Bob Marley & The Wailers: Exodus - 1977
This was Bob Marley’s big one - his Thriller, Born In The USA and Brothers In Arms - the one that made him a massive chart and album selling act and saw this album being bought by all sorts of people, not just reggae fans. Marley was now “mainstream”, which was a bit of a shame in some ways. Like those other albums, I find I don’t listen to it as much as I do Marley’s earlier output, or indeed the ones he released after this. It cannot be ignored, nevertheless, that this album took reggae from Trenchtown and into many suburban living rooms. It is still undeniably a great album, though.
Unsurprisingly, the album is (dare I say) jam-packed full of hits - the potent, melodic Stevie Wonder-inspiring Jamming, the rumbling, rootsy extended groove of Exodus, the inspirational, singalong One Love, the catchy Three Little Birds and the laid back, intuitive smooch of Waiting In Vain.
It is the more “roots” cuts that I prefer, however - the intense, militant stepper The Heathen, the Lee Perry-influenced Guiltiness, the mellow So Much Things To Say and the intoxicating Natural Mystic.
Turn Your Lights Down Low is a beautiful love song too, and is rarely mentioned when people assess this album. In many ways, it is the best track on it. Or perhaps that honour should go to the rootsiest thing Marley had done thus far in the faded-in groove of Natural Mystic.
Another thing that is often forgotten is that in amongst the commercially catchy hits there were several crucial roots numbers. Indeed, the first half is all roots, the lighter stuff all arrives in the second half, beginning with Jamming. I have to admit that that song has never been one of my favourites. Many love it, though, and if it opens doors to reggae for them, then fair enough. It has a nice dub version, however.
Non-album tracks
The non-album material from the period include the excellent rootsy groove of Roots, which would have fitted nicely on the album and the crowd-pleasing crossover anthem of Punky Reggae Party in its full nine-minute thumping glory. Marley name-checks Dr. Feelgood, The Damned, The Jam and The Clash as the rocker and the ras began to get along. Marley saw in the punks an oppressed, marginalised group similar to the Rastas, both fighting a "world of hypocrisy". The roots/reggae crossover of 1977-1980 was one of the unique things of the UK music scene at the time.
There is also an extended re-recording of an old Studio One song in the catchy "London Mix" of Keep On Moving, a song that would be covered by UB40 on their 1983 Labour Of Love album. For some reason, it comes to an abrupt end.
EXODUS 40
This sees Ziggy Marley remixing his father’s album and coming up with an enjoyable listen. The title track is shortened but made a slightly punchier, funkier creation, while Natural Mystic and The Heathen have some new guitar parts added to great effect, particularly on the latter.
Exodus
Natural Mystic
The Heathen
Guiltiness
Jamming
One Love
People Get Ready
Turn Your Lights Down Low
Waiting In Vain
Three Little Birds
So Much Things To Say
Guiltiness has a crisp, cymbal-dominated percussion mix. Jamming sounds more rootsy, heavier, less commercial, but obviously it will always retain its catchy refrain. Some great new guitar skanking at the end too. In many ways, a lot of the guitar parts added to the tracks on this remix are similar in feeling and sound to those dubbed on to the Catch A Fire recordings back in 1973.Turn Your Lights Down Low and Waiting In Vain have actually been substantially remixed, using new musicians, apparently. The former is almost radio-friendly country soul-like in its new incarnation. The latter is given an almost funkier feel with a sumptuous bass line. Interesting interpretations both.
