Track Listing

1. Positive Vibration
2. Punky Reggae Party
3. Exodus
4. Stir It Up - Bob Marley
5. Rat Race
6. Concrete Jungle
7. Kinky Reggae
8. Lively Up Yourself
9. Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)
10. War/No More Trouble
11. Is This Love
12. Heathen
13. Jamming

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16155 in Music
• Released on: 2001-07-31
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Live, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered

Amazon.com Essential Recording
Bob Marley's second live album, 1978's Babylon by Bus, had to be pretty damned good to match the incandescence of 1975's Live!. But with glorious performances on songs like "Punky Reggae Party," "Jamming," and "Is This Love?" Bob Marley and the Wailers came close to equaling Live!. Maybe there wasn't quite the same amount of inspiration, but the Wailers had matured into a tight unit, and Marley was a charismatic performer, as this set captured only too well. And with Marley still at the height of his writing powers, there definitely wasn't a dud song in the bunch. Not so much bus travel as limousine listening, this specially remastered edition makes the glory of the original release even clearer. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews

One of the best "live" albums. Ever.
"Babylon by Bus" was, when originally issued in 1978, the second official live album by Bob Marley (1975's "Live" being the first). "Live" of course is best known for the definitive version of "No Woman No Cry", but I will go out on a limb here, and suggest that "Babylon by Bus" is not only better than "Live", but one of the best live albums, ever.

Things immediately kick off with a blaze with "Rastaman Vibration", and the party never stops from there. Bob's backup band and singers are in top form througout. Highlights are many, including "Punky Reggae Party", "Rate Race" (surprisingly, perhaps, a tune written by Rita Marley, Bob's wife), "Concrete Jungle" and "Rebel Music". It also contains the better known "Is This Love" and "Jamming".

If there is one Bob Marley I would recommend to anyone, this is clearly the one. Furthermore, at 73 min. (originally a double vinyl album), this is the best bang-for-the-buck Marley album. Essential in anyone's CD collection.

Essential Bob Marley
At least one of the earlier reviews recommends novice listeners start with this cd before going to the greatest hits package. I would say that the novice would do well to buy this package and Legend (the original single disc is recommended here because I do not own the new expanded version and cannot comment on its contents).
I still recommend this cd if you are looking to move beyond the novice level.
So, anyone with any interest in Bob Marley should own Babylon by Bus.
These songs were taken from numerous stops on his 1977/78 tour of Europe but the sequence sounds like one big show. This is not the intimate show that you get on something like Live at the Roxy - it's music festival big. The overall feeling reminds me of reggae festivals we used to have at the beach when I was growing up on the coast of NC.
The atmosphere is big but Marley and the band never seem overwhelmed as they rise to the occasion on each song. The audience is taken along on a fantastic reggae trip.
Don't let any more time pass without these great performances in your collection.

Great live performances of Marley favorites
The trouble with live albums is that techically the music is never as good as on studio albums. But Bob Marley is one of those performers who I enjoy live just as much as in the studio. I have three different live albums of his, and they are all great, but I think that what perhaps gives this one the edge is that it has the best song selection. The versions of Stir It Up, Rebel Music, Heathen, and Is This Love are particulary excellent, and the only track I'm not crazy about is Jamming, which is possibly my favorite Marley number, but just not in this version.

But what you do get here is a great rowdy, thumping performance of a baker's dozen of Marley favorites, mostly in extended versions, with some fine guitar soloing and and hand-clapping, foot-stomping, sing-along audience making for great atmospherics.

I love playing this album on my daily commute to and from work, and sometimes wish I had a bit further to travel. It would also make an excellent gift for the Marley fan who has a few of the studio albums, but wants to live (or relive) the experience of a live performance of one of the world's greatest stars...