Chant Down Babylon: The Island Anthology

Import-only two CD collection that gathers together the cream of Spear's output for Island from his '70s heyday and his brief early-'90s return to the label. More than a mere musician, Burning Spear (AKA Winston Rodney) always used his musical career as a pulpit from which to sing about black culture and history, pan-Africanism, Rastafarianism, and universal love. Spear took his name from Kenyan revolutionary Jomo Kenyatta, and his greatness as an artist has consistently shone through, be it on straightforward studio songs (quot;Door Peepquot;, quot;Dry & Heavyquot;), pioneering explorations of dub (quot;I & I Survivequot;, quot;Cultivationquot;), or scintillating live performances (quot;The Lionquot;, quot;Jordan Riverquot;). Spear not only wrote his own music but hand-picked his backup musicians, who have included members of the Wailers, Aswad, and a host of crack Jamaican session cats. All these factors make this an essential addition to any Reggae collection. 35 tracks.

Chant Down Babylon: The Island Anthology