Who You Fighting For? cover

Who You Fighting For?

Released

UB40’s 2005 album — one of the last produced by the original lineup before an acrimonious split — is the most tuneful and lyrically powerful of the band’s long career. Not all of the songs are political, but the most hard-hitting ones are, and titles like “War Poem,” “Sins of the Fathers,” and “Plenty More” (as in “There’s plenty more where that came from/Five megatons of oblivion”) tell you what to expect. The love songs are every bit as fine, though, and Ali Campbell’s declaration that he’s a “One Woman Man” is particularly touching. And the album closes with a lovely cover of The Jamaicans’ “Things You Say You Love.” Magnificent.

Rick Anderson

Suggestions
Return cover

Return

Little Axe
African Dub All-Mighty, Chapter 3 cover

African Dub All-Mighty, Chapter 3

Joe Gibbs & The Professionals
Blackbird cover

Blackbird

Fat Freddy's Drop
Build the Ark cover

Build the Ark

The Upsetters, Lee "Scratch" Perry
King of Ska cover

King of Ska

Prince Buster
King Size Dub 25 cover

King Size Dub 25

Various Artists
Infinity cover

Infinity

Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa
Monty Meets Sly & Robbie cover

Monty Meets Sly & Robbie

Sly & Robbie, Robbie Shakespeare, Monty Alexander, Sly Dunbar