Throw Down Your Arms

Throw Down Your Arms is Sinéad O'Connor's seventh studio album, and her first reggae album. O'Connor sings cover versions of classic roots reggae songs, with production by Sly and Robbie.

For the Burning Spear album, see Dry & Heavy (album).
Throw Down Your Arms
Studio album by
Sinéad O'Connor
Released4 October 2005
Recorded2004
StudioTuff Gong Studios and Anchor Studios in Kingston, Jamaica
GenreReggae
LengthCD 1: 47:27
CD 2: 48:09
LabelChocolate and Vanilla
ProducerSly and Robbie
Sinéad O'Connor chronology
Collaborations
(2005)		 Throw Down Your Arms
(2005)		 Theology
(2007)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(69/100)[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Blender[1]
Entertainment.ie[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB[1]
The Guardian[4]
The Observer[5]
Paste(5/10)[1][6]
Pitchfork Media(6.8/10)[7]
Robert Christgau[8]
Rolling Stone[1]

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. 10 per cent of the profits went to support Rastafari elders in Jamaica.[9]

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
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

The original songs were recorded by the following Jamaican reggae artists:

  1. "Marcus Say Jah No Dead" (Burning Spear in 1978)
  2. "Marcus Garvey" (Burning Spear in 1975)
  3. "Door Peep" (Burning Spear in 1976)
  4. "He Prayed" (Burning Spear in 1973)
  5. "Y Mas Gan" (The Abyssinians in 1969)
  6. "Curly Locks" (Junior Byles in 1974)
  7. "Vampire" (Devon Irons in 1976)
  8. "Prophet Has Arise" (Israel Vibration in 1978)
  9. "Downpressor Man" (Peter Tosh in 1977*)
  10. "Throw Down Your Arms" (Burning Spear in 1977)
  11. "Untold Stories" (Buju Banton in 1995)
  12. "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, guitar
  • Sly Dunbar - drums
  • Robbie Shakespeare - bass
  • Mikey Chung - lead guitar
  • Dalton Brownie - rhythm guitar
  • Glen Brownie - acoustic guitar on "Untold Stories"
  • Kieran Kiely - keyboards, accordion
  • Robbie Lyn - keyboards, Hammond organ
  • Carol "Bowie" McLaughlin - piano
  • Steven "Lenkky" Marsden - piano on "Curly Locks"
  • Uziah Thompson - percussion
  • Dean Fraser - saxophone
  • Ed Rockett - low whistle
  • David Madden - trumpet
  • Pam Hall, Keisha Patterson, Katrina Harley - backing vocals

Charts
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 67
French Albums (SNEP)[11] 26
Irish Albums (IRMA)[12] 17
Italian Albums (FIMI)[13] 73
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[14] 36
US Reggae Albums (Billboard)[15] 4

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Ireland (IRMA)[16] Gold 7,500^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

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References
  1. Critic reviews at Metacritic
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Entertainment.ie review
  4. The Guardian review
  5. The Observer review
  6. Paste review
  7. Pitchfork Media review
  8. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Sinéad O'Connor". Robert Christgau.
  9. Sinéad O'Connor: Throw Down Your Arms, Discogs. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  10. "Ultratop.be – Sinéad O'Connor – Throw Down Your Arms" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  11. "Lescharts.com – Sinéad O'Connor – Throw Down Your Arms". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  12. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 40, 2005". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  13. "Italiancharts.com – Sinéad O'Connor – Throw Down Your Arms". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  14. https://www.billboard.com/charts/independent-albums/2005-10-22
  15. https://www.billboard.com/charts/reggae-albums/2005-11-12
  16. "Irish album certifications – Sinead – Throw Down Your Arms". Irish Recorded Music Association.
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