Rewind album: Uprising, by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Since his death in 1981 from cancer, Bob Marley has been promoted as a thoughtful, introspective singer of radio-friendly reggae songs, and his dreadlocked image used as an emblem for peaceful co-existence.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Island
But that description ignores Marley's interest in politics - he survived an assassination attempt in 1976 - and his fervent adherence to the Rastafarianism spiritual movement. In spite of his music's relaxed, laid-back style, these were the elements that fuelled his creativity, and the singer brought them to the fore on Uprising, his final studio album.
Although it does not contain any of Marley's most famous hits, Uprising has many interesting aspects. The highlight is Redemption Song, a track that could, spookily, have been written as his epitaph. Performed solo on an acoustic guitar, and reminiscent of John Lennon's self-confessional later work, Marley exhorts the listener to "emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/None but ourselves can free our mind". The line was taken from a speech by Jamaican political leader Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), who was considered a prophet by Rastafarians.