Tag Archives: Exodus

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Song of the Day #5,088: ‘Natural Mystic’ – Bob Marley and the Wailers

Yesterday’s album, Bob Marley’s 13th, wraps up my deep dive into the catalog of one of popular music’s most inspirational talents. Marley defined an entire musical genre, crafted songs recognized all over the world, and spread a message of love, peace and social justice during a career that spanned little more than a decade.

It’s hard to imagine what the Bob Marley legacy would look like if he wasn’t taken away at just 36 years old. Consider the wealth of material he would have created over the last 40 years, and the impact he would have had on the world, culturally and politically.

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Song of the Day #5,081: ‘Jamming’ – Bob Marley and the Wailers

In December of 1976, Bob Marley was shot during an assassination attempt at his home that injured three others (including Marley’s wife, Rita) but resulted in no fatalities. The attack, by seven armed assailants, is believed to have been ordered by a political opponent unhappy with Marley’s public activism.

A conspiracy theory suggests the shooting was a set-up aimed at cementing Marley as a left-wing martyr (which would explain the surprisingly superficial nature of the victims’ wounds). Another theory says the hit was ordered by the CIA, a story one of the gunmen reportedly supported.

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Song of the Day #4,965: ‘Waiting in Vain’ – Bob Marley

Ah, nothing like a little Bob Marley to close out the weekend. ‘Waiting in Vain,’ a slow jam exploration of unrequited love, appeared on Marley’s 1977 album Exodus.

My knowledge of Marley’s discography is restricted to the greatest hits collection Legend, the top-selling reggae album of all-time. That record collects all of Marley’s best-known hits but has been criticized for leaving out his more challenging political work.

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