Exodus | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 3 June 1977 | |||
Recorded | 1976; January–April 1977 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Reggae | |||
Length | 37:24 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Bob Marley and the Wailers | |||
Bob Marley and the Wailers chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Exodus | ||||
|
Exodus is the ninth studio album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers, first released in June 1977 through Island Records, following Rastaman Vibration (1976). The album's production has been characterized as laid-back with pulsating bass beats and an emphasis on piano, trumpet and guitar. Unlike previous albums from the band, Exodus thematically moves away from cryptic story-telling; instead it revolves around themes of change, religious politics, and sexuality. The album is split into two halves: the first half revolves around religious politics, while the second half is focused on themes of making love and keeping faith.
On 3 December 1976, an assassination attempt was made on Bob Marley's life in which his chest was grazed and his arm was struck with a bullet, but he survived. [1] Following the assassination attempt, Marley left Jamaica and moved to London, where Exodus was recorded. [2]
The album was a success both critically and commercially; it received gold certifications in the US, UK and Canada, and was the album that propelled Marley to international stardom. [1] In 2017, Exodus was remastered and re-released for its 40th anniversary. There are more tracks from Exodus on Marley’s greatest hits compilation Legend than from any of his other records. [1] Exodus was his tenth album since the debut album The Wailing Wailers in 1965, including the live album Live! (1975).
In 1974, two of the original Wailers, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, left the band. The band continued releasing material as "Bob Marley & The Wailers," as had sometimes been the case in the Lee Perry era (as with the Soul Rebels and Soul Revolution LPs). His current backing band included brothers Carlton and Aston "Family Man" Barrett on drums and bass respectively, Al Anderson and Junior Marvin on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earl "Wya" Lindo on keyboards, and Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion. The I Threes, consisting of Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, and Marley's wife Rita Marley provided backing vocals. In 1975, Marley had his international breakthrough with his first hit outside Jamaica, "No Woman, No Cry", from the Natty Dread album. This was followed by his breakthrough album in the United States, Rastaman Vibration (1976), which became the 48th best-selling album on the Billboard Soul Charts in 1978. [3]
Marley had conceived "Exodus" as the album title before even writing the song. [4]
In December 1976, Jamaica was going through elections, generating substantial political discourse. In his campaign, Prime Minister Michael Manley used the campaign slogan "We know where we're going." In response Marley wrote "Exodus", which is the title track of the album. The song became a No. 1 hit in Jamaica as well as the United Kingdom and Germany. [5]
On 3 December 1976, while he was in his house in Jamaica, an assassination attempt on Marley's life drove him out of his native country: two days after the assassination attempt, Marley performed in the previously scheduled Smile Jamaica concert, then subsequently fled to England where he later recorded the song "Exodus". In addition to the assassination attempt on Marley, his wife Rita was also shot and survived. [6]
The song "Exodus" became a No. 1 hit in Jamaica as well as a top 20 hit in the United Kingdom where it reached number 14, and Germany. [5]
Exodus is a reggae album [2] [7] that features a "laid-back" production and a "stoned atmosphere that's simultaneously funky and political" according to Cam, an Emeritus from Sputnikmusic. [7]
Cam described the album's musical style as being "different", noting that Marley's style of reggae was not what was prominent in Jamaica during the time, and that the album's music sounds unlike any reggae that came before its release. [7] Emeritus continued to describe the album's sound as being rooted in the blues and soul, with elements of British Rock with a reggae "façade thrown on top" however Emeritus praised this saying "if Exodus was straight reggae, it probably wouldn't be as good as it is." [7]
Exodus contains elements of pulsating bass beats, pianos and funk along with a "liquid-y bass", drumming and guitars with the inclusion of trumpets in the title track. [7] Unlike previous albums Exodus lyrical content moves away from cryptic story-telling and instead is clearer and more straight forward, the lyrics touch upon themes of change, religious politics and sex. Vocally, Marley provides a minimalist approach, trying not to reach his falsettos. [7]
The album's track listing is split over two halves; [6] the first half features songs of religious politics and opens with "Natural Mystic", which is a slow tempo "fade up" song, followed by "So Much Things to Say", which was described by the BBC as being "exuberant" and features a reggae scat. [1] The following two songs "Guiltiness" and "The Heathen" explore darker territory, before ending on the album's title track. [1]
The second half of the album features songs revolving around sex and keeping faith. [6]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Billboard | (favorable) [8] |
Christgau's Record Guide | B+ [9] |
Pitchfork | (8.4/10) [10] |
PopMatters | (favorable) [11] |
Sputnikmusic | 5/5 [7] |
Cam from Sputnikmusic gave the album five out of five stars, calling it a "classic". Emeritus praised the album's "laid-back tones" and commended Marley's vocals and lyrical content. [7] As described by Rolling Stone magazine, Exodus is an album with "the magnificent rhythm section of Aston Barrett, bass, and Carlton Barrett, drums, and the spidery lead guitar of Julian "Junior" Marvin – and the flatness of the material Bob Marley has given them to work with" [6]
"Jamming", "Waiting in Vain", "One Love/People Get Ready", and "Three Little Birds" were all major international hits. Exodus peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200 and at number 15 on the Black Albums chart, as well as remaining in the UK charts for 56 consecutive weeks, where it peaked at number 8.
In 1999, Time named Exodus the best album of the 20th century. [12] In 2001, the TV network VH1 named it the 26th greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 169 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, [13] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, [14] and re-ranking at number 48 in a 2020 revised list. [15]
All tracks written by Bob Marley. Tracks 5-7 co-written by Tyrone Downie.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Natural Mystic" | 3:28 |
2. | "So Much Things to Say" | 3:08 |
3. | "Guiltiness" | 3:19 |
4. | "The Heathen" | 2:32 |
5. | "Exodus" | 7:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "Jamming" | 3:31 |
7. | "Waiting in Vain" | 4:16 |
8. | "Turn Your Lights Down Low" | 3:39 |
9. | "Three Little Birds" | 3:00 |
10. | "One Love/People Get Ready" | 2:52 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Roots" (B-side of "Waiting in Vain", released 19 August 1977) | 3:42 |
12. | "Waiting in Vain (alternative version)" (previously unreleased) | 4:43 |
13. | "Jamming (long version)" (12" single, released 11 November 1977) | 5:52 |
14. | "Jamming" (previously unreleased) | 3:04 |
15. | "Exodus" (B-side of "Exodus", released 24 June 1977) | 3:08 |
Tracks 12 and 14 are previously unreleased.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Heathen" (previously unreleased) | 6:48 | |
2. | "Crazy Baldhead / Running Away" (previously unreleased) | Rita Marley, Vincent Ford, Bob Marley | 9:21 |
3. | "War / No More Trouble" (previously unreleased) | Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett, Bob Marley | 7:44 |
4. | "Jamming" (previously unreleased) | 7:07 | |
5. | "Exodus" (previously unreleased) | 11:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Punky Reggae Party" | Bob Marley, Lee Perry | 9:18 |
7. | "Punky Reggae Party (dub)" (12" single, released November 1977) | Bob Marley, Lee Perry | 8:47 |
8. | "Keep On Moving" (previously unreleased) | Curtis Mayfield | 6:25 |
9. | "Keep On Moving (dub)" (previously unreleased; recorded July 1977, mixed August 1977) | Curtis Mayfield | 7:15 |
10. | "Exodus / Waiting in Vain (advertisement)" (previously unreleased) | 1:07 |
Tracks 1–5 and tracks 8, 9, and 10 are previously unreleased.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Natural Mystic" | 3:28 | |
2. | "So Much Things to Say" | 3:08 | |
3. | "Guiltiness" | 3:19 | |
4. | "The Heathen" | 2:32 | |
5. | "Exodus" | 7:40 | |
6. | "Jamming" | 3:31 | |
7. | "Waiting in Vain" | 4:16 | |
8. | "Turn Your Lights Down Low" | 3:39 | |
9. | "Three Little Birds" | 3:00 | |
10. | "One Love/People Get Ready" | Bob Marley, Curtis Mayfield | 2:52 |
11. | "Jamming" (long version) | 5:52 | |
12. | "Punky Reggae Party" (long version) | 6:50 |
On 3 June 2017, The Marley Family, Island Records and UMe marked the 40th anniversary of the Exodus original album with a series of four separate reissues, three of which – titled Exodus – The Movement Continues – featuring the special release Exodus 40, son Ziggy Marley's newly curated "restatement" of the original album: [16]
Disc one Exodus (1977 original release) (37:24)
Disc two
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Exodus" | 5:02 | |
2. | "Natural Mystic" | 3:23 | |
3. | "The Heathen" | 3:15 | |
4. | "Guiltiness" | 3:38 | |
5. | "Jamming" | 3:31 | |
6. | "One Love/People Get Ready" | Bob Marley, Curtis Mayfield | 2:59 |
7. | "Turn Your Lights Down Low" | 4:05 | |
8. | "Waiting in Vain" | 4:38 | |
9. | "Three Little Birds" | 3:12 | |
10. | "So Much Things to Say" | 3:12 |
Disc three
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Natural Mystic" (previously unreleased) | 5:12 |
2. | "So Much Things to Say" (previously unreleased) | 4:25 |
3. | "Guiltiness" (previously unreleased) | 7:24 |
4. | "The Heathen" | 6:43 |
5. | "Burnin and Lootin" (previously unreleased) | 6:15 |
6. | "Positive Vibration" (previously unreleased) | 5:32 |
7. | "Jamming" (previously unreleased) | 6:24 |
8. | "Exodus" (previously unreleased) | 11:36 |
The Super Deluxe, four-LP, two-7" single vinyl version includes the original LP, Ziggy Marley's Exodus 40 restatement, the Exodus Live set (minus the track "Burnin And Lootin"), the Punky Reggae Party LP (which includes a previously unreleased extended mix of "Keep On Moving"), and a pair of vinyl 7" singles, including "Waiting in Vain" b/w "Roots" and "Smile Jamaica (Part One)" b/w "Smile Jamaica (Part Two)." [17]
Vinyl LP 1 Exodus (1977 original release) (37:24)
Vinyl LP 2 Exodus 40 (36:55)
Vinyl LP 3 Exodus Live (Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London, June 1, 3 & 4, 1977) [nb 1] (47:15)
Vinyl LP 4 – Punky Reggae Party (31:25)
Vinyl single 1 – Waiting in Vain (8:31)
Vinyl single 2 – Smile Jamaica (8:15)
"2023 Analog Productions UHQR released February 2023" A limited edition, custom pressing. Limited to 3500 copies. Ultra high-quality record from analog productions. Pressed on Clarity vinyl. Direct from analog. Produced in Salina, Kansas by Chad Kassem.
Original release
| Deluxe edition
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [33] | Gold | 50,000^ |
France (SNEP) [34] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [35] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [36] Since 2009 | Gold | 25,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [37] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [38] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Burnin' is the sixth album by Jamaican reggae group the Wailers, released in October 1973. It was written by all three members and recorded and produced by the Wailers in Jamaica, contemporaneously with tracks from the Catch a Fire album with further recording, mixing and completion while on the Catch a Fire tour in London. It contains the song "I Shot the Sheriff". It was the last album before Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer decided to pursue solo careers, while continuing their local releases through their company Tuff Gong Records. A commercial and critical success in the United States, Burnin' was certified Gold and later added to the National Recording Registry, with the Library of Congress deeming it historically and culturally significant.
Catch a Fire is the fifth studio album by the reggae band The Wailers, released in April 1973. It was their first album released by Island Records. After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, they had started laying down tracks for JAD Records when a disputed CBS contract with Danny Sims created tensions. The band did not have enough money to return to Jamaica, so their road manager Brent Clarke approached producer Chris Blackwell, who agreed to advance The Wailers money for an album. They instead used this money to pay their fares back home, where they completed the recordings that constitute Catch a Fire. The album has nine songs, two of which were written and composed by Peter Tosh; the remaining seven were by Bob Marley. While Bunny Wailer is not credited as a writer, the group's writing style was a collective process. For the immediate follow-up album, Burnin', also released in 1973, he contributed four songs. After Marley returned with the tapes to London, Blackwell reworked the tracks at Island Studios, with contributions by Muscle Shoals session musician Wayne Perkins, who played guitar on three overdubbed tracks. The album had a limited original release under the name The Wailers in a sleeve depicting a Zippo lighter, designed by graphic artists Rod Dyer and Bob Weiner; subsequent releases had an alternative cover designed by John Bonis, featuring an Esther Anderson portrait of Marley smoking a "spliff", and crediting the band as Bob Marley and the Wailers.
"Punky Reggae Party" is a song by Bob Marley, recorded and released in 1977. Not appearing on any studio album, it was released in 1977 as a 12-inch single in Jamaica only on the Tuff Gong and Lee Perry's Black Art labels, as a B-side to the "Jamming" single on Chris Blackwell's Island Records label in some countries and was later released as a live single on Babylon by Bus. Subsequently, it appeared on a number of compilations and "Best of" albums as well as the Deluxe Edition of Exodus and the 2002 CD reissue of Legend.
Confrontation is the thirteenth and final studio album by Bob Marley & the Wailers and the only one to be released posthumously in May 1983, two years after Marley's death. The songs were compiled from unreleased material and singles recorded during Marley's lifetime. Many of the tracks were built up from demos, most notably "Jump Nyabinghi" where vocals from the I-Threes were added, which were not there when Marley released the song as a dubplate in 1979. In addition the harmony vocals on "Blackman Redemption" and "Rastaman Live Up" are performed by the I-Threes in order to give the album a consistent sound – on the original single versions they are performed by the Meditations. The most famous track on the album is "Buffalo Soldier".
Rastaman Vibration is the eighth studio album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in April 1976.
Kaya is the tenth studio album by the Jamaican band Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1978. The album consists of tracks recorded alongside those released on the Exodus album. It was produced by the band.
Bob Marley and the Wailers were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer.
Live! is a 1975 album by Bob Marley and the Wailers which was recorded live in concert during July 1975 at the Lyceum Theatre, London. "No Woman, No Cry " was released as a single.
Babylon by Bus is a live album released by Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1978. The tracks on this album are considered, with two exceptions, to be from the Pavillon de Paris concerts over 3 nights, 25–27 June 1978, during the Kaya Tour, though there are discrepancies in the track listing.
Legend is a compilation album by Bob Marley and the Wailers. It was released on 7 May 1984 by Island Records. It is a greatest hits collection of singles in its original vinyl format and is the best-selling reggae album of all-time, with more than 12 million copies sold in the US, more than 3.3 million in the UK and an estimated 25 million copies sold globally. In 2003, the album was ranked number 46 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and maintained the ranking in a 2012 revised list.
Most of Bob Marley's early music was recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who together with Marley were the most prominent members of the Wailers. In 1972, the Wailers had their first hit outside Jamaica when Johnny Nash covered their song "Stir It Up", which became a UK hit. The 1973 album Catch a Fire was released worldwide, and sold well. It was followed by Burnin', which included the song "I Shot the Sheriff". Eric Clapton's cover of the song became a hit in 1974.
Robert Nesta Marley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. Marley increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and made him a global figure in popular culture. He became known as a Rastafarian icon, and he infused his music with a sense of spirituality. Marley is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture and identity and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms. Marley also supported the legalisation of cannabis and advocated for Pan-Africanism.
"Waiting in Vain" is a song written by reggae musician Bob Marley and recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers, for their 1977 album Exodus. Released as a single, it reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Jamming" is a song by the reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers from their 1977 album Exodus. The song also appears on the compilation album Legend. The song was re-released 10 years later as a tribute to Bob Marley and was again a hit, as in the Netherlands, where it was classified in the charts for 4 weeks. In Jamaican patois the word jamming refers to a getting together or celebration. It is still receiving moderate airplay from adult alternative stations.
"Could You Be Loved" is a 1980 song by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers. It was released as the first single from their twelfth and last album, Uprising (1980), and is also included on their greatest-hits album Legend (1984). It was written in 1979 on an aeroplane while The Wailers were experimenting on guitar. In the middle of the song, background singers quote a verse from Bob Marley's first single "Judge Not": "The road of life is rocky; And you may stumble too. So while you point your fingers, someone else is judging you". Instruments used on the original record of this song are guitars, bass, drums, acoustic piano, the Hohner Clavinet and an organ, as well as the Brazilian cuíca. "Could You be Loved" was very successful on the charts in Europe, peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Additionally, it was a top 20 hit in Sweden and West Germany.
"Iron Lion Zion" is a song written and recorded in April 1973 or 1974 by Jamaican singer and songwriter Bob Marley. It was first released posthumously on 7 September 1992 on the Songs of Freedom box set, reaching number five in the UK Singles Chart. The single also peaked within the top 10 in Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Iron Lion Zion" peaked at number eight. Outside Europe, it reached number two in New Zealand, number 71 in Australia and number 11 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. A remixed version was released as a single and later included in 1995 on Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On.
One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers is a compilation album of Bob Marley and the Wailers songs that was released on the Island Records label in 2001.
"Exodus" is a song written by reggae musician Bob Marley and recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers, for the Exodus (1977) album. Released as a single, it reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. "Exodus" was Marley's first single to receive widespread airplay on black radio stations in the US, expanding the artist's predominantly white college age and Caribbean expats fanbase in the country.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Bob Marley:
Easy Skanking in Boston '78 is the fifth live album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers. It was released on February 3, 2015, by Island Records and Tuff Gong. It was recorded at the Boston Music Hall on June 8, 1978, as part of the band's Kaya Tour in support of their 10th studio album, Kaya.