Bob Marley

Yet another repackaging of the material Bob Marley & the Wailers recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry between August 1970 and April 1971 at Randy's in Kingston, this two-disc set also includes sides attributed to Perry's studio band, the Upsetters (who would end up being the core of Marley's stage band during his later Island era), that were essentially the Wailers' cuts with the vocals removed (it wouldn't be quite accurate to call these "versions" dubs, although they function in much the same way). The music itself is wonderful, and many would argue convincingly that this was Marley's finest hour in the recording studio, but this material has been issued countless times under an infinite variety of titles over the years, and while this set is as fine as any, it's simply one among many. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide