Record of the Day: Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Live!”

Bob Marley and the Wailers
“Live!” (Cd Island 846203-2)

Bob Marley was certainly a great songwriter and singer with a consistently high quality discography, but to fully appreciate his talent you have to listen to his live recordings.
One of the greatest performers to ever grace the scene, Marley exponentially improved his skills when he was in contact with an audience, managing to push the Wailers, a phenomenal group that had always followed him, to the same levels.

In 1975, riding the wave of interest generated by the album “Catch a Fire” (which for many listeners in Europe and the USA was the ticket to the world of Jamaican music) Marley embarked on a long tour, stopping in England, one of the countries that first paid tribute to him the triumphs he deserved. The concert held at the Lyceum in London on July 18 of that year was captured by Island using the Rolling Stones’ mobile studio, and upon release was immediately considered by critics as one of the best live albums ever.

Even considering the high standard of Marley’s concerts (an artist who did not know the routine) this evening releases something magical, giving life to a community between artists and audience of rare intensity. The main responsible for the firepower produced by the Wailers are undoubtedly the members of the rhythm section, the brothers Carlton Barrett (drums) and Aston “Familyman” Barrett (electric bass), the latter also musical director of the band since his entry in 1974 with the album “Natty Dread”.
Their sinuous upbeat rhythm is complemented by perfectly executed guitar, organ and backing vocals (the I-Threes, which included Marley’s wife, Rita) to sing songs that immediately achieved the status of authentic anthems such as “Get up Stand up” and “Lively up Yourself”, but there is no shortage of highly politicized songs such as “Them Belly Full” and “Burnin’ and Lootin'” that lucidly photograph the social tensions in Jamaica; Marley is unleashed in hits such as “No Woman No Cry” and “I Shot the Sheriff” that bring the enthusiasm of those present to the highest levels.

In the opening “Trenchtown Rock” Marley expresses the desire to be hit forcefully by music, and this physical approach to the world of sounds is present in every minute of this “Live!”.

Carlo Boccadoro, composer and conductor, was born in Macerata in 1963. He lives and works in Milan. He collaborates with soloists and orchestras in different parts of the world. He is the author of numerous books on musical subjects.

This text is taken from “Lunario della musica: Un disco per ogni giorno dell’anno” published by Einaudi, courtesy of the author and the publisher.