Bob Marley and the Wailers “Live!”

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Bob Marley and the Wailers “Live!”

Posted 23 Sep 2011 in 70s, Albums of 1975, Albums of the 70s, Live, Reggae / Ska

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#503 in the Series and # 51 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Bob Marley, Live!

This has long been considered the best live album of Bob Marley’s career. It’s also been considered the best live album of the reggae genre for some years now. I’ll let you make that call personally. To each his own as they say, I think the point that “it’s good” can be made, that the idea here.

Me, I would have seen a live disc recorded on the next tour. That would have been the one for Rastaman Vibration. That was my fave, but this will do. This was the tour for Natty Dread.

Bob was getting to be big-time when Live! Was recorded, but he wasn’t the huge star yet. He was still playing clubs shortly before this.

This would have only seven tracks on it. When it would be remastered and re-released in 2001, an eighth track, “Kinky Reggae” would be added. Bob, this was 1975. Did you see the newly starting trend of double-live albums that would sweep the world! I think you were just a tick to soon. See, you should have waited for the next tour!

“Trenchtown Rock”, “I Shot the Sherriff”, “No Woman, No Cry” and “Getup, Stand Up” were the main tracks.

I always wonder what Bob Marley would have given of if he hadn’t left us after losing a battle to cancer in 1981, a battle that many say he could have survived if his religious beliefs would have allowed him better treatment, but we’ll never know. His career wasn’t very long, just about ten years actually, but he left his mark.

— Larry Carta