Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers: Conscious Party Live at the Palladium

Rating:
Summary: Back in days of VHS, was the best ZM concert video
Review: Back in the late 80s, before DVD, this was the best Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers concert on video you could get. Actually, I think it was the ONLY one you could buy. But nonetheless, it was a good, solid set -- Ziggy, who was about 20 at the time of the concert, shows he was still feeling his way out in terms of his stage presence (caught between being himself and trapped in his father's shadow), but delivers an entertaining, get-you-dancing show, with covers of his 2 of his father's songs, "Rat Race" and most notably the melancholy "Time Will Tell." To those unaware, the latter touches on the murder attempt on Bob's life -- arguably the most moving performance here. Ziggy and family even throw in two pre-"Conscious Party" songs in "Unuh Nuh Listen Yet" and "Lord We a Come," two of the more rousing, fun songs here. While the "Live" DVD that came out in recent years may show more maturity, this one captured a youthful Ziggy just as he had broke into the mainstream after three albums on EMI, and his breakthrough "Conscious Party" on Virgin. Works as a snapshot of its time -- a good place to start for the uninitiated.