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Ziggy Marley
Now that the first generation of rockers has grown old, retired, or passed on, a lot of music is being made by their offspring. Usually the ones who get the press are Rufus and Martha (Wainwright), Sean and Julian (Lennon), and sometimes Teddy (Thompson) and Alexa (Joel). Surprisingly little has been made of Ziggy Marley as a second-generation artist. Maybe this is because he moves in a different circle than the above artists, or maybe it’s because he’s a bit older, having been born in 1968. Either way, it’s surely to his advantage to have some separation from the others. No matter how distinct or excellent his material may be, though, I’m certain that it will remain near impossible to remove himself from the shadow of his legendary dad. Maybe that’s a good thing, too. Nobody has replaced Bob Marley as the acknowledged figurehead of Jamaican reggae music, so although he may never rise to the same level of prominence, Marley’s name will always assure interest from the public, so long as he maintains an acceptable level of quality.
“Love Is My Religion” does just enough to guarantee that Marley will retain a faithful audience, but it does little to expand on that potential. As usual, his melodies are pleasant and convey an instinctive ability for songwriting. The playing and production skills are fine as well, but it’s the plebian lyrics that ultimately weigh down this project. The light, airy feel of the title song and “Into the Groove” are impressive, especially the African-style rhythm utilized by the latter. The distraction only sets in when you focus on Marley’s words. “Love Is My Religion” deals with the issue of intolerance, a laudable topic that could inspire his listeners, but he never rises past the sentiment of the title. “I don’t want to fight, let’s go fly a kite” is one of the more uninspired (and uninspiring) couplets I’ve heard in quite a while. It’s almost like you can hear him thinking, “Hmmm, let’s see. What rhymes with ‘fight’? Bite…Dite…Gite…Jite….Kite…Kite! That’s it!!”
It’s this lack of poetic ability that holds Marley back; he is simply too literal for his own good. Despite its pleasant loping rhythm, “Beach in Hawaii” is a pointlessly vapid tune about longing, wherein he sings “I wish you were here with me on the beach in Hawaii.” Every other line is extraneous to the point of exhaustion (“Since you’ve gone away, I think about you every day”). Sometimes, his plainspoken nature works, like on his ode to a friend called…”Friend,” but most of the time he’s just dull. The unrelenting and unabashed positivity of his message is quite refreshing in this day and age of self-loathing and insecurity, but his rhymes are simply too lazy to be taken seriously. It’s a tough thing to shake off the yoke of a famous parent, but unless he attains the lyrical nobility of “Catch a Fire “ or “Exodus,” he will always be remembered as the son of Bob.
Grade: 
 
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