I've never liked Bob Marley, which meant for the longest time I thought I didn't like Reggae. Then I discovered Toots & the Maytals, Barrington Levy and Max Romeo and discovered the genre didn't have to be so boring, and that there was a lot of great stuff.
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Posted: September 16 2010 at 04:30
I've been a bit disappointed by Bob Marley myself, except for some songs like No Woman No Cry, I Shot The Sheriff (thought I know it only from the Eric Clapton version), Stir It Up and Could You Be Loved. I understand Fuxi. I think as a prog listener I expect something more from music, and a lot of songs from Marley sound too simple for me as well.
No doubt he's a very talented composer / musician, and he's one of the few third world superstars, and a strong leader and spokesman he used to be also, but for me personally, I'm not inclined to collect his albums.
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Posted: September 16 2010 at 05:04
Not a fan either.
I think a lot of other artists deserve more recognition. Among them :
Jackie Mittoo
Cornell Campbell
Third World
I am more inclined to the original ska (in the sixties) of the Skatalites and the Maytals and also "white" ska of the british revival with the Specials, The Selecter, The Beat.
I also think precursors like calypso artist Ros Edmundo or jamaican rocksteady artists of the sixries.
Dub is also something I am digging.
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 01:22
Not over rated at all. He is(was) the most popular reggae artist for good reason. His popularity in Africa is enormous.....also,.ask any Maori. Pacific Islander let alone a Jamacian what they think. I love him and he brought reggae to the masses with Chris Blackwell's help. Desmond Decker and Ansell Collins etc were really one offs on the charts not like Marley with hit after hit after hit
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 01:58
Matthew T wrote:
Not over rated at all. He is(was) the most popular reggae artist for good reason. His popularity in Africa is enormous.....also,.ask any Maori. Pacific Islander let alone a Jamacian what they think. I love him and he brought reggae to the masses with Chris Blackwell's help. Desmond Decker and Ansell Collins etc were really one offs on the charts not like Marley with hit after hit after hit
im sure he had a '' hit after hit after hit ''
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 04:15
I find him overrated. He was a talented, quality musician, but he was not a monster when it came to ability and skill or composition or production or anything like that. He popularised reggae mostly by being in the right place at the right time, not by being its greatest practitioner.
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 06:24
Textbook wrote:
I find him overrated. He was a talented, quality musician, but he was not a monster when it came to ability and skill or composition or production or anything like that. He popularised reggae mostly by being in the right place at the right time, not by being its greatest practitioner.
If you read some of the previous posts, it has already been pointed out that Marley's significance is not so much for the music but as a cultural leader. Consider him to be more like Mandela, Muhammed Ali or even Chuck D. If you have ever hung with Native Americans or Pacific Islanders (as well as Africans, Jamaicans and many others) you will know how important Marley is.
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 06:48
You're selling snow to Eskimos there EM, I come from New Zealand, one of the biggest reggae places outside of Jamaica. I was just speaking about him as a musician.
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 07:23
Textbook wrote:
You're selling snow to Eskimos there EM, I come from New Zealand, one of the biggest reggae places outside of Jamaica. I was just speaking about him as a musician.
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 08:39
Lets break it down this way:
Bob Marley's music 101
Melody, Chord progressions and Harmonies - fairly common I IV V progressions, and variations of I vi IV V chord progressions that are common to folk songs and children's music.
Production - fairly straight ahead live band sound usually with some overdubbing, except for some select songs like 'Kaya' and others that get a little more creative.
Rhythm section - very sophisticated and extremely hard to duplicate even for reggae veterans. Sticky and Scully are simply the best and are always in high demand for studio work, (I had the honor of doing one gig with them by the way ...quit bragging)
Cultural icon and leader - HUGE!!! one of the biggest cultural leaders of our time.
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 20:46
Matthew T wrote:
Not over rated at all. He is(was) the most popular reggae artist for good reason. His popularity in Africa is enormous.....also,.ask any Maori. Pacific Islander let alone a Jamacian what they think. I love him and he brought reggae to the masses with Chris Blackwell's help. Desmond Decker and Ansell Collins etc were really one offs on the charts not like Marley with hit after hit after hit
Thanks for restoring my faith in mankind, and EM's thread. I am currently in NZ- the Pacifics and can concur, he is enormous here too
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Posted: September 17 2010 at 21:08
Yeah. I mean his music isn't bad by any means, but it's PRETTY poppy and commercialized music with a "reggae" sound. I could get behind his being overrated.
That being said, he seems like he has to be the man.
Edited by himtroy - September 17 2010 at 21:09
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Isn't Bob Marley overrated?
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Ronnie Pilgrim wrote:
He is(was) the most popular reggae artist for good reason. His popularity in Africa is enormous.....also,.ask any Maori. Pacific Islander let alone a Jamacian what they think. I love him and he brought reggae to the masses with Chris Blackwell's help. Desmond Decker and Ansell Collins etc were really one offs on the charts not like Marley with hit after hit after hit
