Fascinating Bob Marley tribute charity compilation
This terrific series, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust and The National Foundation For Youth Music has produced various artist tribute albums to The Specials, The Beat, Madness and The Clash – first-rate compilations with a dazzling array of artists contributing new tracks to the project.
Spread over a mammoth four discs, this tribute to Bob Marley & The Wailers contains many tracks that stick satisfactorily to the blueprint laid down by the originals, like The Skatalites featuring Doreen Shaffer’s Nice Time, One Love Orchestra’s take on Jamming, Steel City Rhythm’s Could You Be Loved and Annabella Lwin’s Cheer Up.
King Hammond’s Kinky Reggae is suitably slinky, while Black Symbol’s strident Get Up Stand Up is an effectively modern version, as is Rude Boy George’s souped-up, nippy, Iron Lion Zion. The Spammed boast an improbable line-up of Neil Innes, Horace Panter, Micko Westmoreland, Rat Scabies and Kevin Eldon, who delivers a heartfelt vocal on I Shot The Sherriff.
The Funadicts’ Lively Up Yourself is delightfully bright ’n’ breezy, and The Uplifters deliver a bouncy, infectious Pour Down Your Sunshine. And we close, surprisingly, with Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir’s lusty, rousing, Three Little Birds. Fabulous!