UB40 are not great innovators, but they are great imitators, and, in a sense, Labour of Love made them the Pat Boone of reggae. Featuring a handsome and clean-cut (by reggae standards) white singer, Ali Campbell, UB40 covered Jamaican standards and turned millions of Americans and Europeans on to another form of black music. Interestingly enough, the album's smash hit, "Red Red Wine," was a cover of a rocksteady cover of a Neil Diamond track. Being that UB40 had the pick of the reggae litter, Labour of Love is chock full of stellar material. From Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" to the Melodians' "Sweet Sensation" to Johnny Clarke's "Keep On Moving," Labour of Love still serves as an excellent reggae starter kit. --Bill Crandall |
