UB40/Various: The Fathers of Reggae

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * )

Birmingham's premier reggae outfit here showcase great vocalists, such as Max Romeo, Alton Ellis, John Holt, Toots and Gregory Isaacs. But it's not quite as altruistic as it appears: the legendary names appear on a selection of UB40 songs (some pretty obscure) and are backed by the band, so while there's a uniformity that a straight all-star compilation might lack, there's also the sense that this is a karaoke self-tribute as much as acknowledging these reggae legends. It's not bad for all that, although some of the material seems a little lightweight, but artists this good can make a fair fist of anything. So mercifully it isn't another UB40 covers album, although in a weird way it kinda is, innit?

Label: Virgin