Bob Marley first became well-known in the UK and USA in 1977, with the release of his Exodus album. Living and touring as an international star for the next four years, he died at just 36 years of age in 1981. It is chiefly these years that have shaped our perception of him today, both of the man and of his music. What is less well-known is that Marley signed his record deal in 1972, by which time he had 10 years' worth of recordings behind him. The four years' success he enjoyed before he died were the result of 20 years of music-making and a great deal of variety in his sound and influences. Hit Me With Music is the first ever attempt to look at Marley's story through the full range of his recordings - the rock, 'rebel' and pop periods that have never fitted in with the image of the laid-back reggae legend from the Caribbean. Looking at recordings from 1963 through to posthumous releases in the 1980s, Marley's life unfolds through the story of his changing style and from his band, the Wailers, to his writing partner Lee Perry and singer wife Rita. A complete discography and buyer's guide to Marley's releases rounds out an intimate, intriguing and revealing portrait of a man whose fame to date is based on only a tiny part of his life's work.