Labour of Love Vol.3 [CD]

'Red Red Wine', 'Kingston Town', 'Homely Girl', 'Please Don't Make Me Cry', 'Cherry Oh Baby', 'Many Rivers To Cross'... All top twenty hits from the ongoing Labour Of Love series.

The next instalment Labour Of Love III looks set to bring UB40 more single success with 'Come Back Darling' already storming into the top ten. With nearly 45 million album sales world-wide the Birmingham based reggae band continue to add to their impressive record. However, this their 18th album means much more than just commercial achievement.

When the UB's released the first Labour Of Love in 1983 it's purpose was to bring to a wider audience the reggae classics the band had grown up listening to. The late 60's and early 70's represented a golden age for reggae music with the likes of John Holt, Tony Tribe, Jimmy Cliff and The Wailers all recording huge Jamaican hits. That album and it's successor Labour Of Love II (1989) were both major sellers; bringing these songs into the mainstream as well as earning long overdue royalties for the often exploited original artists. Volume Three continues the mission with 15 more classics lovingly performed by a team of genuine enthusiasts.

Critics will question UB40's creativity, pointing to yet another collection of cover versions. However the band have written far more songs than they have covered; last years album Guns In The Ghetto being proof of their song-writing abilities. What separates UB40 from other cover bands is that the UB's have a real love for reggae music, a genre so under-rated and under-exposed in Britain. Labour Of Love III looks set to deliver such exposure.

This volume is perhaps the most reggaefied yet in the series and features many obscure (to westerners) Jamaican roots anthems. The overall sound though whilst obviously dominated by the reggae one drop, is enhanced by other influences. The feeling you get from this group is that they are truly masters of their genre and their musicianship on this record proves that. Other styles do percolate through however, sounds which it can be said have branched off the reggae tree. 'The Time Has Come' for example carries a very noticeable drum 'n' bass element.

Ken Boothe's 'Train Is Coming' is given a suburb treatment by the band; the track given the effect of a steam train. When released as a single in the New Year its next stop could well be the top twenty. The Christmas single 'Holly Holy' is another of the album highlights, combing harmonic vocals with a powerful atmospheric sound.

Ali Campbell's unmistakable vocals slide with the usual ease throughout the album but as ever other band members take to the mike. Percussionist Norman Hassan performs well on Bob Marley's classic 'Soul Rebel', Ali's brother Robin takes on 'Mr. Fix It' and Astro's support vocals are excellent throughout. For me though Astro could have played more of a lead role. Future possible singles include 'Good Ambition' which nearly appeared on volume one and 'Legalise It'.

Peter Tosh's ode to marijuana is a track that the UB's were destined to cover. The band has always adopted a pro-legalisation stance in the 'weed' debate and this track could well be a campaign song. The LP's foreword argues for the removal of proscription, a sentiment that will continue to be echoed by countless 'thinking' people world-wide.

As you can probably detect, I am a UB40 fan and I apologise for my partisanship here. However Labour Of Love III just confirms what I know already, if you are not familiar with their music then the three Labour's are worthy starting points. There is nothing contrived by this third volume either; the band have a list of over 200 songs worth covering, pointing to a future Labour Of Love IV. For now though, all is to be done is to sit back and soak up a piece of musical history.