About

— 35th Anniversary limited edition 180-gram 2LP set.
—  Mastered at Abbey Road Studios from the original tapes.
— Includes two U.K. bonus tracks.

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The 35th anniversary of Bob Marley & the Wailers' Legend is celebrated by the Marley Family and Island Records with a double LP, 180 gram vinyl reissue. Originally released in May 1984, it's the bestselling reggae album of all time, and one of the most successful compilations in any genre, with worldwide sales of a staggering 28 million, of which 15 million are in the U.S. alone.

The vinyl-only reissue comprises the original "BMW1" version of Legend, with the addition of two bonus tracks that were originally on the cassette release, "Easy Skanking" and "Punky Reggae Party." The 16 songs that comprise the retrospective are genre-defining landmarks, on a collection crammed with instantly recognizable gems such as "Get Up Stand Up," "One Love/People Get Ready," "I Shot The Sheriff," "Three Little Birds," "Jammin'" and "Exodus."

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The classic Marley album, the one that any fair-weather reggae fan owns, Legend contains 14 of his greatest songs, running the gamut from "I Shot the Sheriff" to the meditative "Redemption Song" and the irrepressible "Three Little Birds." Some may argue that the compilation shortchanges his groundbreaking early ska work or his status as a political commentator, but this isn't meant to be definitive, it's meant to be an introduction, sampling the very best of his work. And it does that remarkably well, offering all of his genre-defying greats and an illustration of his excellence, warmth, and humanity. In a way, it is perfect since it gives a doubter or casual fan anything they could want. Let's face it, the beauty and simplicity of Marley's music was as important as his message, and that's captured particularly well here. — (via AllMusic)

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There's a reason why this best-of collection has been a steady bestseller since it debuted in 1984: It's got the goods. The 14 songs on Legend go a long way toward demonstrating why Marley rose to become an international superstar. The man melded potent hooks, straight-shooting sincerity, and reggae riddims into some of the most engaging pop anywhere. There's the propulsive "Could You Be Loved," the revolutionary "Get Up Stand Up," which he wrote with Peter Tosh, and the Dylanesque anthem "Redemption Song." The hit parade rolls on with Marley classics like "No Woman No Cry," "I Shot the Sheriff," and the aching love song "Waiting in Vain." Like Marley himself, these songs are truly charismatic.  — (via Label)

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Learning about reggae, or even Bob Marley himself, by listening to Legend is like learning about a big city by sticking to its downtown. You’ll no doubt have a good time amid the most publicly accessible art and cultural opportunities that require little work to access, but your trip won’t nearly represent the broader cultures and hidden treasures that take years or decades to fully understand. 

Bob Marley was a lot of things. Throughout that decade, his image was transformed into an endlessly redefinable vernacular, scrawled across dorm posters, t-shirts, weed paraphernalia, tribute albums, documentaries, murals, biopics, novels, academic conferences, “experiences,” all-inclusive vacation tours of his childhood home and Kingston compound, and Universal Orlando’s “Tribute to Freedom” restaurant, which invites visitors to “Get Up, Stand Up, Eat Up.” Though his mortal fame paled when compared to Elvis Presley’s, Marley’s ghost certainly shares The King’s gift of infinite posthumous marketability. And in the center of it all was Legend—the most consequential hits compilation in pop history, and one that barely scratches the surface of its elusive subject.

Legend’s most widely-known songs—“One Love,” “Three Little Birds,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Jammin’”—are simple, catchy, optimistic standards that have become part of the global vernacular, and “Get Up, Stand Up” became the de facto anthem of Amnesty International, subject to periodic superstar sing-alongs. More than four decades later, Legend still serves as a synecdoche for all reggae. 

It took a while for Legend to find its initial audience–it reached platinum by 1988–but during the 1990s, it kept selling and selling, averaging nearly a million copies per year. By the turn of the century, Legend was certified diamond, commemorating the rare achievement of 10 million copies sold.— (via Pitchfork)

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Label: Tuff Gong / Island Records
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 35th Anniversary, 180g
Reissued: 2019 / Originally Released: 1984
Genre: Reggae, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Reggae, Roots Reggae, Acoustic, Ballad

File under: Reggae / Dub
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