Bob Marley -or- Peter Tosh?

[leith]

Good point Leith, but you do know of both of them so stop being a douche and answer the question;)  

I hear you though, but I feel your reasoning is flawed...it was the American music industry trying to bring this form of music to america that let us know who "they are".  Marley was obviously more marketable, because of the positivity in his songs, but that isn\'t what the true spirit of reggae was all about.  Most of what we got to hear from Marley was american-bastardizations of great roots-reggae.  They set Marley up with extra session players(american) that could give more of an "appeal" to the music.

Marley went along because he felt if his message could get out to the world(even if it was softened), it would bring a chance for peace.  Tosh "Didn\'t want peace, [he] wanted justice".  He didn\'t want his songs of protest and anti-oppression commercialized for capitalist consumption.  That was 100% against what he believed in.  The classic One Love Peace Concert shows this Marley/Tosh juxtaposition the best.  Tosh came out spitting FIRE and talking against every perceived injustice in Jamaica...including DEMANDING that the farmers be allowed to grow marijuana and, that rastafarians be allowed to smoke freely as their system of beliefs called for.  With the crowd in an uproar he spoke after nearly EVERY song against the very Goverment officials that were IN ATTENDANCE.

THEN, Marley comes out and gets the two govt heads that were basically at war to shake hands.  I read once that after that Marley was quoted as saying that he should have,"Put a bullet in both of their heads".  Yet Marley\'s fame as an "ambassador" was out there for everyone in america to get behind, because as you said...people like their political messages safe and acceptable, not brash and possibly controversial.

If Tosh had not taught Marley how to play guitar we probably would not know of Marley.

If Marley had not come back to Jamaica and help form the Wailers we probably would not have heard of Tosh as he probably would have been dead for vocalizing his beliefs. He was able to get his message out and become a solo star due to the Wailers success.

So to me they are both intrinsic to the spread of Reggae outside of Jamaica. Neither is better. I love the songs of both.

In other words useless poll WALSH

[kindm's]

I voted for Bob but Ill take the wailers over either solo career.

Tosh = Mystic
Bob = Lover

"Marley became friends with Neville "Bunny" Livingston (later known as Bunny Wailer), with whom he started to play music. He left school at the age of 14 and started as an apprentice at a local welder\'s shop. In his free time, he and Livingston made music with Joe Higgs, a local singer and devout Rastafari who is regarded by many as Marley\'s mentor. It was at a jam session with Higgs and Livingston that Marley met Peter McIntosh (later known as Peter Tosh), who had similar musical ambitions."

Also these guys were the Holy trinity of reggae

[WALSH]

Joe HIggs was "the" guy in Kingston...he gave voice lessons to all the kids that wanted them...they started oiut as "The Teenagers" and then decided on "The Wailers".  

I LOVE REGGAE so much.

[bonzo]

tosh of course because of his  guitar skills

[RudeBwoy]

Just because reggae couldnt spread without the two of them doesnt mean you can\'t have a favorite or think one made better music than the other. It is completely opinion based.

[ulee]

I LOVE REGGAE so much.

ALLELUIA!

[Stephengencs]

Ernest Ranglin - SERest Jamacian musician. end of discussion.

[bonzo]

Ernest Ranglin - SERest Jamacian musician. end of discussion.

never heard of him,        
its always nice to hear new music

[Stephengencs]

Ernest Ranglin - SERest Jamacian musician. end of discussion.

never heard of him,        
its always nice to hear new music

he\'s a jamacian jazz/reggae guitarist....  He wrote the tune 5446 What\'s My Number that sublime covered (no lyrics just ser jams).  The only album I have heard from him is called Below The Bassline....

[kartoon42]

marley for this reason, i cant find a bob tune that i really just dont like (not counting remixes), however there are some wierd sounding tosh tunes that just dont do it for me. but both are an excellent chioce. could have also thrown jimmy cliff in the mix aswell

[freddiewaht]

d.bob/tosh

[bonzo]

Ernest Ranglin - SERest Jamacian musician. end of discussion.

never heard of him,        
its always nice to hear new music

he\'s a jamacian jazz/reggae guitarist....  He wrote the tune 5446 What\'s My Number that sublime covered (no lyrics just ser jams).  The only album I have heard from him is called Below The Bassline....

i always thought that toots and the maytals wrote the song 5446 what\'s my number

[boombox]

Had to go with Bob for his songwriting. I have to admit to not knowing much Tosh, but from what I\'ve heard, just don\'t like the tunes that much. Bob\'s songs are always great, even when covered by others - Manfred Mann\'s Earth Band\'s take on Redemption Songs is a particular favourite.

Truth be told, I never really got into reggae because of UB40, who I still can\'t stand and rank along with shite like Take That. Problem of spending my real formative music years in the early 80s, when you couldn\'t escape UB40\'s cod-reggae. Started to listen to reggae properly after picking up a cheap CD of early reggae and ska such as Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker. Then tried Bob and didn\'t need to explore further.

[kindm's]

When I was at URI in the early 90\'s (god I feel old) we used to go to this tiny ass club in Providence. The name escapes me I think it was the red brick tavern or something like that. They used to get killer ska, dancehall acts, and reggae. We used to have really great time there. I think they even had a Red Stripe drink special.

I think a few people got shot or something there and they closed it down, Not totally sure about that tho

Man that seems like 2 lifetimes ago.

[Lexington]

marley was pheady

check out Groundation for sick contemporary reggae. they are fuckin badass