Now at 35, Ziggy is a man with children of his own, and is just one year shy of outliving his father, who succumbed to cancer at 36. Time to strike on your own son. On his first truly solo album Ziggy only occasionally calls upon the backing voices of sisters Sharon and Cedella. This time he relies more on the talents of guest roots guitarist David Lindley and a bevy of seasoned Jamaican session players.

It would be misleading to characterise Dragonfly as a pure reggae album. While the familiar rebel lilt is always present in spirit, the form of Ziggy songs these days is just as likely to include elements of rock, pop, blues or soul. In fact the songs 'I Get Out' and 'True To Myself' specifically refer to the musical straightjackets that record companies, and some fans, would prefer him to remain within.

There are several potential radio-friendly hits here, but the best tracks are 'Shalom Salaam', a loping plea for Israeli/Palestinian peace, and 'Good Old Days', a song that acknowledges that the present is just as important as the past or the future. The gorgeous 'Melancholy Mood' is a slow reflective jazz/blues, reminiscent of some of Marley Senior's own quieter moments. Elsewhere Ziggy addresses environmental and spiritual concerns, and chastises those who claim to wage war 'in the name of God'.

While Ziggy lyrics, like his father's, can at times veer towards preaching and somewhat trite sloganeering, his songwriting talents here are generally strong. Written in Jamaica, but recorded in Miami and Los Angeles, Dragonfly is obviously designed to reach a wider commercial audience, which it probably will. If there's a danger in that direction it lies in the sometimes too slick production and a few too many Top 40 hooks. But if there was ever a question that Ziggy's talents have fully matured, Dragonfly should put those concerns to rest. Like father, like son.

Ziggy without the fam - even better than before!
It's hard to top the sound of Ziggy Marley and the Melodymakers, but this album which is touted as his 'official solo debut' (even though some of the siblings sing on it from the liner note credits) rocks! It's still definitely a reggae album, how can it NOT be with Ziggy(?) but definitely has a much more pop feel to it.

I've heard "True To Myself" on the radio a bit but not other songs, personally "Rainbow in the Sky" is one of the more reggae-style songs on the album that really grooves. "Dragonfly" has a really beautiful melodic line that Ziggy sings, talking all about how man needs to take care of the environment that he is also destroying. Most "interesting" song is Shalom Salaam, obviously focusing on the Israel/Palestine conflict.

I think it's a great album, especially for this time of year when the weather gets warmer, our spirits get brighter, and you just want that FEEL GOOD music for the end of your work day!

Keeping the Marley Tradition alive
Ziggy is Bob's Son...thats all I can say. This album was very good and there truly is a Rainbow in the Sky. Rasta

there's a rainbow in the sky, all the time!
i saw ziggy live in concert for free and i HAD to get this CD. i like every song on it except maybe for the last one.
highlights are: 'dragonfly,' ' true to myself' 'i get out,' 'in the name of god' 'shalom salaam' & 'rainbow in the sky.' actually, get this cd just for that song, rainbow in the sky, if anything. it's such a great song. and i love the message of shalom salaam.
i think this cd is great for people of all ages too. kids really like reggae. best of all this cd is so positive, the music makes you very happy and puts you in an irie mood.

Ziggy Carrying on His Father's Legacy, And Then Some...
I just saw Ziggy live at an art and music festival in Oakland on Sunday, and I was absolutely blown away (Beforehand, I already knew he would be excellent, being that he is Bob Marley's son, but that's beside the point.)! As soon as the performance was over, I knew I had to get the album. What doing so has done is made me an ardent fan of both Ziggy's and his father's music.

The many similarities with his father aside (i.e. vocal style, a knack for writing intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics, and the like), Ziggy is a superb singer-songwriter in his own right. His musical arrangements for the songs on the album practically approach pure genius, two notable examples being "Melancholy Mood" (a track in which, with very little instrumentation, Ziggy and his band manage to create a song with a very jazzy feel to it) and the last track, "Don't You Kill Love" (the techno-ish sound of this song is very interesting, and it fits perfectly with Ziggy's vocal). He also demonstrates that he is capable of creating music of many diverse styles. The album includes musical genres ranging from his reggae roots (i.e. "True To Myself", "Good Old Days", and "Shalom, Salaam", which is also an excellent commentary on the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians), pop-influenced folk (the title track and "Looking"), reggae-influenced hip-hop ("Rainbow In The Sky") to straight rock ( the reggae-tinged "I Get Out" and "In The Name of God", an introspective reflection on the various ways religion is used in a negative way).

For me, this is one of those albums that is enjoyable to either sing to or just sit and listen. I highly recommend it, and I am definiely looking forward to hearing more from Ziggy.
Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers have always been interested in music outside reggae, with the band of siblings moving from syth-pop sheen in the 1980s to a more mature and multi-genre sound in the late ‘90s. Dragonfly, Ziggy Marley’s first solo effort, continues this trajectory. Featuring producers Ross Hogarth (Metallica, Jewel) and Scott Litt (R.E.M.), as well as special guests Flea, John Frusciante, David Lindley, and Incubus’s Chris Kilmore, Dragonfly sounds closer to the adult contemporary music of recent Sting or R.E.M. than the reggae of his father. But even if the apple has fallen away from the music tree, Ziggy’s voice has the same forceful yearning and brittle timbre as his father; also like his father, Marley wears his politics on his sleeve (particularly on "Shalom Salaam" and "In The Name Of God") without being rudimentary. This may not sound like the record reggae enthusiasts pray to Jah for, but Marley succeeds on his own terms, creating a wide-ranging and appealing vision. --Tad Hendrickson