Contrary to the album’s unassuming title, the Tuff Gong treated Bostonians to a hardcore set, which opened with “Slave Driver” and continued into “Burnin’ and Lootin'” with Bob singing “How many rivers do we have to cross before we can talk to the boss?” Backed by the Barrett brothers rhythm section and underscored by the I Threes’ harmonies, the pungent sting of every word was unmistakable and unstoppable. By the time Bob Marley & The Wailers’ tour bus rolled into Boston, they were internationally known and they used every bit of that leverage to drive home a powerful message. By this point in his all-too-brief life, Marley was both a star musician and a larger-than-life hero who had already survived a 1976 assassination attempt, recorded his landmark album Exodus, and courageously returned to Jamaica for the historic One Love Peace Concert. There’s an accompanying DVD (what the live footage - shot by a fan in the front row - lacks in polish, it makes up for in immediacy) but the real story here is the music.

To mark the 70th anniversary of Bob Marley‘s birth, the artist’s estate has blessed his legions of fans with live recordings of two shows at Boston Music Hall during the Kaya tour, previously available only as bootlegs.

From a new live album from a late legend to new LPs from long-running reggae stalwarts, here are Rob Kenner‘s editorial picks for year’s 10 best reggae albums.ġ) Bob Marley, Easy Skankin’ in Boston ’78

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