The Mighty Bob Marley

AMG Review of The Mighty Bob Marley

Jo-Ann Greene
All Music Guide

There's something for everybody on The Mighty Bob Marley, yet another in the flood of compilations drawing exclusively from the Wailers' early eggae canon. As with so many other similar sets, this one, too, leans heavily toward Lee Perry productions. Then again, that's what most fans want, so no complaints there. Many of the band's most popular numbers from this age are here: "Duppy Conqueror," "Keep On Movin'," "Small Axe," "Kinky Reggae," and the Leslie Kong-produced "Soul Shakedown Party," to name just a handful. However, there's also a few less-recycled songs, as well: "Slave Driver," for instance, and the Johnny Nash/Danny Sims-produced "Baby We've Got a Date." But as strong as the set is, there's a host of notable omissions, although many of those were included on More of the Mighty Bob Marley, which followed hot on the heels of this set, arriving later the same year. Between the two, most fans will be more than sated. Collectors, however, are well aware that even taken together, both sets only scratch the surface.