UB40: Live at Montreux 2002

Differing from other British 2 Tone groups such as the Specials, Birmingham outfit UB40 put more of a pop or soul spin on ska than the more favored punk (the English Beat borrowed from all three camps). In this 2002 Montreux Jazz Festival performance, they concentrate on old favorites and crowd-pleasing renditions of Motown and Brill Building numbers. The lineup includes brothers Ali and Robin Campbell (vocals and guitar), Earl Falconer (bass), Mickey Virtue (keyboards), James Brown (drums), Norman Hassan and Astro (percussion), and a four-man horn section. As on their bestselling 1983 covers collection Labour of Love, they add reggae rhythms to everything, including The Temptations' hit "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and Al Green's "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)." These up-tempo classics work better than the mid-tempo songs that comprise much of their original material, with the exception of the protest anthem "One in Ten." Although Ali handles the lion's share of the vocals, Falconer picks up the mic to toast on "Reggae Music" and "Rat in Mi Kitchen" (Astro and Hassan also trade vocals on the Slickers' "Johnny Too Bad"). The 21-song set ends with their signature cover, Neil Diamond's "Red, Red Wine.” For an encore, they play two more Labour favorites, Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby" and a version of Jimmy Cliff's yearning "Many Rivers to Cross" (which would have benefited from a statelier pace). While the music comes across clearly, the commentary between some songs could have used a little post-production sweetening, since some words are impossible to make out. Debuting on Blu-ray with DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo sound options, this is a strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)