from the 7” single, Beverley’s Records, 1969Robert Nesta Marley would have turned 65 years old today; to be sure, there is no lack of celebration in his memory, even throughout the year for that matter, and his superhuman reproductive abilities have left us with throngs of offspring to physically keep his memory around, but his iconic status is simply undeniable. Certainly for most kids in my day, and I’d expect to large extent still today, Bob Marley is your first introduction into the world of reggae music, and for many that’s as deep as they dip; those of us who get helplessly addicted to the genre and it’s tendrils go on to find better, headier artists and vibes, but it was still Marley that got us going. This single finds him pre-dreadlocks and pre-stardom, flanked by Bunny & Tosh, delivering a tight slice of rock steady-ish skank; to my knowledge, this is the only recording where Marley drops the F-bomb, “…caution, the road is wet, black soul is black as jet; caution, the road is hot, you’ve got to do better than that…hit me from the top, you crazy motherfucker; hit me from the top, you crazy motherfucker…” These early singles (i.e. all of Soul Rebels & African Herbsman) are my favorite period for Bob, there’s a lightness in his voice that disappeared once the world was perched heavily upon his shoulders…
