October 19, 1973 - Burnin'

The same day as "The Joker", and a mere 6 months after "Catch A Fire" in April, The Wailers released their sixth album "Burnin'" on October 19, 1973. This album's lyrics are more confrontational than The Wailers were known for and while it still has some laid-back songs, it also has a more political, confrontational edge to it. They also add a new band member, keyboardist Earl Lindo. Let's check it out!

Side one begins with "Get Up, Stand Up" and it opens with the chorus. Guitar and keyboards make a catchy riff, congas by Bunny Wailer sound good as well. Bob Marley sings about standing up for your rights, and not giving up the fight, a fight that sadly is still ongoing. His message is as clear as ever, fight for your rights and your life. Peter Tosh joins Bob in the chorus, and sings a verse of his own as well. This was the start of a trend that saw Bob become more political in his lyric writing. The next song is called "Hallelujah Time" and the keyboards by Lindo sound interesting as we hear a typical reggae guitar riff. Wailer sings lead vocals on this one, his high voice is alright but it fits the mood well as Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths sing some nice backing vocals. Track 3 is titled "I Shot The Sheriff" and it again starts with the chorus, which has several singers and a really catchy bass line by Aston "Family Man" Barrett. Bass, piano, organ and some cool guitar all back Bob's singing during the verses. The lyrics tell a story of a man who kills the sheriff, but he had it out for him and it was in self-defense. It ends with some cool organ and bass, and it's a very catchy song. Eric Clapton would cover it several years later, and it became even more more famous. The next song is "Burnin' And Lootin'" which is a slow reggae tune with some cool guitar and bass, but the lyrics are not laid-back, as Bob sings about how black people have been oppressed for so long, they have to respond somehow. It's a sad song, but it's done very well. The last song on this side is "Put It On" which has a much happier vibe with catchy guitar and Bob's calming voice. Lindo plays a cool keyboard solo with some "do-do-do-" singing and this is a repetitive but decent song.

Side two opens with "Small Axe" and Bob's voice sounds good along with a catchy riff with cool guitars. "If you are the big tree, we are the small axe sharpened to cut you down". The lyrics symbolize that even the small can take down the mighty. It's not particularly flashy, but reggae isn't most of the time and this is definitely a solid song. Up next is "Pass It On" as Wailer sings lead again on this one. His voice sounds pretty good and the lyrics are about living for others and not for yourself. Keyboards and guitar both sound cool in this slow jam. Track 8 is called "Duppy Conqueror"and organ and guitar lead another slow beat as Bob is back on lead vocals. He's backed by some weird vocals in the chorus that sound like a bird call, a bit odd for sure. A bit of a weird song, but still a decent one. Tosh wrote the next song, "One Foundation" as the song starts in the chorus again, led by a cool bass riff by Barrett. Tosh sings lead as well and his voice sounds great. He sings about loving all people, and uniting together. There's lots of backing vocals, and the keyboards are pretty good in this cool song. The final track on the record is "Rasta Man Chant", a traditional Jamaican song, arranged by Bob, Tosh and Wailer. The latter's congas sound cool, and the keyboards add a nice touch as well. All 3 of them sing together for most of the song and it sounds a bit like a march. A fine, laid-back song and a nice way to end the album.

That is the end of "Burnin'" and I thought it was a pretty solid album. It has a nice mix of typical reggae songs and their more politically-charged ones and I enjoyed it the whole way through. But how does it compare to "Catch A Fire" from earlier this year? They are both solid albums, and it is pretty close, but I liked this new album a little better. "Get Up, Stand Up" and "I Shot The Sheriff" are both cool songs that have a bit more to them that I think elevates this album a little higher. Can they continue this trend? We'll see next year!