There are a select handful of favourite artists who ploughed their respective trades within my timeframe, that I never, for one reason or another, managed to see live in concert. Most of them I've come to terms with by this stage, others I'm still irritated that I missed out on, but one or two are almost too upsetting to dwell upon for any extended period. Bob Marley, who died 40 years ago today, falls squarely into the latter category.
6 comments:
Lots of Mr. Marley being played here at home. My 15 year old just completed a 14-week Saturday course on protest songs, and they concentrated for two weeks on Redemption Song. 50 percent of each class was discussion and the other 50 was learning the song via Zoom. Under tough circumstances, they played it well. Second only to What's Going On?
Somewhere on this planet there's a tape of a 20 year old me covering Redemption Song with my old band. I'm pretty certain that it would sound awful in the cold light of 41 years later, but I'd still jump at the chance to hear it one more time. Hats off to your youngster and his class for keeping Bob's flame burning in the 21st century.
40 years?! Jeezo
I'm finding these 40 year anniversaries particularly depressing...
Hola, I saw Marley in Sydney in '79 and located a soundboard of it about five years ago and was shocked at how "rock" it sounds, although at the time (three rows from the front, occasionally sprayed with swung-dreads sweat!) I thought it was the real reggae deal.
I guess Bob was cashing in by then, but he did have (Babylonian) busloads on his payroll.
Nice blog
Hey Des - I guess that 'rockier' element to their sound (introduced by Chris Blackwell wasn't it?) probably contributed to the crossover success of Bob & the Wailers. Either way, as the kids of today would have it, I'm well-jel of your experience in Sydney back in 1979, but very pleased to know that you managed to track down a soundboard of the show all those years later.
Thanks for dropping by.
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