, Farover and the Fittest of the Fittest. If you don't feel ready to buy all three records, here is an excellent summary of a time when Spear was on the top of his game, whether on 'lighter songs' like Firecoal Man or the driving Rasta epics like Follow Marcus Garvey.

But, as ever with compilations (even one as full as this) there are some great things missing - like Old Boy Garvey and Jah is My Driver. The only other reason I can think of for not getting this CD is that you might blow your speakers if you have the volume on too loud.

2nd Only To Bob Marley In My List Of All Time Reggae Greats, 21 Aug 2003
"Chant Down Babylon" is the biggest and best Winston Rodney, AKA Burning Spear, collection ever which charts all of his finest work under the famous Island record label. Spear is a serious artist who's music is deep and soulfull, which this collection shows.
It has to be said though that to me the 1st CD here is streets ahead of the second. Although the second would be classed as an extremely good Reggae album, Burning Spears pre-1980 recordings on the first disc are what makes him a reggae legend. Songs such as "Marcus Garvey", "Black Soul", "Black Wa-da-da" and "Door Peep" define Spear's unique style of roots reggae. "The Sun" also shines due to it's poppier melody while the disc finishes brilliantly with two great live songs.
As the songs on the second disc go deeper into the 1980's and 90's the sound changes. Although there are still great songs like "My Roots", the sound does not seem to carry Burning Spears messages quite as intensely and eerily as the first disc.
In writing that, "Hail H.I.M" (an album not recorded on Island so none of it's songs feature on "Chant Down Babylon") and this fantastic 2 disc set are all you need if you don't want to buy every single Spear album. In my opinion there are by far more than enough great songs on this to make it worthy of 5 stars and everyone must hear the unique sound of Winston Rodney.

It's Winston Rodney, Jim, but not as we know him.., 05 Jun 2006
It seems that any artist, given a long enough recording career, will make an album where the production is bigger than they are, or odd, or just plain wrong for them - witness the Grateful Dead's "Go to Heaven", or Belle and Sebastian's "Storytelling". This is the Burning Spear odd production album.
Don't get me wrong, fine tunes, fine words, but if it didn't have "Burning Spear" written on the cover you wouldn't necessarily know.