The first thing you must know about me is that I always stand what I stand for. Good? The second thing you must know about yourself listening to me is that words are tricky. So when you know what me a stand for, when me explain a thing to you, you must never try to look ‘pon it in a different way from what me a stand for.

When Bob Marley passed away in 1981 the world mourned the loss of reggae’s loudest voice. These Bob Marley quotes include many of his famous statements, from his reggae songs, interviews, and musings.

• A hungry mob is an angry mob.
  From Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), on Natty Dread (1974)
• A little wine sometimes, that’s all. Spirits bad. Alcohol wrong. Herb does grow.
• But my hand was made strong by the hand of the Almighty.
• Destruction of the poor is poverty. Destruction of the soul is vanity.
  From Wisdom
• Don’t forget your history nor your destiny.
• Don’t gain the world and lose your soul
  From Zion Train
• Don’t let them fool ya or even try to school ya.
• Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cos every little thing is gonna be alright.
  From Three Little Birds, on Exodus (1977)
• Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.
  From Redemption Song on Uprising (1979)
• Excuse me while I light my spliff, good God I gotta get a lift
  From Easy Skanking on Kaya (1978)
• Every day the bucket a-go a well, one day the bottom a-go drop out.
  From I Shot The Sheriff, on Burnin’ (1973)
• Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.
• Facts an’ facts, an’ t’ings an t’ings: dem’s all a lotta fockin’ bullshit. Hear me! Dere is no truth but de one truth, an’ that is the truth of Jah Rastafari.
• Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen.
• Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don’t give up the fight.
• Have no fear for atomic energy, ’cause none of them can stop the time.
  From Redemption Song on Uprising (1979)
• Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.
• Hey, Mister Music, you sure sound good to me! I can’t refuse it what to be got to be.
  From Rainbow Country and Roots, Rock, Reggae on Rastaman Vibration
• How good and how pleasant it would be before God and man, yeah to see the unification of all Africans.
• How long will they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look?
• I believe in freedom for everyone, not just the black man.
• I don’t stand for the black man’s side, I don’ t stand for the white man’s side. I stand for God’s side.
• If I am guilty I will pay.
• If puss and dog can get together, why cant we love one another?
• If you get down and quarrel everyday, you’re saying prayers to the devil, I say.
• In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty!
  From Rat Race on Rastaman Vibration (1976)
• In this bright future you can’t forget your past.
• It takes a revolution to make a solution.
  From Revolution on Natty Dread (1974)
• I’ve been here before and will come again, but I’m not going this trip through.
• Judge not, before you judge yourself. Judge not, if you’re not ready for judgment, whoa oh oh
  From Judge Not (1961)
• Just can’t live that negative way… make way for the positive day!
• Let righteousness cover the earth – like the water cover the sea.
  From Revolution on Natty Dread (1974)
• Life and Jah are one in the same. Jah is the gift of existence. I am in some way eternal, I will never be duplicated. The singularity of every man and woman is Jah’s gift. What we struggle to make of it is our sole gift to Jah. The process of what that struggle becomes, in time, the Truth.
• Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don’t complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don’t bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality
  From Wake Up and Live! on Survival (1979)
• Like the bird in the tree, the prisoners must be free.
  From Revolution on Natty Dread (1974)
• Me love everyone. But what me don’t love is them people fight against me. Me don’t love them.
  From a 1975 interview with Demott Hussey
• Me was alone by myself long before me meet any friend.
  From a 1975 interview with Demott Hussey
• Music… is a godly thing, you know.
  From a 1975 interview with Demott Hussey
• My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die.
• My music will go on forever. Maybe it’s a fool say that, but when me know facts me can say facts. My music will go on forever.
• Never make a politician grant you a favor. They will always want to control you forever.
  From Revolution on Natty Dread (1974)
• No chains around my feet, but I’m not free; I know I am bound here, in captivity.
  From Concrete Jungle on Catch a Fire
• None but ourselves can free our minds.
• One good thing about music, when it hits… you feel no pain.
• One love, one heart, let’s get together and feel alright.
  One Love (cowritten with Curtis Mayfield), from Exodus
• Only your friend know your secrets, so only he could reveal it.
  From Who The Cap Fit
• Open your eyes and look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living? We know where we are going, we know where we are from.
  From Exodus
• Today, people struggle to find what’s real. Everything has become so synthetic that a lot of people, all they want is to grasp onto hope.
  from Rolling Stone’s The Immortals (2004) “Bob Marley”
• Plenty people are just pure hypocrite.
  From a 1975 interview with Demott Hussey
• Rastafari not a culture, it’s a reality.
• Rise O fallen fighters, rise and take your stance again, He who fight and run away, Live to fight another day
• See, you can’t love my music if you love reality.
  From a 1975 interview with Demott Hussey
• The good times of today, are the sad thoughts of tomorrow.
• The harder the battle the sweet of Jah victory.
• The more people smoke herb, the more Babylon fall.
• The more you accept herb, the more you accept Rastafari.
• The only truth is Rastafari.
• The power of philosophy floats through my head, Light like a feather, Heavy as lead
• The road of life is rocky, and you may stumble, too – so while you point your fingers, someone else is judging you!
  From Judge Not and Could You Be Loved on Uprising (1980)
• The stone that the builder refused, will always be the head cornerstone.
• They say: only the fittest of the fittest shall survive, stay alive!
  From Could You Be Loved on Uprising (1979)
• Truth is the light // So you never give up the fight.
• Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally discredited and abandoned…WAR! So that is prophecy, and everyone knows that is truth. And it came out of the mouth of Rastafari.
• When one door is closed, don’t you know, another is open.
• When the race gets hard to run. It means you just can’t take the pace.
• When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.
• Wisdom is better than silver and gold
  From Zion Train
• You ain’t gonna miss your water until your well runs dry.
• You can fool some people sometimes but you can’t fool all the people all the time.
  From Get Up, Stand Up on Burnin’ (1973)
• You’re working in iniquity, to achieve vanity.
  From Small Axe on Burnin’
• Your life is worth much more than gold.
  From Jamming on Exodus (1977)

Do you know other Bob Marley quotes? Post your favorites in the comments section.

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Collie Buddz Come Around lyrics

A just the sweet sweet sensi,
Yuh know,
Yeh I, Yeh I,
Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Now,

Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade when me a look for,
Me get it by the pound,
yeah,
Sweet sensi a come around,
Me a take a little draw and pass it go round, so,
Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade that man a look for,
Me stock it by the pound,
yeah,
When babylon a come around,
Ask them whe them ago search for,

Ever since the herbs slow down,
Police and rude boy dem inna showdown,
Them a search round the compound,
Yuh kno man a no weed clown,
Find a little piece of land and a plant me home grown, so,
Tell the youth them nah fi take pill,
To much crack and cocaine a make the world a feel ill,
yuh kno,
Nuff ganja nuff spliff a build,
Only thing whe a make man feel chill,
Whe (what) me say,
Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade when me a look for,
Me get it by the pound,
yeah,
When Collie Bud come around,
A pure ganja man tune,
Just a lick from the sound,
yeah,
Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade what man a look for
Me stock it by the pound yeah,
When babylon a come around,
Ask them whe dem ago search for?

There’s nothing like the sweet sweet sensi,
The first time me take a draw was in elementary,
Reach high school an get the herb it plenty,
Like Scare Dem dub for Soul Jah One or Lenky yeah,
Me stash box never empty,
The fifty dollar bag we call that half century,
Me start me own herb documentary,
Bermy man a call that film 4:20,
yeah
Whe me say,
Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade whe me a look for,
Me get it by the pound,
yeah,
Sweet sensi a come around,
Me a take a little draw and pass it go round, so,
Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade that man a look for,
Me stock it by the pound, yeah,
When babylon a come around,
Ask them whe dem ago search for?

Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Now,
Yeh I, Yeh I,
Nah, Nah, Now,
yo,

When dem ago realize,
Good works man a advertize,
When dem a go legalize,
The farmer man a beg a little bligh,
When den ago realize,
Government them a terrorize,
Corporation dem a capitalize,
While the farmer man nuh beg a little bligh,

Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade when me a look for,
Me get it by the pound,
yeah,
When Collie Budd come around,
A pure ganja man tune,
Just a lick from the sound,
yeah,
Finally the herbs come around,
The high grade what man a look for
Me stock it by the pound yeah,
When babylon a come around,
Ask them whe dem ago search for,

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Stephen Marley

Hey Baby, which features hip hop star (and actor) Mos Def is widely regarded as another excellent track on the same album. In addition to the collaboration with Mos Def, Mind Control includes tracks with American rocker Ben Harper.

Stephen Marley has come a long way since starting out with his brothers as a kid with The Melody Makers, having won 5 Grammys as a reggae performer and songwriter. Stephen produced both of Damian Marley‘s Grammy-winning albums and has also produced tracks and albums for Buju Banton, Spearhead, Capleton, Mr. Cheeks, and his brothers brothers Julian and Ziggy Marley.

You can hear Stephen Marley‘s Hey Baby featuring Mos Def for free on imeem or download it from these locations:

• http://web.stephenmarleymusic.com/media/mp3/02_hey_baby_featuring_mos_def.mp3
• http://www.jusflow.com/mysongs/32%20Stephen%20Marley%20%20Hey%20Baby%20-Hey%20Baby%20Riddim.mp3

Stephen Marley’s latest album, Mind Control Acoustic, is now available online at Amazon.com.

More Stephen Marley music is available on his MySpace page. His official website is StephenMarleyMusic.com.

Stephen Marley and Damian Marley Hey Baby video

In addition to releasing the track on the Mind Control album, Stephen Marley also performed it live with brother Damian Marley, as seen in this music video:

“I don’t want to be just another artist. I want to make a statement, and to continue this legacy, this musical legacy, with my family. Just like my brothers… I aspire to be a reckoning force, when you hear my name, you know quality comes with that: good music, good message, good vibe.”

Stephen Marley and Mos Def Hey Baby lyrics

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

I’ll be gone awhile away from you
And I hope you overstand
That I’ve got to do what I must do
To be a better man

Cuz if I was just to act a fool
Do nothing with myself
Then all my blessings would be cursed
My world would crumble in

It’s a joy when I sit down and think
Of the good times that we have
And what we do to make it through
When the good turns to the bad

Well I hope you find it in your heart and know these words are true
And please don’t fuss because I must go do what I must do

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

A time, a space
A different place
How perfect we might be
I would be the wind that blows
You’d be that willow tree
And I could never bear the thought
Of you not by my side
So I would be the warmth of day
You’d be the cool of night
And everyday I pray to Jah
That one day you will see
And overstand the fact I must
Fulfill my destiny
I hope you find it in your heart
And know these words are true
And please don’t cry
You know that I must do what I must do

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

Well, and it’s not easy
Jah knows how I try, I try
So don’t you get weary
Jah knows how I try, I try

Mos Def Lyrics:

God knows,
Life is one big road
with a lot of signs and turns and twists and curves
Even though the road is rocky
My main thing’s to rock and keep on rockin
From city to city, backyard to yard
And we be seeing the sights
Standing under the lights
And the spot is hot, its cold and lonely at night
And I’m ‘feenin’ and I’m dreaming and I’m holding you tight
But hold on, Every single road I roll on
Comes to an end and I’m back home again
So baby please don’t cry
There’s no valley low, and there’s no mountain high
And our love don’t die with the passage of time
It just grows more
And just keep strong
And even though I’m gone, I am never too far
You’re the light thru the dark shining right thru my heart
So my journey must start

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

Stephen Marley on the Blazed and Confused Tour

Stephen is back on that rocky road, joining the Blazed and Confused Tour with Slightly Stoopid and Snoop Doog (who is rumored to be working on his own reggae album). Hopefully he will stay “free from all these chains” and not end up back in a Florida jail, as he did in 2002 for a few hours when he was accused of marijuana possession (the incident was the inspiration for the Iron Bars track on Mind Control).

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Dancehall music first became popular in the late 1970s, a decade after dub music had already demonstrated the rich possibilities for reggae subgenres. Dancehall began in the Jamaican dancehalls as when people wanted something different from the roots rock that dominated the Jamaican music scene at that time. Local soundsystems began experimenting with new songs that were simpler, more pop, less political, and less Rastafarian.

Some people link this transition to Jamaican political changes as a new right wing government replaced the nation’s socialist government. (If you’ve ever wanted to experience fascism in action, just stop by your local dance club and try arguing with a bouncer.)

Ironically, dancehall’s sound came from the past rather than new directions as Sugar Minott, Don Mais, and their contemporaries began recording new vocals over 1960s riddims. Early dancehall luminaries were singers including Junior Reid, Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul, Don Carlos, Ali Campbell, and Triston Palmer. Some older reggae musicians such as Gregory Isaacs and Bunny Wailer also evolved their sound into the new dancehall phenomenon.

Dancehall also experienced a surge in the popularity of deejays who toasted and rapped in a U-Roy style instead of singing, with artistes such as Captain Sinbad, Ranking Joe, General Echo, and Yellowman capturing listeners ears and dancers’ bodies. During the early 1980s these deejays became more popular than the more traditional singjays, often receiving first access to new riddims.

As dancehall’s sound became less harmonious and more macho, so did it’s content, with a new format – sound clash – evolving to feature deejays and soundsystems competing on albums, mix tapes, and at live shows. There was some variation within this aggressive trend though, as Yellowman and Eek-a-Mouse rose to fame with distinctly humorous lyrics and female deejays including Lady Saw and Sister Nancy also rising to fame.

Ragga Music

Ragga (also known as “Raggamuffin”) is a rap-influenced form of dancehall reggae that mixes hip hop-style lyrics and electronic instrumentation. The term raggamuffin comes from the description of impoverished Kingston youth who in turn applied the word to their music. Ragga describes the purely digital dancehall sound that emerged in the mid-1980s. Though it is a descendant of reggae, ragga bears little resemblance to the roots rock of the previous decade due to it’s digital riddims and synthesized deejay vocals. Some reggae purists debate whether ragga is really a genre of reggae music.

The dancehall sound continued to change in the 1980s, becoming more digitized. In 1985 King Jammy released the hit single (Under Me) Sleng Teng by Wayne Smith. While it may not have been the first purely digital reggae riddim, it was the first that became widely popular, ushering in the ragga sound.

Wayne Smith – (Under Me) Sleng Teng video

Ragga deejays included rough-voiced deejays such as Capleton and Shabba Ranks as well as more melodic singjays such as Pinchers, Cocoa Tea, Frankie Paul, Half Pint, Carl Meeks, and Barrington Levy. At home in Jamaica, many deejays such as Bounty Killer, Ninjaman, and Buju Banton adopted a violent aesthetic similar to American gangsta rappers. Internationally, dancehall music began to appear on the hit charts in the US and other countries, including Shabba Ranks‘ Mr. Loverman and Chaka Demus and Pliers‘ Murder She Wrote.

Modern Dancehall music: controversy and new directions

In the 21st century dancehall music’s popularity was challenged by critics of it’s frequent homophobic content, the most notorious song being Buju Banton’s 1988 hit Boom Bye Bye, which advocates shooting and burning gay men. In addition to journalists and music critics, civil rights activists began the Stop Murder Music campaign and openly campaigned against homophobic dancehall artists and concerts featuring those artists. As a result, some concerts were cancelled, police opened investigations of some artists, and international governments blocked some artists’ travel. The artists countered by arguing that their lyrics were permissible free speech and in some cases compromising by changing their lyrics for American and European shows.

At the same time that the homophobic backlash and other violence amongst popular dancehall artists spiraled out of control, some prominent dancehall deejays “found religion” (Rastafarian, of course) and began the conscious dancehall (aka conscious ragga) movement, which replaced violent content with the kinds of conscious, ital, and cultural messages that dancehall had originally left behind in the 1970s. Artists such as Garnet Silk, Tony Rebel, Sanchez, Luciano, Anthony B, and Sizzla built purely conscious careers, whereas other previously-violent deejays such as Buju Banton and Capleton transitioned over to a conscious direction (often bouncing back and forth between conscious albums and more pop/dancehall content).

More recent dancehall stars include Mavado, Bounty Killer, Lady Saw, Shaggy, Diana King, Spragga Benz, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, and Sean Paul, who has released several Billboard hits in the United States.

(For everyone who is writing research papers, this article was written by a guy named Chris Keane (me) on June 4, 2009. I’ve updated it a few times in the intervening months. If you do finish your paper and would like to share it on the site or contribute any other articles, please leave a comment!)

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1. Get Ready by Ziggy Marley

Ziggy Marley kicks off the list with his redux of the Bob Marley classic, People Get Ready, which includes lyrics that mimic Obama’s speeches about faith, hope, and change across the nation:

People get ready
Train to Jordan
Picking up passengers from coast to coast
Faith is key
Open the doors and board them
There’s hope for all among the love the most

Here’s a video of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers performing Get Ready at David Letterman’s television show in 1997 with his siblings Cedella Marley and Stephen Marley:

You can download Ziggy’s People Get Ready MP3 from Amazon.com.

2. Barack Obama – the Mission Riddim by Stephen Marley featuring Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Following their brother Ziggy, Damian Marley and Stephen Marley’s original track, the Mission, is a tribute to Barack Obama. The Mission is available exclusively on Reggae Gold 2008 from VP Records. Although the original song focuses on social inequality in Jamaica, it’s global message and uplifting message are relevant to Obama’s rise in the American public’s awareness and his message of hope, with lyrics like:

Theres a brighta mornin star
Its shinin, wake de town
An tell de people near an far
U seek an u wi search
Wid science and research

But it’s more than just feel-good fluff – the Mission riddim, produced by Trevor “Baby G” James is a pure dancehall beat that was also used by Mavado on his I’m On the Rock track featuring Jay-Z. Here’s the video:

3. We Need Barack by Mavado & DJ Green Lantern

I hadn’t heard of this track from dancehall sensation Mavado before, but this is the video from the “Yes We Can” & “On the Rock” remix:

4. Obama we believe by Kritikalbliss

Reggae artist Kritikalbliss released Obama we believe on Dub & Reggae several months ago, and it’s still a great track from a rising musician. Listen to it now and leave a comment for Kritikalbliss to he keeps giving us more music!

5. Black Man in the White House by Sizzla

Sizzla Kalonji released Black Man in the White House on his recently-released Ghetto Youth-Ology album.

Download Black Man in the White House for free here. Thanks to Jamworld 876 for the link. Another free download link, with a so-so review, is available from this blog.

Here’s an Obama-themed video of Sizzla’s Black Man in the White House track:

6. Barack Obama by Osezua

Osezua is a true roots reggae musician, sticking with a classic, conscious reggae sound when so many other musicians turn to more-popular dancehall beats. His political endorsement of Barack Obama is further strengthened by the fact that he lives in Chicago, Illinois (Obama was an Illinois senator prior to his presidency) where he is also a baker and father.

You can see a video of Osezua’s Barack Obama song here.

7. Rise and Shine for Obama by Glen Adams

Glen Adams was the original keyboardist and composer for the Upsetters, who famously collaborated with Lee “Scratch” Perry in the early days of dub music. Rise and Shine was originally released on The Upsetters a Go Go album, and has been rereleased as an Obama tribute song.

Here’s his video of Rise and Shine for Obama:

8. Barack Obama by Cocoa Tea

I don’t know anything about Cocoa Tea‘s reggae music, so here’s the video:

9. Barack Obama by Papa Michigan

10. Obama Be Thy Name by Makadem

11. Barack Obama by Blakk Rasta

12. Obama for History by Prince Thompson

13 and 14. Obama Row the Boat Ashore and Obama Beat Them in a Dancehall by Barack Reggae

15. Barack Obama by Sarah Lufungula

This track has been critically panned, but yes, it’s Obama-themed reggae.

Cocoa Tea, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley, and Glen Adams have each been nominated for a 2009 International Reggae and World Music Award for their Obama tribute reggae songs. Soca legend Mighty Sparrow has also been nominated for his calypso song Barack the Magnificent, and Rootsman‘s Calypso for Obama is also worth a listen if you’re interested in Caribbean music.

The “100 days” presidential review originated with the first 3 months of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal leadership, a series of government reforms and programs frequently credited with ending the Great Depression in the United States. Since then, every new American presidency is compared to the incredible progress of FDR’s first term at the hundred day mark. Although it would be difficult for Obama to achieve FDR’s level of legislative progress, the 100 day point is used by political pundits to assess new executives’ leadership styles.

With progress in torture reform, improved relationships with Cuba, talk of finally ending the invasion of Iraq, and strenuous efforts at economic reform, Obama’s 100 days show definite progress on his campaign promises. He has been particularly succesful in the environmental arena, as Huffinton Post reporters Dan Becker and James Gerstenzang write:

“He has put a new and proper reliance on science. He has named dedicated environmentalists to key positions within the White House, at the Environmental Protection Agency and at the Energy Department. And he has unveiled substantial measures to directly tackle climate change.”

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This is an ambitious choice for the Easy Star All Stars: the Beatles’ tracks feature fast tempos and layered melodies that offer less room for versioning than Easy Stars’ previous covers. The Beatles devoted 4 months to creating Lonely Hearts Club Band, widely considered to be their magnum opus and described by Rolling Stone Magazine as the greatest rock album of all time. Every track on Lonely Hearts Club Band is instantly recognizable and studded with enough of the Beatles’ unique creative touches to make any versionist run for the hills. But the Easy Stars arrive well prepared for this massive undertaking, combing their years of experience as reggae hitmakers and studio musicians with a knockout lineup of featured reggae vocalists including U Roy, Luciano, Matisyahu, Sugar Minott, and more.

While past Easy Star albums have all included similarly strong lineups by guest vocalists, Lonely Hearts Dub Band trades much of the sound engineering found on their previous releases for heavier emphasis on the singers’ performances. Lonely Hearts Dub respectfully maintains much of the Beatles’ original song structures with relatively clean recordings and tight keyboard, brass, and percussion counterpoints. Fans expecting more of the heavy dub instrumentals found on Dub Side of the Moon, will be in for a surprise. This new album pushes fewer boundaries and feels more reggae than dub; an open air festival instead of a smoky den, it will appeal to reggae fans and Beatles fans alike.

The Easy Stars Lonely Hearts Dub Band journey begins with the CD’s vibrant packaging, a trifold cardboard sleeve saturated in colorful images that are reminiscent of the Beatles’ original cover with some fresh reggae touches including a red, green, and gold color scheme and fields of ganja instead of flowers (see a sneak peek of Easy Stars Lonely Hearts Dub Band album art here). The music begins with the classic Beatles background noises, but quickly brings a dub flavor reminiscent of Dub Side of the Moon‘s Money with sounds of bubbling and coughing, interrupted by an air horn that sounds straight out of Black Ark.

The first track sets the album’s overall tone with Junior Jazz singing Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band over a reggae melody, with light dub effects and some toasting thrown in for a fun song that retains much of the Beatles’ original sound. Luciano follows on With A Little Help From My Friends, a track that is miles away from the reggae artiste’s recent troubles with his “friends” Andrew “Shooty Shooty” Senior and Freckles Trench. Jah Messenger finds new friends in his backup singers and a rollicking track that continues the album’s uplifting tone and culminates with a chorus so joyful that the listener cannot help but smile and bob along.

Frankie Paul takes the baton with Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, the album’s second single. The Easy Stars turn up the dub on this trippy, mellow track with stronger overdubs and skanky keys and guitars infusing the core melody. Getting Better follows with a loose, repetitive structure that gives room for more overdubs and a simple dub track sound behind The Mighty Diamonds harmonious vocals.

Easy Star fans who were hoping to find some pure dub versions reminiscent of the 4 bonus dub tracks on Dub Side of the Moon will enjoy Fixing A Hole, the first of 2 extended dub mixes on Lonely Hearts Dub. The dub effects that have flown beneath the previous tracks’ melodies burst the levee and engulf Max Romeo‘s smooth voice as the band’s low key instrumentals take center stage. The next track,She’s Leaving Home was the album’s first single, with good reason. Kristy Rock‘s smoky, smiling voice dives right back into the dub sounds that made Easy Star famous in their previous releases, flowing effortlessly to create a warm, nostalgic vibe that’s well-suited to the lyrics. Rock flexes her talents effortlessly and the sound engineer is unafraid to get dubby, resulting in a meditative masterpiece.

Ranking Roger follows with Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! At its outset, this track continues the mellow dub tone set by its predecessors while getting closer to the Beatles’ orignal melodies. Things suddenly get interesting when it cuts to a brash dancehall infused bridge, complete with toasting and raucus brass instrumentation. Then, just as suddenly, the track returns to the mellow dub sound counterpointed this time with jangling samples of carnivals and bells.

Within You Without You is another highlight, in part because the light vocals and recursive melodies provide ample room for dubbing. Young Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu voices the perfect cover for George Harrison‘s original lyrics, bringing his own spirituality and incredible talents to create a version that in many ways outshines the original. Sitar and tabla stylings from Roger Lipson and Loren Oppenheimer, respectively, create a rich sound that flows over and alongside Matisyahu’s ecstatic beatbox whispers. The only thing missing from this track is Matisyahu’s now-famous hip hop toasting that brought new dimensions to his version of The Police‘s Message in a Bottle.

When I’m Sixty-Four is the second extended dub music mix on the album, and it’s as good as the first. Sugar Minott‘s voice lends itself to overdubbing while preserving the original song’s melodies. The trombone’s toasting that jumps in and out, culminating in a long dub instrumentation that deconstructs the whole piece into an echoing riddim. U Roy‘s toasting pairs well with Bunny Rugs’ singing on Lovely Rita, where the duo slyly suggest that Rita, the buttoned up meter maid, join them to smoke some tea, and the track wanders into dub territory in its second half with U Roy musing on his love for Rita.

Steel Pulse bring us back to the opening tracks’ cleaner tone on Good Morning Good Morning, a faster paced song that drops most of the dub effects in favor of a straightforward reggae cover. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) provides a quick interlude that also remains similar to the original track before cutting to A Day In The Life. Michael Rose and Menny More trade vocal responsibilities on this last track with singing that brings drama to the song’s opening verses and urgent humor to the second half. This closer also wavers between close reggae cover and wandering dub expression, showcasing Easy Star All Stars’ fluency with both ends of the spctrum.

While Dub Side of the Moon will no doubt retain its status as Easy Star All-Star’s greatest work and Radiodread remains a personal favorite, Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band complements its predecessors and has arrived just in time for summer music festivals and backyard sound systems. The release is Easy Stars’ most approachable to date, an album that invites the listener to join the fun, first humming along and finally singing and dancing. While the album opens and closes with relatively lightweight tracks, it peaks with several excellent versions in the middle that will continue Easy Star’s legacy on the dub reggae scene.

Want to hear the album yourself? You can preorder Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band from Amazon.com today and save $2 or hear it live: the band’s tour schedule is posted on their website. You can also hear the album’s singles on the Easy Star All-Stars website.

You can also find the Easy Star All Stars online:

• Easy Star All Stars MySpace page
• Easy Star All Stars on Facebook
• Easy Star All Stars on imeem
• Follow Easy Star All Stars on Twitter
• Order Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band album from Amazon.com

See our prerelease story for more information about the Easy Star All Stars band.

What’s next for the Easy Star All-Stars? No doubt another cover of a concept album from a famous rock band. While I’ll continue to enjoy Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, I’m more of a dubber than a straight reggae fan, so I hope they’ll follow with a slower album that gives them more room to rub a heavier dub… perhaps The Flaming Lips‘ Soft Bulletin?

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CPR is concerned with the violent and sexually explicit lyrics of modern reggae and dancehall music, as compared with roots reggae music from a generation ago. The upcoming forum will focus on reggae radio deejays and the music they choose to play on their reggae radio stations.

Appropriately, forum panelists include the following popular reggae radio deejays:

• Dahved Levy of WBLS 107.5 FM
• DJ Roy of Irie Jam on WVIP 93.5 FM
• Mikey Sterling of R5 Radio on WVIP 93.5 FM
• Avril Francis of ER Radio on WVIP 93.5 FM
• Carter Van Pelt of WKCR 89.9 FM
• Spread Love Bobby on WPAT 930 AM
• Richie Poo of Royal Radio 106.3 FM

The free event will be held from 630 pm to 1030 pm at:

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
777 East 222nd St. at Barnes Avenue

To RSVP, please contact info@tsoproductions.com or call (718) 421-6927.

The Coalition to Preserve Reggae is an alliance of roots reggae musicians, promoters, organizations, journalists, and others seeking to preserve reggae music by maintaining its traditional message of healing and unifying. The mission of the Coalition is to:

• raise the bar in the creation, development, promotion and marketing of reggae music
• elevate the profile of reggae music deejays, artistes, producers, and labels
• increase the opportunities for reggae lovers to enjoy wholesome cultural reggae as was the case a generation ago

The 3 organizations held a similar forum in Brooklyn on March 4th to discuss violent and sexually explicit lyrics in popular dancehall reggae songs that are aired on radio and television. The previous forum discussed the question “Could dancehall be the ruination of reggae and by extension, the Jamaica brand?”

While it is true that dancehall deejays like Buju Banton have spread violent messages only to later regret their decisions, reggae music is also frequently criticized for a lack of innovation and new sounds, despite it’s roots as a blend of many different musical genres and previous generations’ practice of blending pop music to create new reggae movements, whether they were big band, R&B, soul, or rock. More recently, artists like Mavado and Matisyahu have brought hip hop sounds to reggae music to create bold new musical directions.

Is it possible to separate reggae, dub, and dancehall music from increasingly violent and sexually explicit content in other genres such as pop, hip hop, and rock without stagnating in Bob Marley nostalgia?

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