Soul Revolution Part II＜Smoky Blue Vinyl＞

Originally issued only in Jamaica, this Lee Perry/Bob Marley-produced early-'70s album saw the Wailers continue their move from their ska and rocksteady roots to a more sparely produced form of early reggae, also moving toward more spiritual concerns and aspirations toward peaceful brotherhood in their lyrics. Actually, for a Lee Perry production it's rather on the basic no-frills side, with a stark ambience highlighting the vocal harmonies and throbbing bass. Few of these songs were destined to become among the more widely hailed efforts in the repertoire of Marley (who wrote most of the songs) or the Wailers -- "Don't Rock My Boat," "Duppy Conqueror," and "Sun Is Shining" are about the most acclaimed of them. But it's a respectably strong set of material, with some mighty strong harmonies that echo their early heroes the Impressions (in fact, they cover Curtis Mayfield's "Keep on Moving" here) and dabs of light organ and melodica adding some color to the mix. [Some reissues add alternate takes of "Kaya" and "Duppy Conqueror."] ~ Richie Unterberger