Solid Foundation: An oral history of reggae Paperback – December 1, 2012

This is a must have for the serious reggae fan. There is a whole heap of information here and might be too much to digest for the casual dabbler in the genre but if you, like myself, are really into it then this epic volume is essential!One love,JimboJimbo

Readable, but just barely. There wasn't much that was new here, to me, and much of what's there seems trivial. Or at least, not presented in a context that makes me want to keep reading. I much preferred the Lloyd Bradley book about Jamaican music.

I bought this book as an additional reference book for a project that I am currently working on. I am not disappointed.

Great cover..........He Who Feels It, Knows It.

Essential reading.

The books that have been available on the history and background of reggae have (almost) always been organized around the rise of Bob Marley and the Wailers and have (again, almost) always shown an overconcentration on what went on in the UK (as opposed to Jamaica).Katz's book is blessedly different. For one thing, it's an oral history (as opposed to a researched/analytical history) and as such, he lets the artists and producers and other figures speak for themselves. This gets the reader much closer to the source than any other similar text. The story also unfolds in the same way that a bunch of guys shooting the breeze in a bar might tell it which I found extremely compelling. It is also the very first book on reggae that made me really understand the nature of the connection between London and Jamaica (besides just asserting a large expat community in London). Not only that, but it's the first time I remember reading anyone giving credit to the NY scene as well.Because of the anecdotal nature of the book, it's hard to hold the writer accountable for it's weaknesses. It's not really set up to be a research tool (it's hard to find specific facts or specific stories) and after reading it for a while, you realize that there are several voices missing from the narrative. Some have been exposed to death in other places (Marley, Peter Tosh, Lee Perry) but there are others I found conspicuous by their absence (Inner Circle, Brigadier Jerry, Yellowman).Finally, I just LOVE the focus on musicians. These guys are the real heart of reggae but have long stood in the shadows of the singers and producers.

A great read but not for the casual reader with no previous knowledge of reggae artists. Although at times the amount of detail is overwhelming, the book gives a fascinating insight into the development of reggae from its early days. David Katz has managed to put the interviews into a coherent narrative which covers all the phases which the music went through and the singers, players and producers who made the music so special.

Excellent oral history a much needed record of reggae music.

In a word, excellent

Falando primeiro do que é apresentado aos olhos e ao tato, o livro é excepcional. Você não nota diferença nas páginas com texto e fotografia, o livro todo é impresso em papel fotográfico. O conteúdo é abrangente e cronológico, primeiro com os sounds system's e permeando com as produções de ska, rock steady, e assim por diante. O conteúdo de citações de como aconteceu, baseado em que músico, como as versões jamaicanas foram feitas a partir dos trabalhos dos músicos que fizeram parte dos the Skatalites e assim por diante. Em alguns momentos os textos se tornam cansativos, eles vão e voltam se tornando meio que reduntante em alguns momentos, mas não diminui o livro e a pesquisa toda que o permeia. O autor David Katz, também é um colecionador de discos e tenta colocar parte desse acervo dentro do conteúdo do livro.No decorrer do livro, talvez o ponto alto dele, é a dissertação sobre as conexões entre a música produzida na Jamaica com as música produzida EUA, América Central, América Latina e a exportação para UK com a migração dos Jamaicanos para a Europa. São notórias as influencias de diversos músicos do exterior na ilha, e o relato dos músicos jamaicanos dos primórdios são excepcionais. E um livro de histórias, e grandes histórias de grandes músicos. Apenas faltou uma edição com capa dura e uma versão para o Kindle. Se pensa adquirir um livro sobre a história abrangente da cultura jamaicana e sobre reggae, "Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae" é extremamente indicado para uma primeira aquisição.

This book is mainly text. The few pictures are all b/w, but still essential. This book is much like an encyclopedia, but told by the people involved throughout creating music in Jamaican history. A certain basic level of knowledge regarding ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall and more, is required to understand what's it all about, and to be able to navigate throught the names in the index. But our family knows the history of Jamaican music quite well. So we are extremely pleased and satisfied by this great book!