BY JAMES ROSE—  Musical acts don’t generally make their name on a live album. Usually the act is well-established and the live set comes out to feed the beast; capitalise on momentum built in the studio, and/or to give the artist time in rehab.   But in the mid-1970s, the concept of the live album wasn’t that old, and so, as the music world began to seek out forms of music that relied heavily on the atmosphere at the moment of its delivery, the live album seemed perfect. Few artists came to life on stage more than Bob Marley. When he turned up at the Lyceum in London in June 1975, and someone turned on the mics to lay down Live! (released in December, 1975), not only was reggae born as a landmark pop music genre, … Read entire article »

 Peter Tosh– TODAY marks the 28th year since reggae’s most famous rebel, Peter Tosh, was brutally murdered at his upper St Andrew home. The incident occured on Friday, September 11, 1987. Interestingly, it happened like this year, on the day the Rastafari community to which he was firmly committed celebrates the Ethiopian New Year. “As one of reggae’s chief standard bearers for over two decades, Peter Tosh developed a reputation as the ultimate rebel of an indigenous Third World music form that has gained widespread international acceptance,” wrote the late journalist Fitzroy Nation for the now defunct St Catherine Reporter. Nation stated that on that fateful night, almost three decades ago, the 43-year-old Tosh became the latest victim in a seemingly unending cycle of violence. The following day police reported that Tosh was only … Read entire article »