SACD Bob Marley and The Wailers – Kaya

Kaya as a hybrid stereo SACD from Analogue Productions: Frank Arkwright and Ryan K. Smith mastered it direct to DSD at Abbey Road Studios in London from the original master tape. All ten songs play in one sequence – from “Easy Skanking” to “Time Will Tell”.

London sessions, Jamaican roots

Kaya arrived in 1978, but its story begins with the London sessions that also produced Exodus. That shared period of work yielded two records with different emphases – and here affection, longing and everyday pleasures move to the front. “Easy Skanking” sets the pace from the first bar: settle into the rhythm and let the songs unfold.

Bob Marley & The Wailers give that relaxed feel a carefully built foundation. Bass and drums carry each song while guitar, keyboards and voices find their places around them. The melodies draw you in immediately; repeated listening reveals how precisely the accompaniment fits together. “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul” may be the familiar landmarks, but the way between them matters just as much.

A band that leaves room

Aston “Family Man” Barrett on bass and Carlton Barrett on drums form the rhythmic centre. Junior Marvin plays lead guitar and Tyrone Downie adds keyboards, while Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt sing as the I Threes. Listen for the way a vocal answer extends a phrase or gives it another shade of meaning – these backing parts take part in the storytelling.

Some of the material reaches back into Marley’s earlier work. Revisited songs sit beside newer compositions, connected by this band’s approach. So Kaya offers more than a snapshot of 1978: it also shows Marley continuing to develop his own repertoire, giving a familiar piece new emphasis through its accompaniment, its pace and the way a line is sung.

Beyond the love songs

“Crisis”, “Running Away” and “Time Will Tell” widen the picture. Pressure, retreat and uncertainty about the future stay present within the album’s generally welcoming mood. If you mainly know Kaya through its love songs, follow the sequence through to the end: the full programme gives those songs a wider setting.

That is the lasting pleasure of this album – a warm, easy-going surface with a thoughtful undercurrent. The closing songs give the record its depth, and they make it worth coming back to an album whose best-known moments can otherwise dominate the memory.

The hybrid stereo SACD from Analogue Productions

CAPP 181 SA is a hybrid stereo SACD from Analogue Productions. According to the publisher, Frank Arkwright and Ryan K. Smith mastered it direct to DSD at Abbey Road Studios in London from the original master tape. The SACD layer plays on SACD-capable players, the CD layer on any conventional CD player. The disc contains the ten songs of the original album.

You order from Michael 45 in Germany. We arrange the US import and ship from Hilden.

Also in another edition: Kaya

More SACDs by Bob Marley and The Wailers: Burnin’ · Natty Dread · Rastaman Vibration · Exodus · Uprising

Artist page: All titles by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe

Musicians

Documented selection of participating musicians. Personnel may vary by track; this list does not claim to be complete.