Matt Bianco: Sneaking Out the Back Door (1984)

This 12" has the extended version Sneaking Out the Back Door and Matt's Mood (also in an extended mix) on the flipside.This is a UK pressing, since this was not released domestically in Canada.

Matt Bianco: Whose Side Are You On (1984)

I often see records from Matt Bianco misfiled under B. The same holds true for Max Webster (a band we will come to soon), which I variously find filed under W. Both are band names, not people. Amazingly, Matt Bianco released five singles from this record, and they all made the charts, though some were very low in the charts. I don't mind this record, but I am not crazy about it. Besides they forgot the question mark.

Martha and the Muffins: Trance and Dance (1980)

I used to have a bunch of Steve Martin records in my collection, but I unloaded them. Back in the day, the only way one could hear comedy, especially if you lived in a small town, was late night TV (like Johnny Carson) or on record. Occasionally, you could hear some comedy on the radio. I had no access to comedy clubs, so I had to rely on records. But, once you've heard the routine, it's not always fun going back, so I lost interest. But, I am sidetracked.

Martha and the Muffins, alter known as M+M (and somehow miraculously not separated on Discogs) were a Canadian pop band. They are best known, I think, for the tune Echo Beach, which is a real place in Toronto. If you lived in Southern Ontario in the early 80s, you couldn't have missed them. The truth is, I haven't listened to his album very much at all, and I know next to nothing about it.

Hugh Marsh: Shaking the Pupmkin (1987)

I probably would not have known who Hugh Marsh was, had it not been for his work with Bruce Cockburn. Marsh contributed some violin work to several Cockburn records. Incidentally, Hugh's brother, Fergus Jemison Marsh, also worked with Cockburn, playing the Chapman stick and bass.

This record, has some interesting guest vocalists, including Cockburn himself. Other guests include Dalbello and Robert Palmer. There is even a track with words (read by Robert Palmer) by Josef Škvorecký, whowrote one of my favourite books of all time, The Engineer of Human Souls. Palmer also sings Purple Haze, the Hendrix tune. The audio is on Youtube, but embedding is disabled.

I remember being happy to see Marshs's name in the credits of a couple of Peter Murphy albums in the early 2000s.

Sometime after this album was released, Hugh played a free noon-hour concert at the university I was attending. A classmate and I went over the check it out, but my friend left after a few minutes, complaining about the discordant sounds emanating from the stage. I quite enjoyed it. This friend wrote an essay on imperialism for a Marxist prof using Hobsbawm as a framework. I stuck with Lenin and got a far better grade.

M|A|R|R|S: Pump up the Volume (1987)

Mars, stylized as M|A|R|R|S, was a collaboration between some members of the Colourbox and the group A.R. Kane. There a a few samples in this track, but the most obvious on is from Eric B and Rakim. The first time I heard this track, I described it as infectious nonsense. The truth is that I liked the track and still do.

I have the Canadian 12" which contains the original and remixed versions plus Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance).

Johnny Marr: Playland (2014)

Before I heard The Messenger, I had no idea that Marr could carry a tune, with his voice, that is. It seems that he can. This is a collection of bright pop tunes. It's not the Smiths, but it is interesting. I really like most of these tunes.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Rebel Music (1986)

I guess you could say that this collection is the opposite of Legend. As Allmusic states, Legend "misrepresented the range of Marley's work, downplaying its political aspect in favor of danceability and romantic sentiments." The author goes on to say: "Of course, what made Marley such a powerful figure internationally was his message about the uprising of the oppressed, but you wouldn't know that from Legend." [source]

So, here we have a number of political tunes, the most popular of which is probably Get Up, Stand Up, though the version included here is live.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Confrontation (1983)

Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta
There was a Buffalo Soldier
In the heart of America
Stolen from Africa, brought to America
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival

Confrontation was released two years after Marley's death. It contains some unreleased tracks and some singles. It's somewhat strange to note that Buffalo Soldier, which is perhaps Marley's best known song, appears for the first time here. By the way, if you do not know what a buffalo soldier was, you should look it up. I'd say that this is a solid posthumous collection.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Uprising (1980)

Uprising was the last studio recording from Bob. Sadly, he died in May of 1981. This record contains Redemption Song, my favourite Bob Marley track.

Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look? Ooh
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the Book

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book
Won't you have to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
All I ever had
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
Songs of freedom

Ive never been a fan of the almighty, and I find it curious when people proclaim their faith loudly and clearly, but Rastafari appears to be peaceful, but I think women are not considered equal. Anyway, I am not an expert. But I do like this record. I have an original Canadian pressing.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Survival (1979)

"Containing what is considered Marley's most defiant and politically charged statement to date, Survival concerns itself with the expressed solidarity of not only Africa, but of humanity at large." [source]

Just look at the album art. First, you notice the flags, and, since I am not a vexillologist, I had to look this up: "The album's front cover depicts 48 African flags, 15 of which [...] are now obsolete, and the flag of Papua New Guinea." [source] The other cover element is an engraving of the interior compartment of a slave ship. I think this makes a strong statement, and I can't see how anyone would object, but the cover proved controversial. I simply cannot imagine why. Slavery (in all time periods) was and is an abomination. It was cruel and inhumane and a massive tragedy. Let's also not forget that slavery continues, though we tend to use the term human trafficking.

I like this record very much. I have the original Canadian pressing.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Babylon by Bus (1978)

I think Allmusic is right about this album, about which they said: "Arguably the most influential live reggae album ever..." and "Without question, Babylon by Bus is an integral component of any popular music collection."[source]

Wikipedia notes: "Like the 1973 album Catch a Fire, the first release had something of a novelty cover. The windows of the bus on the front cover were cut out, revealing part of the inner sleeve. As this was a double album, the listener had a choice of four different scenes to view through the windows." [source].

I think all of Marley's records have been repressed on vinyl. This is an original Canadian pressing.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Kaya (1978)

"The album has a very relaxed, laid back sound, lacking much of the militant quality of the Wailers lyrically and musically. They received criticism for 'going soft' as a result of the general sound of the album as well as the theme: songs primarily revolving around love, as well as marijuana." [source]

Even Billy Bragg wrote love songs, though none about marijuana, as far as I can tell. By the way, I recently read that Kaya means marijuana.This is a solid record. I have an original Canadian pressing.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Birth of a legend, Vol. 1 (1977)

This is an odd record because it sounds nothing like the Bob Marley we all know and love. This is a compilation of early Wailers. It's roots reggae, ska, rocksteady, and R & B. The style will probably confound those who know the super Marley hits. The cover image (of which there are many versions) here is misleading. This is the pre-dread, pre-rasta period.

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Exodus (1977)

He said: I got through the part about the exodus.
Up to then I only knew it was a movement of the people.

- The Cattle and the Creeping Things, The Hold Steady

"Exodus
Movement of Jah people! Oh oh oh, yeah!"

This is a fabulous record containing a number of well-known Marley tracks, like Exodus, Jamming, Waiting in Vain, and Three Little Birds. It's truly amazing to me that anyone would have wanted to kill Marley, which is what someone tried to do in late 1976. Someone wasn't a fan of his anti-corruption, peace and love message, it seems.

I have an original Canadian pressing.

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Rastaman Vibration (1976)

Oddly, none of the tracks from this record showed up on Legend. So, most people would probably not recognize many of these songs

Wikipedia has details I never knew:

Although the album's liner notes list multiple songwriters, including family friends and band members, all songs were written by Marley. Marley was involved in a contractual dispute at the time with his former publishing company, Cayman music. Marley had not wanted his new songs to be associated with Cayman and it was speculated, including in his obituary in The Independent, that he had put them in the names of his friends and family members as a means of avoiding the contractual restrictions and to provide lasting help to family and close friends.

Vincent Ford, a childhood friend from Jamaica, is the songwriter for "No Woman, No Cry" on the 1974 album Natty Dread, as well as the songs "Crazy Baldheads" (with Marley's wife Rita), "Positive Vibration" and "Roots Rock Reggae" from Rastaman Vibration, along with "Inna De Red" and "Jah Bless" with Marley's son, Stephen.

Marley's widow and his former manager Danny Sims sued to obtain royalty and ownership rights to the songs, claiming that Marley had actually written the songs but had assigned the credit to Ford to avoid meeting commitments made in prior contracts. A 1987 court decision favored the Marley estate, which assumed full control of the songs. [source]

Bob Marley and The Wailers: Natty Dread (1974)

Natty Dread is the first Bob Marley and The Wailers record, and it comes after the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. According to Allmusic, this is the best reggae album ever: "Natty Dread is Bob Marley's finest album, the ultimate reggae recording of all time." [source]  That's high praise, and I find it difficult to disagree. My copy is a Canadian repress, probably from the 1980s, the decade in which I bought most of my records. 

The Wailers: Burnin’ (1973)

Peter Tosh left after this record, and then the group formally took the name Bob Marley and the Wailers. When I was much younger, I though that the band was Bob Marley and the Whalers. I never questioned why a Jamaican band would take its name from the whaling industry. It made no sense, but it didn't really bother me.

It seems that everyone knows the song I Shot the Sheriff, but I think it's probably still true that most people know the Eric Clapton version, which is OK with me. Clapton really helped to spread the word about Marley. This LP also contains the great Marley classic, Get Up, Stand Up.

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Catch a Fire (1973)

Early pressings of this release were credited to The Wailers, but later pressings -- such as my Canadian pressing -- credit the LP to Bob Marley and the Wailers. The huge hit from this record was Stir it Up. There's some pretty significant sexual innuendo in that song:

I'll push the wood (stir it, stir it, stir it together),
then I blaze ya fire

and

Quench me when I'm thirsty;
Come on and cool me down, baby, when I'm hot. (ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Your recipe is, - darlin' - is so tasty,
When you show and stir your pot. (ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

That's rather overt. No one would doubt what "pot" means.

The other thing that changed with later releases was the cover. The original pressing's sleeve was cut in the shape of a hinged Zippo lighter. Later pressings just show Bob lighting a massive joint.

But, look at the price on the cover. Today, I'm guess my copy would fetch around $25. Needless to say that the early pressings sell for big money.

Everyone should have some Bob Marley in their collection, even if its a collection of his most well-known tracks. I find that kids love his music.

Phil Manzanera: Primitive Guitars (1982)

"On all these pulsing, groove-centered instrumental tracks, Manzanera is backed only by a drum machine and, on one tune, John Wetton on bass. Otherwise all the diverse sounds, noises, melodies, and rhythms have been created on guitar, linking Manzanera to another progressive virtuoso, Adrian Belew. In between tracks, Manzanera inserts snatches of dialogue recorded at various rehearsals, making this a successful, very personal album." [source]

Let me just say that I agree with that.Once again, I find it truly astonishing that there are two Canadian pressings. May records released in Canada had only one pressing. Maybe the first run was a low run. Anyway, It's good.

Phil Manzanera / 801: Listen Now (1977)

I should mention that Phil Manzanera, when he was not part of Roxy Music, lent his guitar skills to some really interesting records by the likes of John Cale, Brian Eno, and Nico. This is a fine LP, though perhaps not as good as the previous Live release.

A huge number of people appear on this record, including Eno, Godley and Creme, etc.