Jimmy Cliff: Struggling Man
Reprise Records
1973
Format I Own it on: Vinyl
Track Listing: 1. Struggling Man 2. When You're Young 3. Better Days Are Coming 4. Sooner or Later 5. Those Good, Good Old Days 6. Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving 7.
Let's Seize the Time 8. Come on People 9. Can't Live Without You 10.
Going Back West
Love that cover...A beautifully detailed black & white drawing of a bustling city street-scape...If nothing else, buy this album for the cover and the phenomenal title track that's one of Jimmy's highest heights...Apparently this was released shortly after the death of Leslie Kong, who discovered Jimmy and acted as his producer and mentor...And it is true that you can hear Jimmy audibly going through a tough time...There's kind of a "seize-the-day-while-looking-over-your-shoulder-at-the-grim-spectre-of-death" vibe going on in the album...Occasionally lapsing into despair, best evidenced on "Going Back West"(which still seems to scan as "uplifting" if you pay no attention to the lyrics)...
Musically, the album carries on the same mix of roots reggae, deep soul, and sweet vocals that featured on the preceding albums...It definitely leans a bit more heavily into soul and gospel than usual...I'd almost go as far as saying that Jimmy was more of a soul artist than a reggae artist at this point...And some of it straight-up defies any sort of easy classification, such as the acoustic-reggae-soul-pop of album highlight "Going Out West." I should also mention there are no credits on the album so I don't know who to give the kudos to, but the horn charts on the first couple of tracks (the title track and "When You're Young") are on-point...A large part of their appeal are the exceptionally strong horn hooks...
There's not a lot to say here, because this album falls smack dab in a run of super consistent, near-perfect albums...Jimmy's vocals are great as usual. The rhythm section is tight, funky and rootsy. I think it's one of those situations where if this is the first Jimmy Cliff album you purchase, you might trumpet it as his best release and if it's the umpteenth Jimmy Cliff album you purchase, then it's probably going to get lost in the shuffle...Such is the price of consistency...I can tell you this though, by the time you get to the 80's stuff you'll suddenly realize what a masterpiece this really is...
In conclusion, this isn't the sound of Jimmy turning the world upside down as he did on "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," but rather the sound of an artist quietly going about the business of being the greatest in his field....
Here's "Struggling Man" by Jimmy Cliff...Enjoy...
"I met a businessman
Who said he got some friends back East
Said, 'Why don't you come along?
Well we could help you at least
Make you into a big star
By playing your guitar'
But the joke was on me
They left me flat to see...
'Bout a year has come and gone
And left me standing here
Thinking how it could have been
'Cause still I ain't nowhere
They surely took me for a ride
Trampled on my pride
But I'll hold my head up high
Got no more tears to cry..."
Musically, the album carries on the same mix of roots reggae, deep soul, and sweet vocals that featured on the preceding albums...It definitely leans a bit more heavily into soul and gospel than usual...I'd almost go as far as saying that Jimmy was more of a soul artist than a reggae artist at this point...And some of it straight-up defies any sort of easy classification, such as the acoustic-reggae-soul-pop of album highlight "Going Out West." I should also mention there are no credits on the album so I don't know who to give the kudos to, but the horn charts on the first couple of tracks (the title track and "When You're Young") are on-point...A large part of their appeal are the exceptionally strong horn hooks...
There's not a lot to say here, because this album falls smack dab in a run of super consistent, near-perfect albums...Jimmy's vocals are great as usual. The rhythm section is tight, funky and rootsy. I think it's one of those situations where if this is the first Jimmy Cliff album you purchase, you might trumpet it as his best release and if it's the umpteenth Jimmy Cliff album you purchase, then it's probably going to get lost in the shuffle...Such is the price of consistency...I can tell you this though, by the time you get to the 80's stuff you'll suddenly realize what a masterpiece this really is...
In conclusion, this isn't the sound of Jimmy turning the world upside down as he did on "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," but rather the sound of an artist quietly going about the business of being the greatest in his field....
Here's "Struggling Man" by Jimmy Cliff...Enjoy...
No comments:
Post a Comment