Why the lack of love for Reggae?
 

Of course, I am biased as I was lucky enough to be brought up on Reggae as a kid but I am curious as to the lack of posts in here. I can understand that the music can be seen as simple and lacks progression but that is what it is all about. Funk bands play the same chords against varying musical backdrops, yet it is still funk. It is all about the vibe and the ambience. Roots music is never about musical ability. It's about history. It's about oppression. Get past that barrier and stop thinking that you should be musically impressed, you just need to find that easy, relaxed demeanour that is needed for Reggae.

If you are new to Reggae or want to lift the lid on music that calms the soul:


Want some roots?:

The only reggae I can stomach is good old bob and this album, Culture - stoned (1997) which is more reggae dub (I think).

The only Reggae I'm familiar with is Bob Marley, though I know who Peter Tosh is. And I agree, Reggae is very underrated. I find it pretty cool that there could be a song and it's profoundly sad and spiritual, and there could be a song about walking your dog and going to beach, and they could have the same beat. That's Reggae for you.

I've been meaning to explore reggae but have never really got around to it. I got some Jimmy Cliff albums a while back and I need to give them a good listen. And I'm familiar with NZ reggae/dub like Fat Freddy's Drop and Katchafire.

Alright Jackhammer, how about this? Start up a thread that will serve as a thorough and solid introduction to the genre. Every week or whenever, introduce new artists and explain who they were, their contributions were, and what to listen to of them.

And if you do all that, I will follow very attentively :D. Lead the way!

While this does sound enticing to me, I will cite my album reviews in personal threads and lack of corresponding posts that leads me to the assumption that I would be wasting my time in starting another thread with more new bands to check out.

I am not proclaiming that Reggae is the best music in the world, or that everyone should listen to it. I am just curious as to why people don't seem to like it as much as the genre deserves.

Even if you get two positive responses, it would not have been a waste of time. And they don't have to be long effort-filled posts, could be a short paragraph of information followed by some particularly recommended tracks.

Do it! Plueeeze! I'll be a responder for one.

re: Why the lack of love for reggae?

True appreciation miraculously comes when you first get properly baked, for obvious reasons.

I mean it's not exactly Elliott Smith is it?

Just an idea but instead of new or obscure stuff how about doing something on the very best of it. Reggae is something i've only ever skimmed across and if i'm honest i'd be more likely to listen to one landmark album than say a compilation of 10 or 12 random songs.

i'm with UH on this. i like most of what i've heard when it comes to raggae (although i prefer dub) but it's not something i'm familiar enough with to want to start digging for obscure gems right of the bat. on the other hand, the idea of having to listen to 'no woman, no cry', 'jamming', or 'one love' again makes me want to shoot myself.

i dig on the abyssinians for old school raggae. i only have the 'satta massagana' album and even with the religious overtones it's still great.

and as blasphemous as it is to say, i also prefer what i've heard by the mad professor over lee 'scratch' perry. has anyone checked into the dubstep stuff that started getting all hyped up about a year ago in underground electronic circles?