[The soundtrack from The Harder They Come] provides an introductory overview of the reggae world that is pretty much unequaled to date, at least in America, and thus highly recommended for any who wish to initially plumb the mysteries of this latter-day inheritor of the ska and rock steady tradition….

[It] is essentially a greatest hits collection—leaning heavily on the work of the film's star, Jimmy Cliff—and one which appears to have been chosen as much for variety as for scenic relevance. It runs the gamut from the sleek and soul-influenced (most of Cliff's contribution falls in this vein) to voices deep within the reggae peer group….

Fittingly, it's Cliff who sets the overtone for The Harder They Come, both in the movie's two themes and a matched set of jewel-like pieces that do much to describe the life-force that reggae attempts to deal with. In...