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Babylon by Bus
Live album by
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Released10 November 1978 (1978-11-10)
Recorded25–27 June 1978 (Paris)
1975, 1976 (London)
GenreReggae
Length73:39
LabelTuff Gong/Island
ProducerBob Marley and the Wailers, Chris Blackwell and Jack Nuber
Bob Marley and the Wailers chronology
Kaya
(1978) 		Babylon by Bus
(1978) 		Survival
(1979)

Babylon by Bus is a live album released by Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1978. The tracks on this album are considered, with two exceptions, to be from the Pavillon de Paris concerts over 3 nights, 25–27 June 1978, during the Kaya Tour, though there are discrepancies in the track listing.[1]

Like the 1973 album Catch a Fire, the first release had something of a novelty cover. The windows of the bus on the front cover were cut out, revealing part of the inner sleeve. As this was a double album, the listener had a choice of four different scenes to view through the windows.

Set list

"Heathen", "Lively Up Yourself" and "Concrete Jungle" were not as common as the rest of the album on the tour, with 2 of the 3 more than likely played on any given night, but not always, and were only ever all played on the same night twice: at the Pinecrest Country Club in Shelton, Connecticut, 14 June and the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts 18 June, which was one of the longest shows ever played by the band with 22 songs, but none were played at the Paris concerts. "Rebel Music", "Positive Vibration", "Jamming", "Exodus", "War / No More Trouble" and "Punky Reggae Party" were nearly always played at some point of each concert, though were mixed up some times with other songs like "Get Up, Stand Up", which does not appear on this album. The song "Is This Love" was also not common on this tour, though was played in Paris. The track "Kinky Reggae" was not played on the Kaya tour and in fact had not been played since the 1976 Rastaman Vibration tour, so it is unclear which concert this version is from.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[3]

Rolling Stone wrote: "From the raucous invocation of Selassie's divinity that kicks off 'Positive Vibration' on side one to the unabashed good cheer of side four's wrap-up rendition of 'Jamming', we hear a new side of Bob Marley—fanciful, lovelorn, vulnerable—that's as riveting as any of his sulfurous early tirades."[4]

Track listing

Original album (1978)

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Positive Vibration"Vincent Ford5:50
2."Punky Reggae Party"Bob Marley, Lee Perry5:51
3."Exodus"Marley7:41
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Stir It Up"Marley5:17
5."Rat Race"Rita Marley3:41
6."Concrete Jungle"Marley5:37
7."Kinky Reggae"Marley4:46
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Lively Up Yourself"Marley6:18
9."Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)"Aston Barrett, Hugh Peart5:20
10."War / No More Trouble"Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett, Marley5:28
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Is This Love"Marley7:27
12."The Heathen"Marley4:29
13."Jamming"Marley5:54

The Definitive Remasters edition (2001)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Positive Vibration"Vincent Ford5:50
2."Punky Reggae Party"Bob Marley, Lee Perry5:51
3."Exodus"Marley7:41
4."Stir It Up"Marley5:17
5."Rat Race"Rita Marley3:41
6."Concrete Jungle"Marley5:37
7."Kinky Reggae"Marley4:46
8."Lively Up Yourself"Marley6:18
9."Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)"Aston Barrett, Hugh Peart5:20
10."War / No More Trouble"Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett, Marley5:28
11."Is This Love"Marley7:27
12."The Heathen"Marley4:29
13."Jamming"Marley5:54

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Babylon by Bus
Chart (1978–1979) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[5] 34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] 4
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[7] 21
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[8] 15
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 44
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 40
US Billboard 200[11] 103
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12] 58
2001 chart performance for Babylon by Bus
Chart (2001) Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[13] 115

Certifications

Certifications for Babylon by Bus
Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[14] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[15] Gold 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[16] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Gold 100,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b BobMarleyconcerts.com
  2. ^ "Babylon by Bus Review by Lindsay Planer". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 4 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ White, Timothy (29 December 1982). "Babylon by Bus". Rolling Stone.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 192. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Babylon by Bus" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Charts.nz – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Babylon by Bus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Babylon by Bus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Babylon by Bus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Bob Marley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Bob Marley Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Lescharts.com – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Babylon by Bus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Les Certifications depuis 1973: Albums". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 28 June 2019. (select "Bob Marley & the Wailers" from drop-down list)
  15. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bob Marley and the Wailers; 'Babylon by bus')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  16. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Bob Marley and the Wailers – Babylon by bus" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Babylon by bus in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1980 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  17. ^ "British album certifications – Bob Marley and the Wailers – Babylon by bus". British Phonographic Industry.
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