Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Yah
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The Harder They Come
Various Artists
The Harder They Come
Style: Reggae
Label: Island Records
Catalog Number: SMAS-7400
Released: 1973, 70's
One of the most iconic reggae albums of all time, The Harder They Come is a rocksteady soundtrack classic featuring tracks from the film’s star Jimmy Cliff alongside The Melodians, Toots and the Maytals, Scotty, The Slickers, and Desmond Dekker. The film and album are culturally significant for a number of reasons: the album is credited for bringing reggae music to the world, the film was one of the first to portray Jamaicans in real locations using patois, and one of the first Caribbean films to reach an international audience. Shot in the slums of Kingston, the semi-fictional story follows Ivan Martin, played by Jimmy Cliff, a kid with big dreams in an impossible situation where life feels like it’s in constant limbo… “Nothing expresses that life better than the music in this album, for here is hope and depression, anger and love.”
Recommended – Full Listen
Tags: Compilation / Essential Listening / Rocksteady / Soundtrack
Tracklist:
A1 Jimmy Cliff You Can Get It If You Really Want
A2 Scotty Draw Your Brakes
A3 The Melodians Rivers Of Babylon
A4 Jimmy Cliff Many Rivers To Cross
A5 The Maytals Sweet And Dandy
A6 Jimmy Cliff The Harder They Come
B1 The Slickers Johnny Too Bad
B2 Desmond Dekker Shanty Town
B3 The Maytals Pressure Drop
B4 Jimmy Cliff Sitting In Limbo
B5 Jimmy Cliff You Can Get It If You Really Want
B6 Jimmy Cliff The Harder They Come
Credits:
Lacquer Cut By – Wly*
Producer – Byron Lee (tracks: B1), Derrick Harriott (tracks: A2), Jimmy Cliff (tracks: A1, A4, A6, B4 to B6), Leslie Kong (tracks: A3, A5, B2, B3)
