On the shelf 076: Jimmy Cliff
Jul. 25th, 2012 06:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedsitter23Over the years, I have gotten to know my reggae. Although I never hung around reggae diehards (say Carbondale's Jah Bush Doctor), I was surrounded by some huge ska fans, and it has gotten easier to discover music in the technological age.
Like many a Clash fan, i started with the artists that they name-dropped (Delroy Wilson, Leroy Smart, Dillinger). British music magazines like Q and Uncut have done a great job of education and appreciation, regularly featuring the Trojan and Studio One record labels. of course, there were always websites and for roots reggae and dub, you could always peruse the ROIR label.
Through it all, I didn't really appreciate Jimmy Cliff. His biggest hit (a cover of "I can see clearly now") is pretty mellow and his big mainstream moment (Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion") not that rock n roll (as opposed to Peter Tosh who hung with the Stones.)
In the last five to ten years, I finally decided I needed to spend some time with The Harder They Come soundtrack, largely considered the best reggae album ever. Finally, I understood Cliff's importance to Reggae and Pop Music. I got it.
Cliff has a new album, and it has become cliche, but yes, it's his American Recordings moment. Rancid's Tim Armstrong is the producer responsible for bringing Cliff to the third- and fourth- generation Clash fans and the mainstream audience at large. If you hate Rancid, you might take some heart that the whole idea to team Cliff with Armstrong was due to Joe Strummer.
If it didn't work, you probably wouldn't be hearing about it; but as it is, it fulfills its potential. The most press is being spent on the covers of "Guns of Brixton" and "Ruby Soho". Although those are okay (the latter is a fun ska number), it's really the rest of the album that deserves notice.
It's a solid listen and for those who only buy reggae albums on rare occasion, this one will make your list.
Like many a Clash fan, i started with the artists that they name-dropped (Delroy Wilson, Leroy Smart, Dillinger). British music magazines like Q and Uncut have done a great job of education and appreciation, regularly featuring the Trojan and Studio One record labels. of course, there were always websites and for roots reggae and dub, you could always peruse the ROIR label.
Through it all, I didn't really appreciate Jimmy Cliff. His biggest hit (a cover of "I can see clearly now") is pretty mellow and his big mainstream moment (Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion") not that rock n roll (as opposed to Peter Tosh who hung with the Stones.)
In the last five to ten years, I finally decided I needed to spend some time with The Harder They Come soundtrack, largely considered the best reggae album ever. Finally, I understood Cliff's importance to Reggae and Pop Music. I got it.
Cliff has a new album, and it has become cliche, but yes, it's his American Recordings moment. Rancid's Tim Armstrong is the producer responsible for bringing Cliff to the third- and fourth- generation Clash fans and the mainstream audience at large. If you hate Rancid, you might take some heart that the whole idea to team Cliff with Armstrong was due to Joe Strummer.
If it didn't work, you probably wouldn't be hearing about it; but as it is, it fulfills its potential. The most press is being spent on the covers of "Guns of Brixton" and "Ruby Soho". Although those are okay (the latter is a fun ska number), it's really the rest of the album that deserves notice.
It's a solid listen and for those who only buy reggae albums on rare occasion, this one will make your list.
