Bob Marley & The Wailers' legendary repertoire for Island Records has been the focus of many reissues and celebratory packages, from the Legend compilation - the best-selling reggae album of all time, to new packages like dub compilations and the soundtrack to the recent documentary Marley. Next month, Island/UMe will celebrate another one of Marley's memorable albums, expanding 1978's Kaya.
While the material on Kaya is largely of a certain vintage - many of the tracks were Wailers standards in their early days on Trojan Records, and the album was recorded during the same sessions that yielded the previous year's Exodus - that's not to say it wasn't fresh. It also wasn't as politically charged as some of the band's previous work, leading some critics to accuse him of softening his message in favor of easygoing songs about love and herb.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EztmEF24fdo]
Few could doubt Marley's commitment to his political beliefs that year, however. Having survived an assassination attempt in his native Jamaica in late 1976, Marley found himself returning to the island in the spring of 1978 for the One Love Peace Concert, which famously climaxed with him bringing Jamaican political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga onstage to shake hands. (This portion of that concert was chronicled on the aforementioned Marley compilation.)
For the 35th anniversary of the record, Kaya will be expanded with not only one bonus track (the non-LP B-side "Smile Jamaica," which has been appended to the album on previous reissues) but an unreleased concert from Rotterdam's Ahoy in the summer of 1978. The album will also be reissued on vinyl with "Smile Jamaica" added, too. Featuring a 23-page booklet with lyrics, liner notes and unseen photos, you can find this new edition of Kaya in stores April 23.
Check out the full specs and order your copies after the jump!
Bob Marley & The Wailers, Kaya: 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Island/Tuff Gong/UMe B0018106-02, 2013)
Amazon U.S.: 2CD / 1LP
Amazon U.K.: 2CD / 1LP
Disc 1: Original LP (released as Island ILPS 9517, 1978) and bonus track
- Easy Skanking
- Kaya
- Is This Love
- Sun is Shining
- Satisfy My Soul
- She's Gone
- Misty Morning
- Crisis
- Running Away
- Time Will Tell
- Smile Jamaica (B-side to "Satisfy My Soul" - Island WIP 6440 (U.K.), 1978)
This configuration will also be released as Island/Tuff Gong/UMe LP B0018128-01 - see link above
Disc 2: Live at Ahoy Hallen, Rotterdam, Netherlands - 7/7/1978
- Positive Vibration
- The Heathen
- Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
- Concrete Jungle
- Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Road Block)
- War/No More Trouble
- I Shot the Sheriff
- No Woman, No Cry
- Is This Love
- Jamming
- Easy Skanking
- Get Up, Stand Up
- Exodus
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Really disappointing, particularly compared to the deluxe Exodus. All we get is Smile Jamaica and a concert from the Babylon By Bus tour which was in itself a disappointment for me seeing them in 1978 in Stockholm compared to the electrifying Rainbow concerts in 1977. Where are the B-side dubs and instrumentals?
Nice to see the Deluxe Edition campaign restarted for Marley...but, this is a disappointing track listing. 12" versions and dub versions are a MUST. And you KNOW it won't have the same slipcase packaging as the others, so it won't even look right on the shelf.
I know they had already prepared a Deluxe Edition of "Live" before the campaign stalled back in '05...they should've went with that to re-launch, IMO.
The importance of artists performing live cannot be overstated. However, it is equally important for them to release their music on vinyl and create merchandise. These tangible items allow fans to connect with the music on a deeper level and support the artists in a meaningful way.
Collecting vinyl records is a truly enriching experience. The tactile nature of flipping through albums, the warm sound quality, and the beautiful album art make it a truly unique and enjoyable hobby. It's a way to connect with music history and appreciate the art form.