Robert Nesta Marley is a legend. He is the king of reggae. Marley wasn’t just the voice of Jamaica, but the rallying call for all those seeking peace and an end to injustice around the globe. One of this century’s greatest musicians, one whose longevity will outlive us all, Bob was a right of passage. He is a phase in the hearts and lives of all lovers of live music. Whether our familiarity with him comes from a poster on a dorm room wall, a vague memory of the Best Of cassette tape from your mom’s Volvo wagon, or a two-decade-long passion striving to fully understand the message and struggle that Bob sang about; Marley is a man with a mantra that rings as true today as it did when he exploded into stardom during the early 1970’s.
Easy Skanking In Boston ‘78 is a collection of highlights from the remastered recordings of the June 8th, 1978 early and late shows at the Boston Music Hall (now The Orpheum). The show was played in support of The Wailers’ 10th studio album, Kaya, during a vigorous world tour of which the American leg was extremely important.
Putting this show and period in Marley’s life into perspective, you need contextual understandings of the multiple catastrophes he was dealing with. Marley’s religious leader and the Rastafarian messiah, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, had died four years earlier, a crisis for Marley, who had the people of Jamaica essentially looking to him as a God. A year a half prior to this recording, he survived the assassination attempt on his life in Jamaica, taking bullets into the chest and arm. Exiled from Jamaica out of fear for his and family’s safety, his band The Wailers had completely disbanded. Finally, a year prior to this tour, he received word of the malignant melanoma in his foot caused from a preexisting cancer spreading throughout his body. Despite these obstacles, Marley was more focused and dedicated to the word and message than ever before in his life and on this recording it is clearly evident.
Easy Skanking is constructed perfectly. The song selection and set list placement lock you into the island rhythm immediately. The concert is nothing short of a flawless interplay of pain and the celebration of life as Marley plays his heart out, more eager than ever to spread the message of love, tolerance, and equality.
A straightforward opener, “Slave Driver” is an early taste of what we’re going to get: blues, skank, roots, funky bass-lines, howling organs, and prophetic tales of struggle. “Burnin’ & Lootin’” segues into “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”, continuing the drippy/dopey reggae, full with mellow mood and a heavy message. “The Heathen” is next, a continuation of the thematic musical journey, and it’s here that the guitar work really begins to stand out: the technical serenading of Junior Marvin.
“I Shot The Sheriff” shifts the show’s tone. Already familiar with the now classic, as it was introduced by Eric Clapton, the crowd erupts. “Easy Skanking,” a timeless tale of taking it easy, lightens the mood before the swaying dance of heartache dubbed “No Woman, No Cry”. “Lively Up Yourself” shreds for eight minutes then we’re “Jamming” for the next ten!
Throughout all of these tracks, Easy Skanking perfectly encapsulates the pain and honesty in and of Marley and his message. It contains a realness that is more authentic than any other release in the vast cannon of material to date. Just as important as any message of Marley’s, Easy Skanking is the perfect title to this live album, because sometimes we all need to be reminded how great it is to just take it easy.
Enjoy the early show from that legendary Boston night: