Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come - a pleasant surprise

We recently rented the Jimmy CLiff movie from the 70's.

"The Harder They Come"

The movie was quite entertaining and the music IMO was great as well.

This is the 1st time I've seen this movie so I am now interested in buying the soundtrack and would like to know which digital version would be the one to get for the best sound quality.

Apparently this soundtrack has been released on vinyl a bunch of times
and from the amazon listings the digital version has as well.

If anyone also has thoughts on other CD's from the rest of his catalog that
might sound great, please share.

Thanks,

Gary

 

Its a great album. I had an early pressing of this album and a later 70's pressing and the later one sounded better to my ears....

 

How about on CD though?

I think for the genre of music, Jimmy Cliff is every bit as talented as Bob Marley was.

The movie was pretty funny actually.

 

me and some friends used to watch this on vhs

we were talking recently about how we'd like to get the dvd to see captions for some of the dialogue!!!!! there's a few times on there where it sounds like they're talking jibberish....maybe it's local dialect

cool movie, cool music!

 

I bought a remastered CD of this in the late 90's/early 00's. I'll try and post the number when I get home. It sounded noticeably better. This lp is essential for every person who is at least interested in reggae. Just a great set, but I could do without the songs being repeated.

 

There is only one CD master of this...
Go get it!
Wonderful!

 

Yeah, that is definitely weak. It's a relatively short album already and then 2 of the songs are repeated? I would think unless the deluxe edition is a sonic disaster you'd want to go that way just for all the additional music.

I have the original (I think) Mango cd, but I haven't played it in a long time. I'll have to revisit before I can offer an opinion on the sound.

 

This was the version I got in the 90's: Mango 846 574-2
It's a UK pressing. On the back cover upper left, it says Reggae Refreshers.

 

There are two masters of the single disc - the second is better. The "deluxe edition" is full of great music, but there's not a single thing on it that even a casual reggae fan won't have already. Go for the newer single disc, and explore from there.

 

I have the old Mango CD and it sounds fine to me. Haven't compared it to the newer ones, though.

 

Just picked one of these up at a yard sale for a buck. I believe it was a columbia house CD though.... would that be the same??

 

Just picked it up. good stuff

 

What's the AZ problem?

BTW, for the record, I have a Canadian pressing. The label says Mango (CIDM 9202), though the disc itself says Island.
Matrix is #920528MM CIDM-9202 MFG BY CINRAM

 

I only bought this on Island recently, here in the UK. Sound is good, and it is well packaged.

Sticker on the front says, "The classic soundtrack remastered. Original Artwork and Lyrics." Serial number RRCD61/586158-2 LC CC407. Copyright 2001.

 

I saw this movie over 30 years ago so I bought the LP back then. I also bought the CD (Mango CCD 9202) when it first came out (mid 80s) and was surprised at how good SHANTY TOWN sounded. The first CD I came across was made in Australia by Disctronics.

 

I had this same question a few months ago and ended up getting the Deluxe Edition because I barely have any reggae and the price was right.

I can't find it now, but someone on the forum complained about the 1999 remaster using noise reduction on Shanty Town -- it's supposed to be phasey, and of course the NR kills that. The deluxe keeps the phasiness, so I think the one you definitely want to avoid is the 1999 remaster.

With that said, I haven't heard the Mango. I enjoy the deluxe, but I'm sure the Mango has better dynamics.

 

Most likely yes

 

I found Steve's posts from a few years ago on this topic. This forum has pretty much discussed everything already, hasn't it?

Quotes taken from these threads:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=45076
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=121599

"Get the Island/Mango CD from 1990 - RRCD 11. That is the only place mentioned that they mastered the song correctly. All other versions master it in out of phase mono. A stoopid mistake!"

But then...

"Good way to tell if it's from the CD or not. Listen to SHANTY TOWN. If it's wildly phasy (like it was done on purpose or something even though it wasn't) it's the original album master. If the phase issue is fixed and that song sound louder than the rest with no phase problems it's a cut of the "fixed" digital version and should be (if you ask me) avoided."

I read the first one as saying that Mango is good, but then the second one says that phasey is good. I'm still confused, but it would probably make sense if I had the Mango CD.

 

That second thread has another quote that (IMO) explains why the 'digital' version should be avoided when buying the LP.

"They only fixed it digitally. Why spend money to buy an LP cut from a CD when the actual CD is out there for 10 bucks?"

So on CD, get the original with the non-phasey 007 (Shanty Town). On LP, hope you have a version from the original analog tape (with a phasey 007 (Shanty Town)).

 

Perhaps it is best to trust the ears of Steve who has probably heard the masters for this and not someone who hasn't...

 

Speaking of which, maybe we should add this one to the Audio Fidelity wish list.

 

I too enjoy JC music.

 

If the spine catalog number is 162-539 202-2 is this the good CD? if it is, I got a great bargain right here on the forum.