Yes, it's covers, but we've all heard cover songs of famous songs by bands that later became famous. At times the songs became more famous than the original singers that sang them, thus making the band that covered it known all over the world. Case in point is UB40 that brings an album of cover songs, songs that were made famous by other people.

UB40 has always been an amazing British group, but this Vinyl makes them sound even better. 

As founding members of UB40, Ali Campbell, Mickey Virtue and Astro helped to define reggae music for a generation. The iconic Birmingham reggae troupe topped the UK singles chart on several occasions and sold 70 million records as they took their smooth yet rootsy musical blend to all corners of the globe.

Originally released in 1983, ‘Labour of Love’ was UB40’s fourth LP, made up entirely of the group’s cover versions of songs by some of their favorite musical idols. It includes indelible takes on Neil Diamond's Red, Red Wine, Eric Donaldson's Cherry, Oh Baby, Jimmy Cliff's Many Rivers To Cross, and Winston Tucker's Please Don’t Make Me Cry. One of the standout tracks, however, is a song called Guilty a reggae track originally by Tiger, which details the singer's feelings of guilt as it pertains to a failed relationship.

Going through the main tracks, we look at Red Red Wine, delivered with a drunken sway, the band's cover of the Neil Diamond favorite comes courtesy of UB40 MC Astro and adds so much mirth and fun to the song. I can bet that that many people heard UB40's Red Red Wine before Neil Diamond's original released in 1967. I know I was one of those individuals. The Impressions' Keep on Moving is done in a style that honors the 1973 recording from Bob Marley & The Wailers. Their rendition of The Slickers Johnny Too Bad which I first heard on the soundtrack for “The Harder They Come” is also noteworthy

As for the charts, ‘Labour Of Love’ reached #1 in the UK and #8 in the U.S. and, in 1989, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at #98 in their list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the ‘80s. 

This is a great "chill out" album that makes for easy and enjoyable listening. I would highly recommend it. A complete classic of reggae pop waiting to be explored. In fact, it could be the definitive album in the genre which reggae fans would love. UB40's Labour of Love is still a near perfect album, one filled with warmth and an infectious love of the music it's covering. A near perfect masterpiece from this UK band.

The fact that it sold like hotcakes and spawned several sequels only solidifies that its next edition which followed was ‘Labour of Love’ II. Following the record's success, UB40 have since released three further albums of cover versions under the Labour of Love title.

Release Date:  September, 1983

Duration: 39:52

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira