Ban Bob Marley!

[Mark Wolfe]

I was never much of a Bob Marley fan to begin with. Not that his music was "bad" or anything, but it just never resonated with me.

However, it seems that nowadays, everywhere you go on the beach you hear Bob. The first hundred or so times you hear Buffalo Soldier or Get Up, Stand Up, etal, you think: "Well, they've played the hel_l out of that."

But it just goes on and on and on....

It's like someone has decided to play Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer every day on the beach. It's maddening.

I propose a moratorium on Bob Marley music in Samui for at least the next 20 years. Actually, I'd like to ban his music forever, but that seems slightly harsh.

Everyone agrees with me, right?

[T_Dog]

You can't do that because you know what would happen next...... No more "Hotel California"!

[koheesti]

I had a visitor a couple weeks ago and told them that you probably don't hear as much Bob Marley on Jamaica as you do here.

[longtom]

An amazing lack of variation indeed , and I still consider myself a mild reggae fan. Lucky I'm living far away from the bars. Just how could we convince these guys that 'enough is enough'? The Thai way seems to be (sometimes): if a recipe works let's serve it ad nauseum until hel_l freezes over. Just look at the classy teak wood furniture for example.

Edited May 14, 2009 by longtom

[OriginalPoster]

I was never much of a Bob Marley fan to begin with. Not that his music was "bad" or anything, but it just never resonated with me.

However, it seems that nowadays, everywhere you go on the beach you hear Bob. The first hundred or so times you hear Buffalo Soldier or Get Up, Stand Up, etal, you think: "Well, they've played the hel_l out of that."

But it just goes on and on and on....

It's like someone has decided to play Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer every day on the beach. It's maddening.

I propose a moratorium on Bob Marley music in Samui for at least the next 20 years. Actually, I'd like to ban his music forever, but that seems slightly harsh.

Everyone agrees with me, right?

Basically it's music that was so good that it became a cliche. Around the time of Marley's death, believe or not, he was not very well known amongst teenagers in the US. I remember seeing reports of his death on the news and the commentators acting like an immortal figure had died and thinking it odd. Sure, most people who were reasonably aware of music knew who he was, but he wasn't a part of our lives, the only time were heard reggae songs was when Eric Clapton or Johnny Nash decided to play them. But when you look at his body of work now (all of it, not just the 12 songs they play in Samui), it's hard to understand why he wasn't heard on radio stations in the US half as frequently then as he is in every backpackers ghetto now.

Edited May 14, 2009 by OriginalPoster

[Boater]

i like it

beats them playng tacky thai music

[patklang]

I bet there are quite a few beach boys/bar boys look-a- likes too lol

The farang ladies like them though

[fiddlehead]

I first came here 9 years ago and hung out at a Thai guys place that he was just starting.

I stayed 4 months and he had one cassette tape: Best of Bob Marley

I still see him from time to time and he doesn't only play Bob Marley now, but it is still played probably every 3rd song or so.

I like it (fortunately)

But my favorite is Floyd. I once went 5 years and listened to nothing but Pink Floyd. ( and I could easily do it again )

Both are good. It's my (Thai) neighbor playing "The Carpenters" all the time that gets me. (be careful what you wish for)

[keepsamuiclean]

Everybody has a weak point - mine is fireworks - yours is Bob Marley. Have to commit that I do not know even one song of him - perhaps the sporadical fireworks are better?

[OriginalPoster]

Everybody has a weak point - mine is fireworks - yours is Bob Marley. Have to commit that I do not know even one song of him - perhaps the sporadical fireworks are better?

If not Bob Marley, have you heard of the Beatles? I'm told that they are fab, but actually I haven't heard any of their songs.

[bino]

i like it

beats them playng tacky thai music

I agree- and Amen to that!

[The Vulcan]

They're determined we'll never forget in Hua Hin.!

[Rooo]

i like it

beats them playng tacky thai music

I agree- and Amen to that!

I rather like some Thai music

[koheesti]

I wish they'd play more Jimmy Buffet around here.

[Rooo]

Some more discussion:

Here

[Birdman]

i like it

beats them playng tacky thai music

I agree- and Amen to that!

I rather like some Thai music

Luk thung or mor lam?

[Mark Wolfe]

Some Thai music is quite good, but you have to hunt for it.

And what I was mostly talking about was not bars - there they play ghastly hip hop no-brainer music. I was referring to beachfront places.

Why not just play 106.1 FM from the Caymans? Good contemporary sounds...or better yet, the sound of the surf (no music at all).

[huggybear]

I was never much of a Bob Marley fan to begin with. Not that his music was "bad" or anything, but it just never resonated with me.

However, it seems that nowadays, everywhere you go on the beach you hear Bob. The first hundred or so times you hear Buffalo Soldier or Get Up, Stand Up, etal, you think: "Well, they've played the hel_l out of that."

I love Bob, but yes, his music is getting worn out.

His son Damian has some great music, why does not anyone play his stuff (?), definitely more modern. Even in my copy cd shops I can find a ton of Bob but no Damian.......frustrating.

[southbot]

A lot of young and old Thais just happen to like Reggae music.

Most of the folks here on this forum would not know the difference between Bob and, say, Burning Spear or Eek Amouse.

Would you? No. I didn't think so.

The thing is that it is NOT all Bob they are playing, it is a very wide range of Reggae music from diverse sources.

Sure, you hear "get up stand up blah blah blah" rather a lot.

Like if you hear jazz at one joint and you don't do jazz, then the jazz you hear at the next joint sounds just like the jazz you heard at the last joint? See?

But come on, let's not blame Bob, eh?

Because we all know - IT IS TAKSIN'S FAULT!

[PoorSucker]

Everybody has a weak point - mine is fireworks - yours is Bob Marley. Have to commit that I do not know even one song of him - perhaps the sporadical fireworks are better?

Mine is:

Lady and gentlemen, tonight, tonight, super fight.

[GraBangkok]

Everybody has a weak point - mine is fireworks - yours is Bob Marley. Have to commit that I do not know even one song of him - perhaps the sporadical fireworks are better?

Mine is:

Lady and gentlemen, tonight, tonight, super fight.

Agreed, does my head in every 20 minutes or so sometimes 2 together

[EvilDrSomkid]

I was never much of a Bob Marley fan to begin with. Not that his music was "bad" or anything, but it just never resonated with me.

However, it seems that nowadays, everywhere you go on the beach you hear Bob. The first hundred or so times you hear Buffalo Soldier or Get Up, Stand Up, etal, you think: "Well, they've played the hel_l out of that."

But it just goes on and on and on....

It's like someone has decided to play Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer every day on the beach. It's maddening.

I propose a moratorium on Bob Marley music in Samui for at least the next 20 years. Actually, I'd like to ban his music forever, but that seems slightly harsh.

Everyone agrees with me, right?

I'm with you. They have been playing Bob to death for years now. Not only on Samui, but also on Phangan.

Some of my mates and I are also sick of hearing Bob M all the f*cking time and we don't even live on Samui.

I'd rather be listening to Jintara Poonlap. I'm not sick of her music.

Fantastic voice. Eventhough I cannot understand most of what she sings, especially if its Isaan dialect, some of her songs do bring a tear...

Not that overly sweet luk thung stuff though.

Edited May 15, 2009 by EvilDrSomkid

[hanno]

Most of the folks here on this forum would not know the difference between Bob and, say, Burning Spear or Eek Amouse

I would, listening to Burning Spear as we speak.

I am a big Reggae fan, and that does include Bob Marley. Problem is that many of the bars tend to play just 2-3 of his best-known stuff over and over again and that does indeed get tiring.

[Mark Wolfe]

The fact is that there are many interesting Thai songs that could be played along with Western music. I suspect that a little local color would be appreciated by tourists.

I wonder why Bob and reggae have come to symbolize "beach tunes"?

[everydaysthesame]

In my beah bar in chaweng we have a complete ban on any song from the Legend Album.

[Mark Wolfe]

I have heard from many sources that the staff (in all bars) plays what they want when "the man" is away.

[PoorSucker]

I have heard from many sources that the staff (in all bars) plays what they want when "the man" is away.

Especially the bars in Ban Bob Marley.

[BigC]

i like it

beats them playng tacky thai music

I agree- and Amen to that!

I rather like some Thai music

i like thai music too. cause i don't understand it. dunno why but that is the way it is. as for bob marley never herd of him