CÉU / “Concrete Jungle”

Bob Marley, boy, we a love him. "Concrete Jungle" is an enduring early Bob song done up in a number of ways. First up is Bob and Bunny and Tosh, from the early days when the Wailers were a dread-man trio of songsters who started off influenced by Motown and Southern soul singers. This track is from the Catch A Fire days, available on the deluxe version of the album that includes a second CD featuring the raw Jamaican versions of their celebrated first international album. This is where you hear them without the sweetening for overseas tastes. Listen at how them all could coo like doves. That’s Bunny and Tosh ethereal falsettos in the background. Such a mighty sound them was.

The second Bob version is from the import album simply called Japan. Now it is Bob Marley and the Wailers featuring the I-Threes, who are his wife Rita along with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt. I have always loved the I-Threes. Individually and collectively, they remind me of the Sweet Inspirations. But I must confess, I don’t think they are as effective as Bunny and Tosh on this particular cut. What you hear?
 
For sure by the second cut we all can hear that Bob matured as a singer, his voice not only stronger but far more free in how he handles up on the lyrics, including throwing in sound-syllables. Lion he a roar. And when he does that wooo-Ooo-Ooo thing, ah it’s chilling.
 
Between early Bob and mature Bob we drop Judy Mowatt from her Black Woman release. She a do a good job too on her version. As a reference, Judy’s version is sort of a Stax take. Listen to the bass up front with the lead guitar and keys mixed back, and the background voices given almost a lead role. Judy’s vocal is slow and rock steady, emphasizing the long tones at the end of each phrase. This could be Carla Thomas’ Caribbean cousin!
 
Now, for the last version. It’s by a young Brazilian singer, Céu, about whom I know next to nothing. I’ve seen a short video of her performing on a Brazilian TV show and read about her on the Six Degrees website. Ultimately, what got my attention was not her voice, which is good, or her phrasing, which is also good; what got me is the arrangements of her music. Some of the softest, most elegant funk one might want to hear. I’ve included two other tracks by her as her eponymous debut album, Céu, is not yet available in the good ol’ USA.

Like this week’s Cover and Contemporary features, “Concrete Jungle” is a political song. My congratulations to Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua on their recent democratic elections. ;->)

—Kalamu ya Salaam



          Some good covers         

Now these are some good covers. I love the way Céu stays true to the original vocally, while the track goes subtly wild behind her. The guitar line is different. There’s something strange happening with the drums. I can’t tell if it’s electronics, tape manipulations or just a creative drummer, but whatever it is, I’m with it. The singular sway of one-drop is there in spirit, but this isn’t reggae. But reggae or not, it’s damn good.

Judy Mowatt nailed it too. It’s hard to remake classic songs and not either embarrass one’s self or sound completely irrevelant. After all, the song’s a classic for a reason. Why listen to someone else do a lesser version of something you already like? Céu succeeded by performing Bob’s song in a modern style, albeit one that remained true to the feel of the original. Judy, as Kalamu alluded too, succeeded by performing Bob’s sufferation anthem as if it was classic American soul. The gospel-esque lead vocals, the deep funk groove, the slowed-down tempo—it’s all in there. I never thought I’d hear one good cover of this classic record, let alone two.

Oh, by the way. I don’t hear any difference at all between the version of “Concrete Jungle” I already have (the one on the regular American edition of Catch A Fire) and this one. Am I missing something?

—Mtume ya Salaam
 

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 10th, 2006 at 1:25 am and is filed under Cover. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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