This disc is Exhibit A on why there is hope for radio. Last year, radio station KCRW’s famed program “Morning Becomes Eclectic” had Jimmy Cliff delivering an intimate “live” that focused on the legend’s most recent album (Rebirth) and included some of his more famous material. The result here is a rarely intimate insight into one of the founding fathers of reggae, taking the Jamaican music and stripping it down to its folksy roots.
With just his acoustic guitar, voice and unbridled enthusiasm, Cliff delivers joyful readings of “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and his “I Can See Clearly Now” even includes quotes from Psalm 1, emphasizing what the outcomes are for both the righteous and unrighteous. I want this guy at my church! A take of “Many Rivers To Cross” is hauntingly different without the more famous keyboards, while his more recent material like “Trapped” and “Guns of Brixton” sounds fresh and crisp while still convey messages of social and economic prognostications. The mix of making one’s faith with improving society is an important one, and Cliff sounds as relevant as ever.
Hip-Oselect Records
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