Marely Natty

Culture - Natty Dread Taking Over - Reggae Anthology (2012) {2CD+DVD5 NTSC 17 North Parade-VP Records VPCD500}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.01 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 363 Mb
DVD5 -> 4.38 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | Dolby AC3, 2 ch | ~ 148 min | ISO Image
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 61 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2012 17 North Parade / VP Records | VPCD500
Reggae / Roots Reggae / Political Reggae

The Natty Dread Taking Over collection celebrates the life and work of Culture, one of reggae’s most iconic groups and includes the best of their work for foundation producers Joe Gibbs & Sonia Pottinger – All nine tracks from Africa Stand Alone (regarded by many as Culture’s best work) – Four “BBC John Peel session” tracks recorded in 1982 – 21 song live concert DVD including an insightful 40 minute filmed interview.

Natty Dread is Bob Marley's finest album, the ultimate reggae recording of all time. This was Marley's first album without former bandmates Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, and the first released as Bob Marley & the Wailers. The Wailers' rhythm section of bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett and drummer Carlton "Carlie" Barrett remained in place and even contributed to the songwriting, while Marley added a female vocal trio, the I-Threes (which included his wife Rita Marley), and additional instrumentation to flesh out the sound…

This is a spiritual collection of stoic roots music, featuring the soul influenced vocal styling of Cornell Campbell.

"King in My Empire" 12" (released on Basic Channel with Rhythm and Sound) has kept his profile high with roots lovers – The track was distinctive due to its stripped minimalist structure and "roll off" sub lows, contrasted with ethereal vocals. This collection from Trojan is stylistically mixed, combining his soulful output with lover's tunes and some evocative sufferer's roots vocals.

CD 1 features the hooligan bass of "Dance Inna Greenwich Farm" later versioned by the great Dr. Alimantado. Another high point is Campbell's version of Johnny Clarke's "None Shall Escape" – here entitled "Gun Court."

"Stay Down In Babylon" is a hymnal chant. "Jah A Go Beat Them" is a thunderous cut to Coxsonne's "Freedom Blues" – later also versioned by Tappa Zukie as "MPLA."

Another cut from Tappa's "MPLA" album surfaces here – the impassioned "Please Be True", with its shifting Tubby's/Bunny Lee rhythm track burning red hot under the emotive vocal.

"Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" moves on from the Bunny Lee flying cymbal style, which can wax repetitive and begin to grate – so it is a relief when the style shifts to a militant Rockers snare and rim shot heat.

CD 2 steps up the pressure with a later Sly and Robbie Rockers style, including some Radics tunes – "Malicious World" is a dark and pessimistic realism lyric, inclining towards misanthropy and a bleak view of humanity. "Fight against Corruption" is Cornell's version of Junior Byles "Beat Down Babylon" with a swirling Scientist mix.

CD 2 also features an original contribution to the history of roots music, "Jah Jah Me No Born Yah", in which Cornell sounds more like the Afro Cuban vocalist Celia Cruz, or a vocalist from the Fania All Stars than a JA roots singer. Besides a very strong Afro Cuban influence in the vocals here, the melody and inflection sounds similar to prevalent female vocal styles from Southern and Central Africa in the early 60's.

The high point of the album is the moving "Hypocrites/AKA Blessed Are They Who Keep The Commandments" which is a beautiful version to the "Tribute To Steve Biko" from Tappa Zukie's "Peace in the Ghetto" album.

"Blessed are they who keep the commandments, for they have the right to the Tree of Life. Downpressers cannot enter. Hypocrites too, cannot enter. No liars and thieves cannot enter into Jah Kingdom– it's only by the works that you do. No false teacher and false prophet cannot enter."