Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
If the reggae legend's 2004 effort Black Magic was like Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett's Duets albums --late-era, star-filled, and somewhat flat -- Rebirth is Jimmy Cliff's American Recordings (Johnny Cash) or Praise & Blame (Tom Jones), where a veteran artist goes raw and relights the fire with the help of a kindred spirit/knowing producer. For Cash and Jones, it was Rick Rubin and Ethan Johns respectively, while here it’s a bit of a surprise with Rancid frontman and Clash devotee Tim Armstrong delivering something well above the expected punky reggae party. "Guns of Brixton" is a natural, and Cliff's take on Rancid's "Ruby Soho" is a ska recreation to behold, but when the sometimes poptacular reggae singer dons a wild, Lee "Scratch" Perry persona for the carnival song "Bang" ("I came into this life, I came in with a bang/I'm living my life, I live it with a bang"), deep reggae fan Armstrong knows what to do, surrounding his man Upsetter-style with a whirling dervish of ska while adding a searing guitar solo as well. When the singer gets nostalgic on "Reggae Music" ("1962, Orange Street, Kingston Jamaica/I sang my song for Leslie Kong, he said…") the backing track is alive with that roots based magic and one drop power, yet Cliff's the one who seals the deal here and throughout the album, performing like a young buck while packing his years and wisdom into the songwriting. On that front, there's the Occupy Movement theme "World Upside Down" and the powerful single "One More", while the sweetness comes from the sentimental "Ship Is Sailing", a nautical metaphor so warm it could be slipped into a Jimmy Buffett set easily, even as the tinkling keyboards honor reggae legend Jackie Mittoo, thus nominating Armstrong's loving recreation as one of the most loved. It's a return to form and just what fans of Cliff's early work could ask for, but it's vital too, putting it on the man's top shelf, somewhere in the vicinity of The Harder They Come soundtrack and Wonderful World, Beautiful People.
© David Jeffries /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Joe Higgs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Paul Simonon, ComposerLyricist - Nicholas Bowen Headon, ComposerLyricist - Michael Jones, ComposerLyricist - Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist - John Mellor, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Vincent Roger Freeman, ComposerLyricist - Lars Frederiksen, ComposerLyricist - Tim Armstrong, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Tim Armstrong, Producer - Jimmy Cliff, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Album review
If the reggae legend's 2004 effort Black Magic was like Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett's Duets albums --late-era, star-filled, and somewhat flat -- Rebirth is Jimmy Cliff's American Recordings (Johnny Cash) or Praise & Blame (Tom Jones), where a veteran artist goes raw and relights the fire with the help of a kindred spirit/knowing producer. For Cash and Jones, it was Rick Rubin and Ethan Johns respectively, while here it’s a bit of a surprise with Rancid frontman and Clash devotee Tim Armstrong delivering something well above the expected punky reggae party. "Guns of Brixton" is a natural, and Cliff's take on Rancid's "Ruby Soho" is a ska recreation to behold, but when the sometimes poptacular reggae singer dons a wild, Lee "Scratch" Perry persona for the carnival song "Bang" ("I came into this life, I came in with a bang/I'm living my life, I live it with a bang"), deep reggae fan Armstrong knows what to do, surrounding his man Upsetter-style with a whirling dervish of ska while adding a searing guitar solo as well. When the singer gets nostalgic on "Reggae Music" ("1962, Orange Street, Kingston Jamaica/I sang my song for Leslie Kong, he said…") the backing track is alive with that roots based magic and one drop power, yet Cliff's the one who seals the deal here and throughout the album, performing like a young buck while packing his years and wisdom into the songwriting. On that front, there's the Occupy Movement theme "World Upside Down" and the powerful single "One More", while the sweetness comes from the sentimental "Ship Is Sailing", a nautical metaphor so warm it could be slipped into a Jimmy Buffett set easily, even as the tinkling keyboards honor reggae legend Jackie Mittoo, thus nominating Armstrong's loving recreation as one of the most loved. It's a return to form and just what fans of Cliff's early work could ask for, but it's vital too, putting it on the man's top shelf, somewhere in the vicinity of The Harder They Come soundtrack and Wonderful World, Beautiful People.
© David Jeffries /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:54
- Main artists: Jimmy Cliff
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Jimmy Cliff - Rebirth
- Genre: World Reggae
© 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd. ℗ 2012 Sunpower Productions NY, Ltd.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.