2.) Possibly my favorite “mainstream” Marley tune is Trenchtown Rock. This song embodies everything Marley represents: catchy hooks, a simple, yet universal message and one of the greatest lines of any song: “One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain.” Amen.
3.) Here is another tune that Johnson commented on in the RS article, Three Little Birds. “It’s such a simple song,” Johnson says, “but Marley was the master of singing simple messages with all his heart, making them real.”
4.) This one doesn’t need my meddling mess of a mouth to screw things up and try and explain this. The anthem, Redemption Song. Enjoy this live version…
5.) A song that has inspired countless cover efforts, including a stellar reading by The Jerry Garcia Band, Stir it Up, is a song that is infectious and resonates with you. Enjoy this spirited version from BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973…
6.) While Concrete Jungle embodies my personal life in Manhattan, this tune, Natural Mystic, represents the complete antithesis, and the island breezes. It makes me feel relaxed by simply closing my eyes and picturing a secluded beach somewhere. Here is a great live version I feel you will enjoy…
7.) To close things out, I will leave you with my Junior-year of college, Spring break anthem, and a a “lesser” known tune of Marley’s (if there exists such a thing): Jah Live. A song that simply brightens up any situation, and speaks of the children, it embodies Marley’s message of love, peace and unity through a simple existence.
Thanks for reading this week. Stay tuned for a very special 12/29 segment next time that I feel will get you ready for a special New Year’s blowout, right here at Magical Square Garden…
