“The Harder They Come” Original Soundtrack Recording
Today’s Cool Album of the Day is the soundtrack to the film, The Harder they Come. The Harder They Come could almost be considered a Jimmy Cliff album. In fact, Cliff, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, has his name featured prominently on the cover. Officially however, this album is considered a soundtrack to the film with the same name. Other artists that appear on the album include Desmond Dekker (He of ‘Israelites’ fame), The Maytals, The Slickers and Scotty. The film and soundtrack have long been considered classics. Forty years later, the film is still the number one movie produced in Jamaica by Jamaicans. The Harder They Come went a long way in pulling Reggae music into...
The (English) Beat “I Just Can’t Stop It”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#754 in the Series) is The (English) Beat, I Just Can’t Stop It. OK, why, for the first time have we used parenthesis in one of our headlines? Well, because The (English) Beat has two names. I don’t think I’m breaking news here. It has been well documented that this band’s real name is The Beat. American musician Paul Collins already had a successful band here called The Beat. So that’s why we know them Stateside as The English Beat. Oh, and If you were wondering, Paul Collins band is known as The Paul Collins Beat overseas. That is, if they’re still known at all. The names, however were not the only difference...
Bob Marley + The Wailers “Rastaman Vibration”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#616 in the Series) is Bob Marley and the Wailers, Rastaman Vibration. I don’t know why I chose this one. I don’t know why I choose most of the albums I do. But this is one of those from my ‘yute’ that I played often. Maybe I was just getting into reggae and thought I was cool. I don’t know. Once again, not an artist’s best acclaimed, best selling, nor best known. This is just one that I happened to like. The most well known track is probably “Roots, Rock, Reggae.” Some of the other tracks of note were “Positive Vibration,” “Who the Cap Fit,” and “Crazy Baldhead.” This was released in...
Garland Jeffreys “The King of In Between”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#520 in the Series) is Garland Jeffreys, The King of In Between Ladies and Gentleman, we have another entry in the running for “Album of the Year.” The latest being Garland Jeffreys’ The King of In Between. I didn’t even know that Garland had any projects in the works. One day, I’m putting together a list on who was going to appearing on the coming weeks late night talk shows here in the states. One name jumped out at me, was of course Garland Jeffreys. I’ve always been a fan, going all the way back to 1977 when he was Rolling Stone Magazine’s Best New Artist. Everyone remembers “Wild in the Streets.” After...
Bob Marley and the Wailers “Live!”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#503 in the Series and # 51 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Bob Marley, Live! This has long been considered the best live album of Bob Marley’s career. It’s also been considered the best live album of the reggae genre for some years now. I’ll let you make that call personally. To each his own as they say, I think the point that “it’s good” can be made, that the idea here. Me, I would have seen a live disc recorded on the next tour. That would have been the one for Rastaman Vibration. That was my fave, but this will do. This was the tour for Natty Dread. Bob...
