Exodus Deluxe Set

It has been nearly twenty five years since Bob Marley gave us the gift of Exodus, an album so magnificent in scope that Time magazine named it the album of the century. "Every song is a classic, from the messages of love to the anthems of revolution," Time wrote of Exodus. "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."

The album was recorded in early 1977 in London, during the long cold winter. More than 20 tracks were recorded during these sessions, ten of which were subsequently selected and issued for the Exodus album released on June 3rd, 1977 and the remaining material used for Kaya a year later.

The sound quality is improved due to the re-mastering from the original master tapes (as are the rest of the re-mastered albums). Carly's hi-hat never sounded clearer. The way Natural Mystic fades in sounds even better than on the original release. The exact same running order as the original release, featuring all the classics from Exodus, to Jammin to Waiting In Vain to One Love. A fantastic mixture of militancy, love songs, social commentary and personal feelings and stories.

Roots is the first bonus track; originally issued as the B-Side of the Waiting In Vain 7" single released in 1977. It was finally given an album release when it was included on the Rebel Music album issued in 1986.

The song was originally recorded and laid down in 1976 at Harry J's Studio as part of the Rastaman Vibration sessions. These were originally recorded on 16-track tape, but were then overdubbed and recast after being transferred to 24-track tapes in England during the January/February sessions. Originally recorded with guitarists Chinna and Don Kinsey but the released version features Junior Marvin on lead guitar. As the track fades out you can hear Bob stretching out the last note for as long as possible, so long that it almost becomes a little out of tune!

A demo of the tender love song Waiting In Vain follows, previously unreleased. This alternate version is quite different to the album version. The track features the I-Three's providing backing vocals (these backing vocals were used on the Dreams of Freedom album) and a different vocal take by Bob. Bob seemingly more animated and playful. Adding new lyrics and phrasing. Again Junior takes centre stage for an extended solo alongside a great piano bridge from Tyrone midway through.

The Jammin 12" version was mixed and released in 1984 and then issued on the Songs of Freedom boxset 8 years later. A longer, initially leaner, eventually an epic. A thick chunky dub Bob's lyrics echoing in and out punctauting the thumping rhythm.

The previously unreleased instrumental version of Jammin follows. The intro is loose, drum and bass, the instruments all come in one by one, the tempo building until we reach the familiar rhythm.

The instrumental version of Exodus closes disc one. Originally released in 1977 as the flip of the 7". This is the first time the instrumental has been released on CD and the sound quality is far superior to what we have become acustomed to from the vinyl release. You can almost hear the Twelve Tribes marching in the rhythm.



The first track on disc two is a live version of The Heathen, taken from the June 4th, 1977 Rainbow concert that was released officially by Island on video. On the official release however, the intro was edited out, the track starting 25 seconds into the song, the intro has been restored here and features a nice bluesy guitar lick from Junior and a great bubbling keyboard lick or two from Tyrone as the crowd clap in unison. After a pyrotechnical guitar solo from Junior. Bob breaks away from the mic and starts dancing on the spot, almost jogging from side to side with his guitar tucked under his arm, as if he was going to do battle with his guitar as his weapon. Bob calling for the embattled, poverty-stricken soldiers of blackness to rise again and drive back the heathen. A fast paced jam as the crowd clap, whistle and cheer Bob on alongside the throbbing drum and bass for company. Intense and uplifting.

Bob sounds menacing and militant on Crazy Baldheads with the I-Three's supplying angelic harmonies. Bob; the rhythm master, keeping the band in check. Tyrone's organ swirls throughout the mix. "Here comes the con-man, coming with his con plan, we won't take no bribe, we've got to stay alive" then from out of no where Bob slips effortless into Running Away, repeating the familiar mantra over and over, much to the surprise of the crowd on hand, something new, something unreleased. The rest of the band drop out leaving just Carly and Fams' drum and bass before Bob takes a deep breath pausing for thought. Bob changing his vocal phrasing as only he can. "You can run but you can't hide, throw away the false pride". The one-drop rhythm set by the Barrett brothers as Bob drops seemlessly back into Crazy Baldhead for a few lines before fading out.

Why these are included bemuses me somewhat as neither fit in with the album as they were released on Rastaman Vibration and Kaya, even though Running Away was recorded as part of the Exodus sessions, it was not released until a year later on Kaya. Another niggle is that they are banded together and not given different tracklistings.

A thumping intro starts War followed by Fams' pulsating basslines. Bob's vocal delivery is deliberate, passionate and purposeful. "Reach out and touch War!" cries Bob. The transition from War into No More Trouble is really fantastic with Bob singing "Some crying, some dying, some fighting for freedom, some crying, war in the war in the war in the war in the war, war in the war in the war, in the war, hey, we don't need, I would say in a long time" followed by some scratchy guitar licks from Junior. Bob starts to scat and wail as we are accustomed too. Fams' basslines are thumping as they bounce off the walls of the Rainbow.

Unfortunately War/No More Trouble are again banded together (why they weren't given separate tracks is beyond me). This version is taken from the June 3rd Rainbow show (not June 4th as the liner notes read).

Count Prince Miller introduces the band for Jammin (again taken from the June 3rd Rainbow show) as Tyrone adds some wailing organ licks from the outset. A pretty standard version actually with Bob's improvisations being kept to a minimum, though there are a few moments when Bob breaks out into some great scatting (I really hope you like it, cause I really like it and hope you like it too), especially to close the track (I hope you like you, I'll never turn my back on you, hope you really hope you really like it, cause I never ever, never ever, never ever turn my back on you) all delivered over a fantastic drum beat laid down by Carly.

A 13 minute musical feast for fans to devour is served in the shape of a live version of Exodus. A spell binding classic. There are just so many improvisations that it would be impossible to list them all. There is a fast fast dubby chunky intro before Bob runs up to the mic wailing and scatting away. Bob was certainly in high spirits and in another realm with a painting of Haile Selassie pearing over Bob's shoulder.

One of the real highlights is when Bob starts a freedom chant. Halfway through the song he starts to sing "singing about my freedom, alright freedom, oh lord have friend, talking bout my freedom, alright freedom, singing bout freedom". Bob even tries to get the I-Three's to sing louder and keep up with him before he starts trying out different vocal phrasing whilst singing "Movement, movement". Bob then starts to scat and repeat lyrics over to great effect. "Will I ever, will I ever, get a chance" "Open your, open your, open your, open your eyes". The entire crowd swaying along with Bob.

The I-Three's start the "freedom chant" again as Bob wails off mic, dancing across the stage as Carly picks up the pace, the band jamming at a frenetic pace. Count Prince Miller comes onstage to signal the end of the show. Bob lets out a loud yell as he leaves the stage the 3,000 sell out crowd give Bob a standing ovation as he dances off stage, the natural mystic blowing through the air.

During the mid-seventies Perry continued to work with Bob on occasion; thus when he arrived in England, he called Marley and asked him to voice a new song he was working on called Punky Reggae Party.

Bob liked the basic idea. After reworking the lyrics, the two recorded the song with a sparse band featuring members of Third World and Aswad, two other reggae bands signed to Island Records.

First recorded on July 23, 1977 and mixed on August 8, but Perry was not satisfied with the result. Perry took the multi-track tape back to Jamaica where he overdubbed new drum, bass and keyboard parts, additional backing vocals by Watty Burnett and the Meditations, and horns from the Zap Paw horn section. Then he arranged in late August to meet Bob in Miami, where Marley revoiced the revised rhythm track. The song was mixed in Miami and issued in Jamaica on Marley's Tuff Gong label. Perry took the tape back to his own Black Ark Studio in Jamaica where he remixed the track himself and issued his version on the Black Ark label. Island Records subsequently issued the Miami mix as the flip side of the original single release of Jamming.

"The Wailers will be there, the Damned, the Jam, the Clash. Maytall's will be there, Dr Feelgood too. No boring old farts will be there!" exclaims Bob on Punky Reggae Party that was previously released on a hard to find Black Ark 45.

It is so refreshing to hear such a clean recording, taken direct from the master tapes and free of the pops and clicks adorning the vinyl release.

Bob really lets go towards the end, scatting and improvising and basically making up words and lyrics as he went along. Caught up in the emotion and musical creation and flow. Bob even throws in a few "Oinks" for good measure. As this has been taken from the original master tapes there is an additional 15 seconds at the end with Bob singing "a war, a war, a war" bringing the track to a close.

The dub follows closely. The Zap Pow horns (Vin Gordon, Glen Da Costa and David Madden) featuring throughout as Bob's vocals punctuating in and out of the mix backed by the Meditations singing "Oink, Oink" alongside the glorious harmonies of the I-Three's. Such a great rhythm, mixed by Scratch with bursts of genuis. Sly Dunbar provides the drum beat whilst Perry himself provides percussion.

Produced by Lee Perry and recorded with musicians including Drummie of Aswad, Richie Daley, Cat Coore and Ibo Cooper of Third World. Originally recorded by the Wailers in 1971 for Scratch and re-recorded in London 1977. Keep On Moving now takes on a new significance during Bob's enforced exile in London. Bob names his children and talks about performing a big stage show at Ward upon his return home ("Tell Ziggy I'm fine and to keep Cedella in line, cause we soon go home a we yard. Tell Auntie I'm fine and to keep Tartar in line, we gonna have one big stage so at Ward"). Bob even talks about his finances "I'll send you a cheque through the post, though you did not get the first, I'll send another to quench your thirst". This raw mix has a thicker, chunkier feel. "I've got to keep on moving, where I can't be found".

This 1977 "London version" was first issued in 1992 on Songs of Freedom, however the song had been edited and remixed, the version included here is the original raw mix, free of overdubs. A gong is now promenantly featured that was omitted from the Songs Of Freedom release. The version on Songs Of Freedom clocks in at 5:44 whilst this raw recording clocks in almost a minute longer at 6:25.

The previously unreleased dub version is a chunky dubby affair and follows straight on from the vocal cut. A swirling mix that has Lee Perry written all over it. Bob admired Perry on many levels. The Upsetter was one of the very few who could match him in his musical dedication, discipline and talent. Perry knew what he wanted in the studio and would rework his material endlessly to achieve the perfection he heard in his head.

The Advertising promo closes the two CD set. A minute long promo by Bob distributed to radio stations to help promote the album. Bob toasting over Exodus and Waiting In Vain. The way they have been melted together is nice.

The 3 new live versions are simply amazing and really blew me away. However, I can't understand why Crazy Baldheads/Running Away and even War/No MoreTrouble were included when Island still have the masters for all 4 Rainbow shows, including the June 1st show where Bob sang Natural Mystic, Guiltiness and So Much Things To Say, surely these would have been better inclusions.

However the 2 CD set does offer up numerous highlights and a bunch of unreleased recordings thus offering something for all fans both new and old and even the hardened collector.
It is great that Punky Reggae Party has finally been issued on CD and in such clean form and the addition of the raw, original, unedited recording of Keep On Moving was a nice touch.

The alternate demo of Waiting In Vain gives fans a chance to hear an vastly alternate recording to what we have become acustomed too and gives us an insight into just what they hold in the vaults. The unreleased Jammin instrumental made for a great inclusion alongside the Exodus instrumental, released on CD for the first time.

That being said the album leaves you wanting more because Island have shown what can possibly be done, the live tracks whilst fantastic make me wish Island would release either one of the Rainbow shows in full or a Best Of.. compilation from all the nights at the Rainbow instead of offering us teases here and there.

This gets two thumbs up from me and is one of the very few highlights of Island's re-issue campaign. A mixed bag that works surprisingly well.