Review: From The Vaults, Bob Marley & The Wailers, ‘Live At The Hammersmith Odeon’ – Sublime 1976 Reggae

“The good thing about music, when it hits you (you feel no pain)” – Bob Marley & The Wailers, “Trenchtown Rock”

Bob Marley & the Wailers have reached back into the vaults and released a live concert album, Roots Rock Reggae: Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, featuring a concert recorded in 1976. In preparation for this post, I went back and listened to Live! (1975) and Babylon By Bus (1978) and I have to ask, did Bob Marley & The Wailers ever put out a bad live album? Or have a bad performance?

Live! was recorded in mid 1975 and released in December that same year. That one has what I consider to be the definitive version of “No Woman, No Cry.” It was recorded in London at the Lyceum Theater (capacity approximately 2100). This new performance was recorded approximately a year later in mid 1976 on the Rastaman Vibration tour at the Hammersmith Odeon (capacity 3600, per the Interweb). Bigger audience, bigger groove?

While I also have Live At The Roxy, my only posthumous live LP from Marley, which was recorded in May of ’76 in California, I still consider this new live album, Live At The Hammersmith Odeon essential Marley live listening.

I have to say, I’ve always loved the quote from “Trenchtown Rock” I put at the top of the post. Because it’s true that when “music hits, you feel no pain,” unlike today’s headlines. The songs on this live album are even more relevant today than they were in the mid-70s.

I can only wonder what it would have been like to see Bob Marley. Not only do you have a charismatic, messianic, Rastaman, legendary singer/songwriter leading the band, he’s backed by an incredible band, the Wailers.

I have to start with the engine of this band – and any band – the rhythm section – Aston “Family Man” Barrett on bass and Carlton Barrett on drums. Oh my god, these guys drive every tune. Especially Aston on bass, it’s palpable how important his bass is to these performances.

After having seen original Wailers Peter Tosh (guitar/vocals) and Bunny Wailer (vocals/percussion) depart the Wailers and losing that almost doo-wop vocal harmonizing, Marley put in place the I-Threes, his backup/harmony singers: Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, and Marcia Griffiths. On the songs here that feature the I-Threes, they provide an amazing vocal counterpoint to Marley’s own vocals.

Also in the band for this concert are guitarists Al Anderson (the only American in the band) and Junior Marvin on guitar; Tyrone Downie and Earl “Wya” Lindo on keyboards; and finally Alvin Patterson on percussion. And wow what a sympathetic backing band they are.

I listen to this spectacular live album and it’s part political rally, part spiritual service, part concert… so many layers. Marley’s performance is, as usual, soul lifting but the band are the ones who help him elevate this whole thing. Bob Marley and the Wailers manage in this performance, to take this communal experience and eliminate the spiritual distance between the band and the audience. Everyone is vibing together.

The playlist is very similar to Live! and Live At The Roxy and features mainly tracks from Burnin’ (1973), Natty Dread (1974) and his then latest Rastaman Vibration (1976). Rastaman has always been a favorite of mine, and I’d have loved to hear “Johnny Was,” but it wasn’t to be. Those are three outstanding albums to build a setlist from.

It seems that Bob built his setlists similar to the way Springsteen used to do. He has a basic framework of where the songs go, but then subs in new material as new LPs come out. So over the course of those three albums you can see how the setlist evolved. Of course Springsteen typically just added songs to his 70s sets and watched the shows spread from 2 hours to 3 to 4… but I digress.

The playlist starts off with a wonderful welcome in “Trenchtown Rock.” That leads to a series of political broadside classics, “Burnin’ And Lootin’,” “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry),” and “Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock).” And then they hit me with what may be the definitive version of “I Shot The Sheriff.” Quite a start. The Punks who were all about rebellion had to be taking notes.

The show continues with highlight after highlight. “Bend Down Low” shifts the mood from political to shall we say, a more temporal subject. “Want More” is a great treatise on greed. “No Woman, No Cry” is killer here as well. Who doesn’t love “Lively Up Yourself”? “Cuz Reggae ain’t no drag.” No it isn’t!

After a stirring version of “Roots Rock Reggae” they introduce the encore and we’re off and running with “Positive Vibration” and then “Rat Race.” After a meld of “War” and “No More Trouble” we get a 12 minute jam on “Get Up, Stand Up.” If ever there was a time for Americans to stand up for their rights, it’s now.

This is just another great addition to the Marley live catalog that everyone should be listening to. I took the liberty of telling my hair stylist about this one today… “get high, clean the house and turn this up loud, if only for the bass guitar.” I should probably consider keeping this stuff just in the blog.

I can’t believe this is the first vault release of Marley’s I’ve written about. I’ve only touched on his classic greatest hits album Legend, which I used to play for my stepdaughter to “sooth the savage (pre-teen) beast.”

Another classic live performance from Bob Marley & The Wailers. Enjoy this one loudly!

Cheers!