Does your Bob Marley-loving teenager have you stumped for gift ideas? Does your reggae fanatic best friend leave you mystified when it comes to present-buying? Or are you the reggae lover, looking for ideas for your own wish list? In any case, you've come to the perfect place for inspiration.
1. A Bob Marley CD
(c) Island Records, 2001
Perhaps it seems a bit elementary, but as Bob Marley is the best-known name in reggae music, it's a given that one of his outstanding albums (or posthumous collections of his work) are essential listening for any reggae fan. These ten CDs are absolutely essential Bob Marley listening, though, and if the reggae lover in your life is missing one of them, it's a great way to help them fill out their collection.
2. A CD by Someone who Isn't Bob Marley
(c) Capitol Records
Okay, perchance the reggae fiend in question is already overstocked on Bob Marley. Maybe it's time to help them expand their horizons just a tad, and even help them discover something new. Some of the choices on my If You Like Bob Marley... list are fairly likely to be included in a comprehensive reggae collection (including those by Peter Tosh and Lee "Scratch" Perry), but there are a few more obscure albums on that list (try Satta Massagana by the Abyssinians) for hard-core collectors.
3. A CD That Isn't Reggae
(c) Heartbeat Records, 1996
This might initially seem counterintuitive, but hear me out: many reggae fans own huge amounts of reggae music, in CD, vinyl, or mP3 form. Why not expand their collection with something they're likely not to already have at home? For example, a traditional ska music CD. Ska is the predecessor to reggae, and many of the bands and artists that became famous reggae stars in the late 1960s actually got their start playing ska a few years earlier. Ska music is a favorite of reggae fans, and you probably can't go wrong with one of these fine albums.
4. A Lover's Mix CD
(c) Def Jam Records, 2002
Maybe this isn't appropriate for every giftee, but if the reggae fan in your mind happens to be your sweetheart (or if you wish they were!), why not make them a compilation CD filled with reggae love songs? Bob Marley's most romantic songs are a great place to start on that front... many of them are very romantic, and some are even quite sexy. Even if your hunny-bunny already has every song in the collection, I bet they don't have them on one CD, do they?
5. A Book About Reggae
(c) BBC Books, 2007
All right, let's say that the CD racks are overflowing and your favorite reggae listener has had to purchase an external hard drive to store all of their mP3s, so a gift of music will likely go unappreciated. Sounds like some reading material might be the right choice instead! Whether you're looking for a coffee table book, an enthralling biography, or an out-and-out reggae history book, my list of the best books about reggae music should have whatever you seek.
