The Heathen

Everybody likes Bob Marley, I think that’s a fact. That’s generally a good think. It means you can count on it that people with otherwise abysmal taste will at least own a copy of Legend. It means that you can put aside your differences and not fight each other for the duration that Legend is on. And if they’re fucked-up enough you can play it again without them noticing. Everybody wins. Legend has definitely saved the life of more than one party. But on the other hand, maybe that’s not such a great thing. It means I’m by now thoroughly sick of Legend and all the songs on there. How many more times can I hear I Shot the Sheriff? I would so much rather listen to real Bob Marley album, any one of them. There are so many classics, and all the deep tracks are as good as the singles. For all the people who claim to be fans of Bob Marley, not very many know much about him, or have any awareness of any songs that aren’t on the usual greatest hits package. Those are the best ones, though.

Get Up, Stand Up

Never fails to be an inspiration. I fucking hate inspirational things, but jeez, this is inspiring. Such a simple message. I can’t decide if I like better the performance by Bob Marley or the one by Peter Tosh. They each interpreted it in a slightly different way. They both understood their roles as being more than just entertainers, but being in a position to make real change in the world, being spiritual leaders, opening minds and fighting for equal rights and justice. The world saw them as too powerful. Bob Marley survived the assassination attempt against him. Peter Tosh did not. Someone was afraid that these songs could stir up a real revolution. Don’t underestimate leadership through music.