Peter Tosh wrote the music of Bob Marley?

[pinky]

Awhile ago me and a friend were talking about music while I was playing his guitar (and he is very big on music, especially reggae, he even has dreads) and obviously we got to talking about Bob Marley and I was saying how I really like his message and what he stood for when my friend told me he liked him but that it was Peter Tosh who wrote all his songs, Bob would only write a verse or so and a few lyrics but the record companys put Bob first because he was half black instead of fully black like Tosh. I find this hard to believe because for one Peter left The Wailers in 1974 while that did create some big hits like Stir It Up, I Shot The Sheriff, and Get Up Stand Up after that there were other hits it doesn't seem that Tosh could have written like Redemption Song, Jamming, Exodus, Three Little Birds, Buffalo Soldier, Is This Love, Could You Be Loved and others. Anyways...please tell me if this is true or not.

[danelectro]

Not sure but my "vacation" to Jamaica forever changed my opinion of reggae. I hated the country and the people in it and by the time I left there I never wanted to hear reggae again.

[pinky]

Not sure but my "vacation" to Jamaica forever changed my opinion of reggae. I hated the country and the people in it and by the time I left there I never wanted to hear reggae again.

What's wrong with reggae? Bob wrote his music to try and stop the hatered and violence down there thats what he was all about and may he have suceeded had he not died so young.

[danelectro]

Sorry I just realized my post reads a lot more negative than I intended it to be. Let me say this. Any message of peace or unity Marley had was lost or forgotten by everyone that I met Jamaica. I doubt he'd be pleased with the way they have turned him into a caricature, his likeness sold on everything, from commemorative tampons and condoms I saw it all. Yes it's that bad and I actually saw both items while I was there.

[pinky]

Sorry I just realized my post reads a lot more negative than I intended it to be. Let me say this. Any message of peace or unity Marley had was lost or forgotten by everyone that I met Jamaica. I doubt he'd be pleased with the way they have turned him into a caricature, his likeness sold on everything, from commemorative tampons and condoms I saw it all. Yes it's that bad and I actually saw both items while I was there.

That is pretty bad, but yeah he would roll over in his grave if he knew what the world was like today.

[danelectro]

Anyway I don't think Tosh wrote "all" of Bob's music but I don't doubt he had input on what was done while he was present. Can't say I researched it or anything but it doesn't seem likely.

When I listened to reggae and ska I preferred Desmond Dekker to all others. Weird thing was not many Jamaican's I talked to knew who he was. The culture down there has changed a bit, nearly everyone from about age 50 and under emulates American "gangsta" culture. I kid you not I felt like I was trapped in a never ending gangsta rap video from the time I got there to the time I left. No exaggeration.

Edited November 12, 2008 by danelectro

[pinky]

Anyway I don't think Tosh wrote "all" of Bob's music but I don't doubt he had input on what was done while he was present. Can't say I researched it or anything but it doesn't seem likely.

When I listened to reggae and ska I preferred Desmond Dekker to all others. Weird thing was not many Jamaican's I talked to knew who he was. The culture down there has changed a bit, nearly everyone from about age 50 and under emulates American "gangsta" culture. I kid you not I felt like I was trapped in a never ending gangsta rap video from the time I got there to the time I left. No exaggeration.

I know it's weird, it's like one giant New York City even their famous reggae music is becoming no different than rap (or crap as I like to call it).

[Jahfin]

I've never heard the Tosh thing in relation to Bob Marley's music. I'm not saying it isn't true (though I doubt it), I'm just saying I've never heard that or read it anywhere.

In regards to rap, no matter your opinion of it, it owes a lot to reggae. A lot of early rap was inspired by the Jamaican practice of "toasting" (rhyming over instrumental b-sides).

[TheZeppyWanderer]

nearly everyone from about age 50 and under emulates American "gangsta" culture. I kid you not I felt like I was trapped in a never ending gangsta rap video from the time I got there to the time I left. No exaggeration.

this is becoming an all-too-familiar description of inner city Britain

[EpicForest]

My visits to Jamaica were always enjoyable. I did notice as time went on, many locals there were getting into cocaine/crack and that messed it up compared to when pot was the only recreational drug in wide use.

The mellowness was transforming into greed and aggression. The first few times there, I found lots of inexpensive places to stay, then as foreigners saw economic potential, those places were bought up and turned into 'safe' all-inclusive areas that were 10 times the cost. This all coincided with the coke surgence as well.

Coke = aggression, greedy drive

Pot = laid back, money is secondary

Coke is a fiend, Pot is your friend.

[danelectro]

My visits to Jamaica were always enjoyable. I did notice as time went on, many locals there were getting into cocaine/crack and that messed it up compared to when pot was the only recreational drug in wide use.

The mellowness was transforming into greed and aggression. The first few times there, I found lots of inexpensive places to stay, then as foreigners saw economic potential, those places were bought up and turned into 'safe' all-inclusive areas that were 10 times the cost. This all coincided with the coke surgence as well.

Coke = aggression, greedy drive

Pot = laid back, money is secondary

Coke is a fiend, Pot is your friend.

My apologies to Pinky, I didn't intend to turn your Marley thread into a"problems with Jamaica" thing.

I think the growth of the drug culture probably did have a lot to do with how Jamaica is now. I went there after being told how nice it was from the sister of a guy who owns a small resort in Negril. After talking with her it sounded like we would be going to paradise. , it was anything but. However I don't think this is unique to Jamaica, from what I've heard all of the 2nd and 3rd world countries wtih lovely beaches and resorts are infested with whores, dealers, vagrants and hustlers peddling time shares. If you vacation in those places it has now become part of the experience to fend those people off. I found it distracting and by the end of my first day in Jamaica I avoided going anywhere I felt I had the chance of being accosted. Which meant staying in my room since Negril is deep into Jamaica and far from the more commercial areas. I eventually moved to a bigger resort but even there I had problems. I think it's worse if you are a man of 20-50, they assume you are there for the seedy stuff. In the two weeks I was there I think I only made it into the ocean twice and both times by the time I got out there was a group of locals waiting to ambush me as I made my way back to the "safety" of the resort.

But I don't think it was always that way. After I got back I hopped on the net and browsed the forums and boards specific about travel to find out where I went wrong. At first I assumed I brought it on myself because I wasn't familiar with protocol. After reading comments there I found that people who had been to those places many years ago had a tough time believing it had gotten so bad.

Edited November 12, 2008 by danelectro