On the other hand, new songs “World Upside Down” and “One More” felt as passionate and tuneful as anything he’s written. There were no real duff moments but the flatter songs were Cliff’s famous yet slight sunsplash cover of “Wild World” and the unconvincing eco-sentiment of “Planet Earth”. A little rarer was the sight of so many six-footers misty-eyed at “Many Rivers to Cross”, which still no one can sing better. Unsurprisingly, they all knew, word for word, the lyrics to “Miss Jamaica” and “I Can See Clearly Now”. Rude boys and dreadlocks rubbed shoulders with teenagers and parents. It gave the indigO2 the air of a rootsy club. And it was mostly bathed in a two-tone sound that harked straight back to Thatcher, yet seemed bang up to the minute. Next up was the “Treat the Youth Right” medley where Cliff stayed contemporary with a ragga persona no doubt learnt from the same Kingston bars.īut the evening was mainly a night of classics mixed with tasters of the new album. Dressed in a gold jacket and T-shirt with his name on it, Cliff opened his account with “You Can Get It If You Really Want”, displaying the age-defying dancehall moves he practices in Jamaican nightclubs (see image below). Kanye West and Jay-Z may have been playing across the way in the big hall, but Cliff and band displayed just as much political relevance with, no doubt, a much sweeter sound. Rude boys and dreadlocks rubbed shoulders with teenagers and parentsDoctor Jimmy Cliff, however, last night put any such doubts to rest.
Most who’ve heard it say the collaboration has put fresh batteries in Cliff, yet others have wondered whether as a reggae-punk alliance, it's simply exhuming the legacy of The Clash. The partnership has, however, already produced one EP, 2011’s Sacred Fire.
But, with the recording process moving at Jamaican pace, that’s now been delayed. This concert was originally scheduled to coincide with the release of Re.Birth, produced by Tim Armstrong of American rock band Rancid. Last night, in front of a rambunctious indigO2, a 64-year-old Cliff showed he has absolutely no intention of mellowing.
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