FILM: ‘Bob Marley and the Wailers: Easy Skanking in Boston ’78’
If you’ve never been to a reggae concert, you can probably still imagine the kind of energy that exists in that space between the performers and the audience. Unlike the rowdiness of a typical stadium rock show, or the intimacy of a jazz gig, a reggae band exudes a charged but calm energy. It’s cliche to say that it’s laid back, but that’s what it is. There’s none of this in-your-face aggression; you come to the stage if you want, and it’s okay if you don’t, because you’re still part of that easy conversation. There’s a lot of love in a room full of reggae, no doubt. It’s like nothing else.
Watching Easy Skanking in Boston ’78 — recently released by UMe and authorized by Marley’s family as part of a year-long celebration of what would have been his 70th birthday — lets you feel that energy as if you were standing at the stage yourself. Unlike other filmed concerts (slick productions like The Last Waltz or Jethro Tull’s Nothing is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight, or more documentary-style films like Woodstock 1970), this was filmed on a hand-held camera with permission by a fan sitting in the front row of that Boston concert on June 8, 1978 with no narration or interpretation. It’s simply a case of pointing the camera at the stage and filming. Here’s a man at the height of his popularity and influence, mere weeks after the historic One Love Peace Concert in Kingston (during which rival politicians joined hands onstage in a highly symbolic moment for Jamaica, which was in the middle of tremendous political upheaval at the time). We get to see him up close and personal with a roaring crowd behind us somewhere off camera, feeling that energy and the love for ourselves. It’s as close as we can get apart from having been there to see it firsthand.
The film consists of seven songs over the span of two sets — “Rebel Music,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Lively Up Yourself,” “Jamming,” “War/No More Trouble,” and “Exodus.” Audio for the concert was recorded separately and remains uninterrupted; the video, however, necessarily cuts out in places where the film needed to be changed. This presents a bit of a problem, but one with an ingenious solution. To fill in these gaps, new animations were created by S77 and Matt Reed who have worked on projects with artists from Bruno Mars to Pearl Jam.
This is also the first time that new material has been produced with permission from Marley’s estate (all of this footage comes from the family vault, adding to the highly personal role his family and his estate have taken in the production of this release). The animations perfectly augment the music and the lyrical poignancy of the songs, while the occasional swirling oil light imagery adds a slightly psychedelic feel. It’s an event, not just a film, and something to be shared with friends and a little herb stalk…
The timing of this release puts it squarely in the tribute camp, and tributes are often fraught with sentimental ret-conning at the hands of those involved, especially when the person in question is no longer with us. In this regard, Easy Skanking is a refreshing change of pace. There’s no philosophical waxing about influence, no over-the-top hyperbolics about Marley’s legacy; in fact, there’s no narration at all. The music speaks for itself, with no interruption. Having live footage, filmed from the crowd’s point of view by a fan, only adds to that. As far as tributes go, I can think of no better one than this.
Bob Marley’s Easy Skanking in Boston ’78 is available on CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray. Click here to get your copy!
