Bob Marley and The Wailers – Kaya

London sessions, Jamaican roots

Kaya arrived in 1978, although its story begins with the London sessions that also produced Exodus. That shared period of work yielded two records with different emphases. Here, affection, longing and everyday pleasures move into the foreground. “Easy Skanking” establishes the pace: settle into the rhythm and allow the songs to unfold.

Bob Marley & The Wailers give that relaxed approach a carefully organised musical foundation. Bass and drums carry the song while guitar, keyboards and voices find their places around them. The melodies offer an immediate way in; repeated listening reveals how the accompaniment fits together. “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul” may be the familiar landmarks, but the route between them matters just as much to the album.

A band that leaves room

Aston “Family Man” Barrett on bass and Carlton Barrett on drums form its rhythmic centre. Junior Marvin plays lead guitar and Tyrone Downie contributes keyboards. Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt add their voices as the I Threes. Listen for the way a vocal response extends a phrase or gives it another shade of meaning. Those backing parts participate 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. Kaya therefore offers more than a snapshot of 1978: it also shows Marley continuing to develop his own repertoire. A familiar piece can acquire a different emphasis through its accompaniment, its pacing and the way a line is sung.

Beyond the love songs

“Crisis”, “Running Away” and “Time Will Tell” broaden the picture. Pressure, retreat and uncertainty about the future remain present within the album's generally welcoming mood. Follow its sequence through to the closing tracks if you mainly know Kaya through its love songs. The full programme gives those songs a wider setting.

This double LP spreads the original ten tracks across four sides. “Running Away” and “Time Will Tell” share the final side, giving the closing passage a space of its own after the last turn of the record. The sequence remains intact, while the breaks required by the 45 RPM format divide the listening experience into four smaller chapters. It is a useful way to return to an album whose most famous moments can otherwise dominate the memory.

This edition

Analogue Productions AAPP 181-45 presents Kaya on two 180-gram LPs at 45 RPM, pressed at Quality Record Pressings. The publisher identifies the original master tape as the source. Packaging is a Stoughton tip-on gatefold jacket. This is the Analogue Productions 45 RPM double-LP edition, containing the album's original ten-song programme.

Also on SACD: Kaya

In the magazine: Bob Marley: Burnin’ and Natty Dread on UHQR

More by Bob Marley and The Wailers: Rastaman Vibration

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.