Present Arms In Dub - UB40

Advantages: Excellent tracks, faultless playing
Disadvantages: None

...After the excellence of their debut album Signing Off UB40 faced the test of the tricky second album with the confidence to do it all again. Recorded in early 1981 the album featured only UB40 compositions and only utilising the production skills of Ray Falconer whose brother Earl played bass in the band. The overall quality of the songs improved over Signing Off but Present Arms saw UB40 move away from the simplicity of pure ska or bluebeat reggae to something which was altogether slicker. As a reggae purist I prefer my reggae warts and all in the style of the Jamaican bands which recorded their brilliance in one-take 3-minute masterpieces. They would find it difficult to recognise true roots reggae in this album. That this is an excellent reggae album cannot be denied. UB40 exude a true love affair with the music style. The problem... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great songs, strong message
Disadvantages: Less focused

...If you're a regular reader of my reviews you might have guessed that I've been going through my old record collection lately! After a previous review of UB40's debut album 'Signing Off' I thought I'd take a look at their second offering 'Present Arms'. After the huge critical and chart success of 'Signing Off' multiracial Brummie Reggae outfit UB40 had a difficult task in producing a worthy second album. Coming from a an area of the country that had been decimated by unemployment and racial unrest caused or at least made worse by Tory government policy UB40 taking their name from the then unemployment form clearly nailed their political colours to the mast. Signing Off was a fierce attack on Thatcher and her policies and 'Present Arms' broadly speaking carries on where the debut album left off. The main themes are once again... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: The very best of Dire Straits Music.
Disadvantages: None!

...) Why Worry - 8:31. (6) Ride Across The River - 6:58. (7) The Man?s Too Strong - 4:40. (8) One World - 3:40. (9) Brothers In Arms - 6:55. THE ALL IMPORTANT TRACKS ON THIS ALBUM Below is a little bit of information about each one of the nine tracks that?s included on the Brothers In Arms Album, when the songs where released, who they where written by of course, what they really sound like and what each track means to me personally. They really are all great tracks with great background music and lyrics to them all. Well enjoy the information on them all or skip this part by. It?s totally up to you. Well enjoy the read if you continue. So Far Away. This first track on this Brothers In Arms Album is really excellent. It was written by Mark Knopfler (the lead singer and guitarist of Dire Straits) This... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful