A five song EP, Sacred Fire is produced by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and backed by the Engine Room, Sacred Fire is a way too short for how good it is. The EP features songs originally by the Clash, Rancid, and Bob Dylan, as well as an original by Jimmy Cliff.
The Engine Room band consists of Tim Armstrong on guitar with J Bonner and Scott Abels from the Aggrolites on Bass and Drums, respectively. Kevin Bivona, who adds additional guitar and piano, worked with Armstrong in the Transplants. Dan Boer, organist in The Upbeat, rounds out the band with additional instrumentation from Jimmy Cliff himself.
The album kicks off with a cover of The Clash’s Guns of Brixton. Cliff and company make the song their own right from the start. This song should have been a Jimmy Cliff standard from the start.
Next up is cover from Tim Armstrong’s ska influenced Rancid. Ruby Soho is a great song originally, and Jimmy Cliff’s version does the original justice. Like Guns of Brixton, the Engine Room add a fresh instrumentation that really make the song feel like it could be a Jimmy Cliff original.
Ship is Sailing is the only song on the EP penned by Jimmy Cliff, not counting the vinyl only bonus track, World Upside Down, on which he shares writing credit with Joe Higgs. Ship is Sailing follows the feeling of the rest of the album, and is an instant classic.
Next up is a Bob Dylan cover, A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall. Jimmy Cliff takes this 1960‘s folk classic and again makes it his own. Tim Armstrong and the Engine Room keep this song going strong with a great rocksteady backbeat.
Last up is Brixton Version, a dub version of the first track. This doesn’t keep with the flow of the EP as well, but is good in it’s own right. Taken as a bonus track after the main program, this is track is a great addition to the set.
Many of the tracks on this ep are included on Jimmy Cliff's followup full length, Rebirth
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