Signing Off

Boring. Extra star awarded for hating Tories

You can't beat a bit of Brummie Reggae. A throw back to early 1980s black inequality, three million unemployed and on the dole in Thatcher's inner city Britain. A classic album, and a great document of that era. Used millions of times, usually accompanied with grainy news footage of inner city squaller, queues at the job centre, inner city riots, burnt out cars and striking industrial union members.

I loved the sax added to the reggae vibe. I thought that was cool and unique. Otherwise it was awfully redundant. I could have Listened to the first 30 seconds of each song and still gotten the same experience musically

I think, as Americans, we often think of reggae from anywhere but Jamaica as poser music. But that's an ameri-centric view that's almost offensively dismissive of the Jamaican diaspora's impact on British culture. Reggae and ska (the original stuff, not the Cali-ska, third wave trash from my youth) took root in the UK in a way that they didn't in the US. The diaspora and the music it brought changed the game and created brand-new, uniquely British genres like Jungle, House, Dub and, eventually, Grime. You can feel its impact in UK punk bands even. The Clash's "London Calling" album wouldn't exist without British reggae. Anyway, all that to say, I don't have a problem with a bunch of lads from Birmingham making reggae. Especially when it's this good. Does it have the raw edge of Marley's reggae? No. But, then again, comparing every reggae album to Marley seems a bit unfair. The songs are excellently composed, well-performed, and the recordings are damn near immaculate. The lyrics are thoughtful and thought-provoking. I wish there was about 60% less saxophone but I'll let it slide this time because it's just part of the genre. Overall, a pretty great album.

I don't like Reggae, especially this. The songs are all the same, his voice is lazy and his fake accent is off-putting, the saxophone solos are kinda poor a d high school level. I couldn't wait for this to be over.

i can only imagine that in the 80s the united kingdoms was resplendent with reggae norm macdonalds putting unique and terrible white boy flows on reggae

How can a band making this political, interesting, honest album filled with Dub and other fantastic rhythms make such rubbish afterwards? Madame Medusa, Food for Thought, Burden of Shame, King, Tyler, album is full of true classics. This one deserves the full 5 stars!

Did not realize UB40 sang political messaging, so a bit more respect to them. I'm not a huuuge fan of Reggae but as this goes it's pretty good. Reggae is kind of nice background music for me. It all is groovy and easy listening.

This album is a testament to UB40's ability to infuse reggae with a distinctive British twist. From the first track, "Tyler," with its politically charged lyrics, to the soulful "I Think It's Going to Rain Today," "Signing Off" offers a diverse musical journey. The band's use of horns and dub-style production sets them apart in the genre, creating a unique sound that's both infectious and thought-provoking. One of the standout tracks is "King," which showcases the band's socially conscious lyrics, addressing themes of poverty and inequality. The song's skanking rhythm and haunting melody make it an anthem of resistance. Another gem is "Food for Thought," with its upbeat tempo and powerful lyrics that reflect on the struggles of urban life. UB40's cover of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" is a poignant, stripped-down moment on the album. It showcases the band's ability to breathe new life into familiar songs, making them their own with their reggae-infused interpretations. What makes "Signing Off" enduring is its lyrical relevance and universal themes. The album speaks to issues that remain pertinent today, such as social injustice and the human condition. The band's commitment to addressing these themes through their music has solidified their place in music history. "Signing Off" is a landmark album that ushered in a new era for British reggae. UB40's fusion of reggae with socially conscious lyrics and their unique sound continues to inspire and resonate with audiences worldwide. It's an album that stands the test of time, making it a must-listen for anyone exploring the rich tapestry of reggae music.

This may stick with me; I believe their claim to have rehearsed this album for around a year: it’s the leanest dub album I’ve heard. I’m also surprised by how heavy a dub album it is: so far, I haven’t found anything close on this list. The undersea wooziness is in place, as is the bass’s hypnotic dancing around a point, melodies skidding above and out, and there’s an intricacy to how all the different parts work together. I’d heard but never listened to “Food For Thought” before: massive, right from “Ivory Madonna”, and it encapsulates the record’s overall feel: discontented and melancholic. The psychedelic lurches of the echoes and spaces here indicate dislocation rather than bliss. My usual obliviousness to lyrical content - especially when it’s political, like here - is bypassed by this inherent uneasiness. The keyboard stabs on “King” are unearthly. “Burden of Shame” leans towards the weirder corners of surf rock, obviously in some of the theremin-like wobbles, but also in how it races towards the end. During “Madam Medusa” I started paying for attention to the percussion, especially the tip-toeing cymbals, and forgot where I was for a while - party music for the deep night. Also, the cover is brilliant. A friend had warned me UB40 would surprise me. I waited for a misstep, but it’s a tight hour.

While not known for much more than Red Red Wine by novice reggae listeners, the music of UB40 is highly significant to most serious reggae listeners. When they emerged in Birmingham in the late 1970's with this album leading wave after wave, suddenly a new alternative to Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and other early pioneers hit the scene. And while reggae is often accused of "all sounds the same", it isn't. The sound of UB40's Signing Off, the lyrics, and the overall originality of its ideas have led it to be a major stand out above many lackluster reggae albums out there in the universe. For example, the keyboard sounds that lead 'King' are unique to this song and as far as I know aren't on any other band's reggae albums to date. The waves of baritone and the tight rhythms are in constant play across the album and work very nicely together. We had this album at least by the early 1980's and it got a lot of play in the house. A lot of it is instrumental and the spare words mean that the focus here is on instrumentation and rhythm, the two things that UB40 did very well. The timing too is excellent. 'Tyler' at 1:39 is a very good example of the genius of their timing. For the record, Red Red Wine is their absolute worst song. That song is kind of UB40's Touch of Grey if that resonates.

UB40, political motivated lyrics influenced by their folk singing families. Formed whilst signing on, Ali Campbell was glassed in the face and his eye popped out, with the compensation he bought a drum kit for the band. They drank the rest of the cash in the local pub. Now split due to disagreements about money Ali and Astro tour signing the hits whilst Robin Campbell his brother is suing Ali, what a shambles. Great songs that tell a story of the social struggles of the 80s in reggae.

Unbelievable… had know idea these cats pumped out such great dub. I’ll be revisiting this album 100%

I was prepared to write this off as more generic UK trash, thinking this was going to have Red Red Wine on it and then a whole load of other useless shit. But damn. I was wrong, and my expectations were shattered! This is an amazing reggae album. I'm blown away by the musicianship, the socio-political lyricism, and the cool unique flavour of it all. Well done, lads! Proved me wrong straightaway. And I'm a better person for it, so thanks.

I tend to like the more dubby instrumental tracks/passages here. Always a fan of deep prominent basslines. It's okay but wouldn't be my first choice for reggae, etc.

Such a great album.

Surprisingly fantastic. Jammy in a satisfying way. It’s one of those albums where it’s hard to describe what exactly makes it great. It’s both nothing and everything. It held my attention for an hour and 6 minutes, I can’t give a much more ringing endorsement than that.

So grovy and chill.

Caught off off guard with how they present the message in many of the songs. Hearing Strange Fruit in a reggae vibe is astoundingly listenable.

I think I'll keep coming back to this one. Incredibly soulful vocals (the lead and toasting) and dynamic interplay within a large ensemble of musicians. How they riff on a tune sometimes becomes a different song in itself. Also, sonically a masterwork in engineering. Bonus for the Randy Newman cover

Good songs, dancing music

Mostly great

Perfect!

Amazing!!

In 1979 I drank in the Castle & Falcon, Balsall Heath, Birmingham. I remember one night a guy burst in saying "look, my cousins have made it big!" and showing everyone who would listen a newspaper clipping. UB40 had a chart hit. This album is hugely evocative of that time. I bought it, and bought another copy for my girlfriend. I later worked in an unemployment benefit office and became very familiar with the UB40 which makes up the fantastic cover sleeve. This was easily the best UB40 album and though I love the band and they did lots of good stuff over the years, this was by far their artistic highpoint. It's brilliant.

A great reggae workout.

I came in expecting comfortable pop tunes like Red Red Wine, instead I was treated with fantastic dub music. What a pleasant surprise!

I really like UB40, especially their earlier stuff like this. Tbh I love most of the politically conscientious stuff that was coming out of the Midlands around this time. Great album.

This was a great reggae sounding album. It feels like Sublime used these guys as inspiration.

Great album. Great music,timeless sound and great message, wish there were a little more vocals towards the end.

Ok, so I only know UB40 from red red wine, and I didn't have high expectations for this album. I was very pleasantly surprised. Any anti-tories are cool with me, and the sound is significantly better than i expected. Some really fun tracks

Enjoyed the music!!

Didn’t realize what a solid reggae band they were

I got into music in the mid 80s, so I'm familiar with their pop reggae side. This sounds quite different. It has the desperation and sincerity that their later music lacks. Favorite song: Tyler.

Incredibly solid reggae/electronic fusion that is right up my alley. Great for easy listening. No extraordinary highs and certainly no low points. I could day drink at Seacrets with this album on repeat and have no issues.

Smooth and groovy, really good stuff, 4 stars.

I only know Red Red Wine I think by these guys which isn't on here. Ready for some reggae. This is great background music and what I want in my reggae. Burden of Shame is a standout to me with that melodica. Also had to make sure it wasn't a whole new song with the key change. The end sounds like something I've heard before but can't put my finger on it. Edit: just saw on wiki it sounds like Moondance by Van Morrison. This is really some good spacey reggae music with a great collection of instruments. Solid 4 from me.

1. 3.5 2. 4.2 3. 4.1 4. 3.7 5. 3.8 6. 4 7. 3.8 8. 4.2 9. 4.4 10. 4

Never going to complain about a nice reggae album. This was so nice to listen to and it blows my mind that this came out in 1980 with how good the production is. I loved the soothing singer and also the fact that they had full instrumental songs to melt in to. Every instrument was so balanced with eachother, especially love the saxaphone. Reefer Madness is such a groovy track to end on. Very solid 4, was sniffing 5 territory at points.

I liked this album. Nice reggae beat with a lot of instrumental. Great for working while listening because it was a calming feel. I give it a soft 4 because I would have no problem listening to this whole album again even tomorrow.

4/5. This was a very interesting album. I think I enjoyed most of it but reggae can become tiresome after a little bit. Thankfully, this album mixed it up with some heavier guitars and electronic sounds that made it sound more like a space jam than a reggae sesh. Although some of the songs overstayed their welcome, the epic Madam Medusa felt correct. It changed up enough to take on some progressive rock sounds. I think this album will take some growing but to stay optimistic, I'm putting it at 4 because it was "cool" reggae, which is hard to do. Best Song: Tyler, Madam Medusa, Food For Thought

Such a strong debut! I never dove into UB40's output, and I loved this one. Very good performances throughout, thought-provoking lyrics, and great production! I feel this could turn for a great summer album this year! Standout tracks: Tyler, King, Burden Of Shame, Food For Thought, Madam Medusa, Strange Fruit 8,5 out of 10

Great stuff. You can really hear the care they put into their music.

I can safely say I did not expect to ever listen to a UB40 album. I know them only for the song "Red Red Wine" that used to come on the radio when I was a kid, and the song "David Bowie" by Phish. Album art goes hard with an Unemployment Benefit card -- reminds me a bit of ODB's Return to the 36 Chambers. Dub out of the gate with Tyler. Had to roll it back when the song did the first stutter step -- thought I had dropped bluetooth connection, but it is just really well executed. 12 Bar is a spacey instrumental jam. Burden of Shame is a stand out I feel like I've heard it before; perhaps as a cover? Somber song about the inherited guilt that we all have as citizens aware of our nation's sins and yet doing nothing about it. Love the spaced out, unforced atmosphere and layering in the mix. Interesting, unexpected tempo change in the back quarter when this drops into a driving dub stomp complete with bright synth, echo/reverb laden effects, and a burbling bass line. Food For Thought jumps off the page as another single of note. Has an undeniable bounce and melody that is catchy as hell. Love the use of call and response between the vocals and guitar, as well as the supporting horns. This is the kind of song I can't help but tap along to. Also features some really cool effects and percussion work toward the back quarter. I will say, this album really surprised me. I went in with Red Red Wine on my mind and was surprised to find UB40 much more somber and reflective, with some really solid technical follow through. I'm not generally huge on reggae as I tend to find many entries in the genre run together with the same sounds and tricks pulled into a mediocre slurry; however, this album is an exception. Sure there are plenty of reggae/dub tropes on display, but they are well executed and extended upon. Beautiful production makes for a smokey, spacey atmosphere that spotlights individual instrument contributions. The album runs a little long for my liking, but I enjoyed just about every aspect of this one. Very solid 4 / 5 for me.

This was some very solid and enjoyable reggae.

Nice vibes, cool ethos but very protracted. Did they ever write a good hook of their own?

Local and vocal. Nice to revisit and remember how much of an impact this had when it came out.

Eh, it's ok. White guys singing reggae always makes me laugh. +1 stars for being from Birmingham

Not really my cup of tea (actually tea is not really my cup of tea, I prefer coffee) but I can appreciate the talent, skill and originality that has gone into this and so it gets 4 stars even though I will probably never listen to it again.

Nice reggae groves. Good listening while working. A little bit monotonous, but otherwise good 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

Didn’t know this at all apart from Food for Thought. Loved it

UB40 deserve to have greater recognition for this type of work than their later more MOR hits. Having said that I appreciate this album and its importance, but I don't actually like it very much.

It's good, but it's not great. I can't put this in the same category of most 4 star albums. 3 stars

Regae British from 1980 from the Red Red Wine People? Good for what it is I guess. OOOOOOH Baby I Love Your Way.

In a nutshell: mellow protest album influenced by reggae and ska. Sounds more ambient dub than mainstream reggae. Always appreciate a DIY/made on a shoestring album. It’s unfortunate that the variety in the backing beat is missing. Overall: 5/10

Já, þetta var skárra en ég óttaðist. Eins og margoft hefur komið fram er reggae ekki að gera neitt fyrir mig, en þetta er meinlaus og áheyrileg tónlist og ágætlega flutt. Söngurinn sleppur fyrir horn. Tæpur þristur.

like many, my only experience with UB40 is Red Red Wine, so getting to hear more of their library was nice. not my favoritrle, but not bad either. I'm hardly a Reggae expert so I couldnt say if its great or not, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

I had never heard this, their first album, before. I enjoyed it!

Not the worst reggae I've ever heard.

What, no “Red, Res Wine”? But actually, and as I’ve said a lot during this project, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I have never enjoyed reggae. I’ve always thought it was boring and that all the songs sounded the same and that it was only for stoners. While this album didn’t completely sell me on the genre as a whole, it did show me that there is, of course, more to it than my past prejudices would have led me to believe. UB40 does a fine job, especially in their debut effort. It runs a tad long at times but I’m guessing that’s not uncommon for reggae. I don’t think I’ll be seeking them or more reggae out on my own, but I’ll be less prejudiced when another reggae album pops up again. 3 stars. Standout tracks: Burden of Shame, I Think It’s Going to Rain Today, Food for Thought, Reefer Madness

I love UB40 but this was some forgettable reggae.

not for me

Pretty good. Nothing super exciting though

Mellow vibes

its alright, nothing mindblowing. 2.8.

Only got the time to listen to it once. All the songs are better than Red Red Wine, and the album’s got some swagger and cool vibes. However, those vibes are almost similar throughout the entire album. Guess a couple more listens could make me separate the different tracks, so all in all 3 stars

I will never become a big reggae fan but this was ok.

Always liked their sound

Decent reggae album when the leave out the synthesizer.

Fun album, very chill. Great bass and great drumming. The biggest problem is that a lot of the songs sound the same and get very repetitive by the end. Madam Medusa really didn't need to be 13 minutes. I enjoyed this album while listening to it, but would only listen to it again if I needed calm background music. I would give this a "high" 3.

This is the debut album from a British reggae band in 1980. Interestingly, these guys are most famous for their (way more popular) cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" in 1983. I'm familiar with that cover, and it's hard to believe it's the same group. This is very much a reggae album. It's not my favorite genre, and honestly it's a bit musically boring to me. They have a little bit of an electronic thing going on which is somewhat unique, but at best it's decent chill reggae vibes, and at worst a little meh. Reggae just gets pretty old to me after awhile, by song 10 I'm just kind of over it, even though it's not bad or anything. What I will give them is their lyrics, there's some pretty powerful songs on here (though it's a bit frontloaded, and there's a few instrumentals too). "Tyler" is about a 17-year old Black American who was convicted of murder with limited evidence, "King" is about MLK Jr., and "Burden of Shame" is about the shame they feel for the atrocities that the British have committed. It's both powerful and topically varied, which is not always the case for lyrics like this. Really nicely done on their part. This seems to have been fairly popular in the UK, which is interesting given it's basically a left-wing reggae album. For me this is one of those albums that's somewhat impressive, I can see the appeal, but it doesn't really do anything major for me. Perfectly solid, but not more (and a bit on the long side at 66 minutes, I knew before it even started that we didn't need a 13 minute song on here). Also their album name and cover is pretty funny. I didn't get why they named the album "Signing Off" when it's their debut, but the cover is an unemployment form and they're "signing off" from their life of unemployment. Favorite song: Tyler Other: King, Burden of Shame, I Think It's Going To Rain Today, Food For Thought 4/30/24

This has a lot more of a Reggaeton vibe than I ever expected from UB40, just based on my only knowledge of them being 'Red Red Wine' prior to listening to this. Anyway, it's fine and nothing too exciting for me.

Really liked it until I found out they were white

Never been a big reggae fan, so the rating is tainted by that, but it was still pretty good.

A good listen.

Kind of surprised by this album since I only know of UB40’s annoying popular hits. I had very low expectations, which were exceeded. Still, in a world where I can satisfy my reggae needs with seemingly endless Bob Marley music, I don’t really have a need for this album in my life. It was interesting to hear though.

TIL that UB40 released music prior to Red Red Wine. That's a good cover, but it's too bad that it's what they're best known for in the US. The politically oriented songs from this album are much stronger. The wikipedia version of how they recorded this is pretty interesting. Goes to show you don't need a bunch of high-end equipment and facilities to produce a solid album. 3.4

When I think of UB40, the cover songs come to mind. I hated “Red Red Wine”. So I wasn’t so sure about this, but it’s solid. Mostly laid back reggae, but there’s some good social commentary – and with the Thatcher era starting (nod to the cover art) it has a right-for-the-time feel. Some tasty bass licks too. 3.8

Uh..Ackshually, IB42.

It's fine. I enjoyed some tracks but during others my mind wandered.

Super chill, nice listen. Didn’t get a chance to listen to actively but had it on while running errands, need to revisit this. Great background music though

Aay mon. I’m familiar with reefer madness in the early 80s - but wasn’t aware of UB40 til the collaboration on I Got Lou Babe (which put them on the radio and the map.) Incidentally, best song on the album is Reefer Madness. A lot of the songs are political in nature and similar in sound. I get why the album made the list and liked it well enough. How can you go wrong with reggae? (2.6*s)

Not bad.

2.5 stars. Too long, kinda samey in places. Burden Of Shame is cool. Definitely groovy in a lot of places.

2.4

Bien

Pretty chill, their sound is kind of dated and doesn’t stand the test of time unfortunately. Red Red Wine came out way before (1983) and could argue that was their peak. Production is kinda mediocre and every song on this album is hardly distinguishable from the next. How tf is this top 1000?? This list is whack

Seems like it is good, although I'm not that big on reggae. Will I listen to again: 10%

- understand the political value of this - not one i think i'd listen to much. would be good for background, maybe for painting. not saving it though. - i'm probably just not in the right mood to listen to it but 2.5/5 - they're the red, red wine people

There are some nice grooves in places but the songs meander so much. Multiple instrumental tracks are almost unidentifiable from each other, crying out for something to hold the track together - but then the vocals across the album are generally weak and uninteresting so they don’t exactly help

I found this album had very similar sounds across the songs. Couldn't get into it this afternoon.

dosadnjikavo 2/5

It’s ok. I mean, it’s all very samey reggae. I liked the overall groove but it doesn’t really change formula throughout and had me waiting for it to end.

Noh tämä on reggatea mutta Britannia kuuluu (kannessa näkyykin). Yllättävästi jaksoin jopa kuunnella, vaikka yleensä reggae tökkii parin biisin jälkeen (junnaus huonolla tavalla). Oma ääni on.

Ali Campbell's voice is real nails on a blackboard stuff for me. That aside, I struggle to believe that Lee Scratch Perry didn't record 1001 reggae albums more deserving of a slot on this.

Inoffensive

I understand that UB40 is a very left leaning, interracial, mega reggae band from a time when most of those words in that order could make an old woman faint with shock whilst her husband shakes his head disapprovingly, but this music feels anything but rebellious; I'd even say it even comes off a bit ignorant, but I know very little of the socio-economic status in the United Kingdom forty years ago, so perhaps I'm the ignorant one. It just all feels like capitalizing on others' sounds and songs to make bloopy, outdated pop tracks that you could see making their way to and through the radio waves, and spinning it to feel like you're fighting against something big and overpowering like the UK government, but in reality those within the UK government were the ones spinning the record! I think it all lines up pretty well with tha album having a cover of Strange Fruit to (basically) close out the record. Does it fit the M.O. of the band and their beliefs? Yes, undoubtedly, but a song so powerful and heartbreaking feels nothing but disrespected to be surrounded by tracks for forty-year-old hipsters to get high to, while the cover itself is already rough with its synth-heavy wubs and beachy tones. Does it all match reggae and the genre's goal? Sure, but it just feels too quaint for the subject matter at hand, and the whole record matches that issue. Throw in way too many instrumental tracks that seemingly serve no purpose in an already bloated track listing (seventy minutes? And they have the audacity to make the D-side only nine minutes long? Seems like highway robbery) and you've got yourself a record that perhaps would've done something en masse in 1980, but now just comes off in poor taste at best, purposefully malicious at worst. As for the songs themselves? They're fine, incredibly dull and repetitive, with very little in the way of getting the listener re-engageed, save for throwing one of the singles in halfway through to wake everyone up, but they certainly aren't bad songs, save for one or two. Its just a shame that something that easily could've been a random record with nothing offensive or inoffensive and been forgotten near instantly is instead probably going to stick with me due to its over zealous nature, and that will only lead to more disdain as time passes.

Not crazy about it but it's not that bad.

Who on Earth hears Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” and thinks dammmmn this needs a reggae treatment?

Competent but dull reggae. Lacking any spark to draw the listener in, which is a shame as I think it probably has something to say about 1980s Britain. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Food For Thought Date listened: 20/04/24