Legend

Universal Media Disc [DVD]

Label: Island

Style: Ska

Legend

UPC: 602498345726

Release Date: 12/13/2005

Original Release Date: 12/13/2005

William Ruhlmann

Assembled seven years after the release of its audio complement, the VHS home video Legend presents visual versions of most of the songs contained on the 1984 audio album. Since the original LP was basically a collection of Bob Marley's biggest U.K. hit singles, it's not surprising that there are music videos of most of those same songs, which were no doubt produced by Island Records to promote those singles. Six of the 13 songs were filmed live at the Rainbow Theatre in London in June 1977, but even these performances have had other material added, including footage of Marley & the Wailers in casual circumstances and street scenes from Jamaica. Snippets of Marley interviews appear in between the clips. "Is This Love" is a full-fledged music video that finds Marley at a children's party, while "Stir It Up" is a TV performance from the U.K. show The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973 featuring the original Wailers band with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. There are also videos obviously assembled after Marley's death, such as "Buffalo Soldier," which features a group of Rastas decked out in Civil War uniforms roaming around in the woods, and "One Love/People Get Ready," in which a dreadlocked child watches various celebrities, including Paul McCartney, miming the song on TV. As was true of the Legend LP, this collection is not a true Marley best-of; it contains too many later songs and not enough early ones. But Marley was a charismatic live performer, and the segments of his concerts included demonstrate that well. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi