Signing Off

Had to get over the Zack Morris poster/Red Red Wine/cover of Can’t Help Falling in Love to realize that at some point, apparently, UB40 was a legit reggae band. I really dug this.

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)

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.

some cool songs on there some really boring

Это, в общем-то, необычно. Food for Thought неплоха. Вводит в такое медитативное состояние. Чуть грустинки, чуть абсурда. Ок.

Signing Off is the debut album from UB40, the British reggae group, and is regarded as the band's best work. While the band's later work found much greater commercial success, its debut is edgier - the product of a group of young men that are angry at the world they find themselves in. UB40 made reggae in the style of imported Jamaican dub, intermingled with ska rhythms. This early rendition of the band created one of the best British reggae albums.

This was so hard to get through. A good enough band in small doses, but this album drags.

It's funny, I had no idea who UB40 were until last year. The visited my city and some family went to see them, my mother in law kept saying "you know, red, red wiiiine!" and singing it to me, but I, infact, did not know even after having it played it to me. Had never heard of it or them. I actually travelled to the venue that night to see said family outside. And that's the only exposure I have ever had to UB40. It immediately comes off as preachy with Tyler, but I guess "political" is probably a better word, and is apparently something this album is esteemed for (although can't say I really caught much more of it). There's also no mistaking that this is reggae either. I did love the heavy basslines, although they did get a bit monotonous and repetitive. Didn't love the abrupt stops and changes in the first two tracks. Really loved the last minute and a half of Burden of Shame, very cool and almost psychedelic. It was pleasant to listen to, but I kind of tuned out of the second half of the album and it all felt very same-same, a bit one trick. Groovy, but monotonous. Most: Burden of Shame Least: Tyler Rating: 2.5, but I'll round up.

Not really my bag, but would say it only went downhill from here.

They’re good at what they do, but everything is so similar and goes on and on and on. I could probably listen to this whole album and enjoy it as background music is I was stoned and playing a chill video game or something, but this is an active listening chore.

Great background music for a mid-summer beach party - however that is part of the issue in that it never really raises itself above being just background music...

It has some pretty strong songs espacially in the second half.

I really thought this was cool. It’s difficult to assess music genres that you aren’t familiar with, but that you still like the vibe. But I’m going to just agree with my heart and rate this highly. Sounded like the music for Guybrush Threepwood in Monkey Island— great game with great music

Enjoyable. Not really my preferred genre, but nothing to complain about.

Really good Brit-reggae debut album with lots of dub step production and socially conscious lyrics. A little same-y at times but some great insight into Thatcherite UK at that time. They would hit bigger later with "Red Red Wine" and "Rar in the Kitchen."

Had never heard any UB40 beyond Red Red Wine. I'm all for some good reggae, but goddamn this thing bored me to tears. Appreciate the lyrical content, but about as interesting as elevator music. Only exceptions are the title track, which is a cool reggae soundscape, and burden of shame.

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.

Vrolijk huppelende ska. Weinig mis mee, al raak ik het halverwege wel zat. Scoort net iets onder een vergeetbare 3.

Het begint met onvervalste ska. Een drum die soms extreem galmend is, maar ook tikt de drummer vaak met zijn stokkies juist tegen de rand van de drum. De bas maakt die typische ska-melodietjes. Ali Campbell heeft trekjes van de overdreven Henny Vrienten, om je te amuseren. Zoals de wiki en de recensie in het boek al zegt: ze zijn hier nog niet commercieel gegaan. En ik moet zeggen dat ik daar vaak genoeg op afgeef, in de zin van: neem dan gewoon de commerciele doorbraak. Maar dit zit wel iets relaxter en beter in elkaar, het zijn nog geen oorwurmen. Ze hadden de nummers wel korter mogen maken, meer radio-edits, maar er schuilt nog wat meer puurheid in, dan de commerciele sell-outs die ze uiteindelijk werden. Niet voor niets zijn ze door ruzies om geld uit elkaar gedreven. Is dit dan als een BelleVue geuze: de latere commerciele producten zijn veel te zoet geworden, maar ze laten met hun Selection Lambic zien dat ze het wel gewoon konden? Nee, helaas, ska blijft het merendeel van de tijd kut en beresaai. Of zoals een luistermaatje zegt: ska is schijtirritant. 2 sterretjes voor de moeite, omdat we dit wel liever luisteren dan Joni of Fransie Bauert.

Maybe it's the fact this came after a bunch of staid 70s rock, but this was a breath of fresh air. I only know of UB40 from their rather cheesy later career stuff (I can't help falling in love, red red wine), but this was great. Reggae with decent dub stylings, a genuine anger in his voice and lyrics which makes you understand why the punks got into the reggae scene. It drifts a little towards the end - some of the instrumentals get a bit samey - but I enjoyed listening and would do so again.

So it's a beloved album in a genre I'm not too immersed in, which usually means I'll have to adjust my approach a little. I'll admit that I do find reggae a bit samey so if that's a problem here it's not necessarily indicative of the quality of the album. I am aware of this band's music, and when it comes to their hits I'm really not a fan. Hoping for something completely different, otherwise this will be a struggle. Going into this with a hint of worry. Tyler Surprised by the outright politicalness of the lyrics of this track. It's extremely direct. I like the sax. The instrumental bridge section lifts this track to a whole new level. Love the hint of psychedelia in there. Great percussion. Good. 4/5 King Instrumentally it's quite cool. Love the groove. The vocals do sort of disturb the vibe at times, especially with the sudden cuts. I do quite like the drawn out reverb effect on them. The lyrics are quite catchy. Decent. 3.5/5 12 Bar Sounds like a nice day out on town. Love the lighter tones. Cheerful and full of colour. The sax melody is really cute. Simple and effective. Good. 4/5 Burden of Shame While the topic of discussion here should definitely be the meaning behind the song, I'll just quickly have to shout out how much I love the bass on this track. The final instrumental section is a fantastic jam. Powerful and thoughtful commentary in the lyrics does a straight forward job at condemning British imperialism. Good. 4/5 Adella A solid instrumental track, though lacking the infectiousness some of the previous tracks had. Feels a bit uneventful, though provides a couple of cool melodies that keep it from getting too boring. Fine. 3/5 I Think It's Going To Rain Today The lyrics are pretty cute, though I'm not sure I like how they are performed. I'm just not a fan of how the vocals sound, feels a bit overdone. The instrumental sections between the verses feels like the highlight of this song. Average. 2.5/5 25% Has a bit of a lazy energy to it. Decently relaxing but goes nowhere. Feels a bit undercooked, lacking any sort of change or dynamism. Average. 2.5/5 Food For Thought Vsiceral and depressing lyrics. A lot of the imagery here is really dark. Instrumentally it's nothing special, it's consistent with the style of the rest of the album. Kinda repetitive. Fine. 3/5 Little By Little I can dig a socialist anthem occasionally. Decently effective chorus. Great bassline. Love the dynamic percussion on here. Catchy. Decent. 3.5/5 Signing Off A decent vibe, owing much of its interesting parts to the bass playing. Decent sax melody. It's fun to hear an extended guitar section in there. Not exceptional, but a fun little jam none the less. Decent. 3.5/5 Madam Medusa Lacks a bit of energy to start with, though I slowly start getting into the theme of it as it goes along. Really digging the final verse, great energetic performance from the vocals. Does however devolve into an aimless and uneventful jam section where it seems to just drag on forever. As much as I like the way the bass and percussion sounds here, it doesn't really keep me interested. Average. 2.5/5 Strange Fruit The lyrics are as dark and powerful as ever. A harrowing piece of songwriting. However this is a bit of an unremarkable version of the song. The vocalist's voice doesn't carry the amount of emotion and visceralness required to perform this song effectively. The way the instrumental works to enunciate parts of the lyrics really works. Fine. 3/5 Reefer Madness The more up tempo feel does feel appropriate for an album closer. I like the percussion quite a lot at times, there are some really interesting background moments. Great bass again. Fine. 3/5 Was honestly expecting this to be annoying and whiny based on their hits, but I'm pleasantly surprised it wasn't that at least. I definitely didn't expect there to be so much political commentary on there, which I thought was delivered with a lot of grace. Starting pretty strong with songs that I genuinely thought were pretty interesting, wether it is political commentary or instrumental atmosphere. I was also surprised at how much the saxophone added to the sound. However this album is pretty frontloaded, where as I feel most of their best ideas were already spent by the time we get halfway through. There's probably 35 minutes of material on here that's actually worth checking out over the course of the album, the rest is uneventful, easily fading into the background. Especially some of the instrumental songs could've been cut completely and no one would notice. I can't say the vocals were ever a highlight either, as at their best they're sort of just there and at their worst they're actively in the way of the groove. The moment a different vocalist comes in with another sort of energy I can feel the song gets lifted significantly. To be honest this album just doesn't have enough going on a lot of the time unless the instrumentals do the heavy lifting, which they're forced to do a lot. And while I have praised the commentary aspect of the lyrical content, the way its delivered sort of makes it feel a bit to casual and dispassionate. In the end it's fine, but also significantly flawed. The album's terrible pacing and bloated tracklist bringing it down. 3/5

4/5. Don’t have a lot of experience with reggae, but I liked it, though I did skip some of the instrumentals as they do sound much the same. I liked the Randy Newman and Billie Holiday covers. The politics was very hard-hitting and thought-provoking.

I didn't mind this at first but it's alot of the same as time moves on.

Fine. 3/5

Much boom. Much chaka. Ad Nauseum. Reggae man. There's too much of it on this list.

A saxophone in a reggae song is a choice. It strangely works, thus proving my idea that every band in the 80's used a saxophone at least once. Some of these songs still hold up. It's sad that they do, but the music is good. The sax really threw me off, for some reason I thought that showed up in later albums. I gave this one a couple listens and enjoyed it more than I expected. It does make me want to hear more of them, so mission accomplished UB40.

This album is an hour too long. The only good thing I can say about reggae is it gave way to ska

No songs on album that I would I go out my way to add on any playlist or listen for my own pleasure.

not the vibe

reggae really sucks, this is horrid i could listen to this drunk as fuck on a beach i guess, but i'd still rather listen to most other things in that situation. I really tried to give every song a chance but they all sound the FUCKING SAME. nice saxophone melody, you hacks

Mid

I'm glad that the dreadful "Red Red Wine" isn't on this album. That song ruined my perception of UB40 for a few years. There are many pretty cool songs on "Signing Off". It could do with more songs with lyrics rather than instrumentals. At least I don't have a negative view of the album. 3 stars for "Signing Off"

Meh

It's not bad, per se, but its not that interesting. I'm getting generic reggae vibes and struggling through over an hour worth of it. It could have been edited down like 15/20 minutes and would have been more concise. I'll give them credit on the lyrical content, but that's the only thing really pushing this to a 3 out of 5.

Never been a huge fan of reggae but definitely haven't spent a lot of time with the genre. This was fine, it seems pretty smooth and mellow, just kind of like background music. Which nothing wrong with that, but nothing mind blowing either. Enjoyable enough.

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

Pretty boring overall to be honest. Every song sounds pretty same-y.

Somewhat enjoyable reggae grooves, but could probably use a bit of a trim.

Ei ole reggae oma juttu, lainkaan, mutta ihan hyvää soitantaa on.

Enjoyable reggae album. Good grooves. Didn’t listen too closely to the lyrics. Some of the harpsichordy synth glisses were unpleasant.

The sound of the keyboard haunts my dreams I’m not so sure this isn’t just one song that they took breaks in to rest before starting up again. They have the depth of a kiddie pool and the range of a car that’s running on fumes.

Oh man, I want expecting this. There's no Rat in my Kitchen or Red Red Wine. It's like they had something to say, then got popular later and make commercial crap. I didn't realise I could like UB40. Bit more dubby, since saxophone. UB40 sieve 214 weeks on the singles charts in the UK in the 1980s. That's like 40% of a decade! Equalled only by Madness, a Ska band. Anyone whining about fake reggae doesn't realise the far reach of African, Jamaican and West Indian culture in the UK. Anyway, of listen to this again. That's a three.

Not bad.

Love their mix of reggae and pop!

This felt like it lacked a lot of the passion that I do occasionally find interesting in reggae.

My biggest problem with reggae is that so many of it feels like it's all the same tempo. This album did not change my mind. The instrumentals were okay, but a lot of the songs seemed like they went on at least a minute or two too long for me. And then there were songs that completely changed direction with no transition, which was a bit jarring. Anyway, _THIS_ is supposed to be their finest work? That doesn't bode well for the rest of their discography. "Burden of Shame"... man, that just seems so apparent to me that it's "Moondance." I can't believe anyone would think otherwise. If I want to listen to reggae, this is not where I would go first: Marley, MAYBE Peter Tosh. Not this. It's just so... vanilla-flavored for me. I didn't hate it, but... it just left me wanting something better. Top tracks: "12 Bar," "Little By Little," "Madam Medusa"

I guess it's more mature than an album full of Red, Red Wine soundalikes, but I wasn't excited about much of it. And if I'm being honest, I kind of like a few of their remakes and I'll bet many people are in that boat. They did a solid job of making a bunch of non-reggae songs their own on their two Labour of Love albums, and I might have been okay (or more okay?) with the first of those hitting this list. This album shows they were more than a cover band, but I'm still shrugging my shoulders.

Blue-eyed reggae that's mostly dull as dishwater (yes, I know the band was diverse, but the lead singer was white and I'm sure that played no small part in their immense popularity). THIS is one of the top selling reggae bands in history? Sigh. Found the album really boring and I'm really glad my first reggae album in the 1001 was Bob Marley's amazing Exodus. Tracks that caught my attention: Tyler, Burden of Shame (first because of the Moondance ripoff, but I liked the instrumental section at the end), Signing Off.

Once again, I'm nit a fan of reggae, but this album had a little bit more quality then others from the list. Great opening song Tyler, few nice tracks later on, actually pleasant groove. One of the better examples of the genre.

Didn’t need to be over an hour long but still good nonetheless, with reggae it’s hard not to make it sound repetitive but I thought they did a good job with keeping it a bit fresh, although making the album shorter would have helped to be honest. Favourites: Tyler, 12 bar, 25%, signing off and Reefer madness, mostly found the instrumentals to be the best ones evidently. Overrall, 6/10.

UB40 are really cool and all, but their debut is still 60+ minutes of reggae, and that's really not my cup of tea. Stay for the political lyrics and deep bass lines.

I actually like both reggae and the political side of UB40, but Signing Off is just too slow and the dub bass too monotonous for me to ever really be invested.

Don't really associate the British with genres like reggae, but this is I guess a modern take on the genre, blending it with electonic music, which has it's positives and negatives. Haven't heard of this band before, don't think they are that famous outside of Britain. Didn't think I would enjoy the album that much once I started listening to it. But the more and more I got into it, the more I liked the easy going, laid back atmosphere it has to offer. This might be considered modern and minimalist reggae and it takes some of the best aspects of the genre, like atmosphere and feel, and blends it with more modern jazzy and electronic sounds. The production is well done, everything sounds well recorded and separated, especially liked the drums. I also liked the addition of some instruments not usually found in reggae, like brass winds and synths. On the other hand, the vocals are somewhat weird to me, they come of as too clean and high. Also, the album doesn't provide anything too special or stand-out in my opinion. All in all, a solid casual record.

The labour crisis of the 80s provided the ideal conditions for a generation of working class, politically astute kids to strike out against the feeling of being surplus to requirements by rewriting the rules of every artistic medium. The precarious labour crisis in 2026 makes it easier to get polymer-infused flat-food delivered to my doorstep by a desperately anonymous cohort of politically disenfranchised anybody-will-dos. Signing Off is both a remarkable album and a document of its time and place … but I love it chiefly as the latter. And that might be because the sound of the saxophone played in that way conjures to mind an image of streetlights reflected in wet, soot marked cobbles on a dour West Midlands street – less a scene than shorthand for a whole range of complicated feelings; or because dub this sprightly feels punk in a way that can only be from the 80s, when punk properly became a way to imagine a whole other way of being; or because from here in 2026 – the unofficial Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment, at least in the White House – the idea of spending a year on the dole practicing songs with your mates just sounds fucking great. But above all, it’s because in the spaces between the rumbles of bass there’s time and space to think. And what I can say with certainty from here in 2026 is that we could all do with more of that.

top ten chillest funnest albums. I'm enjoying! The vibes r rly good and fun although I have to say it's all meshing together kinda.

Love it

Not a fan. Sounded like the same song over and over.

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.

Solid reggae album! Cool that it is a British protest record.

Very good stuff

I liked some of the tracks a lot, but the purely instrumental songs became kind of repetitive/monotonous. Started feeling like a 4 but dropped to a 3 since only a few stand out tracks for me (I Think it’s Going to Rain Today and Food for thought).

It’s reggae and I can’t say much more, though I do appreciate the inclusion of a little tenor, and the interpolation of moondance is interesting.

Torn between a 3 and a 4 star but I really enjoyed the instrumentals so I’ll give it a 4. Standouts were “Food for Thouth” and “Signing off”

Wish red red wine was in this album

Very enjoyable reggae music. 3.5 stars

Pretty good

This was hard to get through. British cosplay reggae.

One of the worst things i ever heard. Its absoluty mental this on the list. Rubbish.

You know, I expected to crap on this. Not enough this being Reggae but the "Red, Red Wine" white boys' version of it? But nah, this is quite decent actually. And I stand extra corrected: legit even. No problems here, 4 stars.

Pretty boring honestly, a lot of the tracks have some cool sounds, but it drags out for so long that it doesn't interest me

I understand the political and social advocacy, but I just can't do Reggae

I recognized the sound but didn't know any of the songs. Not a bad album but didn't especially get into it.

Surpris8ngly good and dub heavy in a way that makes it feel like the missing puzzle piece between Marley and Massive Attack.

Went in expecting 'Red Red Wine' and came away pleasantly surprised by the catchy AND socially conscious songs. Perhaps my expectations were low and therefore easy to exceed, but definitely expect I'll listen to this again.

Boring.

With all the great reggae out there, I don’t understand why this vanilla reggae is on this list. Some of these songs actually started to get annoying after a while. It’s not awful, but there’s better out there.Is it because it’s British? This list seems to be heavily weighted towards British artists, so much so that my previous misconception of Britain being home to fantastic music has been flipped on its head.

Chill in the background.

Enjoyed this more than I expected. No where near as whiny as red red wine

There will be lots of this in this upcoming recession.

Cracker of an album

Some chill songs in there, but seemed pretty repetitive. Several of the songs were pretty dumb, I enjoyed the instrumental ones

I have to give this 4 stars. I was very pleasantly surprised by the very relaxed sounds, having only known UB40 from their singles, which I associate heavily with the late 80's / early 90's soung. However, this album was very solid, laid-back reggae, and while it is too long, it is very good music and fun to listen to.

idk reggae isn't really my thing, but i suppose it was alright overall and i liked the political messaging behind some of the songs standout tracks: King, Food For Thought

good vibes

A vibe, but kinda a boring vibe after awhile. Interesting mix of dubstep and reggae? It started sounding a lot of the same after a while

apsolutno nepodnosljivo svrdlanje po duši. polka za sredovječne bankare.

Ma jel ovo onaj dobar ub40 album? Ajde vidit ćemo😃jebate odličan je album, kakva šteta šta su postali

like most ppl, i know this band for Genuinely Abhorrent covers of classic songs that amount to reggae novelty tracks, so this decently respectable and incredibly politically charged debut was certainly a trip to learn about. im not totally convinced of it still tbh...its too long, and while this Cold And Cryptic mood that drags reggae thru the thatcher administration is kinda cool i ultimately have to be boring and say i prefer the richer and warmer and more culturally rich protest stylings of much jamacian reggae. still, there is an aesthetic to it, its all respectably played and presented (sans maybe some corny saxophone tone but i dont mind that), and theres as far as i can tell a surprisingly dense history of reggae crossing over to br*ton...im not one to speak on it, but apparently its not As garishly appropriative as it initially sounds. UB40's later hits notwithstanding i suppose. i wonder when i'll get the clash on this project!

Interesting take on reggae with a hint of dubstep in the beats. I felt like the bpm was the same on every song so they all kind of blended together. It was not a bad listen though

good background music

My thoughts can be summed up by a photo of a cat with wide eyes and ears flattened back.

Starting the day with some cool vibes is always a good thing.

This was a vibe, not mad at it.

Fun

3.5

Reggae molón de antaño

Decent reggae. No qualms.

7/10 Reggae Album that has lots of quality, but didn’t really have an impact on me. Might be willing to change in the future but as of now I muddled through the album

Pretty mellow reggae. 3/5

Весело и в целом приятно, но будто бы бесконечный альбом. Лучшая песня - Food For Thought.

Cool

Their best and most original album by far.

I learned a lot about British and world affairs by listening and looking up the references in the lyrics. This is an artwork that also serves as a snapshot of society at its time. Favorite picks: "Signing Off", "Madam Medusa"

Good reggae rocketed record

Was prepared for a 4 but the Strange Fruit cover felt a little distasteful

It’s white reggae, so I get why people would dislike this, but honestly that’s pretty good. A little too slick at times, but a nice listen. Best song: Burden of Shame

I was surprised to learn this album came out in 1980—I had no idea UB40 went back that far. Reggae has never really been my thing, but I actually enjoyed this one. While I tend to get burned out on reggae vocals, I have to admit I’ve always liked dub, especially for its more experimental aspects. This album had great instrumentation, particularly the echo-heavy keyboard basslines that define dub. I’ve never really paid much attention to UB40 before, but from the little I have heard, I don’t remember them sounding this good. This album had a rawer, stripped-down quality compared to the more commercial sound they adopted later in their career.

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.

Although nothing really stands out, I quite enjoyed this and the recording (especially bass and drums) is very good!

I love the many instrumentals on here.

Kelpo reggae! Tässä on hauska vinyylipainos jossa toinen levy in eri rpm:llä kuin ensimmäinen 3/5

Yllättävän hyvä reggae-levy. Ehkä tykkäsin tästä vähän synkemmästä menosta. 3/5

Naja, die Mucke mäandert so vor sich hin. Nur bei Food For Thought bin ich kurz wach geworden und dachte: na fein, ein Bob Marley Cover. Aber das war wohl nix. Ok, wenn man keine Ahnung sollte man manchmal lieber nichts sagen.

3/10

really like the groove of this really liked 'Tyler'

Blehh too pop

Really cool Raggae album, really grooving it out. Smooth tunes.

Wouldn't have previously thought I was a big UB40 fan but enjoyed this more than I expected. Really groovy and mellow reggae sounds and the sax player is great. I like the political message e.g. Burden of Shame, and the instrumental title track was also a highlight for me

While they seem very sincere about it, white boy reggae is just not for me.

This album was fine.....feels like it would be ranked exactly 556 out of 1100. Nothing great, nothing terrible.

My only exposure to UB40 before this was Red Red Wine. This is much, much better. It is also very repetitive. I did not listen to the whole two hours, I just didn’t see the point in doing so.

I don't like reggae. (and I played in a reggae band). This all sounds like the same song over and over. Maybe one song has swang 8th notes. And I really couldn't care less about the political lyrics. I live too far away from England, on a different reality to care. I'd probably care more if the music wasn't the same each song over and over. Repetitive and boring to me. 2 stars because, at least, is well recorded, well performed and every instrument sounds good.

this was quite long, the style was okay but I've never been a big fan of UB40, it was okay but nothing that stood out to me.

i do like reggae, but a couple of these songs are WAY too long.

Cool!

I always hated UB40...not for solid reason, just because of their atrocious cover of Kingston town...Now, this band and their debut album were a political statement (which I was unaware of back then). The album is an enjoyable listen, nice sax (for once), meaningful lyrics, I am signing in.

A very nice surprise! I had the memory of a cheesy fake reaggae music from the 80's (think "Red red Wine" or "I got you babe"). Since then I lived in London in the 90's where I discovered a vibrant dub scene. It was a time where jazz, rock, dub, trip hop and all you could see a lot of venues musicians playing along Dj's. So I got to like Dub as well (Aba Shanti) With this is mind this album feels like a precusor and I really enjoyed the band vibes it has. I mean the album really sound like a nice jam session. So I'll give a 4, for the "historical milestone" which is maybe a tad more than it deserves.

How to make reggae boring and at the end annoying…

Relaxing and sometimes boring album. A couple of nice songs

Being quite unreceptive to reggae, approaching UB40 is somewhat akin to listening to Pierpoljak, especially knowing the height of UB40’s career was into the reggae-pop of “I got you babe”. The social dimension of their first album might have appealed to me, but the saxophone, the vocals, this damn reggae rhythm, the ultra-naive denunciations set against music made for smoking spliffs… It might be good within its genre, but I’m not even sure, especially when compared to more authentic works. It lacks of magnitude, listener is never surprised or impress. I just can’t get into it… except “Food for thought, the only tune I kind of like, but only because it reminds me childhood times.

I'm not into reggae at all, looking at the cover I thought it was going to be punk, but I was pleasently suprised by how good it was. Good instrumentation, powerful lyrics with themes weaved throughout the album, and a good mix as well.

Grupo que introdujo el reggae al público masivo combinando comercialidad y calidad, además de critica y compromiso. Una dilatada carrera plagada de éxitos así lo confirma. Este debut es muy bien considerado aunque en mi opinión Labour of love sobre todo el volumen 1 y 2 es más fácil de escuchar y representativo. También sus grandes éxitos entre los que siempre se incluye la aquí publicada Food for Thought

It was okay. Ended up listening to their best of album which I enjoyed better

Marvellous

Good reggae nostalgia

Not my vibe fr fr

Awesome British reggae

Quite good, one of the better reggae albums I've listened too I think the songs went on too long, it got quite samey. There wasn't much need for the instrumentals either

One must wonder what it was like to be a British reggae band. They brought the political and vibesy versions of reggae and applied it to their own situation in England. Britain really seemed to have a movement in 1980 with the popularity of two-tone (soon to be second-wave ska). I love the dedication they had to learning their instruments and being heard. This album was really put together with love and care for their personal mission. 3.5/5

Dub monstre that inspired oh so many with their per-red wine authenticity

An hour of reggae, not really into it

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.

This was pretty good. It gets better as it goes. The instrumentals are excellent. Political, anti-conservative lyrics are always a plus. It’s not the most exciting record, but I can’t hate it.

White boy British reggae, let’s get into it. As I listened to this it sort of gave me vibes of if The Beach Boys decided to go reggae so I was unsurprised when I saw that they were British and not from the Caribbean. The album was solid, nothing bad, nothing amazing, just good. Made me feel a little more tropical as the snow was falling outside but not music I would seek out. Good harmonies and beats, nothing memorable though. Average album for me.

Today I learned that the awful 1980's British reggae band that did “Red Red Wine” released a really cool debut album that was super political, dub heavy, staunchly anti-Thatcherite and recorded under the most DIY conditions imaginable. These are the types of discoveries that keep me doing this project.

Toujours du reggae, toujours non.

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.

After two songs I got the point. Then it continues for over an hour. 2/5

Gear: Moondrop Variations Artwork: 🟨🗃️🗄️ Production: 🧈😊👌 Music: 🏝️🎶🌿🇬🇧🤔💭 Rating: 🗃️🗃️🗃️/5

UB40 just feels so bland to me. I don't doubt their skill but reggae isn't my thing and if I was going to listen to reggae, it wouldn't be these guys.

En su momento este sonido reggae y ska tuvo su éxito, pero entiendo que han sido absorbidos y no destacan. Como pioneros hay que escucharlos. La portada con el formulario del paro que da nombre al grupo es un punto.

Thoughts before listening: 80s pop new wave white boy reggae band. I know "Red Red Wine" but I don't think that is on this album. Of course this list would have an early UB40 album on it. Review: This actually sounds more like reggae than I was expecting. I guess I was assuming pop music with upstroke guitars and some cultural appropriation vocals. That's definitely here, but it's truthfully pretty well done with some cool instrumental jam sections in these songs. 3-stars

3.5

This is a pretty good album. I feel its historical importance is based more on lyrical content than musical content, but the music is good too. The best song for me is Food for Thought. I would listen to this album again. On a side note, I wish there was more reggae on the 1001 albums list outside of Bob Marley.

I like reggae but nothing stood out, a coworker with more knowledge said its one of the worse albums, so im staying level

I like how it sounds, but I think it's too long

I feel like it has a message but it did not reach nor move me. This is the first one I rate one star.

for the record I was moderately stoned.

this band made a career playing other people music. so i have nothing to say and will not listen to it

I think I might be signing off of reggae.

Foundational.

7/10 Signing Off exists in a strange stream of consciousness, with the political connotations of the lyrics, it very much seems to be a conscious record on a psychological level as much as a political level, and that’s what really draws me to the best parts of the album. Reggae as a genre has always been a structure for commentary, much in the same wat Folk and Blues music, and UB40 does a pretty decent job at conveying these themes with an introspective and melodic side, while it may get a bit redundant in some spots, I can’t help but still fall into this zone anyways. Then there’s the Dub aspect, a revolutionary sub-genre that serves to echo and elevate these sounds on a deep liminal level, which make these conscious statements ring that much more compelling. I really just think this liminal space of political thought and working class struggle really does its job, and I’m pretty interested in what more of this genre has to offer. Adding this to my “if a proletarian revolution happens” playlist next to Public Enemy, Dead Kennedys, and Taylor Swift

witte reggae... valt op zich wel mee

Super boring.

A 2 for historical interest

Enjoyable but maybe a little long for the lack of variety. I enjoy the hints of British synth influence in the music. (10 known/17 new)

I was not stoked to see this come up, because I just thought, “Great. White boys doing reggae.” I only knew UB40 from their ubiquitous hit “Red Red Wine,” and dismissed them as a one-hit wonder. Then the music came on. It might be white boys doing reggae, but it sounds so smooth. I was surprised how much I liked the warm sounds, the drums, the swaying I could not help. Initially a four, it dragged for me a bit be the end, and ultimately I felt it was a little too one-dimensional to sustain a 67-minute length. I also thought the inclusion of a “Strange Fruit” cover a bit of an odd choice, and their version does not hold a candle to the original. I’m going 3.5 stars, which in my system knocks it down to a 3.

8/10 Not what I expected as someone who only knows their pop hits. Excellent. Pure reggae, pure vibes. An amazing snapshot of disaffected youth at the end of the 70s in Britain. Dubby bass vibes and keyboard were great. Best: Burden of Shame

I fucking hated this album.

I think my Dad was into UB40, me - not so much! I had a really interesting chat with someone about appropriation verses appreciation of culture in music. I was ok

Was not expecting to love this, but gosh, they were brilliant back in the day

Reggae. Liked it more than one of the first ones I listened to. Take it or leave it.

New to it. A bit of a white boy reggae feel but hey, if the shoe fits.

Lacks energy and all sounds the same.

im sorry. I dont like reggae . I dont im sorry.

The percussion in the track Tyler is lush, textured, and well-mixed. Easily the highlight of the song, though I'll give props to the soulful vocals and light, restrained sax playing. The following track, King is significantly worse in every way – especially on the vocal front. From that point onward in the album, the instrumental tracks (of which there are many) are slightly better than their sung counterparts. The musical prowess of these people is definitely a sound to behold. The saxophone, as a recurring instrument throughout the album, is great. The basslines, while very simple, are fun and keep the music moving. A key issue I have with nearly all tracks here is that there's little variation of musical ideas, particularly in the rhythm section (rhythm guitar/bass/percussion), within each song. That is, a song starts with some rhythm, key, chord progression, and texture – and repeats an extremely precise set of measures over and over for five minutes. Even the melodies are suspect in this regard. The closing track, Reefer Madness, is a good example of this. It has no reason to be more than two minutes long, and even then, I'd call it a repetitive track that doesn't really get anywhere after the first 30 seconds of musical exposition. Most other tracks on Signing Off do the same thing. In addition, given the lack of experimentation with different genres here, the tracks really start to blur together sonically after the 30-minute mark. Which, unfortunately, is less than halfway through the album. Nifty album cover. 3/5 Key tracks: Tyler, Burden Of Shame, Signing Off

can’t beat a bit of reggae, defs adding to the rotation

The band had a great sound and these are brilliant recordings - so lush, full, and clear. Pretty amazing that the band themselves produced something that sounds this good so early in their career. Not really enough musical ideas to carry the whole album. The instrumentals, while they sound great, kind of meander. That said, there are a handful of strong tracks - which is better than a lot of the albums on this list - and it just sounds so f#@ing great.

Solid reggae album.

British and reggae together is like mixing sun and rain...

I mean I think there was some funky beats and different sounds I haven’t heard a lot, however there wasn’t necessarily a part where I said YES this is why it’s on this list! However given that, it was good and I would listen again.

I have to sadly admit that my only exposure to UB40 was through their string of cover hits from the 80s, all of which I hated. I was a young kid and reggae-infused dub was nowhere near what I liked but as I'm a bit older, maybe no wiser, my first foray into what i'm learning is "true" UB40 today is an eye and ear-opener. I'm a music-first listener - always - or...almost always, but the slow chill hypnotic vibe is oddly making me pay attention to the lyrics which are powerful - great and stark contrast to the vibe. The bass playing carries so much of it, as I'd expect (they rolled off any of that high-end on the bass - took me a little bit to get used to it, now I find it essential for this reggae/dub) Only took this through the first 10 songs (Apple has one of those deluxe uber-long versions as the only version available) - really enjoyed it far more than I'd expected. Not a genre I really ever listen to and I'll listen to this again. 8/10 4 stars.

I'm not sure if I don't like dub/reggae or if I just haven't found the right stuff yet. I like Fishmans as much as any other RYMer worth their salt, but I think their dub stuff is just alright. I can only take so much of the same mid-tempo upbeat guitar strokes with the same drum grooves and, in UB40's case, this deeply goofy saxophone playing. and that's not even touching the fact that this is an LP plus an EP, running well over an hour! Signing Off has the same issue that I've had with a lot of other reggae I've tried out, namely that there's just not enough excitement in this music for me to feel all that engaged for that long. it feels a little bit like new wave, with the synths and some subtle sonic manipulations strewn throughout the band, but does every song need to be a chill-out session? can't we crank up the tempo a little every now and again? light 5/10.

I can't deal with this blue-eyed reggae nonsense. They are terrible. Well produced, but awful.

Birmingham Reggae, cool sounds and biting lyrics

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, probably because I’d only heard Red Red Wine and Rat in Mi Kitchen. I grew up in England and the influence of Carribean culture is everywhere. I even commute on a train line named after the Windrush generation!! Reggae and Dub have influenced so much popular music here that there was no reason to shy away from it. Anyway highly enjoyable. Fuck the Tories and fuck British imperialism. Favourite Tracks: Burden of Shame Least Fav Track: I Think It’s Going To Rain Today

Chill

Has a few nice and interesting moments, madam Medusa, burden of shame, and the strange fruit cover being highlights, but lacks a real punch to it in my opinion.

Had pretty low expectations - and on initial listen I thought the songs all sounded the same and it was as a little bit lightweight. On repeated listens it has grown on me and it works really well as background music to work to with a decent groove and not too in your face. Lyrically its pretty interesting when you do tune into the vocals. Its a 3.5 but feeling generous so will round to 4.

Signing Off UB40 are one of those bands that just exist and seemed to have always existed, but I’ve never been that curious about them. I do like One in Ten and Rat in Mi Kitchen, but I don’t really like their versions of Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe or I Can’t Help Falling In Love, which appeared on the soundtrack to Speed 2: Cruise Control. I liked this album though, especially on repeat listens. It’s way more dubby than I expected, I suppose easy to compare them to The Specials as a similarly multi-racial band from the same time, but rather than the uptempo, energetic punky-inflected ska this has a much more woozily atmospheric haze to it. I suppose it’s the nature of the genre that the songs have similar structures and on first listen sound alike. But after a few listens it felt like the songs started to reveal more individual character. Tyler, King, Burden of Shame, Food for Thought, Little By Little and Madam Medusa really standing out, as I started to notice some Jazzy and eastern inflections and some nice keyboard touches, like the almost harpsichord stabs on Food for Thought. The rhythm section as well is excellent, the bass and drum combination on something like Madam Medusa is great. I really enjoyed this, much more than I was expecting I would, the dubby atmosphere and slow tempo grooves are great, suiting the ideological bent of the lyrics and themes. Solid 4. 🖋️🖋️🖋️🖋️ Playlist submission: Food for Thought

On the face of it, a debut album of British reggae, by a few 20 year olds, recorded on rudimentary equipment in an amateur's flat in Birmingham, with 80s social commentary, should _not_ work. But nor should ackee and codfish, but by Jah it does. The UB40 I know is a bit of a light, commercial cover band, with hyper 80s production. It's good to discover they cut their teeth on a genuine album of originals, with some incisive social satire and authentic dub (a few throwaway tracks notwithstanding). Excellent.

Just kinda meh. on the three side of a 2.5.

Chill, but enjoyable.

Moments of musical interest can't overshadow the lackluster vocals and energy. 2/5

Ikke min smag. Fedt at høre noget reggae tho

Man, every time I put on "Signing Off," I'm blown away by how perfectly it captures that moment in time - Birmingham 1980, Thatcher's Britain in full swing, unemployment through the roof, and here comes this multiracial band of friends making this absolutely massive sound in a bedsit using basic equipment. The fact that they named themselves after the unemployment benefit form (UB40) tells you everything you need to know about where their heads were at. First thing that hits you is that production - it's so raw and spacious, miles away from the polished reggae-pop they'd later be known for. The whole thing was recorded on a basic 4-track in the producer's house, but somehow that limitation worked in their favor. Every instrument has room to breathe, especially that distinctive UB40 bass sound. Ali Campbell's voice hasn't yet developed that smoothness he'd later be known for - here it's younger, rougher, more urgent. The album opens with "Tyler," and holy hell, what an opener. It's a protest song about a wrongly imprisoned man (Gary Tyler, look him up), but even if you don't catch the lyrics, that saxophone line is just haunting. The way it weaves around the bass... pure magic. Then you've got "King," which might be the funkiest anti-monarchy song ever recorded. The brass section is just *chef's kiss*. "Food for Thought" was their breakthrough single, and it's easy to see why. That mix of catchy melody and heavy lyrics about global inequality - it's UB40 in a nutshell. But for my money, "Signing Off" is at its best in its deeper cuts. "Little by Little" has this hypnotic quality that just builds and builds. And "Burden of Shame"? That track about British colonialism hits harder today than ever. One thing that doesn't get talked about enough is how much jazz influence there is on this record. Sure, it's a reggae album at its core, but listen to those horn arrangements on "Strange Fruit" (yeah, they covered Billie Holiday, and they had the chops to pull it off). The saxophone work throughout is more John Coltrane than Bob Marley. The political message is front and center - unemployment, racism, colonial guilt, nuclear weapons - but it never feels preachy. These were just young guys singing about their reality and the world they saw around them. It's protest music you can dance to, which is a harder trick to pull off than it sounds. What really gets me is how fresh this album still sounds today. While some political music from this era can feel dated or tied to specific events, the themes on "Signing Off" are unfortunately still relevant. Plus, that stripped-down production means it never fell into the trap of using trendy sounds that would age poorly. The deluxe edition includes the "Graduate" EP, and those tracks ("Dream a Lie" especially) are essential listening too. They show the band experimenting with different sounds while keeping that core message intact. Look, I know most people know UB40 from their covers of "Red Red Wine" and "Can't Help Falling in Love," and those are fine songs. But "Signing Off" is something else entirely - it's lightning in a bottle. It's eight unemployed friends from Birmingham creating something truly original and important. This isn't just one of the best debut albums of the 1980s; it's one of the best British albums period. If you're new to UB40, forget everything you think you know about them and start here. And if you already know this album? Put it on again. That baseline on "Food for Thought" still hits just as hard as it did in 1980. Five stars out of five, no question. They'd go on to sell way more records with their later stuff, but they'd never make anything this vital again.

This just does nothing for me. I kind of get the appeal, though. I can’t see how someone would give this a 5, but I can totally see how it’s a 4. Also this really didn’t need to be this long

Fun to listen to, but the songs sounded kind of same-y to me.

Better than I expected.

Either you like reggae or you don’t. I do. This album is good. Not great. I especially liked the saxophone parts. A bit cookie cutter though.

Better than expected

Huh. Love the british american dichotomy of hits and relevance and fame. See also dexy's midnight runners. I of course only knew red red wine, but these were some socially conscious mother fuckers, huh? Nice. Anyway its all midtempo reggae but competent, hard hitting lyrics and musically the medusa one, strange fruit cover sound a bit different.

What a delightful surprise! Really dig this. Very chill and I appreciate bands who include instrumental tracks.

I really enjoyed this album.

Was really good. Makes me want to get on a cruise ship

Listened Before? N Like most Americans, I'm only familiar with these guys from their few mid-80s radio hits. I must say, I thought they were a novelty act.... they are not. This earlier work shows that not only are they accomplished musicians and skilled Reggae artists - they were already established for many years before they jumped the pond. I really enjoyed this groovy record. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Food For Thought

some crazy sax but reggae is a bit too repetitve for me

not a reggae fan but some of the instrumental songs are fire

relaxing reggae music can see why it would be popular in the 89a

A little bloated. Starts off with an absolute masterwork “Tyler” and only slows down after that. Still quite enjoyable

I liked the brass added to the reggae sound and I liked some of the psych production on this record. I grew up with my parents listening to Labour Of Love II and other UB40 songs so I've heard UB40 quite a bit. This is my first time hearing this record. I just couldn't really get into this one and got pretty bored. The lyrics were pretty good but the vocals kinda bugged me. Reggae has never been a genre that has drawn me in.

This was a really fun album. Ska and Reggae are very formative music styles for me. A lot of this music influenced my worldview and kind of opened the door to other genres and styles. So naturally, I really enjoyed this. This record kind of has all of the elements that I like in a reggae or second-wave ska album. Really fun and groovy bass lines, flowy and progressive brass sections, consistent upbeats and really good lyrics. I really enjoyed this and listened to it twice!

It's a bland reggae album where one song is nearly indistinguishable from the next. It's not bad. It's just not actually good.

Oh so boring. I can hang with a greatest hits compilation (a short, 30 minute one), but I can’t hang with “Signing Off.”

It's honestly just a pleasant listen.

Maybe it's bc it's summer but I really enjoyed it

# Album Name: Signing Off # Artist: UB40 # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Pretty average album if im honest. It doesnt get out of gear. Theres some decent reggae here but nothing too much to get excited about. A bang average middle of the road album. Didnt love it, didnt hate it. # Top Tunes: None. # Would I listen to it again?

Great!

I had to suffer over an hour of this repetitive nonsense, and didn't even get to hear Red Red Wine Disgraceful 2 ⭐️

I went into this with the idea in my head that I hate UB40 purely based on one song. I really don't like 'Red Red Wine' at all, so I didn't think I was going to like this either. After listening to this album I can say that 'Red Red Wine' was a bit more pop whereas this is very much more reggae, and I can confirm that UB40 aren't half bad. The formula doesn't really change. The songs meander a bit much and some tracks are indistinguishable from each other (after one listen) and are just crying out for something to happen at times, but I guess that's just reggae. However, the overall groove was pretty cool, and I was enjoying it more and more with each track. I was really vibing with it come the end of the album. 'Burden Of Shame' is very good and easily the best track on here and the last couple of minutes has a very cool instrumental that I wish was the sound for the whole album. It needed that last bit to make it stand out. It was this track's 'solo.' Why couldn't more of these 'solo's' appear on the album? I actually enjoyed this a hell of a lot more than I thought I would, after audibly groaning when this appeared as my album of the day. I do think I would like it even more after more listens and familiarising myself with it a bit more too, so this is getting a fairly surprising 4 stars.

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

75/100. This is certainly not the best reggae album out there—it might even feel a bit too long at times. I thought so myself at first, but halfway through, I found I’d lost track of time, caught up in the groove. The music had me moving my feet and swinging my head without even realizing it. The album leans heavily on instrumentals, with vocals backing it up on just a few occasions. While the instrumentals are solid, it would’ve earned a higher rating if there were more vocal tracks to add variety and balance.

Nope. Every reggae sounds the same

Enjoyed listening to this one multiple times. Sounds stripped back and quite raw at times. 3.5

UB40 does reggae!

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

• 3/5 • Quality songs, though none that particularly stand out • Pretty impressive and fully formed reggae sound for a new band on their first album

Enjoyed this. More dub than straight up reggae. Mix in the horns and this is a good album overall. 3.5/5 Will listen again

This album was pretty chill; I had low expectations given that I only knew “Red Red Wine,” but appreciated the social messaging and overall chill vibe. Probably wouldn’t revisit, but not bad-2.5 stars.

Raggea on top genreistä koska se ei ole britti indie rock 80 luku paskaa jota sivusto ja kirjat työntävät kurkkuun kuvainnollisesti peniksen lailla ja korvakäytäviin kirjaimellisesti. Onneksi, nyt tämä vääristä syistä top rated genre puski erään tylsimmistä chilling and wibing albumin kuunneltavaksi täksi päiväksi. Chillailu ja wibailu ei ole top 1001 albumi kamaa ja tulee aina saamaan objektiiviset 5 sakaraa, eli yhden tähden. Kumpa voisin nuo viisi sakaraa laittaa 1001 kirjan authorin kyrvästä sisään ja anaalireiästä ulos. Se tuottaisi minulle hyvin paljon mielihyvää, paljon enemmän kuin yllämainitun genren albumit joita SIVUN YLLÄPITO ONNEKSI PITÄNYT POISSA KORVISTANI JO JONKIN AIKAAA... kiitos siitä heille ja jumalansiunasuat minulle, etten genreä kuulisi.

Why is this on here. I like ub40 but why this album

Not bad reggae, Not great reggae

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.

Can only listen to so much. Not terrible but I feel you need to be in the mood to want to listen to an entire album.

The only highlight from this one is "Food for Thought", the rest of the album left me drowsy and bored in the worst possible way.

At first it was interesting. Then it became boring and felt too long

Eh.

While their radio tunes that hit America were good, I just can't get into a bunch of Irishmen playing reggae.

I don't like reggae, not with this voice. The saxophone is ok but I didn't really like it. Every song seemed the same to me. 'King' is the one I liked the most. The album cover gives me a headache

Not quite the UB40 I expected. Political and not mainstream, it’s very good.

Groovy music.

I was happy to listen to this once. Enjoyed the music but gets repetitive. I could see enjoying a live show.

I liked this one quite a bit. I'd always thought of UB40 as the Red Red Wine band, which is fine, but I don't love it. This has a cooler feel to it, with some very nice bass and saxophone, the latter of which I don't normally associate with reggae. I'm not always in the mood for reggae, but when I am, I could definitely see putting this album on, as well as exploring more of their catalog.

While this isn't exactly my style of music, I did really enjoy this one. It's super chill and fun to listen to. I think it is a bit long, I was kind of ready to move on after half an hour or so. But I could definitely see myself throwing this on in the future to have on in the background while doing other things. And I don't get the hate for reggae that comes from outside Jamaica. I mean It's just adding different flavors. People don't get so upset about all the British invasion bands playing blues, why would they be upset about this? Makes no sense. I like the more instrumental songs better. I'm a little too young to get the full effect of the problems with Margaret Thatcher so a lot of the lyrics just kind of washed over me. 3/5

электроника + даб регги + сакс? хз, ну это регги, оно оч одинаковое.. + это британское регги, что типа странно. оч однообразно, саксофон не очень интересный, вряд ли я послушаю еще раз, но буду знать группа стала самый популярным регги группой в мире, что нам опять говорит о том, что если в любом жанре поставить белых мужиков, то это будет популярней всего трушного регги это отстой какой то. спасибо им за популяризацию регги, но это кринж. они типа были хедлайнерами на регги фестах на ямайке ну что это? ну на 3 сойдет

🎧Pretty good reggae/dub album

Drums sound amazing, band is great, music is kinda boring tho.

Early UB40 is quite proper British reggae. Redundant? perhaps but it's still very enjoyable.

I like the British Reggae sound of early UB40 with a little dub reverb, some saxophone, a hint of ska,… kind of timeless.

Didn't mind it in the background.

I really enjoyed this one. UK style reggae done really well. Good stuff, will listen again.

Dank reggae

A solid easy listen. The tracks all kind of blend together as one mega song. Nothing particularly noteworthy, an easy reggae listen with chill beats and vibes

Never been a huge fan of Reggae. It just doesn't really click with me. Overall I found this well made, but boring for my taste in music. Just kinda blended into the background.

I liked this album. The instrumentation is all really good especially the saxophone and the percussion. The lyrics are far more political than I was expecting from the band that brought us Red Red Wine. My favorite songs were Tyler, King, Burden Of Shame, Food For Thought, and Madam Medusa.

This is #day114 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's the last day of autumn 2024 (actually, the end of March 2026), as I've decided to revisit this record after feeling I rated it too low the first time. One reason is that I recently heard a couple of UB40 tracks on the radio station where I used to host a show a few years back, and the name rang a bell. Another is that today I came across a sealed copy of the band's greatest hits, a Ukrainian official edition (the kind of cassette editions I collect), and now I'm hell-bent on scoring it. It's also pretty evident how important this music was in the context of British ska, 2 Tone, and reggae. And, last but not least, I find the sax particularly enjoyable. This is a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day115.

I don't think anything from this band besides red red wine is good

I like dub, so the more dub songs on here are the best. Such as King. However I'm far more into more out there dub. I do not care for the more straightforward reggae songs, they're just not particularly interesting. Ah wait though. Food For Thought is a genuine banger. Great sax riff. I'll have that. Decent Strange Fruit cover. Nothing annoying, generally quite good. Pushes the album up to a low 3 for me.

very reggae, not my style but definitely fun 5/10

Very similar sounding songs, though enjoyable 3/5

Better than other stuff of theirs I've heard. But still, falls a bit flat to me. Sounds technically correct, but kinda... soulless?

Same after same.

They had found their sound here . . . which never really changed much on subsequent efforts.

还挺好听的！主唱（是主唱吗）有几句好缱绻我好喜欢

Some people can differentiate between music that is good and music that they like. I cannot. I hated this album, therefore it is bad.

Not as bad as I thought it would be. More instrumental than I assumed. Some songs with statements, but ultimately too long

Not the best, but enjoyable.

Good musicianship and production just really boring and redundant. Nothing stuck out or caught my attention.

pretty good reggae sound, enjoyed it for reggae, might listen again.

I always forget that UB40 were based out of Great Britain. As a result, this group brings an interesting perspective to the reggae & dub genres. Not only are the instrumental tracks slick and satisfying to listen to, but there is also some piercing political commentary that one would come to expect with the subject of reggae music, this time primarily pointed towards the policies and actions of Thatcher-era Britain. "Food for Thought" is probably the hardest hitting of the bunch, focusing on famine in Africa. I guess UB40 became a bit more commercial after the success of this album, but this was a strong start for them nonetheless. Some of the backing instrumentation did feel a bit repetitive as the album goes on, but the use of the keyboard and tenor sax was certainly a unique take on reggae at this time.

This band has had some hits, and none of them are on this album. It's on brand for them, it's jazzy rock-ish. Good for me for listening in the background.

holy shit what an album!

4/5

Imagine if reggae was boring, it would sound exactly like this.

Oh, the memories come flooding back. Good old Brit-Reggae, before the schmaltzy cover versions arrived. Well worth a listen.

It's fine 3.4

So... Before they became internationally famous for their reggae versions of all sorts of standards--most of them cheesefests of utterly catastrophic proportions, except maybe "Red Red Wine" and "Kingston Town"--it turns out UB40 wrote their own songs. And even that they sounded good, and like a hackneyed, watered-down version of Jamaican music. And all of that even allowed them to find commercial success in their native Britain. Call me surprised. The only cover to be found in this debut is their rendition on Randy Newman's "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" on side two. It's far from being the most interesting track in the album, but I guess that's where UB40 realized that making covers of other people's songs could pay off in the long run. Maybe they felt they were not that good writing their own tunes. Or maybe they just went for the easiest cash grab as the eighties went by... If that's the case, that's a missed opportunity because the band had the potential to become so much more on an artistic level. "Food For Thought" is an immense song, for instance, so moody, so evocative... "Little By Little", also found on side two, is almost as equally awesome. And on side one, "Tyler", "King" and "Burden Of Shame" are pretty good as well, and their topical lyrics also bring something interesting and even moving to the table. Too bad that most of the rest, which goes from lesser cuts to drowsy dub soundscapes that can't be as crazy and ample and sweeping as the ones of Lee "Scratch" Perry, kinda hurts the album's flow... The last track, giving its name to the LP, is surprisingly hectic and lively for a dub instrumental, though. I always have a sweet spot for albums that nicely build up in its last run of three or four tracks, as this one easily pulls off. And then, after the main LP, you have a quite striking EP as a bonus, with the long jam of "Madam Medusa", another topical cover (Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"), and another interesting instrumental with a greasy synth for its foundation. Just as in the LP, there is something definitely gritty in the production values. Somehow, you really see it was made in the grey landscapes of urban Britain. Which soon eliminates its derivative aspect on first glance, not to mention any accusation of that album being nothing other than soulless appropriation of Jamaican music. At least to my ears. Never thought that I would include a UB40 album in my own list. I'm almost done with this project, and some nice surprises are still coming up. That's pretty cool. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums left to review: 14 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 424 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 253 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 313

there's an inordinate amount of repetitiveness in this album, which went on for too long. red red wine is already one of my least favorite songs ever, so this solidifies me as an UB40 hater for life.

I enjoyed about 20 mins of this and then was bored.

It was Ok. 2 of 5

Nice

Even though they did not invent the ‘Dub’ genre, the debut album of UK Pop Reggae group UB40 still had enough reach to bring the genre to new ears in the UK, a big part of which were the politically charged lyrics that tied in with a lot of the politics that happened at that time. They might not have gathered the international fame they would later recieve but “Signing Off” still reached Number 2 on the offical UK Charts and even got to Nr. 1 on the Indie Charts which is no small deal for a debut record. Interestingly enough, the album consists of 2 different records, a normal 33rpm for the first 10 songs and an additional 45rpm for the other three tracks of which one is a nearly 13 minute long track. It might not go into history as one of the best Reggae albums of all time but surely as one of the most important to come out of the UK. ‘Tyler’ starts the album with a pretty interesting and groovy Reggae track that plays with the Dub characteristics like reverb and effects. The vocals come on not all that loudly mixed but still fitting with the vibe of the instrumentals. I really enjoy the chorus as it is pretty catchy and the saxophones also add a lot to the overall enjoyment of the track. Near the last third, the vocals just seem to fly out of the room with some pretty interesting effects before the song suddenly changes completely into a more groovy and danceable song before going back once again for a last part from the original song. It is pretty streched out but it’s still good enough to be considered good in my opinion. The following ‘King’ seems to pull much more from Roots Reggae with the vocal performances but still have the modern Dub in the instrumental of the track. It’s still pretty groovy and I especially like the sax parts but I don’t get why they have to change the song’s sound and structure so often before returning to the original song. It disrupts the listening experience and doesn’t help a song stick out more that wasn’t all that interesting to begin with. Quite the opposite happens because as you expect more, it doesn’t come and makes you dislike the song even more. It’s not totally bad but pretty close. With ‘12 Bar’ they just went all in on the Dub and just put a few vocals here and there but vocals that aren’t typical Reggae at all. It’s more just someone slightly singing in the background for a couple of seconds before vanishing. I do think that these few added vocals destroy a bit of the songs instrumental vibe but apart from that, there isn’t much “bad” on it, it’s just pretty boring and the “bad” parts with the vocals drag it down more than it should’ve. It’s just bad which is a shame because if it was shorter and without these few added vocals, this could’ve been quite alright. ’Burden of Shame’ is with 7 minutes the second longest song on the album and one that sounds more like typical Reggae. They also don’t really mess around with it too much even if some parts do feel a bit frustrating with the way they seem to hint to something but for the most part it stays uninteresting and plain without much making it better or worse. It’s mainly the time that make it drag down the enjoyment but as there aren’t as many bad parts, it stays at below average. They pretty much go all in on the instrumental Dub with ’Adella’ and don’t add a single vocal to it. The song might be a pretty boring one again, mainly because it just sounds so alike to the previous songs without anything new that might break out into new grounds but it doesn’t annoy at any point. It’s short enough to be tolerable in terms of length and the music is pretty enough to be okay to listen to even if maybe apart from the drums there isn’t anything that really makes for a good song. It’s just pretty average. The slow and psychedelic start of ‘I Think It's Going to Rain Today’ introduces a new song that focuses much more on vocals and lyrics than the previous one. It’s a decent and fun track with some nice instrumentation here and there and a pretty neat vocal harmony both with verses and chorus. It is quite alright as it doesn’t stretch as much as songs did on the first side of the LP and doesn’t at all turn to a moment where you feel like you’ve heard it enough. There is a strong repetition but it’s not as annoying as on previous tracks which does result in a solid and listenable song. With ‘25%’ they play a bit more with atomspheric and psychedelic soundscapes at the start of the song and then slowly turn it into a classic mellow Dub track with a very calm side that for the most, does feel pretty repetitive and that very fast with the only big quality being the guitar at certain parts but only if you dig deep. For the most, it is a really sleepy and annoyingly repetitive track that doesn’t have much in terms of quality. ’Food for Thought ‘ returns to more vocals but certainly not with a lot of interesting delivery. The instrumental doesn’t have much going for it and doesn’t sound all that seperated from the other songs, pretty much the “sounds all the same” problem, and the vocals don’t add much either except being there. Luckily there aren’t many things that make the song drag down or annoying but for the most it’s just there and not doing anything with me and probably most listeners. It does get a bit more catchy on ‘Little by Little’ which has a nice hook at the beginning already which does hype up the rest of the song a bit. Sadly, the vocals aren’t all that lovely and even though I enjoy some parts of the instrumental and said chorus, for the most, the song doesn’t really get me as interested in the long term run because they don’t go back to that chorus as much as they should’ve. Additionally, the instrumental bridge does seem rather plain and boring and makes the song feel even more below average. The title track ‘Signing Off’ starts with some really weird chopped drums but slowly adds more and more stuff into the instrumental track before having certain instruments take a main stage presence like the sax, the organ and the bass before returning to a full song. Throughout it there are some interesting sonic additions but the main thing that sets the song apart are these moments where pretty much only one part of the instruments is playing while leaving others out completely. That does make it pretty interesting throughout and only some parts feel like it breaks the tension or the sound with most of them actually helping the track. The result is a pretty decent track that has some nice moments but ultimately doesn’t do a ton of stuff. The 45rpm part of album starts with the nearly 13 minute long ‘Madam Medusa’ which even though it is as long as it is starts off without a lengthy intro but right into the full on song. The song actually has a lot of qualities that go for it: a catchy and interesting chorus, some great drums that really drive the track and make it stay both groovy and interesting and the overall pretty well made instrumentation that stays basic and pretty repetitive for the most part but is really good and the few “Jam Band breaks” in between especially with the drums really help to make the song feel like the length is somewhat deserving. Even though there isn’t a lot of change and diversity within, it is somehow enough to make the song feel outstanding when held side by side with the rest of the tracks. Yes, the vocals often don’t sound as good as they maybe should’ve but for the most, the song is instrumental. At one point it does change into a simpler and more calm version of it that slowly plays the track out and even though it feels not as good as the previous, it still has its qualities and shows that for a pretty long playtime. Overall, the song isn’t perfect but it is a great one and definitely the best one on the album. 'Strange Fruit’ follows with another quite standard Dub track that right after the previous epic seems quite simple and basic. The instrumental sounds like the album had offered it before and even though the vocals are slightly better on here, it just isn’t enough to make the song stand out much more beyond a few pretty neat additions in terms of effects when the main parts of the song feel basic. The song just turns out very average without being bad at any point. Closing track ‘Reefer Madness’ plays a bit around with the melodica but ultimately stays stuck with it just being a basic Dub instrumental that even though it isn’t bad and has it’s moments just can’t do anything beyond a certain point of it which is just amplified by the length of over 5 minutes which is even for a basic song like this just too much. Yes, the instrumental is fine and it certainly has some lovely parts, like most of the album, if it was shorter, it would’ve been better. This could’ve been a cute 2 minute interlude but stretching it out like this just isn’t needed. favourites: Madam Medusa, Tyler least favourites: 12 Bar, King Rating: light to decent 5 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Perfectly okay musically, if rather repetitive; but it's the kind of music that seems to think it's Making A Point, and you know how I feel about that...

I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard any of their songs except Red Red Wine and I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m not the biggest reggae fan but this was a nice easy listen, though the songs feel very similar. Mostly felt like music I’d just have on in the background to mellow out to.

I don’t know exactly where this record ends but my opinion will stay largely the same I think. It does kinda pain me to not give this higher then a 3 cause I love this sound but I just don’t think the songs are that impressive. This is what I’d call a background record, and there’s nothing wrong with that but apart from a handful of tracks, this just doesn’t pull me in that greatly.

Meh, not into this reggae. Pretty forgettable.

Glad to hear that they did more than red, red wine.

This album was acc pretty good. The songs were good and there was some super cool production stuff. Way to go UB40!

Cool reggae cmon. Surprised me pleasantly.

I'm not a huge fan of Reggae, but I am a fan of it's history. This album was a little long for me, but the saxophone and lyrics kept me engaged enough. I think I would rather listen to the Specials.

Was OK, didn't love it.

I'm begging you no more reggae

p468. 1980. 2 stars. Soulless Brit faux reggae that outstays its welcome. Far too smooth and saxophone laden, it has multiple +6 minutes tracks, redundant covers and direct pilfering (the verse melody of "Burden of Shame" is a direct steal of Van Morrison's "Moondance"). Saved from one star by the hit singles.

Reggae and dub recontextualized in 1980s Britian. Recorded independently in the (barely) home studio of Bob Lamb, the 8-piece band recorded the same 13 songs that they had been practicing and performing for about a year. The result is a scrappy, vibey reggae album that revels in its laid-back rhythms and politically-charge lyrics. In truth, I enjoy the dub parts more than the reggae. I think dub's production lends itself better to the atmosphere and tone of UB40. It's definitely a background album for me, but it's fantastic at doing just that.

Nice first listen they haven't changed much from their beginning

Good social commentary but boring reggae music. It it had Bob Marley's fire this would have been great. Instead, it's just meh.

Did not like it at all.

quickly turned into background noise not bad not super interesting YNN

gostei demais