Babylon by Bus

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", usually played with "Punky Reggae Party", which isn't on this album though was also played most nights. The song "Is This Love" was also not common on this tour, though was played in Paris. The track "Kinky Reggae" wasn't played on the Kaya tour and in fact hadn't been played since the 1976 Rastaman Vibration tour, so it's unclear which concert this version is from.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Christgau's Record Guide	B–^[2]
Rolling Stone	(not rated) link

Track listing

Original album (1978)

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Positive Vibration"	Vincent Ford	5:50
2.	"Punky Reggae Party"	Bob Marley, Lee Perry	5:51
3.	"Exodus"	Marley	7:41

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
4.	"Stir It Up"	Marley	5:17
5.	"Rat Race"	Rita Marley	3:41
6.	"Concrete Jungle"	Marley	5:37
7.	"Kinky Reggae"	Marley	4:46

Side three
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
8.	"Lively Up Yourself"	Marley	6:18
9.	"Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)"	Aston Barrett, Hugh Peart	5:20
10.	"War / No More Trouble"	Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett, Marley	5:28

Side four
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Is This Love"	Marley	7:27
12.	"The Heathen"	Marley	4:29
13.	"Jamming"	Marley	5:54

The Definitive Remasters edition (2001)

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

Musicians

Source^[3]

Bob Marley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Carlton Barrett – drums
Aston "Family Man" Barrett – bass
Tyrone "Organ D" Downie – keyboards
Junior Marvin – lead guitar
Alvin "Seeco" Patterson – percussion
Al Anderson – lead guitar
Earl "Wire" Lindo – keyboards
Rita Marley – backing vocals
Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
Judy Mowatt – backing vocals

Personnel

Bob Marley and the Wailers – Producer
Chris Blackwell – Producer
Jack Nuber – Engineering Mixer
Neville Garrick – Graphic Art
Barry Diament, Rob Fraboni Remastering Audio Engineer
Ted Jensen – Mastering Engineer

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)^[4]	Platinum	300,000^*
Germany (BVMI)^[5]	Gold	250,000^{^}
Netherlands (NVPI)^[6]	Platinum	100,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[7]	Gold	100,000
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ ^a ^b BobMarleyconcerts.com
^ 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.
^ Album liner notes
^ "Les Certifications depuis 1973: Albums". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 28 June 2019. (select "Bob Marley & the Wailers" from drop-down list)
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bob Marley and the Wailers; 'Babylon by bus')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
^ "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.
^ "British album certifications – Bob Marley and the Wailers – Babylon by bus". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Babylon by bus in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

[BobMarleyconcertscom-1] BobMarleyconcerts.com

[CG-2] 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.

[3] Album liner notes

[4] "Les Certifications depuis 1973: Albums". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 28 June 2019. (select "Bob Marley & the Wailers" from drop-down list)

[GermanyBob_Marley_and_the_WailersBabylon_by_busalbumCertRef-5] "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bob Marley and the Wailers; 'Babylon by bus')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.

[NetherlandsBob_Marley_and_the_WailersBabylon_by_busalbumCertRef-6] "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.

[United_KingdomBob_Marley_and_the_WailersBabylon_by_busalbumCertRef-7] "British album certifications – Bob Marley and the Wailers – Babylon by bus". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Babylon by bus in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

[1]