[A] slender acoustic piece called "Redemption Song" puts the seal on "Uprising" as a Marley album of great worth after a patch of direct commercial flirtation and attempted American radio seduction.

The track comes at the end of the album as a wistful perspective on the Black move from physical and mental slavery to the potential redemption through religion, and offers a cool tranquility after nine tracks bulging with a mix of irony, hope, history and fate, woven together with a subtly powerful musicality.

The immediate impact of "Redemption Song" is reminiscent of early Dylan songs, presenting a neat twist of fate—Dylan's supposed rediscovery or fresh declaration of religion has been accompanied by some of his worst music to date, while Marley's continued commercial espousal of his religion and way of life has finally borne fruit with some of the best, most simple music of his career...