This Day in Music
Michael Fitzgibbon
Sophisticated pop music, a reggae exodus, he’s in you, baby, and Elvis keeps it loose in Tuscaloosa, on this day in music.
Exodus
1977: Legendary Jamaican reggae, ska, and rocksteady band Bob Marley and the Wailers release their ninth studio album, the seminal “Exodus.” It’s the third album credited as “Bob Marley and…” rather than just “The Wailers.”
More than just a spiritual metaphor and historical reference, the LP’s title was quite literal for Marley. Following a failed assassination attempt on December 3, 1976 that injured Marley, his wife Rita, his manager Don Taylor, and his assistant Louis Griffiths, who all thankfully survived, he moved from Kingston to London, England to avoid the growing political violence in Jamaica.
Produced by the band itself, “Exodus” was a deliberate change from cryptic storytelling to lyrics that sang of change, religious politics and sexuality. Musically, it’s laid-back with bass-heavy beats laid down by the Barrett brothers, and prominently features piano, guitar, and trumpet. Divided into two parts, Side A focuses on politics, while Side B is dedicated to creating love and keeping the faith.
The record is loaded with some of Marley’s most famous songs, including “One Love/People Get Ready,” “Waiting in Vain,” “Jamming,” “Exodus,” and “Three Little Birds,” which is better known by the lyrics of its chorus, “Don’t worry; About a thing; ‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright.”
Critically, the album is under-appreciated. For example, it ranks 4.5-Stars at AllMusic when it should be 5-Stars, and has an 8.4/10 rating from Pitchfork instead of 10/10. Christgau’s Record Guide grades it a B+, but it should be an A. The only publication that got it right was SputnikMusic, which rates it 5-Stars. Rolling Stone also gave the record its due by positioning it at No. 48 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list c. 2020.
Performing well on the charts, especially by reggae album norms, “Exodus” peaked at No. 1 in Greece, No. 8 in the U.K., and No. 20 on the Billboard 200. Try as I might, I could not find its chart position in Jamaica, though “Exodus” the single was No. 1.
I’ve always found this to be a spectacular record and will of course listen to all 38 awesome minutes of it today.
Boys and Girls
1985: “Boys and Girls,” the fifth studio solo album by Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry is released. It was his first album since disbanding Roxy Music following the 1983 Avalon tour, and his first solo work since “The Bride Stripped Bare” in 1978.
Receiving tepid reviews from critics, Robert Christgau remarked in his B- graded article that, “His voice thicker and more mucous, his tempos dragging despite all the fancy beats he's bought, he runs an ever steeper risk of turning into the romantic obsessive he's always played so zealously.”
Two of the album’s singles are among Ferry’s most-enduring tracks. “Slave to Love,” often mistaken as a Roxy Music track, peaked at No. 10 in the U.K., and “Don’t Stop the Dance” hit No. 21. On the strength of those two cuts, the album performed well on the European charts, reaching No. 1 in the U.K., No. 4 in Netherlands and Sweden, and Top-10 in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. It was No. 3 on the European composite chart. In the U.S., it only made it to No. 63 on the Billboard 200.
The LP also sold modestly well, earning Gold certification in the U.S. and Platinum in the U.K. This was clearly a record that appealed more to European audiences.
I’m in You
1977: Peter Frampton releases his fifth studio album, “I’m in You.” The title track, which is just god-awful, somehow hit No. 1 on the U.S. Cash Box 100.
Frank Zappa wrote a song mocking “I’m in You” on his 1979 album “Sheik Yerbouti.” The title is “I Have Been in You,” and despite being inspired by a poor quality song, is actually a great track, though with unserious lyrics that lampoon the Frampton hit.
Poorly rated by critics, and not particularly good, the album nonetheless was a commercial success, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Canada RPM 100. It was certified Platinum in both countries.
Now let’s never speak of this record again.
The Daily Elvis
1975: Elvis is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he performs an evening show at the Memorial Coliseum. The show was recorded and preserved, ultimately released on CD in 2013 and titled, “Things Get Loose in Tuscaloosa.”
