While everyone likely goes through a reggae phase at some point in their life, most likely only last for those few weeks they spend in the Caribbean on vacation. Mine seemed to last a little longer. I do have a tendency to obsess a bit when it comes to music I like, and when I first discovered Bob Marley, I played his CDs over and over and over again. Those living with me were driven a little crazy I think. I’m not as bad as I used to be, but still enjoy very much anything with a roots reggae feel similar to what Bob would have done. The dance hall reggae is definitely not something I’m very keen on, as it’s a little too much like rap and hip hop for my liking. Not that I have a problem with either of those two genres of music, at least not in small doses. While, it’s hard for me to narrow down a list of favorite songs from Bob Marley, I’m sure these belong in the top 10 at least: No Woman No Cry, Natural Mystic, Redemption Song, Jamming, and War. There are plenty more, but I’d never get tired of listening to those songs. Part of my affinity for his music, has to be the total escapism to a very different life. I often found myself looking for a big escape in my selection of movies, televisions shows, books and music. Two of my favorite sayings, are that “I like a lot of fiction in my fiction”, and “Reality is just for people with no imagination”. Those aren’t totally original quotes, so if you want to use them go right ahead. I think, as I grew older, the other thing that really kept me interested in the music of Bob Marley, was how he was so much more than a musician. He was a beacon for peace, and a strong spiritual leader, that seems so lacking in these troubled times. (aren’t all times troubled in one way or another). I can’t help but wonder, what kind of life Mr. Marley would have lead, and what kind of impact he would have had on the world, if he hadn’t been taken at such a young age. I guess we’ll never know. It’s kind of fun to wonder though. I’m pretty sure, that a world with more Bob Marley music would have had to be a better one.
Opus 80|A Musical Opus from the 1980s
Everyone that loves music, loves it for different reasons. But, one thing that is undeniable, is how we all associate music with certain periods in our lives. And how the songs we first heard during those formative years still resonate with us. In a way they couldn't if we those songs for the first time today. Their is something about the way our memories and emotions work, that makes the older songs sound so much better. It happens to every generation without fail. The eighties were one of my formative decades. I had just graduated high school, and was making my way into the adult world. The songs and artists discussed in this blog, are the ones that had the most impact on me during those interesting times.