If you do not already own "Legend", hands down this has to be a better choice if you are looking for a single CD as your Bob Marley collection. If you are a bigger fan, be sure to check out his 4-cd box set "Songs of Freedom".


Superb overview but "Legend" remains the favorite   May 24, 2001
R. Riis (NY)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

The basics : "One Love" drops one track from "Legend" ("Satisfy My Soul") and adds seven others. Both CDs use the live version of "No Woman, No Cry", while "One Love" substitutes the full band version of "Redemption Song" for "Legend"'s acoustic version. "One Love" presents its tracks in chronological order, while "Legend" is programmed more for listening pleasure or party play. You really can't go wrong with either choice (assuming you don't wish to dig a little deeper with the box set), but even though "One Love" gives better representation to all of Marley's Tuff Gong albums, "Legend" remains a sentimental favorite. Five stars to "One Love" though. By the way, Tuff Gong is reissuing all its Marley CDs in newly-remastered versions over the summer and fall of 2001 (even though they already sound great).


Marley's Legendary Career Commemorated In "One Love"   June 12, 2001
Anthony G Pizza (FL)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This updated Bob Marley greatest hits collection was released 20 years and one day after the legendary Jamaican singer's funeral, 10 days after his untimely 1981 death from cancer at 36. It closed a 20-year career that still seemed brief, and a legacy inspiring world music and alternative rock styles, and US/Third World relations, to this day.

"One Love" is brighter-sounding, more generous sounding 1984's "Legend," reggae's top-selling LP and itself a model of packaging and artist respect. Marley's beloved hits are here, among the only reggae tracks most casual listeners have heard: the serene "One Love/People Get Ready," (used consistently in TV commercials), the sinewy "Jamming" and "Stir It Up" (an earlier hit for Johnny Nash), the infamous, strident "I Shot The Sheriff" and "Get Up, Stand Up." These songs slide from personal to political to spiritual to sensual casually, as slyly as Peter Tosh's legendary keyboard work cushioned Marley's guitar and trademark percussion. The first sounds of New Wave (Police, U2) is difficult to comprehend without these classic tracks.

You also hear Marley's deep love for American soul in "Roots, Rock, Reggae" (sounding like James Brown in ballad mode), his clever wordplay in "Iron Lion Zion" and his compelling, hypnotic concert sound in 1975's "No Woman, No Cry." ("One Love" lacks tracks from 1978's remarkable "Babylon By Bus" live set).

Despite evocative photographs and superb Ted Jensen remastering, "One Love"'s annotation lags behind "Legend." Billboard editor/Marley biographer Timothy White contributed an historical essay and song-by-song commentary to the 1984 set, acknowledging Marley bandmates Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and the I-Threes (including widow Rita Marley) for their contributions. "One Love," meanwhile, only lists Wailer members between 1972-81.

But the quality of its music and packaging still makes "One Love" yet another superb collection from UTV, Universal Music's catalogue division releasing bright-sounding artist and label compilation updates ("Classic Motown," "Pure Disco," greatest hits sets from Tom Petty, Tom Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and others) and bringing revered music into the 21st century. "One Love" is a recommended, intelligent purchase for those dissatisfied with the fewer songs on "Legend," but unwilling to purchase Marley's expansive box set "Songs of Freedom."


Excellent Reggae Starter Kit From Bob Marley   May 31, 2002
R. Gorham
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

THE BAND: "The Wailers" (1972-1981) are Bob Marley (lead vocals, guitar, percussion), Peter McIntosh (piano, organ, guitar), Bunny Livingston (congas, bongos), Aston Barrett (bass, percussion), Carlton Barrett (drums & percussion), Karl Lindo (keyboards), Karl Smith (guitar), Donald Kinsey (guitar), Julian Marvin (guitar)... and other assorted players over the years.

THE DISC: (2001) 20 tracks in chronological order of release - clocking in at approximately 78 minutes. Contains a 19-page booklet with page by page song listing, the album the songs came from, the year released of each song, numerous pictures, band members, and thank you's (no lyrics). Digitally remastered sound. Label - Tuff Gong / Island.

COMMENTS: "One Love" is a wonderful CD. A notch better than "Legend" due to 5 extra songs and crisp remastering. You'll find 14 of the 15 songs from "Legend" here (minus ""Satisfy My Soul"). The necessary extra songs you get are "Iron Lion Zion", "So Much Trouble In The World", "Roots, Rock, Reggae", "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and the hit or miss bonus "I Know A Place" (never released). This compilation grabs from most of Marley's popular works... 2 songs from the CD "Burnin'", 1 from "Kaya", 1 from "Natty Dread", 1 from "Survival", 1 from "Confrontation", 2 from "Uprising", and a stunning 6 from his most succesful studio album "Exodus". You also get a better rendition of the "Redemption Song" featuring the whole band and not just Marley and his guitar. There are a few tunes I miss from "Kaya" and 2 tunes in particular I miss from "Natty Dread" ("Lively Up Yourself" and "So Jeh Seh"). If you own no Marley, this is THE place to start. Nice liner notes and photography as well - the sleeve cover photo is one of the best naturally posed pictures of Bob Marley I can remember. When you think of the MASTER of reggae, you MUST think of Bob Marley... and this is his best single compilation to date. Seems like it was just last year when he died (1980)... the time flies by and his music still sounds fresh and current. The legend lives on! Great disc.


Forget "Legend" this is the Best Bob Marley Compilation that's Out There!   December 31, 2005
Frederick Baptist (Singapore)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

For many years, "Legend" was the only truly great compilation of this man's life's work but if you don't already have that album or if you are new to Bob Marley and want to find out what all the fuss is about, this hard-to-find version is really the best that there is. 20 great track selections and one track, the last one, that's not even on any other Marley album and most importantly of all, the sound quality is brilliant! Too many albums use the "remastered" claim too easily and sometimes even falsely to get you to "upgrade" from the album you already have but this is not one of them as this disc has been remastered to perfection. If you are not too wild about "live" performances just like me, then don't worry too much about the more expensive 2-disc version as this great one-disc version will more than suffice. Great track selections, great sound quality, great value for money, this is THE Bob Marley one-disc compilation album to get. Highly recommended!