Bob Marley & The Wailers released Exodus

Exodus Bob Marley & the Wailers

Released: June 3, 1977 Peak: 20 US, 15 RB, 8 UK, 88 AU Sales (in millions): 0.7 US, 0.1 UK, 4.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: reggae

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Natural Mystic So Much Things to Say Guiltiness The Heathen Exodus (6/25/77, 14 UK, 19 RB) Jamming (12/10/77, 9 UK) Waiting in Vain (8/77, 27 UK, 38 RB) Turn Your Lights Down Low Three Little Birds (8/80, 17 UK) One Love/ People Get Ready (4/21/84, 5 UK) Total Running Time: 37:24 The Players: Bob Marley (vocals, guitar) Aston “Family Man” Barrett (bass) Carlton “Carlie” Barrett (drums, percussion) Tyrone Downie (keyboards) Junior Marvin (electric guitar) Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion) Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Griffiths (backing vocals)

Rating: 4.267 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings) Quotable: “A concept album that distills the myriad experiences of both our daily lives and collective unconsciousness into 46 minutes of aural perfection.” – Rebecca, Levine, Amazon.com Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “It’s hard to find reggae as good as this.” AMG “This is the visionary Bob Marley’s masterpiece.” AZ In fact, “in 1999 Exodus was rightfully voted by Time Magazine the most important album of the 20th century.” AZ This is “a concept album that distills the myriad experiences of both our daily lives and collective unconsciousness into 46 minutes of aural perfection,” AZ showcasing “what is probably the Wailers’ tightest recorded performance.” AZ “Every song is a classic, from the messages of love to the anthems of revolution. But more than that, the album is a political and cultural nexus, drawing inspiration from the Third World and then giving voice to it the world over.” TM “Recorded in London following an attempt on his life, Exodus shows Bob Marley mellowing a bit. Despite some powerful political tracks, Marley adopts a less fiery, more reflective approach than his previous outings.” AMG “The first half of Exodus bears witness to Marley’s shift in focus away from the mundane problems of Babylon existence and toward a greater understanding of vital universal truths.” AZ “The initial notes of the album’s opening track, Natural Mystic, fade up from a deep silence, giving the listener the impression that the music generates from within a continuum of the past, present, and future.” AZ Throughout, “Exodus has all one would expect from a Bob Marley album: rumbling statements like Exodus and The Heathen as well as poetic love songs like Turn Your Lights Down Low.” AMG “The second half features songs like Jamming and Waiting in Vain, which take a gently wistful look at the more interpersonal aspect of human relations.” AZ These and One Love/ People Get Ready were also “huge international hits” AMG and “inspired tracks…[which] came to define Marley around the world. They are irresistible no matter how many times they are played.” AMG “Never one to dodge innovation, Exodus hints that Marley was taking cues from the emerging dub scene. Exodus, even though it contains some of Marley's best work, has an underlying nostalgic feel to it, hinting that Marley was getting a little formulaic.” AMG Notes: A 2001 Deluxe Edition adds a second disc of material for a total of 25 songs. Most of the material is alternate or live performances of the original album’s material, but extra songs “Roots,” “Crazy Baldhead/ Running Away,” “War/ No More Trouble,” “Punky Reggae Party,” and “Keep on Moving” are added as well.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bob Marley AMG Matthew Hilburn, All Music Guide review by Matthew Hilburn AZ Amazon.com review by Rebecca Levine TM Time Magazine (12/31/1999). “The Best of the Century” First posted 3/26/2008; last updated 5/10/2021.