Natural Mystic, the most recent compilation of Bob Martley's material, is a nicely packaged CD which includes lyrics, beautiful artwork and photos, the cover art from his catalogue, and a limited discography (they've included the dates the songs were released, but not the albums they appeared on). It also includes "Iron Lion Zion", from his box set, and "Keep On Moving". There is one disparate section - an advertisement for "offical merchandise" (hats and shirts) that seems to contradict the content of the music.
"But what about the music?" you're asking yourself. This is not a greatest hits package. It's a collection of music released between 1975 and 1980 reflecting the combination of Marley's deeply held religious/political beliefs - beliefs he not only sang about, but lived. With the exception of a live version of "Trenchtown Rock", (one good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain) the songs focus on "lesser known" songs. For example - "Build your penitentiary, we build your schools/ Brainwash education to make us the fools/ Hate is your reward for our love/ Telling us of you God above/ We gonna chase those crazy/ Chase those crazy bunkheads/ Chase those crazy baldheads out of town" - from "Crazy Baldheads" or the lyrics in "One Drop" - "They made the world so hard/ Everyday we got to keep on fighting/ Everyday people are dying/ From hunger and starvation, lamentation/ But read it in Revelation/ You'll find redemption/ And then you give us the teaching of His Majesty/ For we want no devil philosophy, and the final line - Fighting against ism and skism."
If you're unfamiliar with the depth of Marley's songwriting, or you want a broad collection of his more politcal/social/religious material, this is a CD worth owning. I wouldn't recommend it for folks who haven't heard anything by Marley, however. There are no bad or weak Bob Marley recordings, a fact this collection reaffirms. The arrangements, lyrics, and performances are top notch and illustrate why he's transcended being a pop icon, to become a legendary - dare I say it, revolutionary - prophet, who speaks to the hearts and minds of people all over the planet.
