Jimmy Cliff: Unlimited

Jimmy Cliff: Unlimited

1973

EMI Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. Under The Sun, Moon And Stars  2. Fundamental Reggay  3. World Of Peace  4.
Black Queen  5. Be True  6. Oh Jamaica  7. Commercialization  8. The Price Of Peace  9. On My Life  10. I See The Light  11. Rip-Off  12. Poor Slave  13. Born To Win


Jimmy Cliff still at his peak...If there's any drop-off in quality from "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" (as is often claimed) it's very slight...Maybe "World of Peace" and "Be True" are a little fluffy, but that's about it...The rest is sweet, melodic (yet tough) roots reggae...Although, I do detect a tinge of bitterness seeping into tracks like "Commercialization," "World of Peace" and "Rip-Off," it isn't a deal-breaker for me...If anything it gives the album a bit more of an edge (not to mention "Rip-Off" is pretty fucking hilarious, if you ask me)...

Plus, if you're talking all-time great Jimmy Cliff tracks,  a few of these are at the top of the heap..."Under the Sun, Moon And Stars" is probably the big one here...A quiet prayer of a song that crackles with cosmic consciousness...It's one of those tracks that turns a room silent when it comes on...You have to stop what you're doing to listen to the whisper then you're hooked for life when it decides to move mountains...One of the best reggae tracks I've ever heard, hands down...I also love "On My Life," which is just a good, catchy, should've-been pop hit featuring the album's most ear-grabbing melody...And if you look at the title of "The Price Of Peace" you might be expecting an uplifting anthem but instead it's the darkest, murkiest thing on the album, but I love it for its unsettling attributes...

You really can't go wrong with any of Jimmy's albums from the early 70's... Quintessential reggae and probably the first artist you should check out if you're wanting to explore the genre beyond Bob Marley...Late 60's-Early 70's Jimmy Cliff  always goes down easy...

Let's listen to some music...Here's "On My Life" by Jimmy Cliff...Enjoy...