Ska Sunday

Today just feels like a good day for some Ska and some Reggae. I am hoping to kick this week of strongly and I am hoping to get you guys a full 7 days of blog posts. So away we go...

Get Up, Stand Up : Bob Marley

A classic reggae song and one of the most popular tunes by Bob Marley and the Wailers. A song that I always enjoy listening too no matter how many times that I hear it.

I have no agenda for today. I am just going to let whatever pops into the brain get spit out onto the computer screen. So we shall see what happens. It is sometimes scare for me to just uncork the flow and let the wisdom spray but there are other times where I feel like it must be done to just allow for some freedom. I just am not always sure about the times when I need to do it the most.

Buffalo Soldier - Bob Marley

Another classic and a sad song about slavery.

Sometimes I wonder when I read different peoples political posts on Facebook, I wonder what people from the early 1900's would think about the America that exists today. Or even the world such as it is compared to how things were when they were alive. One thing that I am sure off and if I am wrong please feel free to correct me. But, today, here in modern times. If I am paying attention, It is very easy for me to know what is going on in other parts of the world. (If I am actually bothering to pay attention that is)

Reburial - Potato 5

Ska at it's finest and probably a song that none of you have ever heard before.

If I am paying attention I know what is going on or at least think that I know what is going on all over the world. I cam instantly communicate with someone next door or thousands of miles away. I can talk to them voice to voice with no delay at all. I wonder sometimes if this speed of information is a good thing. Is it really worth it for me to have the ability to put whatever random thought that I have out there on the internet for all to see? I can really only speak for myself but I know for a fact that it is better for me if I take the time to think a little bit about what I am going to say before I throw it out there. A little bit of Twitter is a dangerous thing.

I'm The Living - Jimmy Cliff

Not sure how good the quality is on this one but the song is amazing.

It used to take months or sometimes close to a year for people to talk to each other. That alone would be mind blowing for someone from the past to experience. But I think how America looks would be mind blowing as well. I am sure that there people in the past who were convinced that America was going to end based totally on the politics of the time and yet here we are. How surprised do you think that they would be to see America still standing? Or would you argue with me and tell me that the America of today is not the real America?

Madness - Prince Buster

A good if not great political ska song. Prince Buster was one of the greats.

That, frankly is not an argument I am interested in having because I think that there is so much open to personal beliefs and interpretation when you start debate what the "real America" is or is not supposed to be. It just seems like a conversation that is almost guaranteed to make you angry and crazy. I think that the reality is that America has become what America is supposed to be. There is an inertia in place and America continues to roll forward. It continues to roll despite the liberal or conservative politics of whomever is trumpeting its success or destruction. If there is one thing that I love about America I suppose that is it. Regardless of the politics the people still continue to roll on. Perhaps I am naive but I do not think so. Only time will tell and I am okay with waiting to find out.

Mirror in the Bathroom - English Beat

Thanks for reading folks. I hope things are well and I hope to talk to you soon. If I can leave you with one thing it would be this. "Keep dancing folks. keep dancing"

SKA - 4- EVA!!

I am sure that I have written about this before. But I love SKA and I really do love all the cycles of SKA from 1st wave to 3rd wave. There is not type of music that can bring a smile to my face and a tapping to my toes. There is just something about it. I also feel like it is the perfect summertime music. It is a great experience to take nice long drive and just have the SKA blasting as you go.

Return of the Ugly - Bad Manners

This is basically a late 1st wave early second wave SKA band but they also were considered a skinhead band but not a racist skinhead band.

Ska All Over The World - Jimmy Cliff

This is just really, really good 1st wave SKA and Jimmy Cliff in general is so good. Such a great song.

Melancholy Sally - Loafers

Another solid 2nd wave SKA band. They appeared after the Two-Tone Movement of the late 80's. The bouncy beat is great as well as the horn lines in this song.

To Much Too Young - The Specials

One of the greatest of the Two-Tone revival bands and this song is about safe sex basically. It is a solid song.

The 3rd wave of SKA had a far more punk aspect to it and while there is some controversy because some old school SKA fans just do not care for the 3rd wave stuff, I think some great bands came out of the era and I still enjoy listening to them today.

The Final Countdown - Frank Furillo

This is a SKA cover of the Europe classic "The Final Countdown" I really enjoy it. But I realize that it may not be for everyone.

Somebody Hates Me - Reel Big Fish

This is a 3rd wave band that lots of people really, really did hate. I liked their first couple of albums but after that they kind of went downhill in my opinion. But when I saw them in concert they were very cool to me and we hung out for a bit after the show.

Sunday Morning - No Doubt

This band, when it broke, had a much more pop then SKA sound but the SKA elements were still their. The cool thing about this album Tragic Kingdom is that the majority if not all of the songs were written by Gwen Stefani after she had broken up with the band's bassist Tony Kanal. I can't imagine being in his shoes and touring the world night after night playing songs about how much you suck.

That is it for today. I hope you enjoyed the look back at the world of SKA.

Musical Adventures

So this has been an interesting week for me musically. I have been kind of all over the place and I am not sure if that was because of all the amazing jam band music that Steve gifted me with, or if a movie or television show triggered it or what. My musical choices this week have ranged from the all time masters of Reggae, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley to some of the masters of epic metal, Helloween and Manowar. So I guess you guys are going to get a little treat courtesy of me. I hope you feel lucky. Because you totally should.

"The Harder They Come" - Jimmy Cliff

The movie that comes from was made in 1972 and it has the same name. I highly recommend it if you like reggae music and things about Jamica and crime films. If you like Michael Bay or M. Night Shillyshally films then this is not the film for you.

Eagle Fly Free - Helloween

It is hard for me to actually put into words how much I enjoy the hard rocking of this metal band. They are German and they rock so hard. So hard. So just sit back and let the music surround you and fill you with its power and majesty. Feel the drums lift you and drive you onward. There are times where good epic metal is the best thing in the world to listen to and you are doing yourself a disservice if you do not give it a fair listen. It is far more then just music for disaffected long haired stoners.

Perfect Gentleman - Helloween

I had to add another. I just had to.

It is hard to pick just one Bob Marley song, even the ones that were not hits are still amazing and some of the hits are just really, really so good.

African Herbsman - Bob Marley

This song pretty much says it all for me.

The Gods Made Heavy Metal - Manowar

This song explains how the Gods created Heavy Metal and if you losers don't like you can just get over it. Because the God's made Heavy Metal and it's never gonna die.

Thor (The Powerhead) - Manowar

Thor always brings the power and so does Manowar. So you best strap in because you are about to get you socks blown off amongst other things.

More Music (Bob Marley & The Wailers)

I really am enjoying this process because it is letting me show all of you the different types of music I am into. I am excited about today because we get to listen to Bob Marley. I think most of my regular readers know that I am into ska pretty heavily. But I do not know if I have ever really addressed my love of reggae as well. I own more Jimmy Cliff then Bob Marley but I am working to remedy that.

What we are sampling today is Marley's greatest hits album Legend. I am actually remiss in that it is Bob Marley & The Wailers. So let me apologize for not mentioning that sooner.

I just love the quote in the picture. Because I think it is totally true, even when a song makes me feel sad, the song also is taking me to a different place and the sadness just isn't a painful sadness. It is a memory or a reminder of multiple things and while sadness might be part of it, pain is not.

Well, lets get to the music. "Get Up Stand Up". This is an amazing song and this clip is from a live show in Germany. This song is almost funk as well as reggae I love it.



"Three Little Birds" is a great song. I have nothing more to say.



"Exodus". This is another live one. So good and so amazing. I recommend that you just lean back and let the music wash over you. Don't fight it. Just give into it.



I may have to give this group another post as I fill out my library. I hope you enjoyed the musical escape today.