From
Taj Mahal's soulful harp playing on the opening track to the striped-down, pure sound of the entire CD, it's loud and clear that
Ziggy Marley has returned to his roots. Rumored to have gone through a near-death experience, it appears that he and his siblings have done away with all the inconsequential pop music experiments and flimsy lyrics that have plagued recent releases and decided to get serious about the heart of reggae music: flowing rhythms with a spiritual/political message. Both the singing and the lyrics on
Spirit of Music are sublime, recalling
Bob Marley's early work. In fact,
Stephen Marley's delivers haunting and effective versions of his father's tunes "All Day All Night" and "High Tide or Low Tide." Filled with soulful singing and easygoing melodies, this album is a must-have for even casual reggae fans. ~ Rosalind Cummings-Yeates