hoser reggae

I have a confession to make, people: I am not a huge fan of reggae music. And I know what some of you are thinking: "How can you not like reggae? It's so likable!" And the answer is, I don't know! Maybe I don't like it because it is so calculatedly likable?

And maybe you're also wondering, "What about Bob Marley's Legend?" Well ... OK. Sure. It's got a lot of great songs on it. I own it. But I haven't bought any of his non-greatest hits albums.

But you know what my favorite reggae song is? This is gonna shock you: "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush. Maybe you've never thought of that song, or any Rush song, as reggae. But towards the end of the song, there's a little section where they use this catchy reggae/dub beat for a few seconds. You know, right before Geddy Lee squeals "Concert hall!" And then they do it again for a few more seconds in the next stanza. They do the reggae/dub thing just enough to qualify "Spirit of Radio" as my all-time favorite reggae song.

And just FYI, "Spirit of Radio" is also my favorite song for getting pumped up. You know, like if you're about to go out and play some pick-up football, or if you've just had a bad day and need a little lift. For most people, it's "Eye of the Tiger." But for me, it's "Spirit of Radio."