Bob Marley’s crowning achievement came to fruition in June of 1977. Written and recorded in London, the albums inspiration is as important as the music on it.
By 1977, Bob Marley was an international star.
He toured across the world, bringing Reggae to areas that had never heard this new kind of music. He was riding the success of 1976’s Rastaman Vibration, his first record to reach the top 10 on the Billboard Top 200, peaking at eight.
That’s why it was such a shock when he was ambushed at his home at 56 Hope Road on the night of December 3, 1976. While Marley and the Wailers were relaxing on a rehearsal break, seven gunmen raided his home. In the process, Marley was shot in the chest and arm, while his wife, Rita, had a bullet graze her scalp. His manager, Don Taylor, was among the others injured.
It was this event that would go on to have a profound effect not only on Marley’s music, but his outlook on life and his homeland, Jamaica. The country was riddled with unprecedented levels of violence fueled behind a fierce rivalry between the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) and PNP (People’s National Party).
In response, clearly realizing the country had become too dangerous for him, he left for London, with a pit stop in Nassau, Bahamas, beforehand. He (and the Wailers) would stay there for nearly two years in exile.
During this time, they recorded his two most important albums, Exodus (1977) and Kaya (1978).
I’m going to take a look at Exodus. A few songs you should hear, and some thoughts on the albums importance.
Key Tracks
“Waiting in Vain”
What’s not to love about this song? Marley doesn’t want to wait for love. He professes that right away. The Rasta king has a few highlights on vocals in this one, especially the “I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna wait in vain” section. It sounds like he’s chanting on forever. The thumping bass notes bounce perfectly with the smooth, simple beat. That guitar solo from Junior Marvin is on fire.
“Jamming”
One of the many hits from Exodus, Jamming is a loose, laid-back tune - with attitude. Marley’s “Oo yeah!” at the 0:08 mark is chilling and echoes through the speakers. Lyrics such as “Nobody can stop us now…We can’t be bought nor sold…Life is much more than gold,” speak volumes to how he was feeling at the time. The loose piano and drum heavy beat guide the song along in almost a wet sound.
“Exodus”
The title track of the album itself and a response to Michael Manley’s “We know where we’re going” campaign slogan, “Exodus” was Marley’s first single to receive major airplay across black radio stations in the United States. The song contains multiple distinct sounds such as disco and funk elements, as well as a beaming horn section. Marley and the Wailers chant, ‘Exodus! Movement of the people,” in commanding fashion. The head-rocking beat make it impossible not to feel the passion coming right from Marley himself. By the way, there are some really good live versions of this song. Here’s one.
Thoughts
Exodus was voted TIME’s album of the century in 1999. Even if it hadn’t earned the recognition, the album would still be timeless. According to Vivien Goldman, author of The Book of Exodus: The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Album of the Century, Marley couldn’t believe that someone would want to kill him. If his own people in Jamaica, who supposedly loved him so dearly, tried to kill him, where was he safe? To this date, the identities of the gunmen remain unknown.
Exodus explores themes such as politics, love and religion. One of the reasons it was so successful was due to the amount of hits it generated. Songs like “Jamming,” “Exodus,” “Three Little Birds,” “One Love,” and “Waiting in Vain” were instant hits that received tons of airtime. All of those songs hold up strong today.
It should be noted that Marley’s ensemble of background singers are in fantastic form Dubbed the “I Threes”, the trio of Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths add key vocals to a number of the records most important tracks.
For someone who really didn’t know much about Marley or his life up until about a year ago, Exodus has been a really important album for me. Many of its messages still ring true today. From everything I’ve read or listened to about the man, it seems as though that’s what he was; ahead of his time. He was said to have had a prophetic type of effect on things. Certainly his music caught some of it, as Exodus is just one of his many important artifacts he left with us on Earth before he passed away in 1981.
Perhaps Nancy Burke, longtime friend of Marley, said it best in the Netflix documentary, “Who Shot the Sheriff?”
“It’s like a light when out. And you’re never going to see that again.”
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If you’re interested in learning more about Marley and his life, I highly recommend So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley from renowned Reggae archivist, Roger Steffens. I’m only about 100 or so pages in, but the book has already given me a brand new perspective on the man himself and the incredible life he lived.
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