Black Magic

1	I Want I Do I Get / Spice 4:32
2	Dance / Wyclef Jean 3:51
3	Jamaica Time 3:29
4	People / Tony Rebel 5:16
5	Fantastic Plastic People 3:57
6	Love Comes / Annie Lennox 3:58
7	Black Magic 5:09
8	The World Is Yours (Positive Mind) 5:21
9	Terror (September 11th) 5:22
10	Over the Border / Joe Strummer 4:03
11	War in Jerusalem 3:43
12	Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh, la, la, La) / Kool & the Gang 4:42
13	The City 4:29
14	Take Your Time / Yannick Noah 3:15
15	No Problems Only Solutions 4:25
16	Good Life 4:08

Barnes & Noble

Toots Hibbert has nothing on Jimmy Cliff. The legendary Maytals frontman celebrated his career anniversary in 2004 with a hit album of duets, and now the star of The Harder They Come returns with his own busload of guest stars. Produced by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame, Black Magic finds Cliff's supple vocals worn in just a little by age. But his outlook remains forever youthful as he tackles up to the minute rap and dancehall rhythms in addition to some classic one-drop reggae. Joining Cliff is an inspired roster of guests who are imaginatively paired by Stewart -- Kool & the Gang and ragga DJ Bounty Killer? -- that should pique the interest of fans and newcomers alike. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

This is an intriguing record. Although his greatest music is nearly 40 years in the past, Jamaica's Jimmy Cliff still has tons of charisma, and he still has that clear, high, and slightly world-weary voice, not to mention complete control of it, even at the top of his range. Ostensibly a record of duets with the likes of Sting, Annie Lennox, Joe Strummer, Wyclef Jean, and others, Black Magic remains very much Cliff's album, and while producer Dave Stewart factors in a whole range of contemporary R&B and hip-hop touches, its Caribbean lilt dominates, although it isn't particularly Jamaican in feel. Forget the guest stars. None of them, with the possible exception of Tessane Chin (on the delightful and radio-friendly "The World Is Yours") and Bounty Killer (whose hoarse, lion-throated rumble would dominate any stage in the world), particularly sticks out, which is good, because Cliff outsings them all. It's a pity, though, that there aren't more good songs on Black Magic. "The World Is Yours" is solid, even featuring what passes for a Jimmy Cliff rap, and "The City," which eulogizes cites like Kingston, New York, Hong Kong, and Paris, has a moody grandeur, but tracks like "People" sound like overblown TV commercials, and one song here, "Jamaica Time," actually is a commercial for Air Jamaica. The best track is the relatively straightforward "No Problems Only Solutions," a song that sounds like it could have been a Leslie Kong production circa 1970. Charming, direct, melodic, and positive, "No Problems" features no fancy guests, and proves that Cliff really doesn't need them when he's at his best. Joe Strummer, who died in 2002, makes one of his last appearances on "Over the Border," but the tune is a middling affair that unfortunately never truly catches fire. Stewart produced all but one of the tracks on Black Magic, and while the sound here is steady and cohesive, one can't help but wish that it had a little bit more Kingston in it. More Kingston might have made this a great record rather than simply an intriguing one. Steve Leggett