Following on from the huge success of Catch A Fire, The Wailers returned at the end of the same year with another heady mix of politically conscious skanking reggae mixed with tuneful rocksteady precursors to what was known in the late 70s as “Lovers’ Rock”.
Militancy was always going to play a part in Marley's output, however, whether the record company liked it or not. Even the cover made a statement, with its branding/slavery-inspired artwork and Marley's uncompromising expression. It is this that drives the album, despite its unquestionable loved-up moments.
There is a convincing argument to be put forward that a militant number such as Get Up Stand Up was almost entirely Peter Tosh's and that the love songs like the early seventies leftover song Put It On betrayed Bob as being an old softy at heart, still chasing girls when there were righteous battles to be fought.
However, Bob still came up with some righteous ire of his own on Small Axe and Burnin' And Lootin', while Peter got all loved up on the gentle one love-ish One Foundation. Another notable thing now was that The Wailers were now almost mainstream, even Eric Clapton had a big hit with his credible cover of I Shot The Sheriff. The original cannot really be beaten though.
Rasta concerns were always around too and, credited to Bunny Wailer's wife, Jean Watt, was the folky praise of Hallelujah Time (which sits a bit incongruously on the album, to be honest) and she also gave us the more bassy and still Pass It On. The album's last classic was Marley's fear of ghosts number, Duppy Conqueror, but right at the end there was still time for an authentic rasta drum-accompanied number in the rhythmic Rasta Man Chant.
In many ways, these first two albums were the group’s finest. 1976’s Rastaman Vibration has a case to be put up there alongside them, but in my view, these two take 1977’s hugely popular and commercially far more successful Exodus to the cleaners. This was also the last album to feature Peter Tosh, and although he went on to produce some excellent solo material, this also could have been his finest year. The same applied to Bunny Wailer. The Wailers would now be Bob and his band, from now on.
Non-album tracks
Non-album tracks from the period include the deliciously funky and acoustic guitar-enhanced Reincarnated Souls, which really should have made the album; the steady beat of the mournful, soul-searching No Sympathy and the staccato, organ-driven The Oppressed Song, with its impressive acoustic/bass interplay. An alternate take on Get Up, Stand Up is superbly deep and funky too.
