Customer Reviews
Melodious pop reggae - By: Pieter, 15 Feb 2004 
It might not be roots, but UB40 has mellow pop reggae down to a T. This hit-packed compilation includes their early ska-based songs King & Food For Thought, plus all their later successes. Most of their biggest hits were covers of older classics, but they always did a good jobin the interpretation. Red Red Wine, for example, is absolutely brilliant & the same can be said for Kingston Town, Cherry Oh Baby & I Got You Babe with Chrissie Hynde on guest vocal. I also love the humorous Rat In Mi Kitchen & their excellent interpretation of The Doors’ Light My Fire. Although not completely comprehensive, this compilation offers excellent value for moneyin that these tracks really were their greatest hits from a 20-year career. There’s not one filler track & every song is catchy & hummable. If you like your reggae melodic & mellow, this album is a must.
Doesn't Get Any Better - By: , 28 Apr 2001 For me, UB40 are at their very best when writing their own material. But there are certain exceptions to that rule - Red Red Wine, Can't Help Falling In Love With You. UB40 are a band who remain true to their roots, still livingin Birmingham, they also remain close to their musical roots & give due respect to their idols. This album represents a commercial Best Of, songs which have either sold by the bucket loadand is guaranteed to make you dance & sing along. The perfect album by a vastly underrated band, to introduce someone to UB40, every song is infectious & you'll play it again & again.
For me, the highlight is Sing Our Own Song, a tribute to the Freedom fighters primarilyin South Africa, but could also apply to other oppressed parts of the world. This is followed closely by King, which isin a word - SUPREME.
An outstanding album, by an outstanding band - By: , 25 Nov 2000 Having been a UB40 fan for 15 years, I decided to buy this album the day it was released, even though I had all the songs on other albums. This album really does show how talented this band really are. Their new single "Light My Fire", is an outstanding contribution to the album, which I am sure will do well when released as a single.
For any UB40 fan this album is a must & for anyone else, buy it you will not be dissapointed.
UB40 At Their Very Best......... - By: , 23 Nov 2000 I think this particular album contains all the favourite hits of the band. It covers all 20 years of UB40`s hits from the early years up until the present with the imminent release of their new single `Light My Fire` originally released by The Doors...it is a great mix &in fact I prefer this to the original!!. I think everyone who buys the album will be very happy to have this CDin their collection & not be at all disappointed .....it is great value for money having all the amazing 20 tracks on one CD...give it a try, I think even if you don`t know all the tracks I`m sure you will be playing this one more than once & will be pleasantly surprised & singing alongin no time!!. I recommed that you go & buy this immediately, it will make a great Christmas present.
The Very Best of UB40 - By: S. J. Cummins, 10 Oct 2000 It's compilation time again. This is UB40's third pre-Christmas greatest hits album, but that does not detract from the quality of the content. The Birmingham based reggae band have released a definitive collection from a twenty year career that has produced three UK number 1's & thirty four Top 40 hits.
This 20-track CD collects together the pick of The Best of UB40 Volume One & Volume Two, releasedin 1987 & 1995 respectively. It also features recent hits such as 'Tell Me Is It True' & 'Come Back Darling', as well as their new single - a cover of the Door's classic 'Light My Fire'. The compilation comes at a time when Virgin hope to raise the profile of the band, ahead of the release of an album of new material some timein the new year.
For anyone vaguely interestedin UB40, this is indeed a worthy introduction to their music. Hits from the three popular Labour of Love albums are featured, including 'Red Red Wine', 'Kingston Town' & the gorgeous 'Homely Girl'. Other cover versions include their rendition of 'I Got You Babe' & the world wide hit from the summer of 1993, 'Can't Help Falling In Love'.
However, this CD does much to shatter the myth that UB40 are nothing more than a cover band. Twelve of their finest self-penned compositions are included, which serve to highlight the bands' song-writing abilities. From the early years comes their first single 'Food For Thought' & 'King', whilst the album opens with the anti-unemployment hit 'One In Ten'. Other classics include 'Don't Break My Heart' & the African liberation anthem 'Sing Our Own Song', which was performed live at the Nelson Mandela concert at Wembleyin 1988.
The distinctive voice of singer Ali Campbell takes the lead on most tracks. However, the toasting vocals of Astro feature on 'Bring Me Your Cup' & 'Rat In Mi Kitchen'. Long-standing fans of the band will be critical, no doubt, of the absence of some of UB40's other classics, especially more of the political songs of their early years. Yet this CD is intended to represent the wider appeal of one of Britain's most successful, & often underrated, groups. For two decades UB40 have built up a fan base from all ages, races & social groups, selling nearly 50 million recordsin the process.
Whether you are new to their music or not, The Very Best of UB40 is an album that will look goodin any Christmas stocking this year, & will delight listeners both old & young.
Steve Cummins, October 2000
