• Voto:
Lascio ad altri, perchè non ne sono capace, di classificare in ordine d'importanza i capolavori di Bob Marley. Quello delle classifiche su quale sia il miglior album di un artista, è un giochino sciocco e fine a sè stesso. In tanti ci hanno provato, e con Marley spesso si è rischiato di sfiorare la rissa: "Burnin" è meglio di "Rastaman Vibrations"?, "Uprising" è meglio di "Survival"? Ecco, vedete, ognuno potrebbe dire la sua, e non se ne uscirebbe più fuori.
Il mio preferito è "Exodus", uscito nell'anno di grazia 1977. Non ho ricordi circa l'uscita dell'album (avevo solo 2 anni, se permettete), ma ho ricordi lucentissimi circa la maestosità e la sfarzosità di questo ineguagliabile capolavoro che, a pari, non ha nulla da invidiare ai grandi album made in Usa di metà anni Settanta. I tempi in cui si esaltava la 'febbre del sabato sera' e il mito della dance music (fracassona, ripetitiva, noiosa, adolescenziale), Bob Marley ci regala una perla discografica che difficilmente, dopo il primo ascolto, si riesce a dimenticare.
"Exodus" viene, per la prima volta, interamente registrato agli Island Studios di Londra, e la band che di solito accompagnava Marley nei dischi e nei concerti subisce un lieve scossone: alle percussioni si aggiunge Alvin Patterson, un vecchio amico di Marley, mentre esordisce alla chitarra Julian Murvin. La musica si fa più intensa, più cadenzata, se volete più martellante: solito sfoggio di grande esperienza giamaicana, cori indispensabili e una scelta precisa fin dal primo brano: risultare maledettamente commerciali pur non rinnegando classe e sostanza. Quello che, purtroppo, non hanno saputo fare in molti.
E maledettamente commerciali sono brani come "Natural Mystic" o il crescendo finale davvero notevole di "One Love/People Get Ready". Per radio passa soprattutto il singolo trascinante "Jammin", più coeso e compatto del comunque ottimo "No Woman No Cry".
Discorso a parte meritano i quasi 8 minuti di "Exodus", indemoniato ska che portò Marley in vetta a tutte le classifiche mondiali e lo consacrò, se mai ce ne fosse stato bisogno, incontrastato re della musica rasta.
D'altronde, "Exodus" non poteva che essere un capolavoro: dalla copertina spuria e semplice, al doppio significato di 'esodo': la lontananza degli eredi degli schiavi dall'Africa (e forse è questo il significato più corretto), all'esodo personale di Marley che fu costretto a trasferirsi a Londra dopo essere stato vittima di un attentato subito durante una campagna elettorale in Giamaica.
Non so poi se effettivamente "Exodus" sia il miglior album di Marley, forse è il suo più famoso, di certo contiene brani memorabili, ma è senza dubbio l'ultimo tassello prima della fine. Perchè se è vero che dopo questo album Marley registrerà ancora altri dischi (tra cui il capolavoro "Uprising") è anche vero che è con "Exodus" che iniziano i guai di salute che porteranno Marley alla precocissima morte: dopo l'uscita dell'album Marley scopre di avere un cancro, i medici gli dicono che per curarlo si deve amputare un dito del piede, Marley rifiuta l'operazione perchè contraria alla cultura rasta. Riuscirà a vivere ancora per altri quattro anni, ma fu da quell'infausta decisione di non venire operato che cominciarono i guai per Marley: la morte non è mai una bella cosa, ma essersene andati a soli 36 anni è stato un modo come un altro per entrare nel mito e nella leggenda. Peccato che, nel mito e nella leggenda, Marley c'era già da vivo.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Natural Mystic (03:27)
There's a natural mystic
Blowing through the air
If you listen carefully now you will hear
This could be the first trumpet
Might as well be the last
Many more will have to suffer
Many more will have to die
Don't ask me why
Things are not the way they used to be
I won't tell no lie
One and all got to face reality now
Though I try to find the answer
To all the questions they ask
Though I know it's impossible
To go living through the past
Don't tell no lie
There's a natural mystic
Blowing through the air
Can't keep them down
If you listen carefully now you will hear
Such a natural mystic
Blowing through the air
This could be the first trumpet
Might as well be the last
Many more will have to suffer
Many more will have to die
Don't ask me why
There's a natural mystic
Blowing through the air
I won't tell no lie
If you listen carefully now, you will hear
There's a Natural Mystic blowing through the air
Such a Natural Mystic, blowing through the air
There's a Natural Mystic, blowing through the air
Such a Natural Mystic, blowing through the air
Such a Natural Mystic, blowing through the air
Such a Natural Mystic, blowing through the air
03 Guiltiness (03:19)
Guiltiness (talkin' 'bout guiltiness)
Pressed on their conscience. Oh yeah.
And they live their lives (they live their lives)
On false pretence everyday -
each and everyday. Yeah.
These are the big fish
Who always try to eat down the small fish,
just the small fish.
I tell you what: they would do anything
To materialize their every wish. Oh yeah-eah-eah-eah.
Say: Woe to the downpressors:
They'll eat the bread of sorrow!
Woe to the downpressors:
They'll eat the bread of sad tomorrow!
Woe to the downpressors:
They'll eat the bread of sorrow!
Oh, yeah-eah! Oh, yeah-eah-eah-eah!
Guiltiness
Pressed on their conscience. Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
These are the big fish
Who always try to eat down the small fish,
just the small fish.
I tell you what: they would do anything
To materialize their every wish. Oh, yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah.
But: Woe to the downpressors:
They'll eat the bread of sorrow!
Woe to the downpressors:
They'll eat the bread of sad tomorrow!
Woe to the downpressors:
They'll eat the bread of sad tomorrow!
Oh, yeah-eah! Oh yeah-e-e-e-e-e!
Guiltiness. Oh yeah. Ah!
They'll eat the bread of sorrow everyday.
04 The Heathen (02:32)
Rise up fallen fighters
Rise and take your stance again.
'Cause he who fight and run away
Live to fight another day.
Chorus
As a man sow, shall he reap
And I know that talk is cheap.
So the hotter the battle
Is the sweeter the victory.
Chorus
Rise up freedom fighters
Rise and take your stance again.
'Cause he who fight and run away
Live to fight another day.
Chorus
05 Exodus (07:35)
Exodus, movement of JAH people(Oh,Yeah)
Exodus, movement of JAH people
men and people will fight ya down,tell me why
when ya see JAH light
let me tell you if you're not wrong(and why)
everything is allright
so we gonna walk,(allright) through the roads of creation
we're the generation,tell me why
who trod through great tribulation
Exodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, movement of JAH people
open your eyes and look within
are you satisfied with the life
you're living(huh)
we know where we're going
we know where we're from
we're leaving babylon
we're going to our father's land
Exodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, Exodus, Exodus
Exodus, Exodus, Exodus
movement of JAH people
movement of JAH people
movement of JAH people
movement of JAH people
move, move, move, movement of JAH people
JAH come to breakdown downpression, rule equality
wipe away transgression
and set the captives free
Exodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, movement of JAH people
06 Jamming (03:31)
Ooh, yeah! All right!
We're jammin':
I wanna jam it wid you.
We're jammin', jammin',
And I hope you like jammin', too.
Ain't no rules, ain't no vow, we can do it anyhow:
I'n'I will see you through,
'Cos everyday we pay the price with a little sacrifice,
Jammin' till the jam is through.
We're jammin' -
To think that jammin' was a thing of the past;
We're jammin',
And I hope this jam is gonna last.
No bullet can stop us now, we neither beg nor we won't bow;
Neither can be bought nor sold.
We all defend the right; Jah - Jah children must unite:
Your life is worth much more than gold.
We're jammin' (jammin', jammin', jammin')
And we're jammin' in the name of the Lord;
We're jammin' (jammin', jammin', jammin'),
We're jammin' right straight from Yah.
Yeh! Holy Mount Zion;
Holy Mount Zion:
Jah sitteth in Mount Zion
And rules all creation.
Yeah, we're - we're jammin' (wotcha-wa),
Wotcha-wa-wa-wa, we're jammin' (wotcha-wa),
See, I wanna jam it wid you
We're jammin' (jammin', jammin', jammin')
I'm jammed: I hope you're jammin', too.
Jam's about my pride and truth I cannot hide
To keep you satisfied.
True love that now exist is the love I can't resist,
So jam by my side.
We're Jammin' (jammin', jammin', jammin'), yeah-eah-eah!
I wanna jam it wid you.
We're jammin', we're jammin', we're jammin', we're jammin',
We're jammin', we're jammin', we're jammin', we're jammin';
Hope you like jammin', too.
We're jammin', we're jammin' (jammin'),
We're jammin', we're jammin' (jammin').
I wanna (I wanna jam it wid you) - I wanna -
I wanna jam wid you now.
Jammin', jammin' (hope you like jammin' too).
Eh-eh! I hope you like jammin', I hope you like jammin',
'Cause (I wanna jam it wid you). I wanna ... wid you.
I like - I hope you - I hope you like jammin', too.
I wanna jam it;
I wanna jam it.
07 Waiting in Vain (04:15)
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
From the very first time
I placed my eyes on you, girl
My heart said follow through
But I know now that I'm
Way down on your line
But the waiting here is fine
So don't treat me like a
Puppet on a string
'Cause I know how to do my thing
Don't talk to me as
If you think I'm dumb
I wanna know
When you're gonna come
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
'Cause summer is here
I'm still waiting there
Winter is here
And I'm still waiting there
[solo]
Like I said
It's been three years since I'm
Knocking on your door
And I still can knock some more
Ooooh girl ooooh girl
Is it feasible, I wanna know now
For I to knock some more
Ya see
In life I know
There's lots of grief
But your love is mu felief
Tears in my eyes burn
Tears in my eyes burn
While I'm waiting
While I'm waiting for my turn
See, I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna I don't wanna
I don't wanna I don't wanna
I don't wanna wait in vain
I don't wanna I don't wanna
I don't wanna I don't wanna
I don't wanna wait in vain
It's your love that I'm waiting on
It's my love that you're running from
It's your love that I'm waiting on
It's my love that you're running from
09 Three Little Birds (03:00)
"Don't worry bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing is gonna be all right.
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"
Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Sit by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")
Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing is gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing is gonna be all right!"
Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Sit by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', "This is my message to you-ou-ou:"
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, worry about a thing, oh!
Every little thing is gonna be all right. Don't worry!"
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing" - I won't worry!
"'Cause every little is thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing is gonna be all right" - I won't worry!
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing is gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, oh no!
'Cause every little thing is gonna be all right! /fadeout/
Carico i commenti... con calma
