Customer Reviews

Bob Marley: Soul Rebel: The Stories Behind Every Song 1962-1981

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I am a huge reggae fan, for reggae is more about a message than any particular stylistic of music. Bob Marley was, and still is, the king of reggae. And despite all of his personal faults and flings with the 'women of Babylon' and such, his message is what will forever be remembered.

I originally bought this book thinking it would better assist me in penetrating deeper into Bob Marley's lyrics, which are sometimes difficult to decipher for someone who is not a rasta and lives outside of Jamaica. However this book reads more like a gossip column rather than delving more seriously into issues that Bob Marley stood for and the context he found himself within. The later is why people in the Carribean and Africa on the annaversary of Bob's death, not the former. Yeah, sure, Bob was not perfect--JUST LIKE THE REST OF US-- but at least he got off his butt and did something positive for his people. And he did this by speaking the truth to the wealthy and the wicked.

This is why people love Bob Marley, and this is his message; yet our author spends most of her time recounting all the gossip floating around the reggae industry rather than fully embracing Bob's lyrics. Well, perhaps this is expected when our author is a former reggae columnist for Bilboard Magazine, which means she is probably college educated and from a middle to upper-class background. Perhaps this can explain why she is oblivious to much of what is going on in Marley's lyrics.

Case in point. Commenting on one of Bob Marley's most political songs, "So Much Trouble", she states:

"The word "illusion" appears more than once in the lyrics of Survival's songs. This...indicate[s] a deep inner struggle with the widening gap between reality and the fantasy that the decadence of the Studio 54 scenes of the Seventies...A "Million miles from reality", Marley muses" (103).

OK, this is a good interpretation for someone writing from her studio in NYC. But common! Just listen to the lyrics of Marly:

"...Men sailing on their ego trip...Blasting off on thier space ships...million miles from reality...no care for you no care for me...[chorus]So much trouble in the world"

This is social commentary on the fact that the US and USSR were literally blowing billions of dollars on blasting monkeys and human beings into space while billions of people on the face of this earth were starving. Comments like this are why the CIA wanted Bob Marley and other reggae musicians dead. I only wish that our author would take his lyrics more seriously. But no, catering towards a low-brow audience sells more books.

Ill just stick to listening to Bob Marley himself.

I think this is a pretty good book for Bob Marley fans. If you want a lot of detailed biographical and political background, then Catch A Fire is a pretty good biography that I recommend, but this book makes a great supplement as there is plenty of material about the history of the music, who composed what, and the story of all the albums.

The book appears to be based largely on a number of interviews with people who were important in Marley's life, such as Cindy Breakspeare, Chris Blackwell, manager Don Taylor, and record producer Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd and others, so their viewpoints (which may be self serving) tend to prevail.

There is at least a paragraph or two about every song, as well as sections that explain the personal and political background to the lyrics of the songs. There are also lots of pictures. On the other hand, there is not a very detailed explanation of the lyrics. For example I learned what 'a government yard in Trenchtown' (from No Woman No Cry) meant from Catch A Fire, and not from this book.

Definitely a mass market book, and not terribly deep, but I think this book will delight most Bob Marley fans and probably help them get deeper into his music.

There is not much critical evaluation of his music, and if you are looking to find out which albums are the best the book won't help you. But I will! Just save yourself the trouble and buy all the Island/Tuff Gong albums first, then if you still want more you might look into the earlier stuff. If you already have everything, there is a new Live at the Roxy double CD that
has great remastering and really rocks.

Given that CD covers don't provide as good a platform for rolling spliffs as the old LP covers, this book, which is in a coffee table book size paperback might be a useful purchase in more ways than one.

Marley fan like I-mon love to read 'bout Bob. But too much of the best runnings in dis seem to `soon-come' from natty write-t'ings on the Gong like-a T. White's "Catch A Fire" or "Rock Lives," C. Salewicz's "Songs of Freedom," V. Goldman's "Soul Rebel--Natural Mystic," or M. Whitney & D. Hussey's "Bob Marley, Reggae King," and other t'ings in me personal library, but dis storyteller don' check fe dese roots works or favor one likkle tip o' the dreads. Seen? So "One Love" fe dis labor got downpressed to somet'ing like "1/3 Love" or maybe "1/4 Love" or "1/5 Love." Next time, I-mon keep on moving. Seen?

I had the opportunity to read this book over the holidays. Being a Marley fan from ever since I am always looking for anything about him. What I noticed about this book is that unlike all the other books I have read on him is, I actually learned more about the man. Other books basically say the same thing, but this one gives a deeper insight into the man himself and gets a little more into the political plays and moves that make his story interesting. It separates the true magic of the legend from the myth of the irie island he came from and makes his songs even more profound in meaning. A true master at telling it like it is....

Of all the books published to date on Bob Marley, this one, in my humble opinion, stands out as offering an honest and in-depth portrayal of the man and the music he created. Someone told me that Junior Marvin of The Wailers said that this is the best book written on Marley and I concur. It is obvious that the author is knowledgeable about both her subject and the country he came from. A good addition to any reggae fan's library, or the library of anyone interested in the inner-workings of Jamaica.

I had chosen Bob Marley for a paper I was doing at college. Many of the books that I read gave a little insight into the man and his reality but the most important thing about him, i.e. the music, many times is overlooked in the stories of many. To understand the man's music, what he wrote and what it means, to me, is what we are left with. This book not only allows you to understand his headspace but explains all the little things we may not really understand at first glance...Thankyou for giving me that insight...

i read through this book, and thought it was cool because it told you about each of his songs from all his records, and the meaning and story behind them. it was good to read through for a lil marley history, but i would not buy it.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly because it gives a much more balanced look at the reality in Jamaica, especially now since it seems the same reality is upon Jamaicans again and though it may be covered up with white sand beaches and coconuts, not much has changed...the struggle continues...which leads one to ask if as insightful as Bob's lyrics are, and will forever be...have they really changed anything, or have we kept things the same so we can keep singing the same songs?

Very interesting perspective.

Be forewarned: This book does NOT contain the LYRICS to Bob Marley songs. Okay, it doesn't SAY that it does, but you'd think a book about Bob Marley songs would include the songs themselves -- which is the reason I (regretably) bought this book. Astoundingly, it does not have the lyrics to ANY Bob Marley song. The commentary seems gossipy (as another reviewer put it), not historic and there is no sense, in fact, that any of the information in this book couldn't have been picked up by the author just by reading magazines. I am amazed that none of the other reviews here emphasize this fact.

In the rush to reggae judgment, the Jones Beach reader is in error. The Wailers did reach Europe on the "Survival" tour, whose 1st leg embraced the Caribbean and the U.S. after the "Survival" album's '79 release, with the lengthy 2nd leg including Zimbabwe, Ireland, West Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark. Belgium (where "Chant Down Babylon" was written), the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and England, winding up just as "Uprising" was released. So Sheridan is right. However, it was not Carlton Barrett of the Wailers who was called "Family Man," as this book sez, but his brother Aston. Who the Cap fit.