The Words and Music of Bob Marley: (The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection)

Throughout his life and perhaps even more since his death in 1981 at the age of 36, Bob Marley's music has demonstrated a unique ability to combine with almost any cultural setting, no matter how different the elements might at first appear. Through his adaptable, yet enduring musical messages, he represents an especially articulate type of singer-songwriter. Marley released a large quantity of introspective, autobiographical material at the height of his success and it is thus only in a work such as this—in which the artist is investigated through his recorded output—that one can understand who this great man truly was and what he hoped to achieve through his life and music. Time magazine made Bob Marley's impact strikingly clear when it named Exodus the most important album of the 20th century. Throughout his life and perhaps even more since his death in 1981 at the age of 36, Marley's music has demonstrated a unique ability to combine with almost any cultural setting, no matter how different the elements might at first appear. Through his adaptable, yet enduring musical messages, he represents an especially articulate type of singer-songwriter. Marley released a large quantity of introspective, autobiographical material at the height of his success and it is thus only in a work such as this—in which the artist is investigated through his recorded output—that one can understand who this great man truly was and what he hoped to achieve through his life and music. The Words and Music of Bob Marley investigates Marley's creative output chronologically and provides complementary biographical information where it is relevant and helpful. Themes discussed throughout the book include protest, revolution, love, hate, biblical concepts, and Rastafari culture.

About the Author :
David Moskowitz is Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of South Dakota. He is the author of the Greenwood reference book, The Encyclopedia of Reggae and Caribbean Music.

Review :
Moskowitz writes from an enthusiastic, uncritical perspective, often sounding like an old friend of Marley and referring to him as Bob; for example, in the introduction he writes that the study focuses on the 11 Island/Tuff Gong albums released during Bob's life. In short, the style is straightforward, factual, and uncluttered by critical theory. Although Moskowitz likely traveled to Jamaica to visit Marley pilgrimage sites, he bases this reexamination of Marley's life and lyrics on the recordings themselves rather than on probing skeptical research. Organized chronologically by album, this book is situated somewhere on the boundary between serious scholarship and popular writing….[i]t is one of the better efforts among the dozen-plus titles already available on Marley and his songs….Recommended. Lower-/upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, general readers. Moskowitz offers an exhaustive look at the words and music of all of the major releases by the late reggae superstar, Bob Marley. Major events of Marley's life are interspersed with analysis of his music and connected, somewhat superficially, to his songs. However, considering the great number of books about Marley, this one ranks among the best in its analysis of the song lyrics and its documentation of the musicians, producers, and instrumentation for most Marley sessions. With its comprehensive 23-page discography of singles and albums, informative chapter-by-chapter footnotes, and extensive bibliography of Marley and reggae-related titles, this will be of interest to music historians and determined fans….Recommended for comprehensive reggae collections and academic music libraries. Reggae singer Bob Marley died before he was 40, but his music lives on and his album Exodus was deemed by Time Magazine the most important of the 20th century, so The Words and Music of Bob Marley is certain to be an ongoing, popular pick for any college-level music library serious about representing lasting artists. A chronological arrangement provides a blend of biography and music analysis, following the developing themes of Marley's works and presenting the histories of his albums and songs which made headlines and drew important links between new and traditional concepts. Any definitive Marley collection needs this. Moskowitz examines the life of reggae musician Bob Marley, the first third world superstar, as it relates to the production of his music. The treatment is chronological and includes discussion of the mechanics and personnel of the recording sessions, events that influenced Marley's writings, and (most prominently) musical structures and lyrical themes. Also included is a selective discography.