Rat in Mi Kitchen

Compilation album from the British reggae band combining unplugged versions of their iconic songs and a collection of their greatest hits. This album entered the UK Albums Chart at #17.

The Best of UB40, Vol. 1 is an adequate collection of the group's biggest '80s hits, including "Breakfast in Bed," "Red Red Wine," "Rat in Mi Kitchen," "Food for Thought," "Please Don't Make Me Cry," "Don't Break My Heart," and "Sing Our Own Song." Although it doesn't give enough weight to the group's earliest, edgiest (and best) recordings, it still offers a good sense of the band's evolution into a fine pop-reggae band, and it will satiate the needs of most casual fans. The Best of UB40, Vol. 2 concentrates on the group's '90s recordings…

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 20 tracks. 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).

UB40 have a catalogue of poignant original material and era-defining cover versions that make the band so loved. In 2014, a 20-track collection ‘Red Red Wine: The Collection’ was released and enjoyed incredible success. Four years on, UMC brings you ‘Red Red Wine: The Collection – volume 2’ a carefully compiled sequel to the original release which features 20 further recordings by the chart-topping Birmingham outfit. Featured here is a selection loaded with chart successes, including some of their undisputed highlights – ‘Rat In Mi Kitchen’, ‘Sing Our Own Song’, a much-loved extended version of their UK Chart No. 1 ‘Red Red Wine’ as well as great live versions of ‘Food For Thought’ and ‘I Got You Babe’. It is a fine, unmistakable body of work that has been part of the fabric of the UK music scene for over three decades.