Blackheart Man

Released

This may be a minority view, but I would argue that of the three vocalists in the original Wailers — Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer — Bunny was the best singer. His voice was rich and chesty and dark, and after the Wailers broke up he used it to fine effect on a long string of outstanding solo albums. (And also a few mediocre ones.) If you want to explore his catalog, start with Blackheart Man. The title track is deep, dark, and dread — and utterly sad. “Fighting Against Conviction” is a sufferer’s anthem that will have you singing along on the chorus regardless of whether you’ve ever been convicted of anything, and “Dreamland” has been covered so many times it’s easy to forget that Bunny wrote it. Blackheart Man is an absolute classic of 1970s roots-and-culture reggae.

Rick Anderson