"Songs of Freedom [Box]" (11/16/1999) Reggae Marley, Bob, Island Records (USA)Personnel includes: Bob Marley (vocals, guitar); Aston Barrett (guitar, bass); Earl "Chinna" Smith (guitar); Dean Fraser, Tommy McCook (saxophone); Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths (background vocals). Producers include: Leslie Kong, Clement Dodd, The Wailers, Johnny Nash, Lee "Scratch" Perry. Engineers include: Lee Perry, Carlton Lee, Alex Sadkin. Includes liner notes by Rob Partridge, Rita Marley, Derrick Morgan, John "Rabbit" Bundrick and Timothy White. Originally released as a limited-edition box set in 1992, Songs of Freedom presents an alternate history of Bob Marley's career, tracing his progression with outtakes, rare singles, alternate mixes, live tracks, and album tracks instead of the songs that formed the bulk of his legacy, as it were. The question is, is this a reasonable track to take? For the most part, yes it is, even if it tends to be a little misleading. That problem isn't too great, since Songs of Freedom isn't targeted at the audience that would want just the basics -- Legend already exists for them, and that sums up everything they need to know about Marley, the ambassador of reggae. The remainder of Marley's audience realizes this box exists just to get rarities to the diehards, and they're thrilled that it exists for that purpose. Because of its nature, Songs of Freedom isn't especially compelling to anyone that isn't a hardcore fan -- although the first disc of ska and rocksteady material will be delightful to anyone that likes early reggae and isn't thrilled by Marley's rock-star posturing in the '70s -- but for those very fans, it's a valuable addition to their collection, since it rounds up rarities with ease and purpose. What Songs of Freedom should not be seen as is a definitive overview of Marley's career -- it's just for collectors and hardcore fans, the kind of listener who has memorized the original studio albums. For those listeners, it's hard to resist Songs of Freedom, but everybody else will be able to safely pass it by. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine During his all-too brief life, Bob Marley established himself as one of the giants of modern music; he stands on par with the likes of Miles Davis and Bob Dylan, performers who took established musical forms and revolutionized them, who continually evolved their vision throughout their careers. From his first single, the bouncy "Judge Not," through a loose, live rendition of the haunting "Redemption Song" performed at his last stage appearance, SONGS OF FREEDOM documents Bob Marley's musical legacy better than any previous compilation, and probably, better than any likely to come. Marley was at his peak at the time of his death in 1981, meaning there is no filler or weak material here, only four solid discs of great songs. His philosophical evolution is easily seen: listen to a rude-boy anthem, like the early hit "Simmer Down," next to a later exploration of Rastafarianism, such as "Crazy Baldheads," and eventual statements of pan-Africanism in songs like "Zimbabwe" and "Africa Unite." Musically, Marley's music expanded just as far. He utilizes Stylistics-like harmonies on "High Tide Or Low Tide," incorporates early-80's R&B into the sound of "Could You Be Loved," and even throws a basic blues shuffle into the alternate mix of "Three Little Birds." SONGS OF FREEDOM is exhaustive and beautifully packaged. It is loaded with previously unreleased material, songs from the Ska years, the late-60's Lee Perry productions, and all of the highlights of the Island years. There are extended versions of famous singles like "Exodus" and "Jammin'" so that we can hear dub aspects of the music that only Jamaicans and hardcore fans were previously aware of. Outside Jamaica, reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley. SONGS OF FREEDOM goes a long way to explain why.
