UB40 Present The Fathers Of Reggae - UB40

Advantages: must for your collection
Disadvantages: listening to "Red Red Wine"

...I have followed UB40 since i first heard the single "Food for Thought" and i been a fan ever since. The best of UB40 is a brilliant Album and i think their best one. It has some great tracks on it especially all the early stuff, which in my opinion is when they were at there best.. It has singles on it like "King",....."1 in 10"....."Food for Thought",... ..."Rat in my kitchen"......"..."Dont Break my Heart" and "Red Red Wine" which is the only UB40 record i really dont like, i think they sold out a bit when they made that record. But saying that the lads from Brum are a top class act and if you are fan you got to have this Album in your collection. UB40 has a percussion section which is rare nowdays and the Cambell brothers have a very distictive vocals.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great songs, great music, serious message
Disadvantages: Some of the songs have lost their context

...of the country where there was a large black population and thus London and Birmingham were natural breeding ground for this music. London gave us the short-lived Black Slate and the longer lasting Misty In Roots and Aswad. Birmingham gave us notable acts such Steel Pulse and UB40. UB40 were distinct from most of the rest in that they were a multiracial outfit consisting of 8 band members led by the two Campbell brothers Ali and Robin. Their sound was also a distinctive blend of the heavy reggae drum and baseline with Ska influenced brass section and melodic ballads. They are probably the best example of what some in the music press labelled misleadingly as 'White Reggae'. 'Signing Off' released in September 1980 is their debut album. It came about on the back of supporting 'The Pretenders' on tour and live exposure on the John Peel Radio One... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: British reggae at its best
Disadvantages: A bit too serious for their own good

...Most of the 2 Tone era bands were hyper energetic dance bands, deeply ingrained with a love of Ska and Bluebeat and stomping the night away. Dexys Midnight Runners at one end of the spectrum, fronted by the EGO of Kevin Rowland were avowedly a soul band, with passionate romance in their hearts (Searching for the young soul rebels, indeed) before they became gypsies with Come On Eileen. Over on the other wing, there was the dub and loping, smooth reggae sounds and political comment of Birmingham?s UB40. Even the name was a STATEMENT writ large of a band who cared, in a deeply passionate way for their fellow men. They cared less for the intense fashion sense and front of many of their friends and colleagues and were pretty faceless and anonymous, but they managed to carve out a lengthy career in the charts, even though a lot... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful