It was 40 years ago today

[bhoywonder]

Well, not quite today, but I see to mark teh 40th anniversary of Exodus, Ziggy Marley has gone one further than Giles Martin...

The Marley Family, Island Records and UMe have announced a massive set of Exodus reissues to mark the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley & the Wailers' landmark Exodus album, which was released on June 3, 1977.

Ziggy Marley is helming a "restatement" version, which will be included in some of the reissue sets. Revisiting his father's original session recordings, he found previously unused and unheard vocals, lyric phrasing and instrumentation. His "restatement" version, dubbed Exodus 40 – the Movement Continues, utilizes his discoveries, which gives the songs new contexts.

For example, with "One Love" Ziggy found 10 new lead vocal outtakes and the newfound tape featured ad libs as well. For "Turn Your Lights Down Low" he assembled musicians to record a new music bed, which provides the song a more prominent R&B sway. Ziggy also plans to incorporate music from Exodus into his sets when he embarks on his summer tour beginning June 12th in San Diego.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... es-w477854

[The Write Profile]

Exodus occupies an interesting place in the Marley canon, in that it's a lot softer and less dread than his peak work with the Wailers, yet this is arguably one of his most influential records in terms of anticipating what would come up in both modern R&B and Lovers' Rock. I find it a bit too laidback at times, but there are some marvellous moments, "Turn Your Lights Down Low" is one of Marley's most seductive vocals, and the title track is pretty damn dread, while the whole album has a nice polished feel to it without being overly slick. It's a tricky one. I would be interested in what Ziggy has unearthed for this reissue, I'd like to know how much they'd change the feel of the record. So yeah, I might buy it.

[never/ever]

It certainly was a lot mellower but more focused than previous work. The original CD could have used a lot more dynamic though so I hope that gets fixed up. I'm not excited about Ziggy tampering with the evidence- if 'restatement' means remix then I hope it is just along the lines of a deeper sound for the brass.

[bhoywonder]

Restatement means he's added instrumentation, changed the track order, created new vocal tracks from out-takes, re-recored some of it himself and with other musicians, taken various elements out, and so on. LIke I say, a step beyond even Giles Martin. Some tracks have only the vocal left, some only some of the backing, etc. And it sounds OK, but feels kind of neither one thing nor the other. It doesn't go far enough to make it Ziggy's new version, but including elements from the original. And yet it's too far removed from the original to be classed as a new mix.

The live disc is great, mind.

[Diamond Dog]

Restatement means he's added instrumentation, changed the track order, created new vocal tracks from out-takes, re-recored some of it himself and with other musicians, taken various elements out, and so on. LIke I say, a step beyond even Giles Martin. Some tracks have only the vocal left, some only some of the backing, etc. And it sounds OK, but feels kind of neither one thing nor the other. It doesn't go far enough to make it Ziggy's new version, but including elements from the original. And yet it's too far removed from the original to be classed as a new mix.

That's fucking outrageous.