Mind Control (2007)
| Artist: Stephen Marley |
| Format: | CD |
Product Details:
Song Listing
If you think you don't know the music of Stephen Marley, you do-you just don't realize it. A member of the celebrated Marley sibling group The Melody Makers since the age of seven, the Grammy winning producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has also been the driving creative force behind the music of his brothers. Stephen's production, performance and writing credits recently earned him two Grammys-giving him a total of five: more than any other Marley family member or reggae artist in history.
Born in 1972, the second son of Bob Marley, Stephen was dancing and singing onstage during his father and The Wailers' live shows (alongside older siblings Ziggy and Cedella) by the time he was old enough to walk. As a young boy, he stayed at home-as Ziggy and Cedella entered school-where he would shadow his father, mimic his speech and quickly fall in love with such future reggae anthems as ""Lively Up Yourself."" At seven, he began learning guitar on a nylon-stringed acoustic.
In 1979, he made his official debut when he, Ziggy, Cedella and Sharon-collectively known as The Melody Makers-cut their first single, ""Children Playing in the Streets,"" followed in 1985 by their debut LP, Play the Game Right. Over the next decade, the group would follow in their father's footsteps, racking up Grammy awards and bringing conscious songs and one-love rhythms to every corner of the globe.
With his highly anticipated debut album, not only does the sound and soul of Stephen Marley come into vivid focus, but the 34 year-old artist is now inevitably stepping to center stage for the first time in his 27 year career. Appropriately, Mind Control is all Stephen and a cornucopia of the sounds and styles that he loves: a blend of reggae, rock, R&B, nyabinghi rhythms, flamenco and hip-hop. It's an album with the grit and flavor to rock old-school Kingston sound systems and slippery, waxed Miami Range Rovers alike.
Featuring cameos from
| During the course of Stephen Marley's well-decorated music career, he always had the idea for a solo album in the back of his mind. That vision is now a reality, with today's release of the genre-bending, mind-blowing Mind Control. And as Stephen revealed in an exclusive interview with BobMarley.com's Jen Gurny, he's stepping out from behind the studio control room and in front of the microphone at the right time. When asked what people can expect from Mind Control, Stephen echoed the sentiment of his famous father. "Positive music," he said with a smile. "Jah, light, hope, you know, good stuff like that." The album, which has already been lauded in early reviews from such industry stalwarts as Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Spin, Time Out New York, Interview and Performing Songwriter, mixes influences that Stephen soaked up during childhood while observing his legendary father with those he developed as producer for his Grammy-winning brother, "Jr. Gong," among others. There's a little bit of everything on Mind Control, including straight-up reggae that recalls classic Bob Marley tunes ("Chase Dem"), funky, hip-hop influenced and soul-infused love songs ("Hey Baby," with Mos Def), and a heaping helping of politically and socially oriented song craft (the title track plus the real-life story-telling trilogy of "Officer Jimmy Interlude," "The Traffic Jam" and "Iron Bars.") Stephen said he didn't set out to make the album a mishmash of all the sounds and ideas that flood his creative mind. It just worked out that way. Track Listing |
Album Notes and Credits
Notes & Personnel Info |
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Personnel: Stephen Marley (guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, drums, shaker, tambourine, percussion, programming, drum programming); Dan Warner (guitar, acoustic guitar); Paul Fakhourie (guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, keyboards); Stephen "Asher" Noel (guitar); Ed Calle (flute); Randy Singer (harmonica); Everton Gayle (saxophone); Johnny Lee Moore (trumpet); Barry Bailey (trombone); Gary Corbett (piano, keyboards); Julian Marley (organ, drums); Chris Meredith, Sean Diedrick, Noel Davey (keyboards); Damian "Junior Gong" Marley (drums, programming, drum programming); Craig "Niteman" Taylor (drums); Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion); Marc Lee (programming); Roselyn Williams, Kenneth Roxborough, Maya Azucena, Rovleta Fraser, Franklin Thompson, Cedella Marley (background vocals). |
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Audio Mixers: Commissioner Gordon; Nikolas "Miko Don" Marzouca; Errol Brown ; Greg Morris. |
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Recording information: Lion's Den Studio, Miami, FL; Marley Music Studios, Kingston, Jamaica. |
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Arrangers: Stephen Marley; Jason Chantrelle. |
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The second oldest of the late reggae legend Bob Marley's sons, Stephen Marley has maintained a low-profile career since the 1980s, first as a key member of his brother Ziggy's band, the Melody Makers, and more recently as a solo performer. MIND CONTROL is Marley's second solo album, and in the footsteps of his younger brother Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Stephen is incorporating a strong hip-hop influence into his dancehall reggae tunes. Aside from a cover of the old R&B chestnut "Lonely Avenue," the songs are all originals that layer urban beats and occasional nods to Afrobeat and flamenco with Marley's deep reggae roots. Damian guests on the single "Traffic Jam," Mos Def drops in on "Hey Baby," and Ben Harper appears on the soulful "Inna di Red." |
Producer: Stephen Marley; Damian Marley; Julian Marley; Paul Fakhourie; Stephen Marley |
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Engineer: Marc Lee; Alrick Thompson; Jason Chantrelle; Errol Brown; Gregory J. Morris; Greg Morris; Paul "Groucho" Smykle |
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Artist Overview
Bob Marley | Bunny Wailer | Dennis Brown | Jimmy Cliff | John Holt (Vocals) | Ken Boothe | Peter Tosh | Rita Marley
Akshan | Andrew Tosh | Anthony B | Barrington Levy | Beenie Man | Capleton | Damian "Junior Gong" Marley | Lucky Dube | Pliers | Wyclef Jean | Ziggy Marley
Compilation Appearances
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Halfway Tree (Explicit Version) |
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Distant Relatives |
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Crunk Rock |
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Reggae Gold 2011 |
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Rasa Swank |
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State Of Da World |
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Welcome To Jamrock (Explicit Version) |
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Patriots |
Technical Info
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Release Date : 03/20/2007 |
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Original Release Date : 2007 |
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Catalog ID : 000835402 |
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Label : Tuff Gong |
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Number of Discs : 1 |
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Studio/Live : Studio |
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Mono/Stereo : Stereo |
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SPAR Code : n/a |
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UPC : 00602517205918 |
Professional Reviews
- 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "There are moments during this middle Marley boy's debut album that you can drift off and imagine you're listening to a long-lost B side from his dad....MIND CONTROL does justice to Bob Marley's legacy..."
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "He kicks out dance-hall-inflected reggae/hip-hop jams, carefully balancing political fire and an island-life vibe."
- "[A]n assured balance of new-school beats and old-school island flourishes." -- Grade: B
(p.104)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "[H]e has unleashed a confident and varied reggae album that incorporates hip hop, R&B, rock and even flamenco influences."
(p.11)
- "Musically the disc is clean and tight, the songs contemplative and commercial with a laid-back world-weary delivery that draws you in..."
Bio
Stephen MarleyIf you think you don't know the music of Stephen Marley, you do-you just don't realize it. A member of the celebrated Marley sibling group The Melody Makers since the age of seven, the Grammy winning producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has also been the driving creative force behind the music of his brothers. Stephen's production, performance and writing credits recently earned him two Grammys-giving him a total of five: more than any other Marley family member or reggae artist in history.
Born in 1972, the second son of Bob Marley, Stephen was dancing and singing onstage during his father and The Wailers' live shows (alongside older siblings Ziggy and Cedella) by the time he was old enough to walk. As a young boy, he stayed at home-as Ziggy and Cedella entered school-where he would shadow his father, mimic his speech and quickly fall in love with such future reggae anthems as "Lively Up Yourself." At seven, he began learning guitar on a nylon-stringed acoustic.
In 1979, he made his official debut when he, Ziggy, Cedella and Sharon-collectively known as The Melody Makers-cut their first single, "Children Playing in the Streets," followed in 1985 by their debut LP, Play the Game Right. Over the next decade, the group would follow in their father's footsteps, racking up Grammy awards and bringing conscious songs and one-love rhythms to every corner of the globe.
With his highly anticipated debut album, not only does the sound and soul of Stephen Marley come into vivid focus, but the 34 year-old artist is now inevitably stepping to center stage for the first time in his 27 year career. Appropriately, Mind Control is all Stephen and a cornucopia of the sounds and styles that he loves: a blend of reggae, rock, R&B, nyabinghi rhythms, flamenco and hip-hop. It's an album with the grit and flavor to rock old-school Kingston sound systems and slippery, waxed Miami Range Rovers alike.
Featuring cameos from roots-rock star Ben Harper, hip-hop hero Mos Def and younger brother Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, it's a collection of songs that range from conscious critiques of society ("Mind Control") and politics ("Chase Dem"), to the sweet and open-hearted ("Hey Baby"), to the simple and fun (the sexy, club-rocking, Latin-tinged grinder "Let Her Dance," which features Maya Azucena & Illestr8).
"My joy and my pain, this is me," Marley says, humbly. "It's a page from my book: Every page tells a story, but at the same time is a continuation of the page before it or the page to come. This is just one page."
