Email
Print
del.icio.us
digg
yahoo!
Comments
FeedMusic Review
Various Artists, Everybody Loves Bob Marley, Neos Productions
 |
 |
The curation here is pretty loose. Many of the covers are years old, and the artists aren’t all local—some hail from England, Tahiti and Jamaica. The decision to include Vincent Ford and Lee Perry compositions is understandable, as they’re primarily known as Marley’s songs, but Macka B’s “Bob” makes the cut simply by being about Bob Marley.
As for the covers themselves, the performances range from insipid, local-style renditions to outright aping of Bob’s distinctive vocal style. Carole and Florent Atem’s ill-conceived “One Love Medley” Frankensteins together “One Love,” “Is This Love,” “Three Little Birds” and “No Woman No Cry.” Marty Dread’s take on “Roots Rock Reggae” only manages to highlight his modest vocal range. One of the best tracks—Robi Kahakalau’s “Do It Twice”—will sound familiar, as it’s been a radio staple for a while now.
BOTTOM LINE:
Cover songs are great in concept, and imaginative reworkings of Bob’s music do exist. Not here, unfortunately.
Do you like what you read? Subscribe to HONOLULU Magazine »
HONOLULU Magazine invites you to comment on our articles and the issues they raise. Comments are moderated for offensive language, commercial messages and off-topic posts.