"Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery..." - B. Marley

One down-side of reading biographies about dead people is that by the time the book ends, the person you are reading about is dead. I guess that's just assumed, I mean, they were dead before you started reading, it's a feature of the genre, but still there it is. You re-imagine, re-experience a life and then watch as it disappears. The finality of it all is a little disconcerting.

Anyway, I was raving about Timothy White's biography of Bob Marley, and I still think it's a very good book, but during the course of the book, Marley dies of cancer at the young age of 36, and it's a sad ending, and it's kind of like having the sun burn out suddenly. The book carries on for another 100 pages or so, (there's murder, extortion, lawsuits, recriminations) and it's slow going. The whole thing just sort of sputters out.

As I commented before, the early chapters are riveting, Marley's rise from out of what looks like insurmountable poverty and callous in-attention, is supremely amazing. Marley was one of the most creative, charismatic and musical people to come to the world's attention.

He is a giant that has to be ranked with people like Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Lennon and McCartney. Someone who transcended music and made an impact musically, pop culturally and politically. Marley's political and even religious influence in (especially, but not limited to) Jamaica, is truly striking.

Finally though, we are left with the music. The story is great. The ending is sad. The music still speaks to us. Take it away Bob: