Burning Spear Social Living CD

If Bob Marley was the populist spokesman of the Rastafarianism movement, then Burning Spear (Winston Rodney) was clearly, through his music, the intellectual spin doctor. His albums are gentle history lessons in black culture; they tend to inform rather than preach. This is one of a number of excellent albums built around his theme of Marcus Garvey, the great leader of the Back To Africa movement. Spear is surrounded by the finest session musicians in Jamaica, in addition to Sly and Robbie. In assembling a record collection there are always a few token Marley records included. At least one Burning Spear album should be made compulsory.

Social Living, Burning Spear's sixth new studio album, first saw limited release under the title Marcus' Children in Jamaica in 1978. The retitled, resequenced, and remixed version heard here was released internationally on Island Records on July 11, 1980. The album represented a reversion by Winston Rodney, who, as of 1977's Dry & Heavy, was the sole member of Burning Spear, to the overtly political concerns of his masterpiece, 1975's Marcus Garvey. That meant more praising and expounding of the theories of Jamaican black nationalist leader Garvey (1887-1940), who emphasized ties to Africa, as well as the religious beliefs of the Rastafarian religion, including the conviction that Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie was God, a notion cast in doubt by the deposed emperor's death in 1975. Rodney dealt with this problem in the original album's concluding song, "Marcus Say Jah No Dead," a new version of a tune he had sung to his drummer, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, in the 1978 film Rockers to comfort him. Another song making a second appearance on the album was "Institution," which had been called "He Prayed" when it was first released as a single in 1972. The disc's most forward-looking track was the title song, which was widely interpreted as an endorsement of socialism. "Do you know, social living is the best," sang Rodney, and "social living," in his patois, sounded a lot like "socialism." In the liner notes to this reissue, however, Rodney denies that interpretation, saying he only wants people to be social. In any case, the music supported Rodney's sentiments, making for another outstanding album. This reissue adds both sides of a 12" remix single containing extended versions of "Social Living" and "Civilize Reggae," originally issued by Island in 1978. ~ William Ruhlmann

Recorded at Harry J Studio, Kingston, Jamaica. Originally released on Island (9556). Includes liner notes by David Katz.

Personnel: Winston Rodney (vocals, percussion); Bertram Ranchie McLean, Roots Kinsley, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Donald Griffiths, Brinsley Forde (guitar); Herman Marquis (alto saxophone); Dirty Harry Hall (tenor saxophone); Bobby Ellis (trumpet); Vincent "Trommie" Gordon, Rico Rodriguez (trombone); Courtney Hemmings, Earl "Wire" Lindo, Bernard Touter Harvey, Michael "Ibo" Cooper (keyboards); Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Angus Gaye, Sly Dunbar (drums); Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Karl Pitterson; Benji Armbrister.

Recording information: Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Harry J's Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica.

Personnel includes: Winston "Burning Spear" Rodney (vocals); Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ranchie McClean, Brinsley Forde, Donald Kingsley, Donald Griffiths (guitar); Herman Marquis (alto saxophone); Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall (tenor saxophone); Bobby Ellis (trumpet); Vin Gordon (trombone); Rico Rodriguez, Dick Cuthell (horns); Earl Lindo, Bernard Harvey, Michael "Ibo" Cooper, Courtney Hemmings (keyboards); Robbie Shakespeare, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, George Oban (bass); Sly Dunbar, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Angus Gaye (drums).