Jimmy Cliff: Give Thankx

Jimmy Cliff: Give Thankx

1978

Warner Bros Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. Bongo Man  2. Stand Up and Fight Back  3. She Is a Woman  4. You Left Me Standing by the Door  5. Footprints  6. Meeting in Afrika  7. Wanted Man  8. Lonely Streets  9. Love I Need  10. Universal Love (Beyond the Boundaries)



With the title "Give Thankx," I should have saved this post for Thankxgiving! It's only a couple of weeks away...

 I was actually seriously toying with the idea of doing a Christmas-themed week in the days leading up to the Holiday...I even set aside a pile of records I should have covered already (and man, are there some good ones!) just to have enough material, so mark your calendars...

Oh wait...It's probably already marked...

Okay, let's get down to Jimmy Cliff...I'm really drawn to this album cover, they really did a beautiful job and it captures the serene mood of the music within...The bright blue sea, the pictures of him riding a camel in front of the pyramids...

(The vivid blue doesn't quite come across in these scans, so next time you're at the record store make sure to take a good look at it...)

This album is very diverse...It opens with "Bongo Man"  which is not, as you'd expect, his trademark reggae sound, but instead the sound of Jimmy putting his ear to the ground and getting in rhythm with the beating heart of the Earth...

"I and I are going to Zion...
And if you follow Politicians you will never come at all...
And if you follow heads of churches you will never come at all..."

I hear ya, Jim!  His high, pure voice sounds so perfect doing this type of African pop and those harmonies are breathtaking....I wish he would have included  a couple more of these, "Meeting in Afrika" is the only other time he approaches the style on the record, albeit in a brighter, upbeat manner...The second song, "Stand Up and Fight Back" is closer to his usual style; the righteous, yet uplifting,  roots-reggae tracks he made his name on...But from there on out, it's all over the place: American soul, smooth lover's rock, pop reggae...

As someone who leans more towards fast and heavy music, the smooth, calming sound of "Lonely Streets" washed over me the first listen...But on my second or third spin, I'm putting this up there with the bestof Jimmy...He sings most of the song in a quiet, smoky voice, but when he finally sings, "There was no LOOOOOOOOOVE TO BE FOUND!" he just nails it to the ceiling...God, this guy is the best!

Really, the only track that I skip is "She Is a Woman." And it's even a pretty good song, but damn,it  sounds exactly  like "No Woman, No Cry." I guess if you're going to rip something off, go for the classics, but I'd be lying if I said it isn't a  little distracting...

"Give Thankx" tends to get a little overlooked, but don't let that discourage you...This is a fine album, and an easy listen when you're feeling mellow...Jimmy Cliff has released some of the most musically diverse records in Reggae History, but this is the one where he really mixes it up, yet it all flows seamlessly, due to his consistently engaging voice...If you see a copy of this at your local record store, take the chance... 

But don't take my word for it, check out "Lonely Streets" by Jimmy Cliff...Enjoy...