Deep Reggae

Everyone knows of Bob Marley, reggae superstar, and rasta rebel whose music marks the protests and dance parties of generations. If you haven't listened to Legend, then you're in for a real musical treat, and even then you've only touched the surface of Marley's music. He had a bunch of kids, by the way, and many of them also choose to make music. His great backing band, the Wailers, still play. Because, in this country, much of reggae is overlooked (even in Marley's catalogue) I think it's high time that we hear a little more from this amazing genre of music. Here's a mix to get you through the spring storms and out into the summer sun.

"Concrete Jungle" by Bob Marley and the Wailers. This track from the 1970s chronicles the hard life of a city-dweller who can't find love, light, or true freedom in his home. The music is sweet and sad, and you can listen for a guitar solo and horns when the lyrics get difficult. This is really a beautiful song; poetic and imperfect, and absolutely one of my favorite Marley tracks.

"Westbound Train" by Dennis Brown. The late child-star of Jamaican reggae, and a man who had a truly beautiful voice, Dennis Brown sings this song with passion. The lyrics are fairly straightforward broken-heart material, but reggae lyrics are consistantly malleable to different situations. To paraphrase a quote from Adam Levine of Maroon 5 (no he's not a reggae star) you can apply the relationships of two people to larger ideas of the relationships between people and their communities, or people and their government. So the lyrics in "Westbound Train" that feel so personal with broken-hearted wisdom, can be applie to any situation. It's really quite wonderful!

"The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff. From the influential movie also titled The Harder They Come, this song is really just awesome. It stays upbeat even when speaking of oppresion, and religion, which is something I cannot achieve in most of my conversations on the subject. I've personally never heard a singer-songwriter who can keep such deep topics upbeat, and in my opinion it's much more of a musical fete to write a happy song that's also intelligent than to write a sad and intelligent song. Jimmy Cliff has accomplished that balance of deep thought and upbeat attitude on this song.

"Armagideon Time" by Willie Williams. Woah, isn't that a Clash song? Well, yes and no. The Clash did an amazing cover of this song which is by Willie Williams. The original is much more laid-back and smooth, while the Clash make basically everything sound harsh (isn't that the point?) Just another instance where politics can be beautiful.

"I Can't Stand the Pressure" by Linval Thompson. Although known most for his song "I Love Marijuana", Linval Thompson wrote and sang many political songs throughout his career. This song has excellent lyrics, and although the production is a little shaky, I wouldn't want the song "cleaned up" for the world. The bass overwhelms the vocals, so Linval sounds like he's singing from somewhere far away.

"Gunmen Coming to Town" by the Heptones. It's gorgeous, a mix between reggae lyrics and rhythm and the feel of old-time doo-wop and soul. Very nice track from the Heptones even though the recording's a little fuzzy. As a side note, while listening to deep reggae and really any older recording, I've come to appreciate the imperfections of the recording process. I'd rather not have my music sound plastic-wrapped, but really capture the intonations and the depth of the human voice.

"Woman's Ghetto" by Phyllis Dillon. An angry song from a soulful female artist singing in a male-dominated genre. This song is intense and required. In any true discussion of politics you cannot overlook the people affected, and the people who are affected most by socio-economic issues are usually women and children. Phyllis Dillon raised the question, "How do you raise your kids in the ghetto? Feed one child and starve another?". She's right to question and I hope her music started a discussion. Enlightenment is all fine and good, but if you don't have food, then what's the point?

"Rescue Me" by Julian Judy Mowatt. Moving away from grand political statements, reggae is also just powefully joyful music. Like motown, the right reggae song can put a smile on anyone's face, and "Rescue Me" happens to be one of those songs. Appropriately enough, it's a cover of a motown song, and a cover that conveys the urgancy of the lyrics with the smooth rhythm of Jamaica.

Throw the reggae in the cd player and jam in the sunshine, but don't forget that there's a depth to reggae music that makes it a truly revolutionary genre, in all senses of the word.