Jimmy Cliff: In Concert: The Best of Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff: In Concert: The Best of Jimmy Cliff

1976

Reprise Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1.You Can Get It If You Really Want  2. Vietnam  3. Fountain of Life  4. Many Rivers to Cross  5. Wonderful World, Beautiful People  6. Under the Sun, Moon and Stars  7. Wild World  8. Sitting in Limbo  9. Struggling Man  10. The Harder They Come


 Damn, this live album really is the best of Jimmy Cliff...I haven't come across a greatest hits that beats this one...It helps that this was released at the top of a hot streak and those of you out there that are sensitive to the sometimes rough quality of live albums have nothing to fear...This is so immaculately recorded;  every instrument is clear as a bell and Jimmy's vocals are studio quality. The guy is incapable of singing something that doesn't bowl you over and as a result, most of these live takes rival the studio version...

But even if you have the studio albums, this is totally worth a look, since the versions do differ from the originals,and usually for the better...The Jamaican Express are a smokin' backing band that includes reggae greats like Ernest Ranglin and Santa Davis who were players with most of the truly great Jamaican artists...Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, the Skatelites, King Tubby, Prince Buster, Queen Latifah, Lee Perry, Katy Perry, Tyler Perry, you name it...(Actually I made up a couple of those, see if you can spot 'em...Wheeee, we have fun here...)

What a great summer reggae album...Play this on a sunny afternoon with a Red Stripe in one hand...

 ...and a big ol' doob you rolled with that 12X12 "Big Bambu" rolling paper, from the Cheech and Chong record, in the other...

...or if you're like me, and don't smoke weed, you can always substitute a box of bubblegum cigars...

...and soak in that truly resplendent  version "Many Rivers to Cross" that manages to be even more transcendent than the version from "The Harder They Come." This thing is in the clouds, man...

Check out "Under the Sun, Moon and Stars" where Jimmy asks the audience, "Does anybody know what the Universal Language is?"

And it turns out the answer is...

"It's just music!"

And y'know what?  I agree with with him, it's a simple answer, yet 100% true...I can't envision anybody anywhere not feeling good after listening to "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," or not aching a little after hearing "Many Rivers to Cross."

So let's enjoy some of that universal language...Here's "Under the Sun, Moon and Star" by Jimmy Cliff...Enjoy...