/ARTS WEEKLY/MUSIC-JAMAICA: Roots, Rock or Reggae? Marley’s Son Tries New Sound

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Howard Campbell

KINGSTON, Aug 27 2002 (IPS) - The son of reggae legend Bob Marley playing rock and roll?

That sounds like Colonel Sanders’ children applying for a job at Burger King. But it is the case for Ziggy Marley, who launches his solo career in October with the album ‘Dragonfly’.

The release ends a two-year layoff for the 33 year-old Marley, the eldest of Bob Marley’s six sons, who last recorded with his siblings, the Melody Makers, on 1999’s ‘Spirit Of Music’.

It turns out now that the folk-rock feel of ‘Spirit Of Music’ was a sign of things to come. A departure from the reggae sound that earned the group three Grammy Awards in the 1990s, the record did not go down well with critics and fans.

It also turned out to be the band’s final studio album for Elektra Records, ending a commercially fruitless relationship with the major label, though the Melody Makers won a Grammy with Elektra for the 1997 album, ‘Fallen Is Babylon’.

Their other two Grammys came for the albums ‘One Bright Day’ and ‘Conscious Party’, both with Virgin Records.

‘Dragonfly’ will appear on major label RCA Records, a company not known for ties with reggae or Jamaican performers.

On the upcoming release, Marley expands on the folkish sound heard on ‘Spirit Of Music’ by enlisting some of the biggest names in alternative rock. They include bass player Flea and singer John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Chris Kilmore and Michael Einzinger of Incubus.

High-profile producer, Scott Litt, who has worked with super group, R.E.M. and Incubus, takes charge of the production duties.

But Marley does not abandon his reggae roots, working with veteran session guitarist, Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith and bassist Chris Meredith. Both were longtime members of the Melody Makers recording and touring band.

Smith, who toured as a member of the Wailers with Bob Marley in the 1970s, was part of Ziggy’s band on the recent Jeep Tour, which was headlined by rock singer Sheryl Crow and played over 20 dates across the United States.

The rock sound of ‘Dragonfly’ is the Marley siblings’ latest diversion from their reggae heritage in an attempt to regain popularity in the U.S. market, which embraced their pop-sounding reggae in the early and mid 1990s.

Three years ago, Stephen Marley produced ‘Chant Down Babylon’, an album of some of his father’s best-known songs interpreted by several hip-hop and rock acts singing in digital duets with the reggae king.

It sold gold (500,000 copies) and strengthened Stephen’s reputation as a producer. It also won him new fans among the hip-hop community.

Following that success, he appeared on Erykah Badu’s ‘Mama’s Gun’ album and produced his younger brother Damian’s ‘Halfway Tree’ disc, which took home the Grammy for Best Reggae Album in February.

As ‘Halfway Tree’ was being produced at the family studio in Kingston, Ziggy Marley was contemplating a break from the music business, which he believed had become sterile. “Is like people don’t want to hear what you have to say, them want to hear music ’bout the girl thong,” he said.

When ‘Spirit Of Music’ was released, critics canned the effort saying the Marleys had abandoned their roots, bowing to pressure from major label executives. Stephen Marley defended the group’s decision to explore new horizons.

“Is the same thing them used to say ’bout Gong (Bob Marley’s nickname),” he said. “But trust mi, nobody inna Jamaica writing the kinda song that Ziggy write now.”

The change in sound failed to boost the Marleys in the U.S. market, as ‘Spirit Of Music’ floundered. According to sales tracker, SoundScan, it sold less than 50,000 copies there.

The Marleys were naturally disappointed with the commercial failure of their three albums for Elektra, which Stephen accused of being biased towards big-selling pop performers such as Missy Elliott. They broke their ties with the label with a live album in 2000.

Reportedly, Ziggy Marley plans to tour in support of ‘Dragonfly’ when the set is released in little more than a month’s time. No doubt the critics and fans will be watching to see if he experiences a change in fortune.