The Book of Exodus: The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley and the Wailers' Album of the Century

by Vivien Goldman

Follow the Sacred Journey to Create One of the Lasting Musical Masterpieces of Our Time


Bob Marley is one of our most important and influential artists. Recorded in London after an assassination attempt on his life sent Marley into exile from Jamaica, Exodus is the most lasting testament to his social conscience. Named by Time magazine as “Album of the Century,” Exodus is reggae superstar Bob Marley’s masterpiece of spiritual exploration.

Vivien Goldman was the first journalist to introduce mass white audiences to the Rasta sounds of Bob Marley. Throughout the late 1970s, Goldman was a fly on the wall as she watched reggae grow and evolve, and charted the careers of many of its superstars, especially Bob Marley. So close was Vivien to Bob and the Wailers that she was a guest at his Kingston home just days before gunmen came in a rush to kill “The Skip.” Now, in The Book of Exodus , Goldman chronicles the making of this album, from its conception in Jamaica to the raucous but intense all-night studio sessions in London.

But The Book of Exodus is so much more than a making-of-a-record story. This remarkable book takes us through the history of Jamaican music, Marley’s own personal journey from the Trench Town ghetto to his status as global superstar, as well as Marley’s deep spiritual practice of Rastafari and the roots of this religion. Goldman also traces the biblical themes of the Exodus story, and its practical relevance to us today, through various other art forms, leading up to and culminating with Exodus.

Never before has there been such an intimate, first-hand portrait of Marley’s spirituality, his political involvement, and his life in exile in London, leading up to histriumphant return to the stage in Jamaica at the Peace Concert of 1978.

Here is an unforgettable portrait of Bob Marley and an acutely perceptive appreciation of his musical and spiritual legacy.

Genres: Music, Audiobook, Biography, Nonfiction

325 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2006

Reviews

[G Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

part music mythology, part Jamaican history, part spiritual journey. this book is awesome.

[Will Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book about music I've ever read by virtue of its excellent research & point of view by the author who did such a wonderful job of expositing not only the making of the album but the philosophy, culture, & history needed to provide ample context to get a truly full & satisfying understanding of how Exodus was manifested as an album as well as the key details of the life chapter that that time period was in Bob Marley's life. My favorite part was the details about each track itself, I savoured learning more about them.

Bob Marley is my favorite artist of all time & the Wailers my favorite band, thank you Vivien for your diamond contribution. It brought me to tears upon finishing it to be able to understand so much more about this amazing work & I know that what I've come to understand through your book will enrich me for my whole life.

Anyone who's a fan of Marley, this album, reggae music, or just music in general should read this book. It's amazing.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did one of Paul McCartney's Hofner violin basses end up being sold to Aston Family Man Barrett during an Upsetters UK tour, and did that bass end up with Robbie Shakespeare? It's what Vivien Goldman suggests in this book...

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reggae. I have a big collection of it in my Itunes library, and I might even be listening to some right now. This affinity means that I'm much more likely to read a book about reggae than I am to read a book about knitting, say, or goldfish.

By one line of thought, a (historical) nonfiction book is good to the extent that the reader is interested in the subject. The author's job is little more than getting out of the way of the story. By this metric, certainly, Vivien Goldman's Exodus: The Making & Meaning of Bob Marley & The Wailers' Album Of Century should be loved by any Bob Marley fan that picks it up. Goldman's time as a sort of beat reporter for the Wailers gives her plenty of inside perspective to share, and her interview subjects seem to trust and respect her. The book focuses on the time around the creation of the Wailers' album Exodus, starting a year or two ahead and winding down with the subsequent promotional tour (although the book does carry on through Marley's death from cancer in 1981).

The problem I have with this book is ultimately, I suspect, not with Vivien Goldman. Again, she's a fine enough writer, and she has plenty of great source material. The problem is that Bob Marley is too iconic a figure to have a decent book written about him. Without arguing the merits of the comparison, I think a biography of Jesus Christ (assuming, you know, that Jesus Christ were a contemporary figure and the lead singer of a internationally acclaimed band or something similar) would run into the same difficulties. People simply have too much invested in Marley, whichever side of the prophet vs. dreadlocked pot-head fence they come down on. Goldman, for what it's worth, is firmly on the prophet side.

It's not just that Goldman doesn't criticize Marley, it's that at times it feels as if she's doing everything short of anointing him with oil. I'm sure it's difficult to be neutral about something one believes strongly in, but I find it frustrating that the most cogent article I've seen on the Rasta faith is on Wikipedia.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Bob Marley, in spite of it's unconscious proselytizing. It's certainly not the most blatant bit of propaganda I've ever read.

(While I was reading Exodus, by the way, I found a ticket for Die Zauberflote - The Magic Flute - an opera I saw at the Met. In 2006. I'm not sure what this means, other that 1. Time flies and 2. I have wide-ranging interests.)

[Motez Bishara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one that I read half of, put down for a year while I read a bunch of other books, and then revisited. For that reason, I hesitated to rate it 5 stars, but then reflected on all the fantastic insider content here and just had to.

Vivien Goldman started as a young Island Records publicist before turning into a reporter specializing in the reggae scene. Her knowledge of the genesis of the black empowerment movement in Jamaica and the US, and its role in hatching reggae music is key. From there she takes us on a ride through the ghettos and stately homes of JA to west London, where Marley and the Wailers recorded the seminal Exodus and Kaya.

The making of those albums is especially interesting; song by song she details how the beats, rhythms and lyrics came to form.

Coupled with the recent documentary on Bob Marley, this is an excellent read, especially if you've spent much time in either Jamaica or London. Discovering that Bob's former studio in Notting Hill is a ten min walk form my flat was an extra bonus. The book is, in fact, loaded with factual gems. One true reggae fans will refer to often.

[Gregorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic insight into the recording of the greatest album of all time. The author provides first-hand accounts of the events leading up to the album (including the assassination attempt on Bob), the recording process, and the subsequent Exodus tour. She was a magazine reporter (and one of my brother's profs at NYU!) who earned Bob's trust enough that she accompanied him and the Wailers through much of this time period. A must read for any serious Bob Marley fan.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a personal 5-star book - not literature, but a priceless inside account of the most magical time in music history... bubblin' Kingston in the 70s. Goldman was right there on the scene, hanging with Bob as songs were written and history was made. Even after reading and learning about the scene for 30 years or so now, I learned a lot of new information from this book. Hopefully she's got more stories and will write future books to complement this one.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice glimpse of Bob Marley and the Wailers during the height of their Exodus album recording and tours. Vivien Goldman nicely captures their emotional states directly before and after the Kingston assassination attempt, as well as how they coped with their London exile and the making of the Album of the Century. Highly enjoyable read and the pictures were excellent too.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare, up-close view on a critical, political stage in the life and career. Chunky, satisfying detail in the closing section where each song is dissected with 1st-person accounts of the writing and recording process. The tangents into the biblical metaphors were a bit much.

[Marjory · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a music journalist, the author spent a great deal of time with Bob Marley and the Wailers and so gives an insider's view into his life and work.

[Cameron Worsham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book .. Must Read for any Bob marley fan.

[Jonathan Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this.

[Jenny E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a ton.

[Viewpoints Radio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear our interview with Vivien Goldman viewpointsonline.net