UB40 are one of the few respectable bands who’ve gone about propagating the music that was made famous by Bob Marley. And they’ve done this without corrupting the style or giving into the temptation of re-mixing it, like so many new groups. This, then, is a testament to their amazing effort.
The album is pure and simple reggae - no techno-beats, no rap inputs, no trance add-ons. That’s the beauty of it. The numbers are pretty standard - reggae is that way - but there’s always something different on each one. And of course, the lyrics are worth listening to.
The usual favourites are present, right from “Red, Red Wine” and “Higher Ground”, to their most sccessful song “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. But besides this, there are some other gems like “Kingston Town”, and a remake of the old classic “Don’t Break My Heart”. The other numbers are quite standard, but one can’t help missing the very nice “C’est La Vie”.
The album is meant for those with a real taste for reggae, but can also be enjoyed by people who want to hear “actual” music and not just Britney Spears.
This article was first published on 07 Mar 2001.