The Very Best of UB40 1980-2000 [US]

1	I Got You Babe 3:09
2	Here I Am (Come And Take Me) 4:02
3	Bring Me Your Cup 7 Version 4:09
4	One In Ten 4:33
5	Red, Red Wine 3:03
6	Kingston Town 3:50
7	If It Happens Again 3:43
8	Don't Break My Heart 3:50
9	Cherry Oh Baby 3:18
10	Can't Help Falling In Love 3:28
11	Higher Ground 4:21
12	Tell Me Is It True 3:24
13	Rat In Mi Kitchen 3:05
14	Until My Dying Day 3:55
15	The Way You Do The Things You Do 3:03
16	Light My Fire 3:47
17	Food For thought 4:11
18	Sing Our Own Song 3:58

Barnes & Noble

Longtime fans of UB40 won't find much new on this re-repackaged greatest-hits set. Only a cover of the Doors' "Light My Fire" is exclusive to it, and only three of its 18 tracks aren't duplicated by their two-volume best-of. Those who've just discovered the band, though, or only know "Red Red Wine" and perhaps "I Got You Babe," will be amazed by how deep this veteran British pop-reggae outfit's catalogue of hits runs -- and may be astonished by how good UB40's best original songs are, given that they're most famous for their covers. Presenting the songs in scrambled chronology neatly obscures the fact that there's very little here from the last decade (the ill-conceived Labour of Love III is skipped over altogether) and spotlights the group's unwavering allegiance to the pure pleasure of the rock-steady era of reggae. And the smooth, elegant skanking that slides their Neil Diamond and soul covers down like Jell-O on a hot day is a joyful counterpoint to the lyrical rage of their own material, both political ("One in Ten") and personal ("If It Happens Again"). Douglas Wolk

All Music Guide

While the two previous Best of UB40 collections neatly divided the band's output between their more political early period and their later, covers-oriented pop success, they were also only ten tracks apiece. The Very Best of UB40 1980-2000 is the first comprehensive single-disc overview of the band's career, and it's a lot more generous at 18 tracks (on the American version). It isn't arranged chronologically, which actually helps the programming by splitting up the covers over the course of the running order. There's a bit more toughness to the earlier songs, both in the lyrics and the punchier performances. Yet in the end, the sonic differences are subtle enough that casual fans should still be able to enjoy them (unless they only want to hear the band performing reggae-pop versions of oldies they already know). Skimpy though it is, The Best of UB40, Vol. 1 is still the compilation for purists enamored of the band's early work, assuming they don't want to spend the money for the original albums. But with its fairly well-balanced selection and inclusion of all the band's U.S. hits, most American listeners who want a UB40 compilation will find The Very Best of UB40 1980-2000 exactly what they're looking for. [The import version juggles the track listing and running order a bit, excising a couple of Labour of Love II's American cover hits in favor of older songs and reggae covers of Jamaican origin. Also, the version of "Red Red Wine" is the shortened edit, without the toasting break at the end.] Steve Huey