In his first album without Peter Tosh and Bunny Waller, 1974’s Natty Dread, Bob Marley doubled down on themes of social injustice and spirituality, with a dash of sex thrown in for good measure.

To help fill the gap left by his departing childhood friends, Marley brought on a trio of female vocalists, the I-Threes, one of whom was his wife Rita. Their backing vocals add a new texture to the songs in contrast to the harmonies of Tosh and Waller.

Marley wrote the album’s nine tracks, but gave songwriting credit to friends and family members as part of an ongoing contract dispute with his former publishing company, and as a way to financially support his loved ones.

And so Vincent Ford, a childhood friend of Marley’s, is listed as the official writer of ‘No Woman, No Cry,’ one of Marley’s most-loved compositions.

I will say that song suffers a bit in its original form here, as compared to the classic live rendition included on the Legend compilation. The soulfulness and longing of the live version, and the atmosphere it captures, make it a truly special recording.

Natty Dread starts off really strong, its first half hitting on all cylinders both musically and lyrically. It loses a bit of momentum in the second half, but still manages to stand out as a distinct artistic statement that proved Marley would do just fine without his longtime partners.