Disc 11. Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae 2. Rock 'N' Groove 3. Love Fire 4. Soul Rebel 5. Want to Come Home 6. Ballroom Floor 7. Rise & Shine 8. Cool Runnings 9. Rockers 10. Liberation 11. Time Will Tell 12. Warrior 13. Dance Hall Music 14. Dog War 15. Conscious Lyrics 16. Redemption Song
Label: RAS Records Release Date: 05/06/2003 Original Release Date: 1995 Recording Mode: Stereo Producer: Bunny Wailer Recording Type: Studio Distributor: BMG (distributor)
Personnel includes: Bunny Wailer (vocals, electric drums, talking drum, percussion); O. Stewart (guitar, horns, keyboards, programming); D. Thompson (guitar, bass); Earl "Chinna" Smith, D. Bryan, E. Ranglin, E. Lamont, F. Stewart, D. Pinkney, Sowell, C. Coore (guitar); T. McCook, B. Ellis, H. Bennet, D. Fraser, R. Robinson, B. Bailey, B. Ellis, J. Moore (horns); E. Lindo, K. Sterling, B. Kalphat, G. Anderson, S. Johnson, T. Asher, "Red Fox" Stewart (keyboards); E. Carter, E. Holt, R. Walters (bass); C. Meredith (drums, programming); L. Wallace, E. Clarke, A. Scott, C. Davis, L. Scott (drums). Bunny Wailer has never achieved the icon status of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, his fellow members in the seminal Wailers. But his vocal style--impassioned, gritty, and utterly joyous--is a wonder to behold, and it perfectly suits the music and message of these fine songs. Although Bunny Wailer became a solo artist in 1975, this collection draws mainly from recordings he made during the '80s. It opens with the egregiously catchy "Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae" and ends with a stirring take on Bob Marley's hymn-like "Redemption Song." Accompanied by just a piano and electric bass, Wailer echoes Marley's original phrasing but adds a few well-placed gospel melismas. In between are some of Wailer's best-known songs, including "Cool Running" and "Rockers," as well as lesser-known gems like "Time Will Tell," an effective showcase for the beauty of two simple chords. Wailer straddles genres easily, from carefree dance-reggae songs like "Ballroom Floor," and "Dance Hall Music" to a fierce take on Toots Hibbert's "Dog War, " which manages to be both a dance song and a call to arms.
Q (5/95, p.138) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...A first-rate introduction to one of Jamaica's finest."
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