B o b M a r l e y & T h e W a i l e r s
EXODUS
(1977)
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Usually itīs impossible to label one single person an entire genreīs biggest celebrity, most successful artist and greatest cult figure. In the case of reggae though, there is that single person. Bob Marley is the incarnation of peaceful rebellion, a messenger of love and one of the most legendary stars in popular music ever. In 1977, years after ska music had risen from the dirty streets of Trenchtown, Kingston and made its way to radio stations all over the world, reggae was about to reach the pinnacle of its creative and commercial success.
"Exodus" might not feature Marleyīs biggest hits, but itīs the most brillant and irresistible compilation of songs ever assembled by him or any other reggae artists. Be it the long, autobiographical title track, the joyful "Jamming" or the optimistic "One Love", which is maybe the most familiar tune to people who have never heard the LP, "Exodus" is an album that is easy to access and at the same time interesting to immerse yourself into. The catchy melodies might make this masterpiece an easy listen, but there is more to it than that; "Exodus" is a manifest of rebel music and a concept album of subtle complexity.
Marleyīs lyrics were no more mere depictions of the daily struggle in a Jamaican shantytown or words for spiritual chants, but reflected the mind of a deep thinker who took an approach at the most universal truths from his own subjective point of view. The spiritual and philosophical thinking intertwines and co-relates with the description of the simple and almost banal things in life, merging two completely different worlds in Marleyīs lyrics into the unique mixture that is "Exodus".
On top of Marley writing the best lyrics of his life, the Wailers performed as immaculately and intelligently as they ever would. The fade-in on "Natural Mystic", the jazzy insinuations on "Jamming", the precise and clever use of instruments in the background - all of this contributed a lot to the creation of one of reggaeīs greatest classics ever. Success would confirm Bob Marley, for whom "Exodus" was a visionary project: 7 out of 10 tracks were released as a single in the UK, and reggae became a style young bands felt obliged to play and music fans felt obliged to listen to. Bob Marley was about to reach "Legend" status.