A cover of the Clash’s The Guns of Brixton speaks of rebellion where the violence of the police may be answered by an equal dose of violence. If you don’t get this Sacred Fire EP you’re going to hate yourself. I’ll let go of the nostalgia for now, and instead let’s vacation in Jimmy Cliff’s sunny Jamaica! And Mac would bring in at least two six packs of Shiner Bock for the grueling night shift and reefer made the rounds perpetually as we sang along with the Reggae classics, ‘You can get it if you really want.’ Repeat. What kept us happy really (along with the many gorgeous hippie chicks who worked at the Garden), was repeatedly rolling the soundtrack to the Harder They Come. And come to think of it, this worked rather well, since we never rebelled or rioted, or never went on strike like these Occupy Wall Street bunch do now days. Things were considerably looser in those days but the pay was unbelievably beaucoup low so the management figured they could appease us by keeping us messed up out of our heads all the time. (Mac had the first smoothie bar in Austin too, The Octopus Garden.)Īnyway, we drank a lotta of beer and smoked lots of reefer while we were working. Rick handled the tempura fried vegetables, veggie tacos, and Guacamole/Bean Sprout Mountains, while Mac took charge of the fruit smoothies, which was a completely new phenomenon in those days (1972 & 1973). I needed to think back on my days when I worked at the first vegetarian restaurant that came to Austin, The Garden Cafe, with Rick and Mac as the owners. Aside from an unnecessary "Guns of Brixton" reprise, Sacred Fire is a great EP, and one heck of an advertisement for Cliff's upcoming 2012 full-length.Jimmy Cliff is back on top with his newest record, Sacred Fire EP, with five exceptionally energized Reggae songs, that sound like the Real Deal dating from the early 1970s era, that emerged from the streets of Kingston, Jamaica (I’m no authority on this movement, but my curiosity might propel me to do some grassroots Reggae research sometime.) To get myself ready for Cliff’s freshest offering, I rented The Harder They Come on ITunes, in order to recreate the inspiring moment when Reggae gave birth. Armstrong, though, provides Cliff with retro '70s ska/reggae, playing to the legend's strengths and roots. Black Magic, Cliff's last proper release, sought to supply the singer with a bevy of celebrity duets (Strummer, Sting, Annie Lennox) and contemporary arrangements. The guy can belt as loud as he wants, but he packs just as much power in a whisper.Īnother aspect that makes Sacred Fire so strong (besides the covers) is that it plays to Cliff's strengths. For all the problems he's had over the years, Cliff's voice remains remarkable. "World Upside Down" and "Ship is Sailing" have a carefree beach vibe that serve Cliff's voice well. Armstrong's influence might get overstated, but Cliff's delivery cannot. Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rina's A-Gonna Fall" takes on an angelic quality that Dylan's own voice could have never provided. Rancid's "Ruby Soho" gains a new found softness. Cliff kicks off with the Clash's "Guns of Brixton," and he imbues the gang song with a sense of grief. Granted, the EP consists mostly of covers, but they're damn good covers. The rest of Cliff's discography could disappear, but his legacy would be assured as long as that soundtrack survives. While Cliff's output has been spotty over the years, his clean, strong voice is still a mighty force on his songs. Have you heard the The Harder They Come soundtrack? If you want to know why Jimmy Cliff is a big deal, give it a spin. But what is surprising is just damned good it sounds. So it shouldn't be a surprise that Armstrong produced and played guitar with reggae icon Jimmy Cliff for his new EP Sacred Fire. Bonebrake in Devils Brigade, the guy is a fan just like the rest of us. Whether it's putting out records from Joe Strummer or playing with X's D.J. If given the chance, Rancid's Tim Armstrong will always choose to work with his musical idols.
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