The Story of Jamaican Music

[Knowledge 6 6 6]

At first I must admit, I was skeptical of this, I thought it'd be pure Bob Marley, with a few tracks by newer artists, like Shaggy and Sean Paul. Boy was I wrong!

Disc 1 takes you through the early 50s, where you can hear alot of American Jazz influence in the Jamaican music scene. An example of this would be Millie Small's song called "My boy lollipop". Yes, the name alone can give away the 'american culture' influence.

It's got Junior Murvin's classic 'Police and Thieves', which is a damn good track!! Also, its got Gregory Isaccs, plus a whole slew of more artists that were not conventionally heard of abroad.

It goes from the early 50s right up to the early 90s, with some good dancehall tracks by Chaka Demus and the Pliers.

In total, there's 95 tracks, spanning all 4 discs, that definitely live up to its title, 'the Story of Jamaican Music'.

As big as Bob Marley was to Jamaica, on this compilation, there's only 2 songs by him; Simmer Down (earlier 60s hit), and No woman no cry.

I'm giving this a 12/10. It definitely went over and beyond expectations.

[Ortega]

I was thinking about buying that... now that I've read what you have to say about it, I know I will, as soon as I can get some money.

Are Shaggy and Sean Paul actually on it..?

[Knowledge 6 6 6]

Shaggy's on it, with his then-new version of 'Oh Carolina', no Sean Paul though.

Oh, btw, the original 'Oh Carolina is on it as well...performed by the Folkes Brothers.

Shaggy's song is last, kinda fitting as the original was the first track.

[Urban Rubble]

I heard someone say that Shaggy isn't really Jamaican.

[canikickit]

I saw Shaggy on a documentry where he spoke about how he was essentially making pop music. Have to say fair play to him for not trying to put up the pretense of "keeping it real" or whatever.

Bob only having two songs on the record reflects his real place in Jamaican music. he wasn't the most popular artist in Jamaica in the seventies.

[Hampton]

He was born in Jamaica but raised in New York, I think. His real name is Orville Richard Burrell.

Gangsta if you ask me.

[Mr Mojo Risin]

speaking of JA, I just found out while searching the internet that Tuff Gong now releases movies, such as their picture "Life and Debt." who knew?

[Knowledge 6 6 6]

Doesnt Def Jam own Tuff Gong? Reason being on some Ziggy Marley music video I had seen, it had said, 'Def Jam/Island'. who knows...

Canikickit...you're sorta right, and wrong at the same time. Bob had a very strong backing in Jamaica. VERY strong backing. It was just that his popularity overshadowed other very talented artists in Jamaica. That's what this 4-disc box set exemplifies. The amount of talent that was in Jamaica while Bob was around...

I think you're just trying to exemplify the notion that Bob was a minority vs. others who didnt get as much international recognition. I bet if roles were reversed...you'd be saying how Bob Marley never got as much recognition for his work vs. whoever was in the spotlight.

It's a matter of choice really... If you really like other artists in Jamaica, go for it. But Bob was internationally more recognized than most artists who emerged from Jamaica. Like it or not, that's a cold fact.

[canikickit]

you're sorta right, and wrong at the same time. Bob had a very strong backing in Jamaica. VERY strong backing. It was just that his popularity overshadowed other very talented artists in Jamaica.

His popularity overshadowed those artists outside of Jamaica, in the pop market.
In Jamaica in the pop market, and in England and various other places, in the underground specialist market, he was overshadowed, in general, after "Trenchtown Rock".

He came back with some big hits in Jamaica, such as "Jah Live" and, I believe "Blackman Redemption". But producers such as Bunny Lee, Niney the Observer, and of course Coxsone were running the sound system scene with songs from their artists, like Johnny Clarke from Bunny Lee, Dennis Brown from Niney and singers like Sugar Minott from Studio One (Coxsone).


I think you're just trying to exemplify the notion that Bob was a minority vs. others who didnt get as much international recognition. I bet if roles were reversed...you'd be saying how Bob Marley never got as much recognition for his work vs. whoever was in the spotlight.

Well, I'm not sure what you're trying to say.

I think that Bob made some very nice music with Peter, Bunny and Scratch, then got a nice international contract and tidied up his music for the international audience (so he could get the message out, yada, yada, yada...). This music (after Burnin') is very nice a great, and it got me into reggae, but a lot of it is very clean sounding and commercialised.

I think it is important to note that there are a great many other artists to come from the seventies in Jamaica, and reggae is very far from beginning and ending with "Bob Marley and the Wailers".

If roles were reversed....what, if someone else had done all the things Bob had done and Bob had done all the stuff the other guy had done.... :lol: nice and convuluted.
If someone else was thought to be "the greatest person and only important person ever involved in reggae music", then of course I weould try to show people that this was not true. what the hell do you think, I just hate Bob? Maybe I'm "jealous of his freedoms"? :lol:


It's a matter of choice really... If you really like other artists in Jamaica, go for it. But Bob was internationally more recognized than most artists who emerged from Jamaica. Like it or not, that's a cold fact.

That's some deep shit right there man.
Why should I care about "recognition"?

[Rastafari]

I think you've got it all wrong. The reason nobody got popular out side of Jamaican markets is because Jacob Miller ate most reggae stars. King Tubby split Miller open with an axe (a la woodchopper from red riding hood or Jack Nicholson to Scatman Crothers, your choice) and most of the musicians got out ok. Some weren't so lucky and were lost to the bowels of history; great musicians like Poo in mah Dread, Knockin' Boots Roots, and Petey "Humper" Smallskin were never heard from again. Some were only partially digested, like Yellowman and Sizzla. Anyway, when the job was done and most of the reggae friends escaped, Jacob's stomach was filled with rocks so that he would have a stomach full of rocks.
This was going somewhere that may have been funny, but I forgot where.

[Urban Rubble]

This was going somewhere that may have been funny, but I forgot where.

I thought it was funny. The image of Jacob Miller devouring reggae stars was worth the price of admission.

If you had seen Rockers we could have a good laugh, there is a scene where Jacob Miller almost slits Horsemouth's throat for eating a bite of his chicken. But you haven't seen Rockers, so we cannot have a good laugh.


Some were only partially digested, like Yellowman and Sizzla.

:lol: :lol:

[Rastafari]

I didn't know he was in that. He's a fucking haus though