Características
When Bob Marley died, he was one of the world's first global superstars – famous and celebrated from Europe to Africa to America. Some saw him not just as a reggae singer, but as a folk hero, a kind of freedom fighter. And to this day, his legacy is bigger than the music he made, wrote Pitchfork. In the 21st century, Bob Marley is a global cultural icon and the first Jamaican to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “Kaya,” released in 1978, was the tenth studio album by the Jamaican artist and was recorded during the same recordings sessions as “Exodus”. “Exodus” was still in the UK charts when its successor was released. This was not only proof of Bob Marley's phenomenal popularity at the time, but also of the man's impressive work ethic and ability to cope with his deteriorating health. On “Kaya” – a word from Jamaican Patois meaning “grass” or “hemp” – Marley continued an unspoken tradition that had developed throughout the Wailers' discography: the fusion of Western sounds and motifs with the iconic traditions of Jamaican society. To date, nearly 1.6 million copies of “Kaya” have been sold! The album's success was reflected in six platinum and three gold certifications.
“Kaya” presents an more accessible version of Bob Marley. Lyrically, the songs eschewed the political commentary and Rastafarian philosophies that were prominent in “Natty Dread” and “Rastaman Vibration”. Instead, themes such as love and ganja are emphasized, as in “Easy Skanking” and the title track. The palpable musical tension that simmered beneath the surface of the Wailers' earlier works gave way to a more relaxed “riddim”. “Kaya” shows a remarkably gentle side of Bob Marley & The Wailers, but also documents the band at the height of their creative powers. The album's biggest hit, “Is This Love”, reached number 9 on the UK charts, a modest showing for a song that was ubiquitous at the time and has become a modern pop standard. Another love song, “She's Gone”, remains one of Marley's most overlooked gems. As the album progresses, darker clouds gather, including the mysterious “Misty Morning”, the heavily syncopated “Crisis” and the existentially brooding “Running Away”, which ends with a raw, distorted rap from Marley – a stark departure from his usual vocal performances. The album closes with the unusual, folk-tinged “Time Will Tell” and a Marley-esque dark refrain: “Think You're In Heaven But You're Living In Hell.”
Analogue Productions now honors this masterful album with a sonically outstanding hybrid SACD, based on Ryan K. Smith's remastering of the original tapes at Sterling Sound, offering a previously unheard sound quality of this reggae classic.
Hybrid-SACD (Dual-Layer)
1. Easy Skanking
2. Kaya
3. Is This Love
4. Sun Is Shining
5. Satisfy My Soul
6. She’s Gone
7. Misty Morning
8. Crisis
9. Running Away
10. Time Will Tell