Reggae Explosion: The Story of Jamaican Music [Hardcover]

Chris Salewicz (Author), Adrian Boot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2002

Reggae-a potent blend of Caribbean folk, American rock 'n' soul, Rastafarianism, and politics-is more than just a style of music: it's a cultural movement. With more than 400 illustrations, Reggae Explosion charts the course of the rhythmic revolution that began on Jamaica and took over the world. Reggae authorities Chris Salewicz and Adrian Boot tell the stories behind the distinct sound and capture the contrasts that typify its birthplace: the poverty, societal strife, deep spiritualism, and energy of Jamaica. Culled from the world's most comprehensive collection of reggae memorabilia, hundreds of images document the past 50 years of ska and dub, dancehall, even drum 'n' bass.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Reggae Explosion is an exceptional celebration of cultural upheaval and artistic destiny, as well as a book no sincere fan of the music would want to be without." -- Billboard Magazine

About the Author

Chris Salewicz has been writing on reggae and other world music for more than 20 years. He is the author of Punk: The Illustrated History of a Music Revolution and co-author, with Adrian Boot, of Bob Marley: Songs of Freedom. He lives in London.

Adrian Boot is co-founder of the ReggaeXplosion Archive and one of the world's leading experts on reggae. He was the long-time photographer of Bob Marley and the Wailers. He lives in London.

Chris Blackwell is the founder of Island Records, which has played a pivotal role in the worldwide spread of reggae. He lives in Jamaica --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810981696
• ISBN-13: 978-0810981690
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,673,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give praises..., October 29, 2001

By 

Xam "mixed media man" (nyc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reggae Explosion: The Story of Jamaican Music (Hardcover)

This book does what it sets out to achieve. It is a thorough history of Jamaican music and its progression. While slightly general at times, it covers the course of Jamaican music from the mid-20th century up to today- ska, rocksteady, roots, dancehall and much more. But what makes this book great is the pictures. There are so many photos and illustrations which give you a real sense of what all these musicians were like. There are also collages of many pictures for certain notable artists (like Burning Spear, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Luciano, etc., Marley gets his own chapter full of photos) In fact the book is just packed with photos, i don't even know if they could have stuffed many more in it.

The book goes into how Jamaican music has impacted many other musical genres and cultures around the globe. For instance, the fact that the DJ and MC has its origins in the selectors and dj's of Jamaica. The modern ideas of electronic music can also be traced back to the origins of dub and other production techniques developed in Jamaica (notably by King Tubby & Lee Perry). This island of a few million has impacted the entire world in ways that are still not completely realized. The roots movements especially has affected my life in significant ways for the better. This is a very quality book, full of excellent photos, interesting text, and an overall good ting. Solid stuff, pick it up an feel irie.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Could have been much, much better, September 18, 2001

By 

E. L. Oneill "Lee O'Neill" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reggae Explosion: The Story of Jamaican Music (Hardcover)

I'm not sure that a coffee table book for reggae is entirely appropriate but that's what Reggae Explosion tries to be. Unfortunately, it fails to achieve it's goals on almost every level. The text isn't nearly as informative or insightful as The Rough Guide to Reggae or Reggae Routes but I'm not sure that people buy this kind of a book for text anyway. Some of the photography is is very good, but the layout is so busy and so desperately avant garde that the quality of the photos themselves is often obliterated. Given the price tag, I'd wait until it was remaindered and even then I'd think twice (that fact that I bought it just indicates I'm way too compulsive).

3.0 out of 5 stars Lotsa nice pictures...., February 4, 2005

By 

greyhoundude (Corvallis, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reggae Explosion: The Story of Jamaican Music (Hardcover)

...but if you're looking for a decent history of reggae and reggae artists, this is NOT the place to start. Best to start with the ROUGH GUIDE TO REGGAE or Lloyd Bradley's THIS IS REGGAE MUSIC.