Jimmy Cliff has had a long, storied career working with Leslie Kong and Joe Higgs, among others, and he has released dozens of albums on several different labels. He is best known as the star of the movie The Harder They Come, a gritty saga about a struggling reggae singer. The soundtrack helped introduce reggae music to America, and Cliff's songs were among its best. As good as the soundtrack is, it hasn't made - until recently - a very satisfying CD purchase. The original LP was short, doubly so because two of the songs are repeated under the guise of being "reprises" And, though The Harder They Come was brilliantly remastered in 2001, no bonus tracks were appended. The 2003 Deluxe Edition, however, adds an entire second disc chock full of reggae classics from the period, including several more hits from Jimmy Cliff.

Hip-O Records Ultimate Collection (1999) finally gave more casual Cliff fans something to embrace, containing early classics like "Wonderful World Beautiful People" and "Vietnam;" four great songs from The Harder They Come; and highlights from Cliff's many other albums. At nearly 70 minutes, it's a well selected, generous overview. Even better, though, is Hip-O's Anthology (2003), its two CD's encompassing over 40 songs and three decades - spectacular!