One Love, One Heart

Okay, I admit it. I never listened to Bob Marley in college.

There, now that I've gotten that out of the way... listen, it's not like I wasn't broadening my musical horizons in college, okay? I listened to plenty of different things, bands you'd be hard-pressed to find still in existence now, bands that'd been around since my dad was young, stuff you probably could only barely consider music. But I never listened to Bob Marley. I mean, I wasn't one of those kids- you know, the ones who were in a bit of a, shall we say, haze? throughout college. I just never was interested in that scene, and I kinda lumped Marley in with Phish and the Dead and all those other bands. (Though admittedly I liked what I'd heard of both Phish and the Greatful Dead at the time, but I never picked up any albums). And It's not like I had anything against the music, or the kids who were into it- it just didn't seem like it'd be my thing.

Cut to 10 years or so later.

A local radio station down here comes into being, playing all kinds of music. And I mean all kinds. In a given hour, I'd hear the Beatles (like 'love me do' or 'eight days a week', not just the later stuff), Pearl Jam, Death Cab for Cutie, Glen Hansard, and... yep, Bob Marley. It was a great mix of music- like someone you actually know and whose taste you respect is programming the music. I enjoyed the mix of music enough to listen to it at work, and often. So, I'd hear more Bob Marley. Instead of tuning away (too much work), I actually gave it a listen.

Damned if I didn't like it.

So yeah, I went out and picked up "Legend", and I've listened to it enough that I know what I like. It's good stuff- I really appreciate what he had to say, and I like how he said it. Simple doesn't have to mean simple-minded. Personal favorites include "Redemption Song" and "Could You Be Loved".

The picture- just the cover photo from "Legend". Originally drawn with pencil, then scanned and colored with many, many colors in Photoshop. I'm very pleased with the coloring job (made up, as usual, on the fly), but the little white bits around the outlines annoy me still. Could've been worse.

Cheers.

Music: "Get Up, Stand Up" - Bob Marley