“Reggae’s chief eyewitness, dropping testimony on reggae’s chief prophet with truth, blood, and fire.” ―Marlon James, Man Booker Prize–winning author Renowned reggae historian Roger Steffens’s riveting oral history of Bob Marley’s life draws on four decades of intimate interviews with band members, family, lovers, and confidants―many speaking publicly for the first time. Hailed by the New York Times Book Review as a “crucial voice” in the documentation of Marley’s legacy, Steffens spent years traveling with the Wailers and taking iconic photographs. Through eyewitness accounts of vivid scenes―the future star auditioning for Coxson Dodd; the violent confrontation between the Wailers and producer Lee Perry; the attempted assassination (and conspiracy theories that followed); the artist’s tragic death from cancer― So Much Things to Say tells Marley’s story like never before. What emerges is a legendary figure “who feels a bit more human” ( The New Yorker ). 40 photographs
Although I did eventually get a good sense of Bob Marley's character from this book, it was a very disjointed way to get there, with hundreds of interviews of people who were in the band or who knew Bob, but there were fewer than ten interview segments with Bob himself. Many of the people interviewed had an agenda, or so it seemed to me, so I'm not sold on this as the best way to get to know Bob Marley's story. The fact that he was an extraordinary person comes through clearly, but the story is not very coherent.
I actually saw Bob Marley in concert in Germany in 1980, when he had less than a year to live. Sadly, through poor planning, our seats were about as far away from the band as humanly possible, but I still have the memory of the tiny figure of Bob dancing on stage. And I barely knew who he was - The Wailers were double-billed with Fleetwood Mac, which is who I was actually there to see. Forty years later, I listen to Bob frequently, Fleetwood Mac almost never. Live and learn.
The best book I have read on Marley so far. It amazed me how little or no money so many Jamaican musicians received for their labors, and the chicanery of Coxson Dodd and Lee Perry (both giants in the history of music in Jamaica) are beyond words. And the lack of copyright laws in Jamaica at the time... Of course Marley himself, despite his generosity in general, was known to be stingy with songwriting credits. Steffens' use of the 'oral' biographical format works wonders here and he clears up some misconceptions about Marley's family background while exposing the truly destitute nature of his upbringing on the streets of Kingston. Steffens is very credible when it comes to the background of the 1976 assassination attempt on Marley at 56 Hope Road and the subsequent exile in England. Marley was truly driven, and Steffens sets straight the role of Chris Blackwell in his career and their relationship (strictly business). His portrayal of both Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh is well wrought with their distinct, uncompromising personalties well defined. The amazing thing about Marley is that such a figure, playing a music that was both confusing and foreign to those outside the small island of Jamaica, could bring such a parochial sound to a world-wide audience - and on his own terms. It is clear that Marley walked the walk as well as talked the talk, as his self-funded concert at Robert Mugabe's coming to power in Zimbabwe (where he shared the event with Prince Charles) demonstrates. He was nothing less than a tireless proselytizer for Rasta and black nationalism and never took his eyes off his mission. Steffens' book deftly traces the steps that led to Marley becoming something of a 20th century deity after his death, Marley's visage inspiring so many from so many backgrounds all over the world. That this child of Kingston's ghettos achieved such heights is, of course, mainly due to his charisma, but "So Much Things to Say" gives full kudos to all those that also saw how unique Marley was and worked with him in fulfilling his musical and cultural achievement. (And Steffens does not downplay the luck that helped Marley on a number of occasions). Steffens gives the band members of the Wailers their just due as they move from the local recording studios of Kingston to worldwide prominence (and the difficulties they experienced in adjusting to life outside the insular world of Jamaica). The story of Bob Marley and the Wailers is unparalleled in the annals of popular music (their music has not dated one day in these 30-plus years since Marley's death), and the prophetic nature of Marley himself is one of the mysteries as to why this music has continued to mean so much to so many as the decades roll by.
Some of Bob’s lyrics arise from the centuries of oppression, “Britain’s rule of Jamaica was the longest colonial rule in history, almost four hundred years.” ‘Get Up Stand Up’ was written by Bob with Esther Anderson, Ester said he was trying to teach Bob “how to be a rebel” and they were watching Brando in ‘On the Waterfront’. ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ came from watching Italian westerns. Chris Blackwell made U2 listen to Marley’s records for 18 months before they began recording says Don Taylor. “Bob Marley became the voice of third world pain and resistance.” And Exodus even broadened Marley’s appeal to the point that it was now also a blue collar versus white collar thing. Junior Marvin says Hendrix practiced 14 hours a day, and never went anywhere without his guitar.
This book’s strength is telling you Bob’s overall story while telling you the story of each record chronologically. The book’s weakness is that you learn almost nothing about how Bob’s music is evolving, made or constructed; it’s not written from a musician’s point of view. The book still to be written is a musical analysis of Bob’s work, song by song; that book will be a monster because there is so much rhythmic interlocking of instruments on each track; rock music by contrast, is so much less complicated.
I appreciate the book and story but it just felt like it was like a bunch of quotes, I didn’t like that. That was distracting me very much. I’m glad I consumed this via audio.
I am such a Bob Marley fan - I love to listen to his music and read all about him. An interesting book with lots of background details from the artists and producers who worked with him. Perhaps too much detail and repetition. I think the book would have been better if it was shorter. I never realized how much he and the Wailers were exploited by producers and record label execs, primarily due to racism and classism. Add sexism by the women musicians. Black women bear the brunt of it all. Good read nonetheless.
A must read for any Bob Marley fan. As an oral history, it's tough in places to decipher/translate the patois in which many of the Rastas and other Jamaicans speak. Steffens extensive notes go a long way toward solving that problem. Not a criticism, just a caveat for any potential reader.
Thought I knew most of Bob's story after reading multiple biographies. This book clearly indicates the fallacy of that assumption.
This was Steffen's magnum opus, the culmination of his life's work. His passion and devotion to the subject matter show through clearly. Now I want to see all the videos he identifies in the book of concerts, interviews, etc..
Would have like to seen a discography and a list - and description of - the interviewees at the beginning or end of book, a cast of characters as it were. I knew most of them. However, even with that knowledge, I had trouble keeping track of everybody. There is a list of interviewees in the epilogue; however, it didn't list their roles or connections to NR Marley himself. I had to keep flipping back through the text to where Steffens identifies them in their first appearance in the text. Again, not a criticism, just a comment for this review.
Ok, so I might be a tad biased…Roger is my neighbor, and I’ve toured the extensive Reggae Archives at his home. But even so, I feel this is a phenomenal oral history because of the immense strides it takes to offer a holistic and objective portrait of Bob Marley’s life (and much, much more). There are an astounding number of interviews (with gentle interjections from Roger to provide context), and any newcomer to reggae will walk away with an excellent syllabus to study. The audiobook is fantastic (narrated by Roger, of course), and definitely check out @thefamilyacid on Instagram for a treasure trove of Roger’s photography, too!
This is a spectacular book, capturing legendary Bob Marley from the observations and viewpoints of those who worked with him, lived with him, who saw him as a young boy trying to make music, to the man who created what Time Magazine selected as the Album of the Century.
Author Roger Steffens has been involved in the reggae scene since the first reggae albums began drifting into the United States. He could have written this book from his own viewpoint, giving us his twist on Marley, the people around him, his place in history, and the incomparable music that he wrote and performed. But he chose a different approach.
Steffans pieced together interviews about Marley taken over the past four decades. He organized them in a cogent fashion to tell the story -- but he didn't try to choose between conflicting story lines. And by choosing this approach, the reader gets a much fuller, much more authentic view of Bob Marley from all those who knew and surrounded him.
It's a great book. A MUST READ for anyone with any interest in Bob Marley or music in the 1970s.
It's a terrific nonfiction bildungsroman. How did this island street boy become such a worldly wise figure and fighter for the oppressed? Luck? Talent? Fate? We see the journey, hear it narrated in the poetic patois of Jamaica from his friends, relatives, women, and sidemen, allies mostly but also the occasional adversaries. We see him take a lot of guff, years of guff on the road to his success, a road he transcended. Gregory Corso, speaking of poets, refers to the Talented, the Genius, and the Divine. So Much Things to Say implicitly makes a case for this hierarchy. Marley was a Divine-- but a very human one, a prolific hitmaker and childmaker. Having seen Marley's energetic performance at the Greek Theater in Berkeley in 1978, I couldn't help but wonder now about his diet and exercise regimen. It's here! And a lot more. I recommend the book on disc with Steffens reading. He's good company. Both he and his subject give me hope. One Love hope.
The author has done quite a lot of work and made it look very smooth and tight. The idea of doing a biography through the voices of the people who knew the subject is probably not new but the challenge is to edit the interviews so there is still a narrative structure and interest. Well done. I might have wished for some of the unrepresented voices in certain spots but overall this is a rich patchwork and will be important in future when these voices are silenced.
At this point there's not much about Bob Marley I don't already know. But this book is one of the best ones I've read about his life. Behind "catch a fire". Recommended for any fan of Bob Marley or reggae, or Roger Steffens.
Terrible. Saltos en el tiempo difíciles de seguir y una traducción que parece más doblaje latino de El Precio de la Historia. Está organizada por "temas" y a su ves por entrevistados, lo cual lo hace dificilísimo de leer fluidamente. Llegué a la mitad. Lo único que me llevé fue aprender que Bob Marley vivió varios años en Suecia. Una lástima.
The research in this book was amazing but it was more information than I probably needed. For die hard Marley fans and fans of the early Wailers band I’m sure they’ll love it. I live the style too, through the words of others like the Bill Graham biography
A very complete set of interviews with all friends, family and people that lived close to Bob. In a very detailed timeline from the beginning till the very end. I'm so happy Roger made this book, I would love to watch one day also those records about Bob Marley's last concerts and live in Jamaica.
This is a completely fascinating and absorbing book, but unfortunately it raises more questions than it answers. Roger Steffens' collection of interviews is a treasure trove (in almost every case, I wish that I could have read them in their entirety), but the story still seems incomplete somehow since many key voices either chose not to participate at all (e.g. Johnny Nash) or while included, are barely heard and presented in a sometimes unflattering light without being able to defend themselves (Rita Marley in particular). Furthermore, while Bob's relationship with the Rastafarian community is touched on, Steffens doesn't seem particularly interested in delving very deeply into this aspect of the story and the book suffers as a result.
As other reviewers have noted, much of the book (particularly the first half or so) seems to be about score-settling, discussions of who exactly contributed to which song and to what degree and other points that will no doubt be fascinating to a Marley/Wailers obsessive, but would perhaps better suited to a specialist publication rather than a book such as this.
Steffens also clearly has his own agenda and biases and in cases where the truth is elusive (e.g. explanations of the assassination attempt against Marley) I really would have preferred for him to omit his analysis.
For me, the best parts were the interviews where Marley's fellow musicians talked about his music or what it was like working with him. (Junior Marvin's contributions are particularly good here) and I think I'd have liked the book a lot more if it focused more on this type of material.
I really disliked this book. While purporting to be the Real Story told by insiders, it is more a selection of score-settling claims by those who Steffens chose to include. For example, the discussion of a particular Marley song will be followed by quotes from two or more people who claim to have given Marley the idea or the lyrics, taking credit for it. Every event in Marley's life seems to be in question, but with no input from the man himself what should one believe? Steffens inserts himself into most of the discussion as well, acting as moderator but usually taking sides. And if everyone seems to think Island Records head Chris Blackwell to be such a vampire of JA culture, wouldn't a word or two from him in his defense be appropriate? (Providing a footnote link to a years-old interview doesn't count). Other bios provide documentation and the results of research; this one provides only opinions. Valuable perhaps but not what I expected.
"When the rain fall/It don't fall on one man's housetop." -Bob Marley, "So Much Things To Say"
This book is for fans of Bob Marley and reggae music, and for those of us who have been so touched and inspired by such music, it's a revelation. I don't know if I can give a clear critical review of this book, since my feelings and regards for Bob Marley are such that I had his music playing in the background as my wife and I welcomed our first child. Looking at my son's face the first time, Bob Marley's voice rang out singing "Bless my eyes this morning," and while there is so much trouble in the world, and in the lives of even great men, the stories must be told and the lives must be lived.
This book, told in the voices of those who knew and worked with Bob Marley, is a unique dive into the depths of a genius and his music. Put his music on when you read it.
I suggest reading this book in tandem with your Spotify, iTunes, etc. ... As a casual fan of Bob Marley, I found so much pleasure in listening to the tunes mentioned in the book and exploring the albums as the author described them and their creation. I don’t usually care for ‘interview books’, but Roger Steffens does a great job by giving his commentary and thoughts before, during, or after you read the actual words said by the dozens of people he interviewed. This style made it very readable and much more informative. Peace and One Love, friends,
When you can't pin down answers to important questions, you assemble all of the information and hope the cluster of answers points to a true center. That's what this book does, chronologically laying down Bob Marley's life as told from different perspectives by those closest to him at those moments. I never lost interest in the book, despite it taking months to finish. It is just a lot to absorb, but for true fans gives a nice insider feel to the rise of arguably the most important musical phenomenon of the last century.
Definitely not for someone who wasn’t already deeply familiar with the life of Bob Marley, which was my mistake in picking this one up. I would recommend this book for any Marley lover (or scholar) as it does contain quite a varied and interesting collection of voices. Because the book is an oral history, be prepared for a lot of contributory stories and “he said, she said.” But in a sense, that’s what makes this book the truest “oral history” I’ve run across. It doesn’t feel edited in any way - just a series of long, one sided conversations.
Won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I put in for a chance to win this because I wanted to learn about Bobs life. If that is what you want,do not look here. This book was more about the music industry in Jamaica than it was about Bob Marley. Written in the so called words of Bobs friends and associates , the book did not come close to living up to my expectations. I hope this is the worst book I read this year as I cannot imagine reading anything more crappy.
Intriguing look at Bob Marley through conversations with those who knew him - got a much better understanding of the man as an artist / his philosophy … loved this little (post-Peace concert) gem: “This is why Jah use music because you can’t control it…Music is the biggest gun.” Because the oppressed cannot afford weapons, he explained, it’s no use fighting that way because they are outgunned on every level. So love is the answer.
Took me a while to get into, but worth it. Some of the long sections about the ins and outs of recording studios made my eyes glaze, but to someone more technical that would be fantastic to read about. I prefer the personal connections and the political history. Was slightly in tears at the end, not very shocking.
For as much as this book wants to make the case for Marley's stature as a political force of nature, most of the material speaks only to the shadiness of the music industry.
Per FTC guidelines, be advised that I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Great oral history of Bob Marley, the King of Reggae! All of the key people in Bob's life are included in firsthand interviews with Roger Steffens the International expert on all things Marley and Reggae music history. This is a must read. Loved it.
Such powerful writing that spans on Bob Marley's complete life. You can tell the author had a real appreciation for him and took his time researching facts.
This book puts the human behind the icon, the stories behind the songs.
It is written by Roger Steffens, a kind of polymath with an interesting life: a Vietnam war veteran that became an author, actor, editor, lecturer, photographer, reggae music producer, reggae radio host, and the founder of Reggae Archives, the world’s largest collection of Bob Marley material and other reggae memorabilia. On top of this, Steffens had actually toured with Bob Marley and the Wailers in the 1970s and was closely acquainted with them.
Unlike the other 500+ books on Marley, this book is written not from the vantage point of the reggae legend, but it is a book about his life’s story in a 360 degree angle as told by the people around him. More precisely, it is the culmination of the interviews (a.k.a. “oral history”) conducted in the span of 4 decades with 75 of the people closest with Marley and those who have crossed paths with him, including family, friends, neighbours, musicians, business managers, photographers, filmmakers, and journalists.
The book tells the tale of Jamaica in the turbulent political years in late 1960s and 1970s that became the environmental context for the birth of the reggae music. It tells the story of the pre-recording early days of the Wailers, the backstage reality of the Studio One, the JAD period, the complicated world of music business, song royalties, confrontation with producer Lee Perry, what happened in Gabon, the breakup of the group in 1973, Marley’s encounter with Johnny Nash and Nash’s big influence on Marley’s music. It is about the events that inspired the making of the songs, like how “get up, stand up” was written during their tour in Haiti after he was deeply moved by the poverty there, or how “I shot the sheriff” is actually about birth control.
The book also covers his personal life. Marley’s upbringing in the slums of Trench Town, that time he lived in Delaware and London, his volatile relationship with Rita Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, his visit to Ethiopia, his exile from Kingston in 1966 and 1967, his diet and exercise, his love of football, the ego, his near psychic ability, his 19 children from multiple mothers, marijuana, lots of marijuana, the Rastafari religion, the story behind their unique dreadlock hair style, more marijuana, when he met with emperor Haile Selassie II, and how he didn’t really care about money and gave a lot of them away to others throughout his lifetime.
The many interviews in the book also reminisce about the iconic moments in Marley’s life, such as that time when they were the opening act for the Commodores at Maddison Square Garden but “stole” the show, the mysterious assassination attempt on him in 1976 (and who really did it), the tense events leading to the One Love peace concert, his ability to unite two party fractions in Jamaica during a bloody battle, his moment in the independence celebration of Zimbabwe, his last months living on Earth before his death on 11 May 1981 at the age of 36 due to skin cancer, and his funeral where literally half of the entire population of Jamaica came to pay their last respect.
That’s how much Marley was loved and respected. That’s how big his personality was. And that’s how impactful he was in the global scenery. And this very enjoyable read can capture all of the essence and moments perfectly, to show the Robert Nesta Marley from Trench Town behind the legend of Bob Marley.