Stephen Marley

Mind Control

2007-05-24

From the sinewy first blast of the title track to the fade out some 11 tracks later, one thought is inescapable: why in the world did Stephen Marley wait so long to cut this fabulous disc? While comparisons to his famous dad are inevitable because of the uncanny vocal resemblance Stephen has also inherited his father’s social conscience which he uses to deal with the corrupting power of government on the title track and with antiquated laws that put too many young people in jail on "Iron Bars". He also advocates sending politicians for a hike on "Chase Dem". Elsewhere as on "Fed Up" and "Lonely Avenue" he deals with the heartbreak of broken relationships. As is par for the course with the close knit Marley clan, he pulls in his sister Cedelia Marley and brother Julian Marley on background vocals on a number of tracks. He also features younger brother Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on lead vocals on a couple of tracks including the toast heavy "Traffic Jam" which hits the spot in Jamaican dance halls but will be a bit of a stretch for those whose Reggae tastes don’t stretch much beyond his father’s Legend collection. Also featured are various guest artists including Ben Harper on "Inna Di Red". Overall, a terrific addition to the Marley legacy. Smitty