BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS
Greatest Hits at Studio One (Heartbeat)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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Imagine Bob, Peter and Neville, short chopped hair, spiffy black suits, covering the Beatles! True. The year is 1964 and the infant Wailers are getting their recording feet wet courtesy of Clement Dodd at Studio 1. Cranking out sides at a ridiculous pace (close to 100 over a 2 year span), the boys dig into pop standards, doo-wop and ska. No full blown reggae just yet, but the seeds are being sown. "One Love," "Sinnerman" and "Simmer Down" give hints. This is exuberant stuff, being eagerly put to wax, and just as quickly climbing the local charts. This is Jamaica's Beatlemania, and damn if it ain't catching.

© 2003 - John Sekerka