Uprising

The final Bob Marley album released in his lifetime, <i>Uprising</i> has a forlorn and rueful undertone. While Marley’s '70s work had been charged by a feeling of pan-African momentum and solidarity, <i>Uprising</i> can't disguise its sorrow, which comes from waging a ethical war that Marley was no longer sure he'd win. “Well, it seems like total destruction the only solution,” he laments on “Real Situation." “We ain't no use—you can't stop them.” The singer’s personal conviction in the Rastafarian message was as strong as ever, but here there's the sense he was fighting harder and harder for a smaller share of the black listening population. The irony is that <i>Uprising</i> contains two songs that would live eternally in the wake of Marley’s untimely death from cancer. While “Could You Be Loved” is a seamless piece of disco reggae—sharp enough to connect with fans of Michael Jackson and Prince—“Redemption Song” is Marley’s career in its quintessence. His solo acoustic reading transcended reggae to become a timeless international anthem in the company of “Blowing in the Wind” and “People Get Ready.”