The Harder They Come [Deluxe Edition] [Remaster]

Performer: Original Soundtrack/Jimmy Cliff
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: The 2003 Deluxe Edition of THE HARDER THEY COME includes a bonus CD of early reggae tracks recorded between 1968 & 1972, rare photos and original artwork. Producers: Jimmy Cliff, Derrick Harriot, Leslie Kong, Byron Lee. Originally released on Mango SMSAS (7400). Includes liner notes by David Katz. Producers: Jimmy Cliff, Derrick Harriot, Leslie Kong, Byron Lee, Guilly Bright. Personnel: Jimmy Cliff (vocals); Winston Grennan (drums). Liner Note Authors: Chris Blackwell; David Katz; Perry Henzell; Paul Simonon. The soundtrack to the groundbreaking film about Jamaican subcultures, this superb selection is also a synthesis of late 60s and early 70s reggae. Recordings by Jimmy Cliff, the movie's star, form the album's core and his contributions, notably 'Many Rivers To Cross', show his understated power to great effect. An important figure in the development of reggae, Cliff at last secured deserved acclaim with this collection. His work is ably supported by 'Pressure Drop', one of the finest songs the Maytals ever recorded, while the Melodians and Slickers prove equally strong. The latter's 'Johnny Too Bad' perfectly encapsulates the film's plot, one that helped launch reggae into the international arena. The soundtrack to the groundbreaking film about Jamaican subcultures, this superb selection is also a synthesis of late '60s and early '70s reggae. Recordings by Jimmy Cliff, the movie's star, form the album's core, and his contributions, notably "Many Rivers To Cross," show his understated power to great effect. An important figure in the development of reggae, Cliff at last secured deserved acclaim with this collection. His work is ably supported by "Pressure Drop," one of the finest songs the Maytals ever recorded, while the Melodians and Slickers prove equally strong. The latter's "Johnny Too Bad" perfectly encapsulates the film's plot, one that helped launch reggae into the international arena. Some liberal interpretation of what can constitute the bonus material of a deluxe edition went into this two-CD edition of The Harder They Come, which in its original release was both a classic reggae album and a classic soundtrack. The additional material on the second disc is not outtakes from the soundtrack or some such intimately related work, but 18 high-grade vintage reggae tracks from the late '60s and early '70s. Admittedly some of the newly added songs are by artists who also contributed to the soundtrack, those being Jimmy Cliff, the Maytals, Desmond Dekker, and the Melodians. Then, however, there are a bunch of tunes by artists not involved in the soundtrack at all, like the Uniques, Dave & Ansel Collins, Johnny Nash, and Eric Donaldson. But -- and this is a big but -- the excellence of the additional cuts, along with how they fit well with the music on the original The Harder They Come soundtrack, makes such inconsistencies moot. The original The Harder They Come, comprising all of disc one, remains one of the great reggae albums, crossing over to a non-Jamaican audience more than almost any other reggae release of the era, perhaps because there was so much soul (both literally and figuratively) in the melodies and vocals. The 18 songs on disc two include some core reggae classics, among them some of the biggest reggae-pop crossovers of 1968-1972, including Dekker's "Israelites," Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" (yes, Nash was American, but this was recorded in Jamaica), Dave & Ansel Collins' zany instrumental "Double Barrel," and Cliff's "Wonderful World, Beautiful People." These are spiced with somewhat lesser-known delights like the Maytals' "Do the Reggay," Cliff's "Viet Nam" [sic], and Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby," famously covered by the Rolling Stones on their Black and Blue album. The additional disc, though strictly speaking not directly related to the soundtrack, does what the bonus material on deluxe editions should do and doesn't always successfully pull off: it makes a classic album better. And for those who want at least a little extra content tied to the film itself, the liner notes include essays by director Perry Henzell, Island Records chief Chris Blackwell, the Clash's Paul Simonon, and reggae author David Katz. ~ Richie Unterberger

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.124) - Ranked #119 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "'Many Rivers To Cross' is one of the finest songs to come from the island..." Rolling Stone (8/7/03, p.77) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...THE HARDER THEY COME only sounds more alive thirty years after its original appearance..." Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.124) - Ranked #119 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "'Many Rivers To Cross' is one of the finest songs to come from the island..." Entertainment Weekly (10/12/01, p.29) - Ranked #12 in EW's "100 Best Movie Soundtracks" - "...A vital compilation...Heartfelt and urgent..." Q (10/01, p.144) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...The songs have aged better than the film, with many of Cliff's contributions remaining bona fide standards..." Down Beat (1/02, p.46) - Included in Downbeat's "Best CDs of 2001". Down Beat (12/01, p.88) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...Vastly enjoyable..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.134) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[F]rom early '60s ska gems like 'One-Eyed Jacks' to the justly celebrated self-titled debut album....A fine collection from an unsung giant." Mojo (Publisher) (6/02, p.66) - Included in Mojo's "100 Coolest Movie Soundtracks".

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