For those who have never purchased “Legend” and are curious about “Legend 30th Anniversary Edition”, just know that “Legend” is an essential album for any music collector and reggae music fan. Highly recommended!
ARTIST: Bob Marley and the Wailers
TITLE: Legend – 30th Anniversary Edition
LABEL: Island Records/Tuff Gong / Universal Music Enterprises
DURATION: 68 minutes
CATALOG #: NKCD-6655
RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014
- Is This Love
- No Woman No Cry (New – Studio Version)
- Could You Be Loved
- Three Little Birds
- Buffalo Soldier
- Get Up Stand Up
- Stir It Up
- Easy Skanking (New – Alternate Version)
- One Love/People Get Ready
- I Shot the Sheriff
- Waiting in Vain
- Redemption Song
- Satisfy My Soul
- Exodus
- Jamming
- Punky Reggae Party (New – Alternate Version)
The following is an update of my 2012 review of “Bob Marley – Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers – 30th Anniversary: Deluxe Edition”.
Back in the early 1980’s, after discovering “Reggae Sunsplash” and being a grommet that would learning to surf thanks to my uncle, I was introduced to the music of the late Bob Marley.
And my first major reggae purchase on cassette would be “Legend”, a compilation album by Bob Marley and the Wailers released in 1984 by Island Records and is a greatest hits collection of singles.
The album would become the best-selling reggae album of all-time with 27 million copies sold worldwide and 15 million RIAA-certified copies in the U.S. alone.
The album has since been released several times with the original cassette having ten tracks and in 1990, a compact disc that would feature 14 tracks in their original album lengths and not the edited versions for single release.
In 2002, “Legend” would have an expanded 14-track edition release and would include a bonus disc with 1984-vintage remixes. To be followed up with a 2004 double CD release and would come with a music DVD.
In 2012, “Legend” would receive a high-fidelity release in various resolutions digitally.
But to celebrate the music of Bob Marley and the Wailers and the 30th Anniversary of “Legend”, Universal Music Enterprises will release “Legend 30th Anniversary Edition” as a CD/Blu-ray Pure Audio Disc combo set.
The combo set will include all tracks mixed in 5.1 by GRAMMY Award winning producer Bob Clearmountain on Blu-ray Pure Audio Disc and will include the original, early version of “No Woman No Cry”, replacing the previous live version.
Also, included are two previously unheard alternate versions of “Easy Skanking” and “Punky Reggae Party” which were recently discovered in the Marley vault.
The album would also include Marley’s hits such as “Three Little Birds”, “Get Up Stand Up”, “No Woman No Cry”, “I Shot the Sheriff”, “Jamming”, “Exodus”, “Redemption Song” and “Is This Love”.
Along with a 28-page, casebound book (or PDF if purchasing the album digitally) which features extended liner notes, unseen photos and forewards written by Sir Paul McCartney, Steview Wonder and liner notes by author Christopher Marley, who wrote the book “Marley”.
In addition to the CD+Blu-ray Pure Audio Disc release, “Legend 30th Anniversary Edition” will also be released on tri-color vinyl and pressed as a double gatefold LP allowing for a higher fidelity sound quality that is closer to the original source.
Listening to “Legend 30th Anniversary Edition”, while I’m unable to comment on the Blu-ray Pure Audio Disc and how the tracks sound via lossless 5.1 and how each channel is utilized for the music, I can say from the digital version, listening to the tracks today is just an enjoyable as it was back in the early ’80s.
While I do miss the live version of “No Woman No Cry” (it’s not a big loss as the track is easily available on previous albums), I do enjoy the melodic and soothing flow of the studio version of “No Woman No Cry”.
And the addition of two new alternative tracks of “Easy Skanking” and “Punk Reggae Party” is a great addition to the best album.
As a person who has purchased the original cassette, the CD and the 2002 Definitive Remastered Edition, I know that for HD music enthusiasts, to listen to “Legend” in 5.1 lossless is a major plus to owning the album, especially to have the included booklet and additional tracks.
I spent many years of my life listening to “Legend” as a teenager with my Bob Marley t-shirt driving miles to go surf, a college student driving off to college and now as an adult and a parent, sharing my passion for Bob Marley and the Wailers and their music with my own family. I literally grew up with this album and felt the music has always and consistently through the decades, continues to touch my soul. The melodies, Bob Marley’s vocals, everything about his music is harmonious and wonderful.
It’s important to note that a new “Deluxe Edition” has since been released (I believe this was released in conjunction to honor Bob Marley’s 75th birthday in 2020) which adds a second disc featuring 13 more additional tracks, boosting the track list up to 29 tracks. It also brings back the live version of “No Woman, No Cry” which was omitted in the 2012 30th anniversary release.
For those who have never purchased “Legend” and are curious about “Legend 30th Anniversary Edition”, just know that “Legend” is an essential album for any music collector and reggae music fan.
Highly recommended!
