There are countless Bob Marley compilations on the market, but what will generate some interest in this one, which is essentially a collection of his Island singles with a handful of his Lee "Scratch" Perry-era tracks added in, is the inclusion of a "new" Marley song, "Slogans," derived from a demo tape Marley made in a Miami hotel room in 1979. The demo tape was rediscovered in 2003 by Marley's sons Ziggy and Stephen, who then worked to finish the song, calling in Eric Clapton and Marcia Ball, among others, to help with the process. The end result is a solid, if a bit underwhelming, addition to the Marley catalog, but there is no denying "Slogans" is tuneful, wise, and increasingly timely, as politicians continue to mouth slogans as promises, and then routinely manage to not keep them. The other two "new" tracks here are remixes, one by the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am of "Africa Unite" and the other by Ashley Beedle, who grafts Marley and Peter Tosh's "Get Up, Stand Up" to Damian Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock" to create the atmospheric "Stand Up Jamrock." Both are interesting attempts to gently update Marley's sound for the 21st century, but one wonders if Marley's body of work even needs to be updated at all, since his political and philosophical positions continue to be eerily relevant, and his musical settings, while hardly up to the minute dancehall, can still easily hold their own in any yard. Aside from the "new" material, Africa Unite: The Singles Collection offers up early Lee "Scratch" Perry gems like the still striking "Soul Rebel" from 1970 as well as strong tracks from Marley's Island period, including the original version of "Get Up, Stand Up" from 1973 and the majestic "Exodus" from 1977. Truthfully, aside from the remixes, which are more intriguing curios than they are new recordings, and the lost song "Slogans," which is a minor but compelling addition to the legacy, most Marley fans will already have everything here. Is it worth buying for one song? Probably not. Is it a good collection? Yes, and nobody will complain if you stick it in the player in the middle of a party, although they'll all think it's Legend.There are countless Bob Marley compilations on the market, but what will generate some interest in this one, which is essentially a collection of his Island singles with a handful of his Lee "Scratch" Perry-era tracks added in, is the inclusion of a "new" Marley song, "Slogans," derived from a demo tape Marley made in a Miami hotel room in 1979. The demo tape was rediscovered in 2003 by Marley's sons Ziggy and Stephen, who then worked to finish the song, calling in Eric Clapton and Marcia Ball, among others, to help with the process. The end result is a solid, if a bit underwhelming, addition to the Marley catalog, but there is no denying "Slogans" is tuneful, wise, and increasingly timely, as politicians continue to mouth slogans as promises, and then routinely manage to not keep them. The other two "new" tracks here are remixes, one by the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am of "Africa Unite" and the other by Ashley Beedle, who grafts Marley and Peter Tosh's "Get Up, Stand Up" to Damian Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock" to create the atmospheric "Stand Up Jamrock." Both are interesting attempts to gently update Marley's sound for the 21st century, but one wonders if Marley's body of work even needs to be updated at all, since his political and philosophical positions continue to be eerily relevant, and his musical settings, while hardly up to the minute dancehall, can still easily hold their own in any yard. Aside from the "new" material, Africa Unite: The Singles Collection offers up early Lee "Scratch" Perry gems like the still striking "Soul Rebel" from 1970 as well as strong tracks from Marley's Island period, including the original version of "Get Up, Stand Up" from 1973 and the majestic "Exodus" from 1977. Truthfully, aside from the remixes, which are more intriguing curios than they are new recordings, and the lost song "Slogans," which is a minor but compelling addition to the legacy, most Marley fans will already have everything here. Is it worth buying for one song? Probably not. Is it a good collection? Yes, and nobody will complain if you stick it in the player in the middle of a party, although they'll all think it's Legend.false2025-11-07 20:18:41Africa Unite: The Singles Collection20052005-11-072005-11-07141ReggaeRockRoots Reggae1131462248319735e07fb-a486-43e6-924a-ea2ebabe9e01c296e10c-110a-4103-9e77-47bfebb7fb2e3e1d1d00-efaf-3361-929d-d49dc883a770/media/data/media5/Music/Bob Marley & The Wailers/Africa Unite_ The Singles Collection/folder.jpgBob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The WailersBob Marley and the Wailers (also known as The Wailing Wailers, Bob Marley & the Wailers, and The Wailers) were a Jamaican reggae band led by Bob Marley. It developed from the ska vocal group, The Teenagers, created by Marley with Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer in 1963. By late 1963, singers Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith had joined the group. By the early 1970s, Marley and Bunny Wailer had learned to play some instruments, and brothers Aston "Family Man" Barrett (bass) and Carlton Barrett (drums), had joined the band. The line-up was known variously as: The Teenagers, the Wailing Rudeboys, the Wailing Wailers, then Bob Marley and the Wailers, with three albums between 1971 and 1973 credited to The Wailers. After Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh left the band in 1974, Marley continued with new band members which included the Barrett brothers, Junior Marvin and Al Anderson on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earl "Wya" Lindo on keyboards, and Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion. The "I Threes", consisting of Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, and Marley's wife, Rita, provided backing vocals.