Bob Marley & the Wailers: Peter Tosh (vocals, guitar, piano, organ); Bob Marley (vocals, guitar); Bunny Wailer (vocals, congas, bongos); Earl Lindo (keyboards); Aston Barrett (bass guitar); Carlton "Carlie" Barrett (drums); Alvin "Seeco" Patterson (percussion).

Liner Note Author: Scott Schinder.

The Wailers' fourth album overall, Burnin', was their second for Island Records, released only six months after its predecessor, Catch a Fire. Given that speed, it's not surprising that several tracks -- "Put It On," "Small Axe," and "Duppy Conqueror" -- are re-recordings of songs dating back a few years. But they fit in seamlessly with the newer material, matching its religious militancy and anthemic style. The confrontational nature of the group's message is apparent immediately in the opening track, "Get Up, Stand Up," as stirring a song as any that emerged from the American Civil Rights movement a decade before. The Wailers are explicit in their call to violence, a complete reversal from their own 1960s "Simmer Down" philosophy. Here, on "Burnin' and Lootin'," they take issue with fellow Jamaican Jimmy Cliff's song of the previous year, "Many Rivers to Cross," asking impatiently, "How many rivers do we have to cross/Before we can talk to the boss?" "I Shot the Sheriff," the album's most celebrated song, which became a number one hit in the hands of Eric Clapton in 1974, claims self-defense, admits consequences ("If I am guilty I will pay"), and emphasizes the isolated nature of the killing ("I didn't shoot no deputy"), but its central image is violent. Such songs illuminated the desperation of poor Jamaican life, but they also looked forward to religious salvation, their themes accentuated by the compelling rhythms and the alternating vocals of the three singers. Bob Marley was a first among equals, of course, and after this album his partners, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, quit the group, which thereafter was renamed Bob Marley and the Wailers. The three bonus tracks on the 2001 reissue are all by Tosh and Wailer, though recorded at the album's sessions, suggesting the source of their frustration. ~ William Ruhlmann

Released just six months after CATCH A FIRE, BURNIN' is the equal of its predecessor in its musical focus and passion, yet it contains--arguably--an even better batch of songs. Leaner, tighter, and simultaneously more hard-hitting and more hook-oriented than the songs on CATCH A FIRE, the set list here dazzles. Two tracks in particular, the inspirational civil rights anthem "Get Up, Stand Up" and the story-song "I Shot the Sheriff," are among the best songs Bob Marley ever wrote. The uncompromising tone of the former reveals the band's militant streak and their allegiance to human freedoms, while the latter, on a languid, mid-tempo groove, is an allegory that shows Marley's growing versatility as a first-rate songwriter (the song later became a number one hit for Eric Clapton).

BURNIN' features a number of tunes from the early Wailers' catalogue re-recorded for these sessions, including "Put It On," "Small Axe," and "Duppy Conqueror." This material holds up remarkably well, and fits into the context of the album without a hitch. "Burnin' and Lootin'," one of the band's spookier songs, is another highlight, and adds to the tense, revolutionary feel of the set. The musicianship here is superior--with contributions from Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer standing out--but this was to be the last album with the original line-up before Tosh and Wailer left for solo careers.

Rolling Stone (pp.94-5) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A] mix that pushes Aston Barrett's melodic bass to the forefront while the guitars of Marley and Tosh alternately chop up and accent the groove."

Q (9/01, p.135) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...The last pre-stardom Wailers-only effort, it is well titled..."

Uncut (p.140) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[F]or the most part a dark and brooding affair....Marley, in particular, was keen to return to the roots - at once mystical and menacing - of the original Wailers."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.115) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[P]ure JA magic, the culmination of Marley's work with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston."