Throw Down Your Arms is the seventh studio album by Sinéad O'Connor, also known as her reggae album. O'Connor sings cover versions of classic roots reggae songs, with production by Sly and Robbie.
| Throw Down Your Arms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 October 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Studio | Tuff Gong Studios and Anchor Studios in Kingston, Jamaica | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Length | 95:36 | |||
| Label | Chocolate and Vanilla | |||
| Producer | Sly and Robbie | |||
| Sinéad O'Connor chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| Blender | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| Paste | 5/10[7] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10[8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Uncut | [10] |
| Under the Radar | 6/10[11] |
The album was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica at Tuff Gong Studios and Anchor Studios in 2004 and released by Chocolate and Vanilla on 4 October 2005. In her memoir Rememberings, O'Connor said that she felt so strongly about making Throw Down Your Arms that she personally paid $400,000 of her own money for the record's production.[citation needed] 10 per cent of the profits went to support Rastafari elders in Jamaica.[citation needed]
The album contains a cover of the Bob Marley song "War", which O'Connor famously performed on Saturday Night Live in 1992 while ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II.[12]
Track listing
| CD 1 (Original versions) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jah Nuh Dead" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Marcus Garvey" | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Door Peep" | 3:22 |
| 4. | "He Prayed" | 3:27 |
| 5. | "Y Mas Gan" | 3:49 |
| 6. | "Curly Locks" | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Vampire" | 4:02 |
| 8. | "Prophet Has Arise" | 4:26 |
| 9. | "Downpressor Man" | 5:08 |
| 10. | "Throw Down Your Arms" | 4:02 |
| 11. | "Untold Stories" | 3:40 |
| 12. | "War" | 4:04 |
| Total length | 47:27 | |
| CD 2 (Dub versions) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Micah 4:1-5 about the Kingdom come and "swords into plowshares" with last line reading: "All the peoples walk each in the name of their Gods." | 0:57 |
| 2. | "Jah Nuh Dead" | 3:12 |
| 3. | "Marcus Garvey" | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Door Peep" | 3:19 |
| 5. | "He Prayed" | 3:28 |
| 6. | "Y Mas Gan" | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Curly Locks" | 4:17 |
| 8. | "Vampire" | 4:01 |
| 9. | "Prophet Has Arise" | 4:24 |
| 10. | "Downpressor Man" | 5:07 |
| 11. | "Throw Down Your Arms" | 4:12 |
| 12. | "Untold Stories" | 3:42 |
| 13. | "War" | 4:04 |
| Total length | 48:09 | |
The original songs were recorded by the following Jamaican reggae artists:
- "Marcus Say Jah No Dead" (Burning Spear in 1978)
- "Marcus Garvey" (Burning Spear in 1975)
- "Door Peep" (Burning Spear in 1976)
- "He Prayed" (Burning Spear in 1973)
- "Y Mas Gan" (The Abyssinians in 1969)
- "Curly Locks" (Junior Byles in 1974)
- "Vampire" (Devon Irons in 1976)
- "Prophet Has Arise" (Israel Vibration in 1978)
- "Downpressor Man" (Peter Tosh in 1977*)
- "Throw Down Your Arms" (Burning Spear in 1977)
- "Untold Stories" (Buju Banton in 1995)
- "War" (Bob Marley & The Wailers in 1976)
The Japanese version of the CD also includes:
- "Move Out of Babylon" (Johnny Clarke in 1974)
- "Abendigo" (The Abyssinians in 1969)
- "Jah Can Count on I" (Little Roy in 1975).
- Note: Sinéad O'Connor cover of "Downpressor Man" is closer to Peter Tosh recording made in 1977. But the song was previously recorded three other times by Peter Tosh with The Wailers: "Sinner Man" (1966, produced by Coxsone Dodd), "Downpresser" (1971, produced by Lee Perry) and "Oppressor Man" (1972, produced by Peter Tosh).
The cover of "Marcus Say Jah No Dead" is closer to Burning Spear's a cappella version featured on the Rockers soundtrack.
A few other reggae covers were done by Sinéad O'Connor when she was touring to promote the album, such as "Rivers Of Babylon" (by The Melodians), "None A Jah Jah Children No Cry" (by Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus), "Keep Cool Babylon" (by Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus), "Stepping Razor" and "Creation" (by Peter Tosh).
Personnel
- Sinéad O'Connor – vocals, low whistle
- Sly Dunbar – drums
- Robbie Shakespeare – bass
- Mikey Chung – lead guitar
- Dalton Brownie – rhythm guitar
- Glen Brownie – acoustic guitar on "Untold Stories"
- Robbie Lyn – keyboards, Hammond organ
- Carol "Bowie" McLaughlin – piano
- Steven "Lenkky" Marsden – piano on "Curly Locks"
- Uziah Thompson – percussion
- Dean Fraser – saxophone
- David Madden – trumpet
- Pam Hall, Keisha Patterson, Katrina Harley – backing vocals
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] | 200 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] | 67 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[15] | 26 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[16] | 17 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[17] | 73 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[18] | 36 |
| US Reggae Albums (Billboard)[19] | 4 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[20] | Gold | 7,500^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
