Hanging Fire
| Hanging Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | House of Music, West Orange, New Jersey | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Label | Columbia[1] | |||
| Producer | Khalis Bayyan, Jimmy Cliff | |||
| Jimmy Cliff chronology | ||||
| ||||
Hanging Fire is an album by the Jamaican reggae musician Jimmy Cliff, released in 1988.[2][3] It was a commercial disappointment.[4]
The album was nominated for a
Production
The album was produced mostly at
Cliff recorded with the Oneness Band, in Jamaica, and with two popular Congolese bands in Congo.[10][8] Cliff was inspired to record in Congo after opening for Steve Winwood there, on a 1986 tour.[11] The song "Reggae Down Babylon" condemns apartheid.[12]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [15] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [16] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [17] |
The Boston Globe called Hanging Fire Cliff's "best effort of the '80s," writing that "his voice has returned to its crystalline purity."[19] The Los Angeles Times deemed the album "bland and characterless."[15] The Toronto Star noted that the album "shows the singer taking two steps back to the traditions of Africa—and one side-step into the soppiest of pop."[20]
AllMusic wrote that the album "shows him effectively mixing his own quick-step version of the music with general pop trends."[13] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide considered that "mediocrity from Cliff may not be so unsettling had he not once reached greatness."[16]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jimmy Cliff
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Me Love Me" | 4:24 |
| 2. | "Hanging Fire" | 5:23 |
| 3. | "Girls and Cars" | 5:02 |
| 4. | "She Was So Right for Me" | 4:43 |
| 5. | "It's Time" | 5:21 |
| 6. | "Reggae Down Babylon" | 4:23 |
| 7. | "Hold Tight (Eye for an Eye)" | 4:22 |
| 8. | "Soar Like an Eagle" | 5:30 |
Personnel
- Jimmy Cliff - lead and backing vocals
- Alex Williams, Mark Attalla - guitar
- Khalis Bayyan, Manuel Herrera - keyboards
- Randy Weber - synthesizer
- Kendal Stubbs - drum programming
References
- ^ Popoff, Martin (September 8, 2009). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. Penguin.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Saunders, Michael (3 June 1988). "World Beat Weekend a Musical Mix of Many Cultures". Features Showtime. Sun-Sentinel. p. 16.
- ^ Manuel, Susan (September 23, 1988). "Strumming a new Gibson on a patio 32 floors above Honolulu, reggae king Jimmy Cliff was making a song about what was on his mind". USA Today.
- ^ "Jimmy Cliff". Grammy Awards. November 23, 2020.
- ^ Burliuk, Greg (16 Apr 1988). "Hanging Fire Jimmy Cliff". Magazine. Whig-Standard. p. 1.
- ^ Brodeur, Scott (20 June 1988). "Jimmy Cliff Blend Reggae, Fight for Rights". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E4.
- ^ a b Thompson, Dave (January 5, 2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Hal Leonard Corporation.
- ^ DeVault, Russ (May 28, 1988). "Jimmy Cliff on the edge – Reggae messenger fired up about world issues". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L23.
- ^ a b c "Afunkular Cliff Clear and Kool". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Reggae Superstar". Deseret News. August 5, 1988. p. W6.
- ^ Heim, Chris (1 Aug 1988). "Message Rings Clear in Cliff's Eclectic Music". Chicagoland. Chicago Tribune. p. 5.
- ^ a b "Hanging Fire". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 419.
- ^ a b Snowden, Don (19 June 1988). "Cliff + Kool = Bland". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 66.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 244.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 141.
- ^ Hall, Ken (10 Apr 1988). "Inviting reggae with a pop beat". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2F.
- ^ Morse, Steve (17 June 1988). "Cliff's New Album Is a Winner". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 40.
- ^ Stoute, Lenny (1 July 1988). "Shepherd leads reggae flock". Toronto Star. p. D12.