UB40
Rat in the Kitchen

THE REVIEW

In the brewery, I'm always afraid of listening to terrible music. But what a surprise the other night to hear the white reggae of UB40. The bouncy background of the intro to Rat in the Kitchen put me in a good mood. Sipping a "Rata Vuloira," a beer as dark as pitch with an intense flavor, I smiled. The guy next to me starts off by saying, "UB40 are great." "Yeah, look, I had this album, and I remember it all, from the first to the last track." We exchanged a few words about this band from Birmingham, which, in the '80s, went against the grain by writing high-quality reggae pieces. All of a sudden, the guy changes the subject and asks if I want a crate of Prosecco. "No, I just don't like Prosecco." But insisting, he tells me he'll give it to me as a gift. "I don't drink Prosecco." "But it’s a gift." "No, thanks, really." "A free crate of Prosecco is not something you refuse. Come on, accept it. It's a gift." Hesitating, I say, "Well, alright, then, thanks." "Yes, but I wanted to ask you for a favor." Here we go, I think to myself. There's always a catch. I look at him with a questioning expression. "I wanted to know if you could stroke my c**** in return." Crazy stuff. There are shameless people out there, wild lunatics that make your blood boil.

Instead, UB40 always manage to cheer me up. Always. An English band formed in '77 that took its name from the unemployment benefit forms (hence UB40). With the track Red Wine in '83, they even topped the UK Hit Parade. This album from '86 is a whirlwind of pleasant sounds that blend with the Jamaican rhythm. All I Want to Do opens the work, and it's pure pleasure. Watchdogs is a wave at sea that engages you to the point of putting it on loop for eternity. The title track has a sax ending that reeks of "Pakistani smoke".

Cover? To die for!!!

If you want, we can listen to it together. You're all invited to my place. Also because I have a crate of Prosecco to get rid of.