The Best of Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff has released an album this year and as a legendary reggae figure it has received some positive reviews. I confess that my knowledge of Jimmy Cliff until recently was knowing that the song Trapped that Bruce Springsteen has performed over the years is a Jimmy Cliff song

Over the last couple of weeks I have listened to this album quite a few times and have to advise that while Cliff has been recording for years and years and thus doing a deep dive on his recording history is not really feasible for me this Best of compilation is well worth taking a test.

Reggae historians will tell you that most feel that Jimmy Cliff came before Bob Marley in Jamaica. Marley through a combination of factors became the Godfather of all Reggae but a quick perusal of this album will make one aware that Jimmy Cliff is very and I mean very underrated.

Cliff has it all, listening to Hard Road to Travel, the reggae beat, the inspirational lyrics, there is nothing here that would be diminished by comparison to a Bob Marley song and in fact holds up stronger than 98 percent of what Marley recorded. I would go so far as to say that as big a Marley fan as I am, with the exception of No Woman No Cry and Three Little Birds there is nothing in Marley's music that can compare with five or six of the songs on this album.

You Can Get It If You Really Want, The Harder They Come and Many Rivers to Cross, I do not know how I could have listened to as much music as I have, as much reggae as I have without knowing these songs. They are impeccable. I turned my son onto Bob Marley by playing it when he was growing up. Sending him information on this album is now at the top of my list of things to do today.


Which brings me to the essential Jimmy Cliff song I knew nothing about. Cliff recorded an anti war song called Vietnam that might be the best song of that era. It is easily singable, has an incredible beat and Cliff's voice is angelic. In the song we hear about a letter received from Vietnam from a soldier telling his friends that he will be home soon, his time is almost up, and he looks forward to seeing them all. The very next day a telegram arrives stating that the young man has died and " Mistress Brown your Son is Dead. " This is a bone chillingly great song.

Jimmy Cliff is an example of a great performer getting lost, hiding in plain sight. Inevitably he has had a good career, his fans have known about him, but how can such talent not be known in a mainstream way. Somethings are hard to comprehend.

Listen to Jimmy Cliff. It will make your day .