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Bob Marley – Spiritual Journey (DVD/CD set)

Picture: C+ Sound: C+ (B- for CD) Extras: C- Main Program: B- CD: B

Several DVDs on Bob Marley have already been issued and covered on this site, but the recent Bob Marley – Spiritual Journey DVD adds a CD of music and is a nicely packaged title to boot. The main program lasts only 55 minutes, made for British television, but that is barely enough tome to cover the life of the man. Of course, this leaves barely any time to cover the music, though we hear enough of it in the program. With the extra room on the DVD, it is too bad there was not more on his albums and reggae for music fans, but this is a biographical piece and offers enough for all to take a look.

The full frame 1.33 X 1 image was shot on analog NTSC video, with older video and film footage added throughout. This is not bad, but has the usual limits, with the quality of the older materials varying. Though originally intended to feature Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 mixes, the DVD only offers Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with no surrounds of any kind. The sound is clean and the music is not bad, but the CD is even more impressive, offering the following tracks on a disc entitled The Lion Of Reggae:

1) Lively Up Yourself

2) Soul Rebel

3) Treat Yourself Right

4) Rebel’s Hop

5) Soul Almighty

6) Kaya

7) Trenchtown Rock

8) Soul Shakedown Party

9) Natural Mystic

10) Fussing & Fighting

11) African Tribesman

12) Keep On Moving

13) Go Tell It To The Mountain

14) How Many Times

In this case, the PCM 2.0 Stereo has some harmonic distortion and slight warping at times, but is pretty nice when it sounds at its best. Some of the songs are not bad, while others really work well. This was recorded in stereo and is impressive for its time. The only extra on the DVD include a picture gallery that runs the frames on its own timetable and then there is also a 32-page booklet inside the DVD case, which has some fine illustrations and text. An audio interview with Marley, like the DTS, is not available, though the interview is listed on the back of the DVD case. All in all, this is still the best Bob Marley DVD to date and it will be interesting to see what could top this.

- Nicholas Sheffo