Track Listing

1. Tyler
2. King
3. Twelve Bar
4. Burden Of Shame
5. Adella
6. I Think It's Going To Rain Again
7. 25%
8. Food For Thought
9. Little By Little
10. Signing Off
11. Madame Medusa
12. Strange Fruit
13. Reefer Madness

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4470 in Music
• Released on: 1993-09-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
Although UB40's later records were much more conventionallypop-oriented, even the group's 1980 debut, SIGNING OFF, doesn't fit neatly in the roots-reggae tradition. The album does feature the expected bass-heavy rhythms and socially conscious lyrics of songs like "Food for Thought" (which condemnsthe Ethiopian famine a full four years before Band Aid brought it to attention) and the gospel-tinged "King". However, lead singer Ali Campbell also essays a left-field cover of the early Randy Newman chestnut "I Think It's Going to Rain Today", a mopey ballad more closely associated with the likesof Dusty Springfield than Bob Marley. Like many classic-erareggae albums, SIGNING OFF also includes deep, heavy dub mixes--in this case, the fiery "Tyler" (which becomes "25%") and "Adella" (which is turned into "12 Bar"). The CD edition also includes all of the tracks from a limited-edition 21-minute EP that was packaged with early vinyl copies of SIGNINGOFF.

Customer Reviews

Before they got boring
The first album, complete with the contents of the free ep record that was slipped in with the original LP.

A reminder of what a great band this was before it became the Reggae equivalent of Status Quo.

Fabulous songs beautifully presented. All that lush saxaphone riffing and passion.

A mighty rhythm machine. The only UB40 album you need.

UB40 at their best
This is my favourite UB40 album, it sounds as though they're playing in your living room, very rootsy and Earl on Bass in pumping it very loudly. I truely believe that this album ranks alongside all-time reggae classics from Marley, Dennis Brown. This album opened up the way for a lot of artists in the UK to follow suite. Ali's voice sounds excellent and the band as a whole sound raw and full of genuine energy. There are so many highlights on this album (every instrumental for instance), but if I was forced to pick just one, it would have to be the fantastic King - a moving tribute to Martin Luthur King.

awesome album
before they settled into a blander niche, ub40 were a mighty british reggae band with the avowed intention of bringing dub into the charts and the mainstream. how they succeeded! tyler, king, food for thought and burden of shame were heartfelt political statements of their time set to infectious grooves,weird echoey dubs and ali`s unique vocals. the standout track has to be "madam medusa" which is the finest anti-thatcher record ever(they encored with it at glastonbury 1983 a few days after the tories election victory, introducing it as more relevant than ever), almost 13 minutes long with one of the longest and most atmospheric dubs ever committed to record- simply outstanding and worth the price of the cd on it`s own. signing off is simply one of the finest reggae albums ever made,totally unique and never bettered- buy it.