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Catch a Fire

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Artist: Bob Marley & The Wailers
Label: Island
Category: Music

List Price: ~~$13.98~~
Buy New: $6.92
You Save: $7.06 (51%)

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

32 reviews
Sales Rank: 6182

Format: Extra Tracks, Original Recording Reissued, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4

MPN: 548893
UPC: 731454889322
EAN: 0731454889322

Release Date: June 12, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 26-30 of 32

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roots, rock, reggae June 13, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This was the first internationally distributed Wailers album, recorded in 1972 and released in April 1973 for the Island Records label. All the original Wailers are still present, but their new producer, Chris Blackwell, brought in guitar soloist Wayne Perkins and modifies their sound.

'Catch a Fire' is scratchy and rootsy. Marley sings passionately as always, while his supporting singers are unvarnished and sincere. Delicate percussion jump-starts the songs, while the bass holds counterpoint to the voice. Chris Blackwell's mix calls attention to the gritty percussive guitars, artfully panned and reverbed as they are, creating dynamic depth.

Luckily, most of the tunes haven't been done-to-death by radio or compilations. There are some fresh listens on here: Slave Driver, No Trouble, Kinky Reggae and my favorite, Rock it Baby. On 'Rock it Baby', Wayne Perkin's echoey, sliding guitar sets us into a reverie, reflected through half-forgotten impressions we might have had of someplace long ago. His solos last after they're gone.

Granted, 'Catch a Fire' is less lively, less endearing, and less ethnic than the preceding Lee Scratch Perry recordings (from Jamaica, 1969-1971), but this is the album that would serve as a template for rock musicians.

What Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, the Grateful Dead, and the Allman Brothers had begun in 1967-1970 with 'A Merman I Should Turn to Be', 'In a Silent Way', 'The Other One', and 'Mountain Jam', i.e. improvisational fusion, was slowly being turned on its heels.

Stylistically, 'Catch a Fire' encouraged rock musicians to strip down their arrangements, promote basslines, and emphasize the guitar's raw, percussive qualities. English rock bands with an interest in 'colonial' roots music (from India to the Mississippi) were fascinated, but efforts to assimilate reggae into their own work were halting.

Led Zeppelin had already tried, in 1972, with D'Yer Mak'er, but Bonzo didn't feel comfortable, so it emerged as a blend between rock and reggae, but they would begin cycling reggae into their live versions of 'Stairway to Heaven' and showing elements of that style elsewhere.

The Rolling Stones took strongly to reggae. 'Start Me Up', was a reggae song during its genesis; notice the bassline. One of their better examples is 'Emotional Rescue'. Ironically, the Wailers' influence may have hurt Wayne Perkins' chance at a permanent gig with the Stones. His one song for them, 1975's 'Hand of Fate', was essentially a try-out and though it demonstrated his virtuosity, the Glimmer Twins passed, preferring to develop a dual-guitar rhythmic grind.

Californian rock bands such as the Grateful Dead and the Eagles blended reggae with a Spanish touch (or vice versa), on 'Hotel California' and 'Fire on the Mountain'. The monster bands of the 70s had all been affected in one way or another.

Meanwhile, a new wave of bands, including the Talking Heads, the Clash, U2, and the Police, were all amalgamating reggae into what Joe Strummer called "revolution rock".

As for Bob Marley, he would move towards polished production and, on occasion, dance tracks for DJs. The rock steady vibe and contrapuntal heavy bass were adopted by 1980s Hip Hop, and it would be here that improvisational flair returns, in the form of DJs such as Red Alert and Marley Marl.

Perhaps the most influential album in the Wailers' career, 'Catch a Fire' blends European production values, (semi) hard rock, and roots reggae; and effectively brought third world concerns to the colonialist countries. The child of a Jamaican mother and an English father, Bob was coming home to England to share his perspective. It would be as influential as Jimi's first London recording for Chas Chandler.

5 out of 5 stars

Marley on "Fire." June 6, 2003
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

"Catch a Fire" may not be the first album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, but it did help put the band (and, by extension, reggae music) on the map with mainstream listeners. As with virtually all Marley albums, this 1973 CD stands tall on the merits of its tight melodies, solid instrumentation, and the often politically charged lyrics on cuts like the impassioned "Slave Driver," "400 Years" (a Peter Tosh original), and "No More Trouble," a tough jam that can be interpreted as a pro-peace/anti-war anthem. But for me, the album's high point is the catchy "Stir it Up," one of his most familiar tunes that captures the essence of a classic reggae song. Some complain that it's a bit long-winded at over 5 minutes, but for me, the groove is just fine as it is. This reissue has two bonus songs that really aren't bonus songs at all: "High Tide or Low Tide" and "All Day All Night." They were actually available on the early version of "Catch a Fire" but were later deleted from future pressings. It's good to have them back so the listener can absorb the album as it was originally released. I wouldn't exactly recommend this album as a first Bob Marley purchase, but it's still an essential recording and a definite classic that definitely shouldn't be overlooked.

4 out of 5 stars

Soothing To The Soul May 8, 2003
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Love that reggae beat man by the late Bob Marley. The vocals are quite soothing and the guitar, keyboards, and percussion just completes a pleasing picture.

Songwise some tunes stand out more than others. Suprisingly the first of the two bonus tracks, High Tide Low Tide wins my vote as the CD's best song. A very well defined hook around the chorus combined with a very pleasing keyboard passage just captures my soul. Kinky Reggae, Stop That Train, Concrete Jungle, and Rock It Baby are other stand out tracks. Stir It Up has some nice effects as well even though it can drag a bit towards the end.

Whether you need to uplift your spirits or need some exotice party music, Catch A Fire is certainly appropriate for both occasions. So just dig the good reggae sounds mon.

5 out of 5 stars Best Bob Marley Album! August 19, 2002
In 1972, The Wailers set out, working on Catch a Fire, the album was sent to london, and had some overdubs on the tracks, but all the tracks are excellent, it's The Wailers best work, released almost 30 years ago, the album still goes strong, being one of the best albums ever, and the best Wailers album ever. It was distributed to an international market, and The Wailers started to tour the UK and United States in 1973 with their rebel sound and image. Being their 3rd album overall, Catch a Fire wasn't quickly popular, but as you listen, the tight "Concrete Jungle", "Slave Driver", "400 Years", "Rock it Baby", "Stir it Up", "Kinky Reggae", and all the others gave The Wailers a step over everyone else, showing they were from a third world enviroment, but showing they knew what they were doing.

5 out of 5 stars classic reggae lp May 20, 2002
THIS ALBUM IS ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST CREATIVE WORK FROM THE WAILERS. MARLEY AND PETER TOSH SHINE THROUGH OUT THE ALBUM. THIS IS CLASSIC ROOTS REGGAE. ALL U NEED IS A NICE SPLIFF AND THIS ALBUM TO ATTAIN PURE BLISS!...

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