Time Has Come: The Best of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers (EMI Manhattan, 1988)

If you bought this album hoping to find "Tomorrow People," "Tumblin' Down," "Look Who's Dancing," and other renowned Melody Makers hits from the '80s and '90s, then you might be disappointed to find that this is a collection of the group's early, less popular pre-Virgin work.  Ranging from 1979 (when Ziggy was only 10!) through the mid-1980s, this material is -- as can be expected -- bubbly and youthful (see the too-sweet cover of Albert Hammond's "Give a Little Love," later covered to similarly cheesy effect by Aswad), yet there are undeniable sparks of talent and signs of promise.  In fact, I enjoyed several of these tracks more than some of Ziggy and company's later, more "mature" work -- in part because their early material remained more true to the reggae sound than the inconsistent hybrid releases of the '90s and beyond.  "Children Playing in the Streets," the group's first single (recorded with the aid of their father), utilizes the kids' pre-pubescent voices to great effect, as does the lovers rock tune "Met Her on a Rainy Day," which capitalizes on their bubble-gum appeal.  The fun, bouncy "Aiding and Abetting" and the swaying roots of "Natty Dread Rampage" provide nice support for this set.  Although you may not know these songs, that doesn't mean that they're really any worse than the ones with which you are familiar.

One Bright Day (Virgin, 1989)

Rather disappointing after such a promising debut, One Bright Day nevertheless spawned two big hits, the exuberant "Look Who's Dancing" and the strong title track.  Little else is truly striking, however -- perhaps "All You Got" or "Love Is the Only Law."  This album has an increased pop/rock sound, with tracks like "Who Will Be There" and "Pains of Life" featuring annoying rock guitars.  Additionally, the songwriting is consistently a step below Conscious Party, with little that is catchy, either melodically or musically.  Even though this album also won a Grammy for best reggae album, it didn't deserve it nearly as much as Conscious Party.  Its mainstream appeal certainly accounted for this win.   Despite the award, I still consider this effort a sophomore slump.

Joy and Blues (Virgin, 1993)

As good as any Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers effort I've heard, not only because it's possibly the most consistent, but also because it's the most musical.  That is, the music is distinct, not relying on the "melody" to "make" the song.   Not only that, but there also is a refreshing sense that little of this material would ever cross over to the pop charts.  Tunes like "Rebel in Disguise" and "African Herbsman" -- a cover of the Ritchie Havens song that his father had also covered -- for instance, capture a great old-fashioned, grimy, rootsy/bluesy sound with raspy vocals reminiscent of, well, Bob Marley.  Unlike the hits from their first two Virgin albums, these songs seem unsuited for the mainstream market, and more than anything else I've heard from the group, Joy and Blues captures a true roots feel.  They even manage to maintain their positive, upbeat outlook on life, producing a fun, funky album that doesn't follow the then-current trend into dancehall.  From the funky bass line of the title track to the catchy, happy melody of "Brothers and Sisters," this is a proper showcase of the Marley family's talent.

Free Like We Want 2 B (Elektra, 1995)

 The "2 hip" spelling in the title should serve as a warning of how this album sounds.  Likely 2 hip for traditional reggae fans, Free Like We Want 2 B, as epitomized by the pop rock of "Power to Move Ya," is overpowered by its non-reggae elements -- from rock 2 blues 2 funk 2 pop 2 jazz 2 folk.  Particularly disappointing for roots fans is the fact that this album follows on the heels of the promising, rootsy Joy and Blues -- and in hindsight, it foreshadowed the overtly eclectic crossover sound on which Ziggy and the Melody Makers would rely from the mid-'90s onward.  Still, there are a few nice reggae-true tracks 2 B found, headed by the funky "Tipsy Dazy" the feisty "Keep On," and "Today," on which the women of the group take a welcome turn in the foreground.  Meanwhile, only a couple of the non-reggae tunes score: the blues ballad "Bygones" and the funk/rock of "In the Flow."  Listening to Free Like We Want 2 B, it sounds like it pains Ziggy to put forth a straightforward reggae riddim -- perhaps not surprising, given the fact that he earned the nickname Ziggy (his real name being David) because of his love for David "Ziggy Stardust" Bowie.

Fallen Is Babylon (Elektra, 1997)

A hit-or-miss effort that mostly whiffs, Fallen Is Babylon nevertheless won Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers their third Grammy Award in 1998, further proving how ignorant the Grammys are when it comes to reggae (and most other genres).  Almost as if to alienate reggae fans, Ziggy leads off this album with the insufferably pop/dance title cut and the less-but-still irritating hip-hop beat of "Everyone Wants to Be," featuring the ubiquitous Wyclef Jean (and produced by Kevin Bacon?  What the...?).  Only after their overwrought version of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" do the Melody Makers settle into some decent material, led by the funky roots of "Postman."  Stephen Marley, who wrote and sings "Postman," as well as two of the other best tracks here -- the sultry "Notice" and the mellow "Five Days a Year" -- is the real star of Fallen Is Babylon, making you wonder why it isn't Stephen Marley & The Melody Makers.   His raspy, bluesy vocals echo his father's, with an edge not found on Ziggy's.  For his part, the only good song that Ziggy contributes is the sexy, soulful "I Remember."  When the Melody Makers stick to such a calm, relaxed style, they suit me nicely, but too often on this set they are too damn happy, too energized.  Tunes like "Day By Day," "Brotherly Sisterly Love," "Born to Be Lively" (which makes sloppy and unimaginative use of a sample from "Lively Up Yourself"), and the aforementioned "People Get Ready" are drivelly and upbeat to the point of corniness.  If they'd settle down behind Stephen's melancholy lead more often, I'd enjoy the Melody Makers more than I do.

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Spirit of Music (Elektra, 1999)

*GUEST REVIEW*
This album by Marley scion Ziggy and three of his musical siblings is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated efforts by any of Marley's children. It was mostly overlooked when it was originally released, and it doesn't seem to have the same kind of popularity as lesser efforts like Fallen Is Babylon and Joy and Blues. The only possible explanation for this is that Spirit of Music is NOT a reggae album. There are reggae elements throughout, and two straight-up roots tunes (covers of the old man), but on the whole, this an experimental, primarily acoustic, folk-blues record, if you can believe it. As usual, Number Two Son Stephen "Raggamuffin" Marley steals Ziggy's thunder on almost every track he's featured, including a sublimely gorgeous take on his father's "All Day, All Night." Ziggy may be the spitting vocal image of Bob, but Stephen embodies Bob's soul. Every note that rasps from Stephen's throat is full of pain, sorrow, and the wailing contradiction between sin and redemption that, in my opinion, made Bob so appealing in the first place. Ziggy may be a better singer from a technical standpoint, and he's certainly the celebrity Marley (although youngest brother Damian is giving him a run for his money these days), but Stephen just dominates things every time he's given a chance to sing. Taking on Bob's "High Tide or Low Tide" (interestingly, another outtake from Catch a Fire, like "All Day, All Night"), as well as a beautiful, memorable paean to herb called "One Good Spliff," Stephen seems poised to become the breakout star of the Marley family. To be fair to Ziggy, though, Bob's eldest son more than handles his own on bluesy numbers like "Keep My Faith" and "All I Need Is You," which are early indications of the direction he later took with his Dragonfly solo effort. All in all, Spirit of Music is what Ziggy and company should have been doing all along. It marks a transformation from mere Bob sound-alikes to something original and worth listening to for reasons other than Ziggy, Stephen, and vocalist/sisters Cedella and Sharon's famous last name.

- Sam Thompson

Dragonfly (Private Music, 2003)

On the song "True to Myself," Ziggy Marley sings "I can't make you happy unless I am. Got to be true to myself."  Perhaps this is his response to the barrage of questions he envisioned would be hurled his way upon the release of his first solo album, Dragonfly, a distinctly non-traditional attempt to branch out beyond the reggae genre.  This album is basically a light rock/folk album sung by a reggae artist.  The strummy acoustic guitar touches on songs like the title track, "Melancholy Mood," and "Looking" don't confine their sound to the reggae genre -- as artists like Mishka and Screwdriver do -- in fact, they don't even try to approach any semblance of reggae; Marley boldly and proudly goes against the grain.  So be warned.  While the sound put forth isn't really my cup o' tea, the songs themselves aren't all bad.  The title track is a catchy folk song about the evils of man, as seen though the eyes of the animal kingdom (Ziggy Dolittle?), while "Rainbow in the Sky" is a bouncy, jazzy R&B ditty, and "Melancholy Mood" and "Never Deny You" are both somber, atmospheric ballads that pack a punch.  The only discernable reggae rhythm on Dragonfly is found on "Shalom Salaam," a take on the Israeli situation that is as thoughtful as it is funky.  On the other hand, much of this album sounds like a generic retread of other artists' material.  "I Get Out," for instance, has a harder-edged Lenny Kravitz sound written all over it, while "Looking" is like a Simon & Garfunkel throwaway, and "True to Myself" is Hootie & The Blowfish-type fluff.  Meanwhile, "Good Old Days" -- which combines a dance beat with African drums -- is just weird, and the pop rock of "In the Name of God" and "Don't You Kill Love" ring hollow.  I don't know who the intended audience for Dragonfly is supposed to be, but reggae fans might be a bit pissed off if they don't know what to expect.  If you do know what to expect, you might actually enjoy it -- but don't expect a masterpiece.

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Love Is My Religion (Tuff Gong, 2006)

Ziggy Marley continues to experiment with worldly sounds, but on Love Is My Religion, he remains much more closely tethered to a reggae base, surely inducing sighs of relief from genre fans wary after the folksy Dragonfly. Initially, however, the opening tracks don't instill much confidence. "Into the Groove" is buoyant Afro-pop -- not bad, but not necessarily what reggae fans want to hear -- "Friend" is a strummy folk number, and the first two reggae tunes, the title track and "Make Some Music," are the weakest on the album. "Love Is My Religion" is a too-happy, too-sappy "one love" declaration, while the sultry one-drop groove of "Make Some Music" is undermined by vocals that can only be described as "whispered rapping." From then on, though, the reggae core kicks in, augmented by Marley's lush self-production. "Black Cat" picks things up with a solid ska beat and an intriguing racial analogy seeking to redeem the stigma of black feline-ism. "Beach in Hawaii" is perhaps the most evocative number, as a plucking Hawaiian guitar plays off of Marley's haunting voice to craft a tropical dreamscape. "Lifetime" has a seductive lovers rock vibe, followed by the vivacious jam "Be Free," which conjures up visions of what a Lenny Kravitz reggae tune would sound like. "Keep on Dreamin'" meanwhile is a dark, funky ode to loneliness, and "Still the Storms" is a larger-than-life opus with an apocalyptic feel. There's a welcome edge to most of the material on this album, and after the fast-forwardable first four tracks, Love Is My Religion represents some of the best work from Ziggy Marley in over a decade.