Classic Albums - Bob Marley and the Wailers: Catch a Fire (1999)

In the late '60s, the notion that reggae would become more than just a novelty act would have been laughed at. To break into the mainstream, the movement needed a powerful voice of prophetic proportions. This voice emerged from the collective work of three pioneering friends from Jamaica, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Robert Nesta Marley, who sought to bring about an ideological revolution through deeply meditative, hypnotic, and spiritual music. Catch a Fire was the Wailers' and reggae's introduction to the world and turned Bob Marley into a mega-icon of enormous proportions. It was the first album to remain true to the traditions of reggae music while having enough elements that were accessible to popular culture.

This documentary, Bob Marley and the Wailers: Catch a Fire, returns to Dynamic Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, shedding light on the development of the album, the thought process of Bob, Peter, and Bunny, and the importance of the music on a song-by-song basis. The story of Catch a Fire is presented through interviews with the band members, studio musicians, and former head of Island Records Chris Blackwell. Throughout are raw studio rehearsal footage, BBC TV footage, and home movies that include performances of "Concrete Jungle," "Slave Driver," "Stir It Up," and "Stop That Train." The documentary wraps up with rare black-and-white footage of the Wailers' tour in Edmonton, London, in 1973 with an electrifying performance of the Burnin' song "Get Up, Stand Up." --Rob Bracco Amazon.com

Great documentary on the making of a classic album from Bob

Great documentary. Explains all the details of recording with Bob Marley. The sessions as well as the musicians all give details on how Bob tailored this classic. Bob fans definitely need to pick this one up. August 6, 2008

Only For Collectors

This dvd is nothing but interviews, many of them repeated on the second disc, with 30 second clips of live Marley perfomances here and there. I was lucky to only have borrowed it from the library. Had I payed $30+ for it I would have been very upset. Half of the people on the second disc never met Marley. They're mostly music journalists or producers offering their critique of certain songs off the Legend album. If you are a collector of all things Marley this dvd MIGHT appeal to you, but if your looking to learn anything about Bob or see live footage of the legend look elsewhere. May 30, 2008

I expected more :(

I am the biggest Bob Marley fan there is, but I was disappointed at this product. I expected much more than what I got. December 28, 2007

RAW!!!!!!!!

It is an insite into an arist starting off and having to compromise slighty for the bigger good. In depth on how the tracks were recorded and edited. Video and audio of how mixing and great editing can change an average song into a great song. Good for music lovers library. February 20, 2006

A must for true Marley/Wailers fans

I just finished watching this fine documentary. (Picked it up for only $4.99 in a bargain bin!) The content is priceless - interviews with Bob Marley, Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer are quite rare. The interviews with Chris Blackwell, the recording engineers and studio musicians from Jamaica, England and U.S. who helped to produce the groundbreaking album "Catch A Fire" are enlightening. I've been a Marley fan for 30 years and I learned a lot from watching this DVD. It illustrates, in a somewhat disjointed fashion, the Jamaican culture that gave birth to reggae music and it's ambassadors to the world, The Wailers, while recording the development of "Catch A Fire" which brought reggae to mainstream British and American rock fans. Marley fans owe a great deal to Chris Blackwell and Island records. I attended Bob Marley's last concert in America in 1981. Every week, it seems, I see another young kid wearing a Bob Marley T-shirt. Whether you're an old Marley fan or a young one, there is plenty in this DVD for you. April 24, 2005

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