Uprising is Bob Marley and The Wailers 12th student album and was Bob Marley’s last album released during his lifetime, making the album a more sentimental anniversary for his fans. Within Uprising we see Marley explore and address his Rastafarian beliefs on a whole new level than ever before and we get an even deeper look at the soul of Marley.
‘Could You Be Loved’ and ‘Redemption Song’ are arguably the best songs on the album, they both take on a completely different tone but show Marley’s musical variety and ability to adapt any musical style into reggae. ‘Could You Be Loved’ embraces funk and disco while sticking to its reggae roots, whilst ‘Redemption Song’ is an “acoustic ballad without any hint of reggae rhythm” as said in the book Marley Legend. The song was written after Marley was diagnosed with cancer and the powerful message of the song, as said by Marcus Garvey, urges listeners to emancipate themselves from mental slavery as no one can free our minds but ourselves.
Uprising is a beautiful album which can be considered a celebration of the amazing work of Marley.
Listen to the powerful ‘Redemption Song’ below:
