Kaya (album)
1978 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kaya is the tenth studio album by the Jamaican band Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1978.[1][2] The album consists of tracks recorded alongside those released on the Exodus album. It was produced by the band.[3]
| Kaya | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 March 1978 | |||
| Recorded | January – April 1977 | |||
| Studios | Island, London, England | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Length | 36:59 | |||
| Labels | ||||
| Producers | Bob Marley and the Wailers | |||
| Bob Marley and the Wailers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Kaya | ||||
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The album's release coincided with the One Love Peace Concert, heralding Marley's triumphant return to Jamaica from exile in London. Three of the songs are new versions of tracks from the 1971 album Soul Revolution Part II. Kaya reached the top five in the UK album charts. A 40th anniversary remix was released on 2 June 2018.[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A−[6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [3] |
Lester Bangs, in Rolling Stone, wrote: "Musically, Kaya is a succession of the most tepid reggae clichés, pristinely performed and recorded, every last bit of tourist bait (down to the wood blocks) in place just like a Martin Denny record."[8] The Bay State Banner noted that "the Wailers take freely from Gamble & Huff's chords, Euro-disco's burping bass, and pop-soul ballads' blithe strings and synthesizers, but they funk up and condense these styles and use reggae's chicken scratch and snap-on drumming as disco employs congas: for a counter-voice to handle the unspeakable passions in a song."[9] Robert Christgau said, "If this is MOR, it's MOR like good Steely Dan—MOR with a difference." Christgau added, "Marley has sung with more apparent passion, it's true, but never more subtly, and his control of the shift in conception that began with Exodus is now absolute. He hasn't abandoned his apocalyptic vision—just found a day-to-day context for it."[6] The Globe and Mail opined that "Marley's reggae, expansive as always, has this time failed to integrate the Jamaican and American elements."[10]
Track listing
Original album (1978)
All songs written by Bob Marley. Mastered by Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Easy Skanking" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Kaya" | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Is This Love" | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Sun Is Shining" | 4:58 |
| 5. | "Satisfy My Soul" | 4:31 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She's Gone" | 2:25 |
| 2. | "Misty Morning" | 3:33 |
| 3. | "Crisis" | 3:54 |
| 4. | "Running Away" | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Time Will Tell" | 3:29 |
The Definitive Remasters edition (2001)
All songs written by Bob Marley.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Easy Skanking" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Kaya" | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Is This Love" | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Sun Is Shining" | 4:58 |
| 5. | "Satisfy My Soul" | 4:31 |
| 6. | "She's Gone" | 2:25 |
| 7. | "Misty Morning" | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Crisis" | 3:54 |
| 9. | "Running Away" | 4:15 |
| 10. | "Time Will Tell" | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Smile Jamaica" (alternate version) | 5:03 |
| Total length: | 43:26 | |
Deluxe edition (2013)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Easy Skanking" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Kaya" | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Is This Love" | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Sun Is Shining" | 4:58 |
| 5. | "Satisfy My Soul" | 4:31 |
| 6. | "She's Gone" | 2:25 |
| 7. | "Misty Morning" | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Crisis" | 3:54 |
| 9. | "Running Away" | 4:15 |
| 10. | "Time Will Tell" | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Smile Jamaica" (version) | 5:02 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Positive Vibration" | 5:29 |
| 2. | "The Heathen" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Concrete Jungle" | 5:48 |
| 5. | "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Road Block)" | 5:13 |
| 6. | "War / No More Trouble" | 6:22 |
| 7. | "I Shot the Sheriff" | 4:28 |
| 8. | "No Woman, No Cry" | 6:42 |
| 9. | "Is This Love" | 5:55 |
| 10. | "Jamming" | 7:54 |
| 11. | "Easy Skanking" | 4:50 |
| 12. | "Get Up, Stand Up" | 4:55 |
| 13. | "Exodus" | 10:43 |
Kaya: 40th Anniversary Mix (2018)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Easy Skanking" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Kaya" | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Is This Love" | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Sun Is Shining" | 4:58 |
| 5. | "Satisfy My Soul" | 4:31 |
| 6. | "She's Gone" | 2:25 |
| 7. | "Misty Morning" | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Crisis" | 3:54 |
| 9. | "Running Away" | 4:15 |
| 10. | "Time Will Tell" | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Smile Jamaica" (version) | 5:02 |
Musicians
- Bob Marley – lead vocals, acoustic and rhythm guitar, percussion
- Junior Marvin – lead guitar
- Tyrone "Organ D" Downie – keyboards, percussion
- Aston "Family Man" Barrett – bass, percussion
- Carlton Barrett – drums, percussion
- Winston Grennan – drums
- Alvin "Seeco" Patterson – percussion
- Vincent Gordon – trombone
- Glen Da Costa – trumpet
- Rita Marley – backing vocals
- Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
- Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1978–79) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[13] | 5 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[14] | 6 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[15] | 6 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[16] | 14 |
| UK Albums Chart[17] | 4 |
| US Billboard 200 | 50 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 50 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[20] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[21] | 2× Platinum | 600,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[22] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[23] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[24] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||