I’ve never polled this, but I bet it would be an interesting one for Gallup: how many people in the world own Bob Marley’s Legend greatest hits album? How many people in the world can sing along to “Stir it Up?” or “Is This Love?”
I bet it would be almost half the world! Seriously!
Bob Marley is an icon. In the annals of music history, Marley shares company with artists like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. And like any iconic artist, Marley has had a fair share of good intentioned artists make terrible remakes of his songs in a misguided attempt to honor his legacy. Fortunately, Legend Remixed is an album that not only pays homage to the hero, but is absolutely perfect for your summer patio party!
The album kicks off with the James James remix of “Waiting in Vain.” It’s a perfect introduction to the album, as it’s a minimalist remix: just a few synth touches, no major reshuffling of the lyrics or melody–just a simple and loving remix. Thievery Corporation takes on “Get Up, Stand Up” (of course!), and the listener can look forward to the Thievery dub/acid approach–but it remains undeniably a Marley song, and strangers to the genre will immediately identify it as such. Among the many notable tracks on the album is Pretty Lights interpretation of “Exodus.” This song explodes out of the speakers with electro synth over hip hop beats with the usual Pretty Lights flair for sampling.
There’s no misses on this album, and there are plenty of other tracks that I could have easily highlighted. At the end of the day, this is one of the best, most noble tribute albums I’ve come across and a perfect summer release. So stir it up with this one and enjoy the hot months!
