Kaya (album)

Kaya
Studio album by
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Released23 March 1978
RecordedJanuary – April 1977
StudioIsland Studios, London, England
GenreReggae
Length36:59
Label
ProducerBob Marley and the Wailers
Bob Marley and the Wailers chronology
Exodus
(1977) 		Kaya
(1978) 		Babylon by Bus
(1978)
Singles from Kaya
  1. "Is This Love"
    Released: 3 February 1978
  2. "Satisfy My Soul"
    Released: 26 May 1978

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]

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.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]
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."[7] 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."[8] The Globe and Mail opined that "Marley's reggae, expansive as always, has this time failed to integrate the Jamaican and American elements."[9]

Track listing

Original album (1978)

All songs written by Bob Marley. Mastered by Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound.

Side one
No.TitleLength
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
Side two
No.TitleLength
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

The Definitive Remasters edition (2001)

All songs written by Bob Marley.

CD version
No.TitleLength
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)

Disc one: Kaya Remastered
No.TitleLength
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
Disc two: Live at Ahoy Hallen, Rotterdam, Netherlands 7 July 1978
No.TitleLength
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

Musicians

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Kaya
Chart (1978-79) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] 5
Norwegian Albums Chart[11] 6
New Zealand Albums Chart[12] 6
Swedish Albums Chart[13] 14
UK Albums Chart[14] 4
US Billboard 200 50
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 50

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Kaya
Chart (1978) Position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[15] 12
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16] 21

Certifications

Certifications for Kaya
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[17] Platinum 50,000^
France (SNEP)[18] 2× Platinum 600,000*
Germany (BVMI)[19] Gold 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Hajimichael, Mike (2023). Bob Marley and Media: Representation and Audiences. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 15.
  2. ^ White, Timothy (2006). Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley (4th ed.). Henry Holt and Company. p. 487.
  3. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 437.
  4. ^ Deming, Mark. "AllMusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 4 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  6. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  7. ^ Bangs, Lester (1 June 1978). "Bob Marley Kaya". Rolling Stone. No. 266. Archived from the original on 23 September 2006.
  8. ^ Freedberg, Mike (6 April 1978). "Bob Marley continues move toward U.S. black audience". Bay State Banner. No. 26. p. 17.
  9. ^ McGrath, Paul (26 April 1978). "Bob Marley". The Globe and Mail. p. F2.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 192. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ Steffen Hung. "Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  12. ^ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  13. ^ Steffen Hung. "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  14. ^ "Bob Marley & the Wailers | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  15. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 430. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  17. ^ "International Dateline" (PDF). Cash Box. 3 March 1979. p. 46. Retrieved 1 December 2021 – via World Radio History.
  18. ^ "French album certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Kaya" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 18 November 2021. Select BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS and click OK. 
  19. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bob Marley & The Wailers; 'Kaya')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  20. ^ "British album certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Kaya". British Phonographic Industry.
  21. ^ "American album certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Kaya". Recording Industry Association of America.