JIMMY CLIFF
Jimmy Cliff - Ultimate Collection (Hip-O)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Jimmy Cliff has been more successful internationally than in the US for a variety of reasons that have little if anything to do with his music. While many of his songs have been every bit as conscious as Bob Marley's, he has been better known for more personal material which has garnered some chart attention but less respect than might be hoped. Some of his finest songs are best known through the work of other artists, and are often attributed the cover artists in the minds of the audience. His adoption of the Islamic faith, instead of sticking to the Rastaman stereotype that stateside audiences expect of their reggae stars (even when those stars indulge in material so slack that it negates any claim to reverence of any kind) has probably not helped either.

All that aside, as a performer, a writer and as the star of the seminal reggae film, The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff has assembled a very rich and influential body of work which has done far more to spread the reggae sound than he is typically credited with. This new collection hits most of the high spots of his recording career, providing some essential tracks and some excellent, if lesser known, cuts that may not have made the airwaves near you. Jimmy Cliff is a necessary presence on any reggae shelf, and if you're going to have just one, this is the one to have.

Track List:

Wonderful World, Beautiful People * Come Into My Life * Vietnam * Wild World * Hard Road To Travel * You Can Get It If You Really Want * Bongo Man * The Harder They Come * Many Rivers To Cross * Sitting In Limbo * Struggling Man * If I Follow My Mind * The News * Sooner Or Later * Give The People What They Want * Shelter Of Your Love * Majority Rules * I Can See Clearly Now * Rise Up

© 2000 - Shaun Dale