When Rastaman Vibration was first released in America in 1976 it did what some in the music industry considered nearly impossible at the time. It took Bob Marley into the Top Ten alongside disco records and corporate rock, points out Rolling Stone, which rates the album 4 stars.Despite the good cheer of the title track and the upbeat 'Roots, Rock, Reggae,' Rastaman Vibration contains some of Marley's most intense images of oppression, paranoia and despair. Tracks such as 'Who the Cap Fit,' 'Crazy Baldhead' and 'War' are offered by the Wailers with dire urgency as Marley's brutal visions are echoed by his own church choir, the I-Threes. More than four decades later, neither Marley's music nor his message has lost it's sting.Now, Analogue Productions presents perfection - Rastaman Vibration cut at 45 RPM in UHQR format on 180-gram 2LP Clarity Vinyl. This Ultra High Quality Record release will be limited to 4,500 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets.For Bob Marley, 1975 was a triumphant year. The singer's Natty Dread album featured one of his strongest batches of original material (the first compiled after the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer) and delivered Top 40 hit 'No Woman No Cry.' The follow-up Live set, a document of Marley's appearance at London's Lyceum, found the singer conquering England as well. Upon completing the tour, Marley and his band returned to Jamaica, laying down the tracks for Rastaman Vibration (1976) at legendary studios run by Harry Johnson and Joe Gibbs. At the mixing board for the sessions were Sylvan Morris and Errol Thompson, Jamaican engineers of the highest caliber.Of the material on Rastaman Vibration, 'War,' for one, remains one of the most stunning statements of the singer's career. Though it is essentially a straight reading of one of Haile Selassie's speeches, Marley phrases the text exquisitely to fit a musical setting, a quiet intensity lying just below the surface. Equally strong are the likes of 'Rat Race,'Crazy Baldhead,' and 'Want More.' These songs are tempered by buoyant, lighthearted material like 'Cry to Me,' 'Night Shift,' and 'Positive Vibration.' Not quite as strong as some of the love songs Marley would score hits with on subsequent albums, 'Cry to Me' seems like an obvious choice for a single and remains underrated.This UHQR is remastered at 45 RPM by Sterling Sound's Ryan K. Smith from the original analog master tapes. Each UHQR will be pressed at Acoustic Sounds' industry-leading pressing plant Quality Record Pressings (QRP) using hand-selected Clarity Vinyl® with attention paid to every single detail. These records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation. Every UHQR will be hand inspected upon pressing completion, and only the truly flawless will be allowed to go to market. Each UHQR will be packaged in a custom clamshell box and will include a booklet detailing the entire process of making a UHQR along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. This will be a truly deluxe, collectible product.
Release date:
June 20, 2025
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
-
Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
-
Technics SL-1500C Turntable
Features a direct-drive motor, a high-precision tonearm, and a premium MM cartridge, delivering exceptional sound quality
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
The Hives The Hives Forever Forever The Hives (Gold)
Play It Again Sam
August 29, 2025 -
Ben Nichols In the Heart of the Mountain
Liberty Lament
July 25, 2025 -
Malevolence Where Only the Truth Is Spoken (Gold)
Nuclear Blast
June 20, 2025 -
Natalia Lafourcade Cancionera [2xLP]
Sony U.s. Latin
July 11, 2025 -
Alex Warren You’ll Be Alright, Kid [2xLP]
Atlantic
July 18, 2025 -
Alice Cooper The Revenge of Alice Cooper [2xLP]
Earmusic
July 25, 2025 -
Cory Hanson I Love People
Drag City
July 25, 2025 -
Nova Twins Parasites & Butterflies (Transparent Blue)
Marshall Records
August 29, 2025 -
Pool Kids Easier Said Than Done
Epitaph
September 26, 2025 -
Barbra Streisand The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2 (Amazon Exclusive)
Columbia Records Group
June 27, 2025 -
Robert Randolph Preacher Kids (Clear Blue)
Sun Records
June 27, 2025 -
Grinderman Grinderman 2 RMX Eco [2xLP]
Bmg
July 18, 2025 -
Juan Wauters Mvd Luv (Green)
Captured Tracks Rec
June 27, 2025 -
Sleeper's Bell Clover
Fire Talk Records
June 27, 2025