Jimmy Cliff - Harder Road To Travel: The Collection

This would be for completists. It does document Jimmy through his earliest rock-steady recordings up through his classic work, including The Harder They Come. No cheese here. It's a very interesting trip through "proto-Jimmy" on disc 1 and then "classic Jimmy" on disc 2. 12 tracks on disc 2 are not duplicated on Ultimate Collection or Harder They Come (Deluxe 2-disc version). Disc 1 is basically "archival."However, the collection is a slap-together job with no attempt to remaster. Many tracks are taken from LPs or what sounds like radio play. A little more than half the tracks are mono. When comparing, say, Bongo Man (mono) to the (stereo) version on The Power and The Glory, the latter sounds startlingly good and this one equally bad. Similarly, all the tracks that appear on The Ultimate Collection or The Harder They Come (remastered version) are so much better on those discs. If you just want some Jimmy to supplement your _Rebirth_, go for either of the discs just mentioned.I also purchased _We Are All One_, which as a reviewer noted concentrates on his 80s work. Mostly cheesy, really, so I can't recommend that one, either, for totally different reasons. If you like the music on that one, you probably won't like it on this one, and vice-versa. I just got it for a couple of tracks.What needs to happen in the flush of Rebirth's success is a reissue of the back catalog or a box set! I used to own _Images_ (also called _Save Our Planet Earth_) when it came out, but sold it because I was allergic to 80s synthesizers. I miss it now, though, because the songs were fun and most tracks were actually very nice. Power and the Glory is also a great album. I'm not too familiar with the rest, but certainly he did put out some stinkers (at least from an American audience perspective) in the 80s and 90s. When he was down here for SxSW last year, he talked about how "Rebirth" was a reference to restarting his career! Rebirth does sound more like his early material in its grit and energy. Even the Rebirth mastering is intended to evoke those early days: it's pretty much monaural, and it sounds like an entirely-analog recording (actually sounds a bit like an old reel-to-reel portable field recorder I worked with once, which is to say 1970s field recording gear). Stylistic choice.If a "real" record label took on this Harder Road material and remastered it (because it really CAN sound a lot better if the original masters are in the engineer's hands), I'd buy it again. It should be said, though, as with the Skatilites, that after a while, you really don't need much more unless you're actually in a band looking for archival material to cover. His best stuff really is documented on The Ultimate Collection, save for a few tracks (and I couldn't really even say which ones). I guess what I want is a 2- or 3-disc "Even More Ultimate" collection.

Excellent item.

This collection is great. The songs are diverse and classic. Perfect album to put on while hanging out by the pool or the beach.

good cool song

Fast shipping and quality product.

Other than Marley this man is for me the hero of Jamaican music and this collection shows his versatility yes the classic Reggae hits are here but also a couple of Northern Soul tracks and some late 60's Pop Rock crossovers.....

Got to see Jimmy Cliff play at a recent festival in London supporting Madness.I’d forgotten how many amazing tracks he’d had over the years so this was the CD to buy.Wonderful ❤️

jimmy cliff.everything you need if you like reggae music.to me jimmy cliff is as important as bob marley if not more.this is a truelly specia artist please buy this if you like reggae musicor if you would like to be introduced to the very best of reggae music.

All I can say about Jimmy Cliff is that thisciscthe guy Island Records signed Bob Marley to replace after he didn't renew his contract. Some ckassic stuff, some less than classic material, still exceptionally good

Great collection of old school / original reggae, not my specialist area but a very enjoyable collection of the genre, still in the car being listened to, when the kids, will let me 2 weeks after delivery!