Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Whyyyyyyyyyy is this an hour long?
It sounds nice but it's too similar from song to song They say variety is the spice of life and I say I want my music seasoned
Livet er for kort til å høre på middelmådig dub. Ikke-essensielt album fra et ikke-essensielt band. Du hører at de så gjerne vil bli bandet som lagde Red Red Wine, selv om de er stuck med å leke seg med en bedre sjanger. Best når de holder kjeft og lar delayen gjøre jobben.
Enjoyed the political elements and the covers of I Think its Going to Rain Today and Strange Fruit, (although it pales in comparison to Billie Holiday). Did tire a bit of the sax with heavy reverb after a while and the rest of the album was quite samey.
Genuinely could not tell the difference between songs.
Starts off well enough with "Tyler", but as it rolls along the whole thing mostly blurs together to the point I couldn't tell you much of significance about the songs I heard. They play their instruments well for what they're doing, and occasionally I'd hear something that made me think of a Gorillaz song which may mean UB40 was an influence on them. None of it connects with me on an emotional or visceral level though, unless you count it upsetting me by sapping the soul out of "Strange Fruit". Not sure how you listen to Billie Holliday and Nina Simone deliver that song and then do...this with it. Argh. Also there's no justifiable reason for this to be over an hour long.
I found this album cover quite unsettling while browsing in the '80s. Finally heard the music inside, and it's alright, a bit Specials-y and not as bland as their later pop hits. Uncomplicated dub/reggae, not really my thing but I admire the militant anti-Thatcher sentiment
Through this album project I’ve learned that I’m not a big reggae fan.
Signing Off is alright, don't think it's as good as the Peter Tosh record we had recently, but it has its moments. Has a decent sound underpinning everything but it goes off in some weird and random directions that are sometimes interesting but far more often just distracting and don't work in the song at all. Like the last third of Burden Of Shame is terrible, like a kid playing with sound effects on their Casio ffs, and while I like saxophone, it's overused throughout. Reefer Madness is a fun closer, wish they'd have done a bit more up-tempo stuff like this earlier on in the album. Give it a 2 and move on.
This was dull. Feels quite lazy, quite repetitive, and doesn't really say much. What you'd get if you asked ChatGPT to make a reggae album, with a bit of underwhelming electronica added. 2/5.
Not my favorite reggae
extremely boring reggae. i agree with the lyrics but they are written in such a simple way that even those annoy me. also who decided this needed to be over an hour? this shit is as long as blonde on blonde but unlike that album this has no interesting ideas. its inoffensive enough that i can give this a high 4/10 but i really dont think i needed to hear this before i died.
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
okuuu 6/10
Ya mun...you need to be in a specific setting for this album. Getting baked while baking in the sun. Like the use of horns but songs get repetitive. It's good background music for a nap on a tropical island beach. It irks me that 'signing off' isn't the last track.
Seems like it is good, although I'm not that big on reggae. Will I listen to again: 10%
2.5 stars. Too long, kinda samey in places. Burden Of Shame is cool. Definitely groovy in a lot of places.
- 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
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.
Ovat tyytyväisiä siihen, että saavat jammailla omalla tyylillään - ei stressiä biisinteosta, kunhan basisti keksii hersyvän kuvion.
54/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
I was hopeful for a minute or two that it was going to be better than I feared. The album drained all of that hope out of me.
Just not into Birmingham reggae sorry
This is Not My Thing ™
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.
Not bad.
2.4
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
Bien
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: 4/10
I found this album had very similar sounds across the songs. Couldn't get into it this afternoon.
Inoffensive
dosadnjikavo 2/5
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?
Meh 2/5
I’m usually open to bands that had and influence on the ska/dub scene, but asside from the beats , I found the album itself forgettable 2
Look, this is fairly inoffensive. Not my thing, but it's fine. But Strange Fruit broke me. That song without Nina Simone and with a reggae beat... woof.
2.7 - Having long considered this band a joke, I was curious to see how they started out. Were they always putting out watered down reggae covers of famous songs? The album starts off well enough. I wasn’t expecting so much chill jamming, but there it is. I even like some of the echo-y vocals and husky saxophone riffs. From there it treads along, doom-chugga-chugga’ing for a long hour. By the time the 7-minute “Madam Medusa” rolls around with its meandering and pointless instrumental breakdowns, I’m about ready to call it quits. But then I see “Strange Fruit” coming up on the track list. Surely these guys won’t attempt a watered down reggae cover of the spellbinding Billie Holiday song? And…well, fuck me…they do it again, offering up another turd of a cover. I can excuse an album for being pleasant if boring, but such a lame cover is egregious. Fuck these guys.
If it is not Bob Marley, the appeal to reggae is hard to feel. While the songs and styling are certainly reggae, this foray into pop puts a clear line of demarcation between pop reggae and reggae as a culture. The positive and well-earned critique is that UB40 does reggae really well as a song and musical style. The sounds and pop infused elements make for a different yet acceptable take. However, and perhaps this is the differentiator of what Bob Marley gave us vs. what other reggae artists have done is that there is a measure of heart and soul in the cultural significance of Bob Marley that we truthfully need to consider not holding other reggae artists accountable to. As objectively as possible, UB40's "Signing Off" is a good, well executed reggae pop album if the listener is into it for the sake of reggae... and pop. The sounds are clean and the groovy elements are all the signature expectations that one might have listening to reggae, but with more pop. For this review however, the premise is based on whether or not this album is a prerequisite to the afterlife, and that is difficult to really justify here.
I don't get reggae, never did. But at least with Marley, I get that he's the real deal and a pioneer. UB40 just sound fake and lame. This is what I imagine my personal hell sounds like. F
Later UB40 is very annoying. Early UB40 as seen here has a few decent songs but is mostly forgettable.
Holy shit this album makes me hate reggae more than I already do.
Ville bare at det skulle ta slutt. Det er så sjelløst at jeg egentlig lurer på om det var noen som spilte på plata
Pretty weak. Between a 1 & 2. It wasn't necessarily a unpleasant listen, but just a mostly unremarkable one. It's just reggae but not very inspired, at least to me. I'm going to give it a 1 which is probably a little harsh, I guess I see why it's on here but I don't think it should be.
To paraphrase 10cc, I don't like Reggae - because it is shit. Also, that reggaeification of Strange Fruit is a crime all by itself. Fucking he'll.
Genre: Rege Instruments: 3/5 Modern Translation: 1/5 Dance Potential: 1/5 Listening Location: Commute to work Heard it before: No Favourite Song: NA Made me feel: I liked the start of this album, then I realised every song is the same theme and sound. Every song is about race and wealth inequality and has heavy-hitting lyrics. Considering the beat, I would've liked to hear one song that wasn't doom and gloom. Silver lining: instruments include Saxaphone.
October 12, 2021 God I hate reggae
this is easily the worst album on this entire website. It's too long and there's nothing interesting about it, just bad reggae, but I don't even know if it's reggae, it's too hard to tell couldn't finish the back half
I’m at a loss for words. This simply is not good.
I like reggae, but this is bad reggae. I did not enjoy this album at all...
Nope. Can’t stand UB40. Won’t be listening to this.
I detest the band and the sound - garbage
— Altijd goed! King!! Tijdsdocument
Really cool to sit with some Dub. Had a great time!
Got very excited about this album. Old UB40 is amazing.
Love this one. It reminds me of my childhood, growing up with its socially relevant songs. Had this as an album and a CD. Love the bass and the dub. I'm gonna ignore the cover of strange fruit - no one else should be allowed to do it after Billie Holiday sung that.
First time listening to reggae it was unexpectedly good
This is a great album. The music is fantastic and it contains messages and social commentary on the time. That this album was even released is incredible, and I am thankful it was. Years before Bob Geldof jumped on the bandwagon and told everyone to "get your fucking money out" these guys were doing it on track after track. Of course, they're all probably millionaires now, made from the very system they were singing out against, but at the time this album came out they weren't.
5 I loved it!
Wild, all these years and I had no idea UB40 was an unemployment form for being on the dole. Highly enjoyable listen for me. I'll put this band in the rotation next time I'm listening to reggae.
Love me some reggae, this is another great one.
After some pretty uninspiring albums here comes one where the musians can play. A tight solid album with an excellent production. It's a 5 from me
I could listen to this all day. 5 stars or A-.
Reggaezao batendo
pretty awesome reggae
I’m at a 5 if we’re talking about just the first 10 tracks. I’m at a 4.5 bumped down to a 4 if we’re including the final 3 tracks, which were originally included as a bonus EP. I’ll split the difference and say it’s a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. Yeah, that’s confusing, but it feels like the most fair way to split it; out of the first 10 tracks here, I really enjoyed all of them, with the exception of “25%” as a slightly dull instrumental. I think the socio-political lyricism fits really well, the integration of all the synths & effects do a good job of keeping the progression of each track up, and they’re all engaging tracks that both say what they want to say & have a really smooth reggae groove to them. If we’re going by just the first 10 tracks, it’s a really tight 44 minutes that shows why UB40 got on the map really quickly. It’s a genuinely great album. If we’re throwing in those last 3 tracks though… yeah, I just didn’t vibe with them as much. “Madam Medusa” is fine, but it doesn’t need to be 13 minutes, with the entire back half of the song spinning more wheels than Pat Sajak ever did. It just doesn’t go anywhere meaningful after it’s said what it wants to say, so it feels like a bit of a drag. The “Strange Fruit” cover is fine, but I just wasn’t pulled into it or as captivated by it as I was hoping to be, and while it tries to match a lot of the Billie Holiday’s version vocal style, the instrumental choices take away a lot of that atmosphere. “Reefer Madness” is good, but the sense of progression there just isn’t as strong as the other instrumental tracks on the main album. Overall, it’s a solid enough EP, but if we’re including them as part of the main tracklist, it does pull the album down for me. So, with that split in mind, I think a 4.5 bumped up to a 5 is the safest call here. The floor, at the very least, is a 3. These guys aren’t necessarily Bob Marley or anything, but this is probably the best non-Marley Reggae album we’ve gotten on the list, and they’ve captured the spirit of the genre well. At the very least, it’s a marked improvement over “Maverick A Strike”, my goodness. I’m glad this wasn’t just “Red Red Wine” 13 times over – it’s a really fun cover, don’t get me wrong, but it’s very cheap reggae. I’m happy it’s on the list, and I think it’s a very safe bump up to a 5.
BEST SONGS: - Tyler - 25% - Little By Little
I know a little bit of UB40. Before listening to this album I had 7 songs "liked" by them on Spotify - but it looks like none are from this album. So, I'm very curious to hear this. Thoughts while listening ... This is a great vibe. As I was listening the first time - I was "yep, that's a great song - cool sound, interesting lyrics". And then the next song comes on and same thing. And repeat. I also really like the instrumentals and extended jams (such as on "Madam Medusa"). I dig how they use the saxophone. It's not blaring on top of everything else, but blends in to the overall sound. Was pleasantly surprised to see a cover of "Strange Fruit" - the classic song made famous by Billie Holliday. Didn't even have to listen to this more than once to "like" every song. One of the great things about this "1001 Albums" thing is that it sometimes gets me to go deeper on a band I am only slightly aware of and find some really good nuggets. I could listen to this over and over, and will be excited to hear these songs pop up on my automated playlists. Liked songs on Spotify: 13/13 (Perfect Album) Rating: 5/5
I had forgotten UB40 could be this good. After this they were still good, just a good covers band. This is awesome.
Loved it! I've only heard the singles up until this point so it was great to listen to more of their work and I'm glad I have.
I’m ashamed to say I knew nothing of UB40 besides “Red Red Wine” before this. Solid dub and reggae with top notch socially conscious lyricism.
Brings back great memories
Island vibes. Chilled reggae for the summer
tightightightightightightight
Really bomb loved this
Legitimately extremely good, so many great songs with no filler, great politically conscious lyrics, aged really well, for some reason people think this band is corny because everyone only knows Red Red Wine but this is really worth your time, this fucking rocks
Easy to listen to, better than their later efforts, not as commercial
That is feel good music with a message, great.
The only UB40 album anyone needs. If you like, keep going through their discography but stop at Geffery Morgan. It's downhill quickly after that....
I love this album
Love IT. Own It.
What a great album!
I was 20 when Signing Off hit, a perfect accompaniment to smoking weed and resin. Saw them live twice back it the day, once at the Brixton Academy which was pretty awesome. Chrissie Hind came on for the duo of "I got you babe". My favourite track from the album is King. I think my youngest one will insist this is played at my funeral! She remembers me dancing about the house to this, thats if you believe you can dance to reggae. The weed dropped before I had kids, but Signing Off and Present Arms have both been a presence, they are the background theme to my life, never waning. The perfect anti tory and anti Thatcher, and everything that has disturbed this country since. A political statement. Fuck the tories, fuck the media, fuck the billionaires sitting up on their thrones in castles in the sky. Fuck you. 14 years of tories dismantling the UK. Fuck labour for their empty promises of fixing. The world is going to burn and you don't even want to see it. This world has turned into rape and pillage and fuck the consequences. The Earth dies screaming (a warm dry wind is all that breaks the silence, highways quiet scars across the land, people lie, eyes closed, no longer dreaming). Fuck Trump, Fuck the far right fascist, fuck you for moving the Overton Window so far to the right that minorities become the subject of abuse. FUCK YOU. The land belongs to no one. When you are dead, maybe you might see that... thats the paradox. When you're dead you're the same as anyone else, fucking dead. Wake up people, before its too late... oh, sorry, it already is too fucking late. Wankers. x
Really enjoyed the reggae sounds. Played it all day
Дуже кайфовий запис - ідеальний мікс ска, реггі та даб музики, правильний саунд, політичні тексти.
Superb album of jazz-fusion-reggae, to get your vibe on to.
- Such a good record. Damn soulful for a bunch of Englishmen. .... and for all of you claiming this record is boring, everything sounds the same; you're failing at the basic premise behind music. Listen ..... -
Cool as shit.
I've loved this album from the first time I dropped the needle onto side 1 way back some 40 years ago. For me it's all about Tyler as well as the Brilliant Madam Medusa. To this day I still don't know who Tyler is, I just know that it is a song that needs to be heard. And Madam Medusa...what an incredible epic song. The perfect introduction to reggae for a than 20 year old that was ready to discover important music that would shape my tastes for the rest of my life. I know EXACTLY where I was when I first heard this album (In a record store), I did not leave the store without the album and It has been a part of me ever since. King, Burden of Shame, King and the whole album. An integral part of my personal musical journey. 5 stars (very personal opinion)
Fijn ontspannen album, direct herkenbaar als UB40 en toch klinkt het minder commercieel dan hun latere uitingen. Meteen een eervolle vermelding voor de goed bedachte bandnaam en de briljante hoes. Goede balans tussen relaxte ritmes en hier en daar een maatschappelijke boodschap. Deze Britse kijk op reggae klinkt na 45 jaar nog steeds fris. Persoonlijke favoriet is 'Food for thought', maar ook omdat ik die uit mijn een van mijn favoriete films ken.
I'm familiar with UB40. I've certainly heard their music too. However, I confused them with U2 because of the similarity of the name. That won't happen to me now. I really like listening to raggae and especially ska and DUB. This album, which I didn't know before, fits in very well. I am thrilled. That was the reason to listen to more of UB40. In fact, I'm familiar with the songs Red Red Wine, Kingston Town and some more of their hits. But I like this album much better. 5/5
Amazing, food for thought a stone cold classic
4.2 …F* it. First edit. After listening to it (possibly more than) 6 times in the last 24 hours, and non-stop reminiscing and recommending to everyone I have spoken to, it’s got to be a 5.
Reggae molón de antaño
Cool
01) Tyler - 9,0 02) King - 10,0 03) 12 Bar - 8,5 04) Burden of Shame - 8,5 05) Adella - 8,5 06) I Think It's Going to Rain Today - 9,0 07) 25% - 9,0 08) Food for Thought - 10,0 09) Little by Little - 8,5 10) Signing Off - 10,0 11) Madam Medusa - 9,0 12) Strange Fruit - 9,0 13) Reefer Madness - 8,5 TOTAL: 9,04 (90/100) Current ranking: 47/491 Unlike many here, I like their later pop reggae songs like "Red Red Wine", "Don't Break My Heart", "Kingston Town" or "(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You". I also like their debut album, I think it's one of the more significant albums from the early eighties and deserves to be on this list.
Really cool Raggae album, really grooving it out. Smooth tunes.
Awesome British reggae
Oooo these R&Besque vocals. What a beautiful bridge between the catchiness of The Specials and soul of Bob Marley. Omg, Strange Fruit cover. Damn. UB40 was not on my radar before and now it's the post office for Reggae town.
New to it. A bit of a white boy reggae feel but hey, if the shoe fits.
Birmingham Reggae, cool sounds and biting lyrics
What a delightful surprise! Really dig this. Very chill and I appreciate bands who include instrumental tracks.
I really enjoyed this album.
Great!
I did not know the bands name was an unemployment tax form. This was parents reggae while preferred Marley more. I have much larger appreciation for them as an adult and can hear their influence in a bunch of other groups. They do sound more Dub than traditional reggae. 9/10
This album really hit it out of the park for me. I'm not typically into Reggae/Ska as genres, but the lyrics, themes, beats, instrumentals and even subtle electronic elements really elevates this project. Thoroughly impressed. 5/5
A great first album from a band that carved a unique course across this and their second album, tapping into a unique reggae and dub vibe. It was a pity that they chased commercial interests after with more ‘poppy’ offerings that lost the previous soul and invention in the music.
Dank reggae
还挺好听的！主唱（是主唱吗）有几句好缱绻我好喜欢
holy shit what an album!
Bra grejer det här.
UB40 is always a good time. You put them on when you’re cooking or tidying up or drinking with friends. They’re always uplifting and soothing and interesting. Or, with this album, when you’re protesting the wanton cruelties of a Tory government in the UK and racial injustices across the world. While drinking. With friends. Perfection.
Loved revisiting this album again. I remember first coming across it during a period of my life when I was taking a deep-dive into the early work of the British new wave bands from the 1980s. The interesting thing about the punk movement was the way it served as a ground zero for much of this scene - all bets were off and all directions were open to the likes of Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Dead or Alive and so on. UB40 fall squarely into this phenomenon, though unlike their contemporaries who would go on to produce better (if they produced anything at all), these guys really did peak early on Signing Off. Applying punk’s DIY ethos to the reggae/dub genre was pioneering enough, but to further incorporate a left-wing social critique of Thatcher’s Britain (right down to the very name of the group) was another way in which UB40 fused the Jamaican musical conventions with a working class English consciousness. Reggae wasn’t in and of itself a marginalised genre in British culture (Island records had been aiding it into the charts for decades before), but its diasporic fan base certainly was. And this is why the notion of a multi-ethnic group of lads from Birmingham making a selection of mostly original reggae tracks condemning British colonialism and the oppression of black people the world over was particularly revolutionary. It also helps that said songs were infused with a really catchy pop sensibility that sits uneasily with its menacing dub production (a bedroom production into the bargain). Its instrumentation is quite rudimentary, but their nuts and bolts approach is more than the sum of its parts. The band’s later work would dilute much of this experimentation with their saccharine brand of reggae pop. But Signing Off is an extremely important artefact of a period of incessant revitalisation in British pop culture.
A really good album, my favorite songs were Tyler, King and Madam Medusa.
Political, I liked some of the songs a lot. Burden of Shame especially.
This was my first 'Reggae' record (although yeah a lot of people would say it's not proper Reggae) and I played it to death at top volume until the neighbours complained. The songs are still good now- real belters. I could listen to this all day (how on Earth can anyone find them 'boring'?) At the time the lyrics very hard-hitting (to me as a stupid white boy anyway). "Ivory madonna dying in the dust, Waiting for the manna coming from the west. Barren is her bosom, empty as her eyes, Death a certain harvest scattered from the skies."
That was delightful. I didn't expect it to be mostly instrumental, or at least that's what I remember it having been an hour after listening to it on my ride home from work, but it was great and I'm definitely keeping on my phone to listen to it.
Loved it
Super!
One of the best UK reggae/dub albums and by far, the best UB40 album, which says something as most of their other 80s albums are excellent as well. The (bleak) atmosphere / lyrics is typical early 80s, songs themselves are timeless.
This project is making me realize I know one or two songs from groups and never listen to any more of their stuff. UB40 is one of those groups. It's fun expanding my music knowledge. I enjoyed this album and will listen to more of their stuff.
This is the album that made me appreciate UB40, but it's also an album that bothers me a bit because the album shows so much potential that the band left behind to make hits. This album though, it's stunningly good. This is one of those albums that's so powerful, it burns itself into your consciousness. It's the best thing UB40 ever made. The album has an intense sound, full of haunting arrangements and a persistent undercurrent of anger. All this is punctuated with well-placed dub effects and a clever use of saxophone. The lyrics are unabashedly strident, unsettling, scathing. This is heavy stuff, much of which is still relevant today. The instrumentals are moody and rough edged, but create an essential flow that helps temper the weight of the other songs. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Food for Thought, Tyler, Burden of Shame, King, I Think It's Going to Rain Today, Signing Off, Reefer Madness, Strange Fruit, 25%, 12 Bar, Madam Medusa, Little by Little, Adella
Wow, a complete revelation having only known UB40's big singles. Deep sounds and political lyrics (many of which are unfortunately still relevant in today's Britain).
Enjoyed very much. Didn't realize it was their first.
Fuck Thatcher.
I really enjoyed this album. I've always liked UB40, but never really 'listened' them, so this gave me a chance to di just that.
Great bit of reggae with interesting lyrics
This is a very smooth jam. I'm adding this to my collection, thanks.
A great album that I don't want to forget.
I always thought of UB40 as more ska than reggae, butthis is a hardcore reggae dub album - loved it.
Actually really enjoyed this.
another great album from a band and genre i have basically no experience with. this list can be bad sometimes but when it’s good, it’s excellent. reggae is always political, but this was really political in a way i love, and you can also vibe to it.
Well this is a pleasant surprise. I'd never heard this before and thought was absolutely on point. A great achievement
Chill reggae sounds, love this Saved tracks: Tyler, King, Burden of Shame, I Think It’s Going To Rain Today, Food For Thought, Madam Medusa
very cool
Reggae klassieker, de remaster vond ik ook wel goed. Plaat die bij de favorieten kan.
reggaezao teu
Expected: Red Red Wine Received: Dank Dank Dubs
I had no idea that prior to being the house wives' favourite reggae-lite pop band UB40 were a politically charged reggae behemoth. The music on display here is rudimentary, it's clearly a band still learning to play, but the album is all the better for that. The rough around the edges feel provides an authenticity that you're not getting with Red, Red Wine! There's a soulful, sax driven, feel to the album that makes it much more than a straight up derivative of Jamaica's dub legends. I absolutely loved this album which I did not expect.
Super chill reggae sounds, love it! Don't think I'd have checked this one out without this, so I'm really glad!
Very cool. I would describe this style as the prog-rock of whatever umbrella genre this album belongs to.
Sunny days on the beach kinda vibe
this is nice pure fucking vibes mm mm mmmmm a very long album but i listened gradually throughout the day and it was so lovely i can’t really fault it
Reggae goodness
One of the best things about @1001_albums_gen is reading the backstory of the albums - because this is a fabulous, non-covers debut album i'd never heard. They locked themselves away for a year learning instruments to play - and it's fab!
4.5/5. Very cool sound effects and backstory behind album + band name. 👍
I like how this group brings forward political statements especially songs about truth during the time this was written.
Debut album of the most successfull reggae band in the world. Perfect! Must be listened.
An amazing album, both musically and production-wise.
This is fantastic, had always written off UB40 as a pop-reggae group but this is very roots/dub orientated.
The first song was named after me. 5 stars, naturally.
Wow. Creo que este ha sido la mayor sorpresa hasta el momento. Yo tenía la impresión de una banda de reggae que hacía cosas pegajosas, no tenía idea que tenían semejante declaración de principios y tremendos rolones. Hasta voy a conseguir el vinil, está verguísima esto.
Nice and chill! It's the anti- Margaret Thatcher message for me. 9
Awesome, a classic imo and so chill Didn't know they were british but knowing this list it checks out
Loved it.
raggaeee
Love the vibes of the album. Need to throw it into my reggae and ska rotation.
Great - didn't know their early stuff, and it's much better than I would have expected. Excellent reggae soundtrack to a sunbeaten London day.
Solid
020726 22:57 3.5
Wow, what a fantastic debut album! My wife has gotten more into reggae this past year so I've gotten used to the rhythms and sounds of the genre, but I forget how deep and sophisticated the lyricism can be and this album is a shining example of it. This group not only captured historical racism, corruption, and social strife but manages to do so with top-notch vocals, smooth instruments (the saxophone and drums go hard), and great transitions from purely instrumental tracks to ones that have messages for all of humanity to learn from. My favorite tracks are "Tyler" and "King", and I would enjoy listening to how this group would shine off this stunning debut, a snapshot of 80s music overseas.
Probs 3.5, but I feel I need to listen to it again
If I was going to listen to reggae then this is definitely what I’d put on
This album has been much reggae for my like, but it has been such an enjoyable experience, nevertheless. I've loved the political side of it, as well as some really nice moments that are very interesting. It's an album in which silence is also present, something I've loved finding. UB40 really know how to play with different sounds and dynamics in their music, which is not monotonous at all. I've not found it much thrilling, but surely it has been an album to enjoy listening to.
perfect for humid hot summer
UB40 - Signing Off Surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Maybe it's the hot weather, but it's got the right vibe. Only the cover of a Randy Newman song hinted of future horrors that lay in store from the band.
Reggae Político Tiene mucha vibra, de verdad que hacen un balance increíble entre instrumental y mensaje Elementos del reggae muy bien ejecutados Todas las canciones hacen sentido en el álbum, nada sobra, no podría decir que falte algo tampoco Creo que este es uno de esos álbumes que te terminan gustando más y más conforme se escucha más, así que recomendado en ese sentido Me gustó mucho como en varias piezas de verdad no hacía falta que cantaran para que la canción sonara bien Muy talentosos y muy buen concepto de álbum Otra muestra de lo que el ámbito Brit puede entregar Y a comentario personal como poco a poco me está gustando la propuesta de esta región
Great British reggae. No red red wine yet, but I definitely listened to that song afterward.
When this came out I thought it was good. I was 9. Later I ended up hating UB40 with their crap covers and rats in kitchens. Then 15 - 20 years ago I heard 'Food for Thought' again on the radio. Since that time, that song features on mix CD's and more recently streaming play lists. It is a beautiful, soulful desolate sounding song that makes things feel bittersweet. The rest of the album has a great chilled vibe, very much unlike most reggae. Its top stuff and I really should track down a copy.
Belo álbum de Reggae. Os instrumentais são fenomenais! O Contrabaixo é o destaque. QoA Vesper.
This may be somewhat blasphemous, but I think this is my favorite reggae album I've heard through the project thus far. UB40 has a lot of my favorite lane for reggae to be in, which is very angular, almost sparse, with a really rhythmic guitar presence. The mix is filled out with really cool percussion and some amazing sax playing too. Yes, this is long, but honestly, I can't spot any obvious filler. UB40 just builds an incredible vibe, and rides it until the album ends. Not to say this is background music though, these are some very detailed compositions, and the lyrics here are really politically scathing. A lot of themes of the immigrant experience in The UK pop up, and it (and other themes) are handled with a lot of grace. Some of my favorites here are Burden Of Shame, Signing Off, Strange Fruit, and Reefer Madness. Signing off is pretty rhythmically fascinating, reefer madness and Burden of Shame have a really unique energy, and Strange Fruit is a surprisingly great cover of a very heavy song that treats it with the utmost respect. But as I said, there's not a whole ton of filler here, even the 13 minute Madam Medusa justifies the time it takes. This was surprisingly good, and stands as one of my favorite reggae albums at the moment.
A vibe. 3.5
Review - oh no, are UB40 good? Score - 7.5/10
Reggae; I loved it!
This is the best reggae album I have ever heard.
Wonderful
When I think of UB40 I always think Red Red Wine or the bloody awful duet with Christie Hynde but I forget they were once a proper band with proper songs and a political message! This was a pleasant reminder.
Weak 4
The kind of album I started this challenge for. Something I'd never heard of and probably never would have but turns out to be a really good listening experience.
Yeah, it’s ok.
It's inherently a concept that's hard to take seriously - a UK-based band, which couldn't be further in spirit from the sun-soaked Jamaican beaches the genre's usually associated with. I first became aware of UB40 by finding out they have their own UB40-themed cruises, which is a hilarious concept. That said, knuckling down on the music and it's an admittedly compelling package. It's well-produced, well-written and perfectly enjoyable reggae/dub. Just kick back, relax and enjoy the ride. It's not really for me, but you can feel that this would be PERFECT for exactly the right guy. You can just picture some sunny-looking older British bloke enjoying some UB40 while sipping a beer on the porch and enjoying the smashin' 20-degree weather. Provided he's not listening to the more progressively-attuned lyrics, probably. Fav tracks: Tyler, 12 Bar, Burden of Shame, Madam Medusa
Did not expect to like this, pleasantly surprised.
This rocked my world when it was new, and it still sounds amazingly fresh.
This was a lot better than I expected. In my youth I was a little prejudiced about English reggae as I thought it all very pop compared to Jamaican beats (in fairness this was in the time of Musical Youth, latter UB40 and there was a lot of ska and 2-tone around). This is a good proper Reggae album with an English feel and I wish I’d given it more time when my Brother seemed to have got a copy many years ago.
Expected a much weaker album and just thoroughly enjoyed all of it, even if I wish it cut the three or four weakest songs.
I tend to not listen to reggae that much, but this is mostly pretty good stuff. I think it goes on for a bit too long, but it's hard to ignore the talent on display here.
I enjoyed it.
I don’t know much reggae apart from Bob Marley. This one is not bad, more polished production wise.
Reggae’s a genre I always enjoy more than I think This one’s super listenable; great vocals, powerful in your face bass lines, and just really nice sounding instruments. I always love saxes and brass in music, and I think UB40 does a great job not necessarily making them the focus but using them to build up the music and add more layers to it. Really don’t have a whole lot of complaints about this one other than being a tad too long and there being not quite enough variety. It’s not too bad just listening to the album but after like an hour you kinda just want it to be over Before listening to this one I was familiar with Red Red Wine which is definitely has a poppier sound, so I was a bit surprised when it sounded like more traditional earlier reggae. This one was a nice surprise, just has good vibes and I got a ton of work done listening to this one
Before hearing this I was only familiar with UB40's big hits in the late 80s. I had no idea the band name was from a UK unemployment form. There's got to be a band out there named for the US 1040 tax form right? All in all this was an enjoyable listen -- socially conscious songs speaking truth to power all to a reggae beat. Musically very tight, there are some nice saxophone flourishes and just enough synth to give it that 80s flare. There are some nice instrumental tracks that really showcase this nicely. The only downside for me would be how much sameness seems to be across the album. Despite enjoying it, I wouldn't be able to easily discern which song is which.
Favorite Track: King
Pretty good
really nice stuff! some instrumentals could’ve been cut by maybe 30-60 seconds to shorten the album but i wouldn’t necessarily complain about this being too long the same way many other 70 minute+ records can slog. my mind’s not blown but its very very solid!
I guess I really like reggae?
Rating: 8.5/10 Favorite song(s): Tyler, I Think It’s Going to Rain Today, and a lot of the instrumental tracks. Review: Great album. Super easy to listen to and enjoy. Honestly, kind of difficult to make a bad reggae record as long as you have good musicians. I wasn’t familiar with UB40 outside of Red Red Wine, but I would definitely check out other albums of theirs. Listen again?: Yes
3,5 1. "Tyler" 2. "Food for Thought" 3. "Signing Off"
Långt från Red Red Wine. En jämn svängig ska-platta utan höjdpunkter. En fyra
Reggae?
honk if thatcher's deid
Not always into reggae/dub, but this was pretty strong.
Lil jaxzy i loveeeee
I didn’t listen to this fully need to revisit
this was fun! it’s not the type of music i typically gravitate towards and the other reggae-adjacent music on this list has been white people ska which is really horrendous, but this is a whole different thing and very good. Fav tracks: Adella
Great reggae sound.
Chill reggae from England. Fat bass, guitar and saxophone. Political messages. Somewhat receptive but good background music especially the instrumentals. They are a lot better than Red Red Wine.
Perhaps it's a bit situational but it's good. Maybe, it doesn't stand out as I would hope, but it's deserving of a positive score.
i really liked these vibes
UB40 was once a socially-conscious bent reggae group before they were doing reggae covers of classic pop songs. I, contrary to hipster opinion, enjoy both eras of the band, and often forget how much I enjoy their stuff. It's not nearly as cornbread as a lot of "whiteboy reggae" tends to be- you can tell they came up in the new wave scene and they're not trying to sound "black" like many try to. This record is so early 80s, but the songs are all extremely easy to enjoy- "chilled out" would be an understatement- while still feeling politically-pronounced.
One of those albums that is important to research on this project before you listen, as streamers will offer you versions with added songs (Madame Medusa, Strange Fruit, Reefer Madness) which were on a separate EP included within the album package but - for me - definitely to be absorbed separately. The album itself is tight (which Madame Medusa definitely isn't!) with great self-written songs, tunes and incisive subject matter (but still just enjoyable). As I'm sure is stated in more enlightened reviews elsewhere - this UB40 is a totally different beast to the later Labour of Love cover version band they sadly became with huge commercial success. At the time of Signing Off (& it's successor Present Arms) this band and others like Steel Pulse (even early Specials / The Beat / Selector / Aswad/ Matumbi) represented a vital wave of resistance within late 70s Britain where cultures chose to come together and find ways to survive the grey hostility in Thatchers wastelands. And as my daughter said whilst we listen to it loud on original vinyl - it's a vibe!
Really good- not every song was a hit but this was super chill and I had a nice time
Honestly I like reggae albums so maybe I just enjoyed it more. Was it the best album? No. Did I like it in the background while driving around all day? Definitely.
After this they got pretty bland, pretty quickly, but on Signing Off they have a lot going for them. Often capturing a genuine vibe that could be straight out of Studio One, Kingston, the reggae and dub influenced sounds are the result of meticulous and relentless rehearsal followed by an extremely primitive and makeshift recording process that nevertheless captures the perfect atmosphere. Thatcher’s Britain in the Midlands is the backdrop for a politically charged album that has no option but to hit hard. And yet, the album can be enjoyed as a turn-off-and-chill-out experience too; close your eyes and fire up a bifter, and you can picture yourself in sunny Jamaica despite being recorded in Birmingham during the wettest summer in memory. The rhythm tracks are heavy, lending a credible gravitas and authenticity to the mood, but a keen ear for melody offers an immediacy and accessibility that served them well with live audiences and on the radio. Their success took away the circumstances that were the foundation of this album and while they strived to maintain their authentic dedication to their source influences, a lightness quickly took over from the emotional heft embedded in the solid grooves of Signing Off.
cool!! probably the most sonically interesting reggae music ive listened to. listened to this while studying and gen made me lock in. can see why this would get boring if i dedicated my full attention though.
Some fantastic bass lines
I'm not a big reggae listener, but I really enjoyed bopping along to this spacey album. Fuck Margaret Thatcher
Like most people, I'd imagine, I knew exactly two UB40 songs before this album. I was expecting more like those two songs (which I like) and was still pleasantly surprised by how much I like this album! My previous exposure to the band was minimal, passing, superficial, and from the perspective of a younger, more naive, and less aware man. Musically and lyrically solid, socially conscious, and globally aware album. Without question, one of my favorite finds on this list so far. Immediately added to my library. I'm halfway through listening, and they'd have to SERIOUSLY fuck up at this point to get anything less than 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Good easy to listen to reggae. 4/5
I like reggae and I love protest songs. To no surprise, I was happy with UB40's debut album, Signing Off. "Burden of Shame" grabbed me in particular, because you don't hear enough how a citizen can be so ashamed of their country of origin, even though we're supposed to be proud to the bone. And while I'm American, I always love when a conservative politician is dragged in music, even if they weren't my politician (Margaret Thatcher in "Madam Medusa"). The frequently repeated line in "Tyler" is so chilling, and we need to hear it and be uncomfortable. Reggae is an interesting genre as it is, since it tends to be socially conscious while having a chill beat--which completely fools the listener. UB40 did it well. A bit of a long album, sure, but their instrumental sections are gripping! The time seems to fly by during their instrumentals, and I think their sound may have even veered into progressive reggae territory, which UB40 may as well have invented for all I know. Anyway, I'm just going by vibes and I enjoyed it. 3.5, rounding up.
Эклектика, реггей, саксофон.
I only knew their popular (not quite my thing) songs. This record was a nice surprise, since it felt authentic and with a voice of its own.
Might be a reggae guy now. Disc 1 was phenomenal. Fizzled by disc 2
Good reggae, but with that, comes the caveat of samey tracks. Still a groovy time, though, so Solid 4 Stars.
OK, this surprised me for a couple of reasons: I am only aware of their greatest hits like "Red Red Wine" or "Kingston Town" so it was surprising to their offering on this list is debut album without any of these tracks. Secondly, after fully listening to the album and now re-listening I am presently surprised by these instrumental dub tracks, really dig them. Rated 3.5/5.0 on RYM so it's good, could go either 3 or 4 stars here.
Absolute groove bomb. I continued letting reggae auto-play for another 45 minutes.
Definitely enjoyed this more than I expected I would. Solid reggae and dub.
4- Stars (10/15)
Egész jó volt!
I mean ya, smooth and out there reggae tone l don't know how to spell but added it to the chill work list, 4
Way more political than I expected given that I only know their covers of other songs! Even the covers here were political. Good Reggae. I knew one song sounded like "Moondance" and see that they wound up giving Van Morrison songwriting credit.
Chill and seemless quite impressive
This was quite a surprise to me. I remember mid- to late-eighties UB40 with pretty cheesy pop reggae, and I wasn't a fan. But this is basically a dub album, and it's actually really good.
8/10… reggae / 2-tone / *1980
I won't ever gripe against some good ass reggae. My current taste is late 70's Jamaican dancehall and dub reggae for sure. But I dabbled in 3rd and 4th wave white boy reggae for a long period. So I won't rag on UB40 all that hard. They conveniently walked the pop and reggae line well enough to have pop success but cater new blood into an old sound. Despite its british origin, this is a solid reggae album. Gains a massive plus for the context of its release (late Thatcher era England) and that Lady Day cover of Strange Fruit. 4 stars all around. Pass the dutchie!
Even as a reggae fan, I didn’t want to give these guys a chance. In my ignorance, all I knew is that they were white, English , and had an overplayed hit called “Red Red Wine”. This record caught me off guard with how legitimately good it was. The band definitely knew their roots, and this album proves it. If I find out these guys are considered the Sublime of English Reggae/Ska, I’m gonna be so mad that I liked this album 😂.
This is unexpectedly good. Like others here I mainly know them from Red Red Wine. There’s some really good musicianship on display here and some biting lyrics. They fell off a cliff a bit, didn’t they?
7/10 UB40 should never have released Red Red Wine. Pretty great Sunday evening listen
Fantastic reggae/dub album.
liked it a lot!
3.5/5
4.6
No need to qualify this as 'white reggae'. It's a really good reggae and dub album in the political tradition.
I learned something. I thought that UB40 was strictly a cover band. All of their hits are covers. Boy this album is all originals and it's so much better! Why didn't they stick with originals?
Trivelig
A good debut for a great UK Reggae band. Some experimental moments on a very atmospheric album make for a fun listen for Raggae fans.
3.9 / 5 I didn't expect a reggae album on this list, even less one that's bri*ish and counter-Thatcher. Always liked the genre and the cultures surrounding it. This album apparently reached #2 of the UK album charts when it came out and I'm not surprised, listening to the sheer creativity and vibe. Would've been even more interesting if they touched on bri*ish colonialism in the Caribbean, but you can't have everything. Anyway, this is an easy 4 stars, 3.9 / 5 to be exact, but it also lacks that final oomph to hit above its' weight. "Signing Off" definitely lands in my personal Top1001 list.
I was sceptical at first. My only UB40 knowledge was of Red Red Wine, a fine cover, but if I had a pound for every time I'd heard it... Opening track Tyler told me I was in for a different experience. I loved the instrumentals throughout the album but the songwriting stood out as a particular strength, best example being on political anthem Burden of Shame. Other highlights included King and the expertly reworked cover of I Think It's Going To Rain Today.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Love this! Can just put this on and you've got a groovy reggae beat and soulful tunes that just glide across the air. Good suggestion!
Great album
Love the reggae-like sound.
Familiar with the band in name and for their hit Red Red Wine, but never explored much further. Sincerely enjoyed the musical style and listen in addition to digging into the politically charged lyrics and band’s history a bit more.
A tad long maybe, but incredibly groovy and listenable reggae.
This album gives me the weirdest kind of nostalgia. It does a great job of evoking just how fucking bleak Britain was in the early 80s, but I was a kid at the time so as well as the bleakness I remember all the good kid stuff to go with it, riding bikes, climbing trees, etc. One of my older brothers was a big UB40 fan, so this echoes around my memory loudly. It does make me wonder where all the good protest music is for today.
I came into this one today in a shitty mood & I’ll be damned if I didn’t come out in a good one. Really connected with the instrumental tracks & the song King which is like my favorite reggae song?? I liked those songs enough to get it real close to a four & the album cover is one my favorites so far.
Una interesante sorpresa de álbum. Cuando el reggae sale de Jamaica y se instala en Europa, más concretamente en el Reino Unido, es inevitable que el género se manifieste de una manera distinta y que incorpore elementos melódicos del pop aunque se aferre al ritmo caribeño con uñas y dientes. Hay un hecho distintivo, que es la voz blanca de Ali Campbell y el sonido destacado del saxofón y los teclados. Sin olvidar el carácter marcadamente social de sus letras, que daban buena cuenta de su oposición al thatcherismo y su apuesta por la denuncia de la injusticias. Chapeau a todo.
I had listened to bits and pieces of this album over the years, but never the whole thing. I was previously most familiar with “Tyler” which I think is a great song, but also took to “Food For Thought” and their version of “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today” this time around. An interesting band to learn about. You could build an entire history course on how sounds like this came to be produced in Birmingham, England.
Nice, funky reggae.
Great the sound of the brass was a memory of heating this album many years ago
Never got into UB40... should've.
I was surprised at how good this one was. Supposedly they spent a lot of time learning how to play before their first album, feels like it shows!
I really enjoyed this, good grooves, thoughtful lyrics.
Reggae mixed with dub from Birmingham England! Of course I always enjoy the involvement of saxophones in any genre, especially in this one it made total sense, they fit perfectly. Its quite political lyrically, some songs can get a bit repetitive especially with a 13 song album, but I enjoy this laid back groove shit man. Favourites songs are King, Burden of Shame and Food for Thought.
pretty chill
If there is one common theme to this list, it's that some bands that had a couple hits here in the US have been ruling in the charts in the UK for decades. I did not know. I love me some greatest hits UB40, and Red Red Wine is a sleeper karaoke hit that even non singers can nail, so that's something to be celebrated. I really liked this and makes me want to explore more of the catalogue, but kind of dull as well at parts.
My favorite reggae album so far, it still sticks to all the usual reggae conventions but stands out with good musicianship and interesting rhythms
Pretty good for the reagge vibes
First time hearing this album and I was very pleasantly surprised . I had only heard the songs like Red Red Wine and I Got You Babe, but I like this album better than anything else I;ve ever heard from UB40. This feels rawer and had more energy that I was expecting. Really great record.
Excellent!
this reggie pussy is splendid
Much better than any of their later stuff
very interesting, It says in the description that they drew comparisons to the Specials, but I think this is very different, in terms of it seems like they don't mind having long instrumental sections and I think there's loads of musicians that it doesn't really get boring. There's also a lot of elements of dub stuff in here, like the flangers and delays on the guitars and other instruments. Its also seemingly very political and socially conscious, probably due to the circumstances and time period it was made (like the burden of shame song). I just also love the grooves and basslines and the reggae stuff. The keys/organ/synth stuff is really goon and interesting, as in 'traditional' reggae you wouldn't really have many synths (maybe organ though) Favourite songs: most if not all. Overall around 7/10
Bit on the long side, but overall pretty good album! Definitely a 3.5 - round up.
Pretty chill. I like
Really Good 9/10
Better than expected.
Better album than I thought was going to be. Something to be said for having a sound that is instantly recognizable as you. Unfortunately this becomes aurally tiring. Some good tracks on the album and politically charged.
Lovely
funsies
I hadn't thought about reggae when I started this journey. I enjoyed the disc. I liked that a lot of the songs had some rock and jazz influences. It bored a bit by the end, but it may be just me, I have never been a big fan of reggeae but I certainly enjoyed it. For me it was a 8 of 10
вайбово, претензий нет.
They are darn good.
What the angst of BritReggae was best represented by.
very fun!!!
UB40 is unfortunately one of those bands mostly known for its hit singles, which are not at all indicative of who the band was originally. They did do cover songs early on, but they were not as "poppy" as some of the later ones. What I loved when I first heard the band was initially the cool reggae rhythms, but when actually listening to the lyrics it was clear they had a strong political stance and one I was in alignment with. I lost interest in the band once they were focusing too much on the hit songs, but I still enjoy listening to their earlier albums.
Solid debut album. Easy listening music to chillax to. A pleasant surprise.
Always like some Midlands reggae
Pleasantly surprised by the album. My reference of UB40 is pretty much Red Red Wine so didn't have expectations. However enjoyed it with the highlight being Food for Thought. Will go 4 stars now subject to a possible downgrade.
Excellent album to have on in the background
8.5/10
Wow, this wasn't what I expected at all - I thought this band just did pop reggae covers! Really enjoyed this, it slots in well with the other dub reggae coming out of Britain in the 70s and 80s. It feels very British, while also being true to its Caribbean roots. Some of the songs do run a bit too long, but it's forgiveable since they are quite danceable!
Always appreciate a little reggae here and there. This was very easy to listen to and hadn't realized how political they can be. 7/10
Great debut album. Sadly they didn’t live up to their potential but this is a cracking album nevertheless
I didn’t realize how much I actually like reggae, but I’ve yet to get a reggae album from the list that I’ve disliked and this is another solid reggae album. I really enjoy the dub aspects to it and the saxophone parts too.
Дуже дабовий реггі. Хороший альбом з політичними текстами
неочікувано реггі альбом, супер мій вайб, із задоволенням прослухала, те що було зараз треба
Very chill. Could not understand any of the social commentary.
Amazing debut album from UB40. Known "Food from Thought" from early 20s, my favourite. Overall great mood, and apprarently lyrics very good (need to listen more closely.. Tatcher UK depression). Tempted to put 5 starts, but 4.40.