Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come - a pleasant surprise

Does anyone know....if the cheaper version of the soundtrack sold in Canada is the same mastering as the old Mango?

http://www.amazon.ca/Harder-They-Co...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1233349414&sr=1-1

 

Such a wonderful album. Worth getting in any shape or form. My favorite cut is "Draw Your Brakes".

Evan

 

I've got the 162-539 202-2 version (yellow CD, green "Mango", purple text & image. Sounds great to me. Don't stress about it.

Scott

 

According to the not-always-reliable All Music Guide, that is the catalog number for the first cd issue from 1990. Mine was purchased in the early 90's, perhaps even in 1990 when it was apparently first issued. I know mine has an SRC-01 matrix, but I'll have to confirm the catalog number when I get home. I can post some EAC numbers, too (in case anyone is stressing. . .)

 

I had that 1990 one til I swapped out for the one I mentioned above. The new one sounded better to me.

 

The remaster (and/or the deluxe edition) may well sound great. I've never heard them, so I wouldn't know. I've always thought the original sounded fine and haven't sought to upgrade. The fact Our Host just endorsed the original has sent everyone into a tizzy

 

That's the one I have.

 

"Shanty Town" is an all-time great - what a cool sound!

 

This site lists 10 releases.....

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/various_artists___soundtracks___film_soundtracks_1970_74/the_harder_they_come/

 

Yeah, to the extent AMG is accurate at all (not very), it is accurate only for U.S. releases.

For those interested, since I think my disc is the one Our Host is endorsing, here are the EAC peak levels for my disc. U.S. Mango 162-539 202-2, matrix: 80 CCD 9202-2 SRC+01 M2S1

85.4
76.5
99.9
88.2
97.9
92.9
88.1
67.9
97.7
87.3
82.7
100.0

Total time in EAC 40:18:40

 

I've got the deluxe edition and like it quite a bit. The second disc is great.

 

They're not repeated as such, they're alternate versions, largely instrumental if memory serves me correctly.

 

This movie is really wild - I love the look into Jamaican Culture in the 70's. Don't see that too much elsewhere. I couldn't imagine watching it without captions, though. I love the scenes in the recording studio!

 

If you like "The Harder They Come", check out "Rockers" a cool little crime caper set in Trenchtown starring a veritable who's who of mid-seventies Jamaican superstars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079815/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockers_(film)

 

Great Cd...real good intro to Reggae...the non Cliff tracks are great as well.

 

My favorite reggae cd, not a bad track on it.

 

hair splitting. They are so close to exact duplicates that it's annoying to me.
I don't think they're instrumentals, I'll listen when I get home.

 

Actually, they are quite different. They each have a different vocal track, and I think the 2nd version has a completely different ending.

The two versions are included because one sort of shows the song in progress, as in the film when Ivan is recording in the studio, and the other is the finished, more polished version. Sort of like the finished single that Ivan is trying to hawk on his own without the producer/distributor.

 

I love this film; I have the Criterion DVD. Any word whether there will be a Blu-ray?

Also, regarding the soundtrack, here's a question -- I have the 2001 Island CD. Stereo versions of the songs. Anyhow, IIRC, the version of "Harder They Come" on the CD is different from the one in the film (which I haven't seen for a number of years), not least because one line of the lyrics is different. Are there two versions of this song? How can I get the version in the film?

 

That is incorrect. There are three different CD masterings:

1. 1990 Mango
2. 2001 Universal/Island
3. 2003 Hip-O Deluxe Edition with second disk.

The 2001 Universal/Island is easily available around here. Does it sound good?

 

Just heard this album for the first time (been meaning to pick this up for years, found what I figure is the original Mango for $3)....what a great album. I'm already prepared to vault it to the top pf my favorite reggae albums, or at least alongside Funky Kingston. Such a cool album!

 

4. 1987 (?) Mango 258 101

90.1 / 80.8 / 95.1 / 83.3 / 88.9 / 83.2 / 83.6 / 61.0 / 87.5 / 98.6 / 73.3 / 99.4

 

Curbach is spot on. The mastering with the non-phasy Shanty Town has these levels he posted earlier:

85.4 / 76.5 / 99.9 / 88.2 / 97.9 / 92.9 / 88.1 / 67.9 / 97.7 / 87.3 / 82.7 / 100.0

In addition to the disc Curbach mentioned, this mastering can be found on the US Mango CCD 9202 (DIDY 004360) CD. This CRC disc says DIDY 004360 in the matrix and looks to be in the identical font CBS used in the 80s for their matrices.

The (earlier European?) Island mastering I posted -

90.1 / 80.8 / 95.1 / 83.3 / 88.9 / 83.2 / 83.6 / 61.0 / 87.5 / 98.6 / 73.3 / 99.4

- has the phasy Shanty Town and isn't the one you want.

 

I have the 2001 remaster.Also had the Japanese SHM cd version.This is the one album I preferred the standard remaster over the SHM.But I usually preferred remasters in general.The Japanese SHM could have the original mastering with the SHM material.Something to consider.

 

True. There may be other variables - that is later CDs - which are also phase-corrected on Shanty Town, for lack of a better term. All I considered were the earlier masterings to find the preferred version.