Bob Marley

SurfinSirFari · May 2021

I have a friend who's a straight ahead rock guitarist. It's hilarious to ask him to play an offbeat skank, he just can't do it. He just yells "It's all backwards!"
To me, reggae rhythms are what power the universe.

Placidcasual79 · July 2021

I am a big Reggae fan and a huge Marley fan to boot. In my view his songwriting is timeless and universal. He wrote amazing love songs, political songs and straight up get on the dance floor jams. I know this is a lot - but I also believe that he was a special person - music was his calling and he wanted to have a positive affect on peoples lives - its hard to overstate how much new ground he broke bringing his music to the world patiently being interviewed by patronising, uncomprehending European journalists

I think his song writing transcended reggae - he simply wrote classic, melodic pop songs - but he delivered his songs with utter conviction - in that respect he reminds me of Al Green - I utterly love Satisfy My Soul..... an amazingly touching performance as so many of his where. I think the best records where made before his sound was really watered down for a larger white rock audience - The Wailers had gone from a 3 piece harmony group (simmer down) to being the hottest band in Jamaica - when they essentially stole Lee Perry's studio band and, with the master producer cut those amazing records like Duppy Conqurer, Small Axe, Soul Rebel.... after that his music only vaguely related to what was going on in the ever evolving music scene in Jamaica - he was out of touch with what was going on 'on the street' and in the influential dances....

I think the influence of Peter Tosh is also massively underplayed - Tosh was an incredible, self taught musician - drummer and guitar player, singer and arranger - his records are amazing - and I personally feel that Legalise it is a more cohesive and complete album than anyone album Marley released. Tosh was simply too militant and uncompromising for mainstream success. Also, its impossible to talk about Marley without mentioning Carly Barrett - his playing is INCREDIBLE. There are isolated drum tracks on youtube that are literally jaw dropping

I think perhaps the greatest ability of Marley was that rare skill of the great communicators - he was able to simplify his message without diluting it. I think in an interview he is quoted as saying 'I am a common sense man, and what I say can be understood by a baby'.... and its truly an amazing skill.

The story of Jamaican music is utterly fascinating. I would absolutely recommend a book called Bass Culture by Lloyd Bradley - its incredibly thorough and beautifully illustrates the symbiotic relationship between the music and the islands culture and ever changing socio-economic circumstances - understanding those links massively deepened my appreciation for the music and showed how the unique set up of the Jamaican music industry created such a hot house of incredible musicians, producers and innovators.... a must read.

RIP Bob Marley

DrCornelius · July 2021

Big Bob Marley fan here , the first band I joined was a reggae band and they already had a guitarist so I helped on percussion playing the triangle……

I used to stand at the side an’ ting

JezWynd · July 2021

Catch A Fire and Natty Dread were huge records; especially fond of Natty Dread, the album that broke him in the UK i think.
How can anyone not like this...!

RustySpanner · July 2021

I don't know enough about reggae to say this - but it seems perhaps his songwriting was a bit broader in scope than many reggae artists?

Dude, you need to listen to more reggae.

mart · July 2021

Philly_Q said:

EricTheWeary said:

I love this photo of Bob and the Wailers walking down the alley at the side of the Birmingham Odeon, insisting on carrying their own gear.

No amps or drum kit?
...

No, this is just them carrying their gear. Somebody else was carrying in the instruments, drums, amps etc.

Blaendulais · July 2021

Philly_Q said:

EricTheWeary said:

Philly_Q said:

EricTheWeary said:

I love this photo of Bob and the Wailers walking down the alley at the side of the Birmingham Odeon, insisting on carrying their own gear.

No amps or drum kit?

IIRC the story was that they hadn’t long arrived from Jamaica and didn’t trust strange people offering to carry their stuff for them. Wether there was supplied backline, the backline was fetched on a second trip or it’s just not an accurate story I guess I’ll never know!
It’s really just a grim alley and if you go to the top of it you’re onto a main shopping street. In the seventies and eighties the Birmingham Odeon was a major rock venue ( long since gone back to being a cinema only) but I don’t think many of the performers arrived like that.

[ Also the venue where Clapton made his racist rant ]

I have been to the Birmingham Odeon once - to see Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush. It was a coach from Swansea then straight home again at the end, so I saw nothing of the area!

Swansea is the centre of the world you dont need to see anywhere else

Philly_Q · July 2021

RustySpanner said:

I don't know enough about reggae to say this - but it seems perhaps his songwriting was a bit broader in scope than many reggae artists?

Dude, you need to listen to more reggae.

Nah, that's OK... I'll pass.

Blaendulais said:
Swansea is the centre of the world you dont need to see anywhere else

I haven't seen Swansea for nearly 20 years, and that was only a brief visit. It's probably changed a lot!

Howdy, Stranger!

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Bob Marley

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