Bob Marley: Dreams Of Freedom: Ambient Translations of Bob Marley in Dub : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Bob Marley's songs are sacred texts to reggae fans – a fact that would make most artists think twice before messing with them, Enter producer and remixer Bill Laswell, who on Dreams of Freedom has remixed 11 Marley classics in the traditional dub style: Marley's lead vocals have been stripped away – relegated to floating alongside the I-Threes as part of the backing vocals – and the instrumental tracks have been turned into spacious, echoey affairs. Laswell leaves intact the wicked rhythm section of brothers Carlton and Aston "Family Man" Barrett, though, and adds only a few ambient sounds to his skanking remixes of songs such as "Rebel Music" and "Waiting In Vain." The result? Dreams of Freedom offers a fresh perspective on this familiar material while retaining the pulse and the spirit of Marley's music.