This documentary, Bob Marley and the Wailers: Catch a Fire, returns to Dynamic Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, shedding light on the development of the album, the thought process of Bob, Peter, and Bunny, and the importance of the music on a song-by-song basis. The story of Catch a Fire is presented through interviews with the band members, studio musicians, and former head of Island Records Chris Blackwell. Throughout are raw studio rehearsal footage, BBC TV footage, and home movies that include performances of "Concrete Jungle," "Slave Driver," "Stir It Up," and "Stop That Train." The documentary wraps up with rare black-and-white footage of the Wailers' tour in Edmonton, London, in 1973 with an electrifying performance of the Burnin' song "Get Up, Stand Up." --Rob Bracco

For me personally, the reason to get the dvd is not Marley himself- there are many documentaries and concerts of Marley on the market that can be had- but the interviews with Bunny Wailer and the late, great Peter Tosh, as well as the vintage footage of the 3 original (and only, in my book) Wailers in concert. As one frustrated reviewer pointed out, there are not whole performances by the Wailers on this dvd- snipets abound within the context of the documentary. While to fans of Tosh, in particular, this is a shame, the dvd IS a documentary, and not live performances, so the lack of complete footage needs to be taken in stride.

What the dvd DOES offer, however, are wonderful anecdotes from Bunny Wailer, (including a solo rendition of "Slave Driver" that is riviting) Alston "Family Man" Barrett, Rita Marley, Chris Blackwell, guitarist wayne Perkins, and keyboardist Rabbit Bundrick, on the making of the lp. Archival interviews with Tosh and Marley add the perspectives of the lp's 2 main catalysts. As with all the Rhino dvds, the work given to this dvd is top rate, with the interviews backed by examples, live performances by many of the key players on the lp, and scenes of Chris Blackwell rolling the master acetates in his recording studio to break down what was happening on certain tracks.

While the lack of complete songs does take away somewhat from the overall effect of the video, the archival footage of the Wailers on TV (complete with the Barrett brothers and Bunny in their rastafarian-laden outfits, their matching sweaters with the traditional red gold and green) and the Edmonton, London performance of "Get Up Stand Up," alone is worth the price of the video. For me, seeing Peter Tosh on stage and singing lead on his "Stop That Train" is priceless.

Fans of Tosh and the early Wailers will find many pearls from which to choose from on this video. It was skillfully done, and is well worth having in one's personal collection. A wonderful DOCUMENTARY of the band.


Amazing DVD   October 10, 2001
Dave Rosenthal (Troy, NY United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

As a fan of music, but knowing little about its technical aspects and production, this documentary/concert dvd was a godsend. Interviews with people who made the album. The rastas who knew bob tell stories and history. Home videos of bob with his family are priceless. I think the music is amazing and I learned something about creating an album, and about bob marley and the wailers. If you like Bob, get this.


A must for true Marley/Wailers fans   April 24, 2005
Rick Devore (Butler, Pa.)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I just finished watching this fine documentary. (Picked it up for only $4.99 in a bargain bin!) The content is priceless - interviews with Bob Marley, Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer are quite rare. The interviews with Chris Blackwell, the recording engineers and studio musicians from Jamaica, England and U.S. who helped to produce the groundbreaking album "Catch A Fire" are enlightening. I've been a Marley fan for 30 years and I learned a lot from watching this DVD. It illustrates, in a somewhat disjointed fashion, the Jamaican culture that gave birth to reggae music and it's ambassadors to the world, The Wailers, while recording the development of "Catch A Fire" which brought reggae to mainstream British and American rock fans. Marley fans owe a great deal to Chris Blackwell and Island records. I attended Bob Marley's last concert in America in 1981. Every week, it seems, I see another young kid wearing a Bob Marley T-shirt. Whether you're an old Marley fan or a young one, there is plenty in this DVD for you.