UB40: ‘Bigga Baggariddim’ Album Review
British band UB40’s 21st album Bigga Baggariddim is characterized by beautifully arranged, groovy Reggae instrumentals, but sadly, apart from the stellar effort of the Kioko group and a few other artists, it is typified by a large number of amateurishly-written songs.
There is no question that Kioko got together, sat down, and dug deep to come up with their track You Don’t Call Anymore , which is about a lost love who gives the cold shoulder and “does not call anymore”. If there is a song on the album, that is likely to “go places”, this is the one as it has all the elements of a hit.
Among other things, it is relatable, has a good hook, structure, and a message and, the lead singer has good clarity and elocution. His opening line arouses suspense and it was evident that the group meticulously penned their lyrics, with the intention of producing a hit song, one that is able to transcend various audiences.
Brixton artist Tippa Irie’s On the road, is also a good song with a memorable hook. The track has focus and the lyrics bring back memories of tunes of the late 70s/1980s. It is a love song about him not cheating on his girl, as he is committed to her only.
Inner Circle’s Rebel Love is an OK song, but it is not the iconic group’s best effort. Me Nah Leave Yet featuring Gilly G, is listenable, but is not unforgettable.
Blvk H3ro’s I’m Alright was a pleasure. His voice is crystal clear on this track, reminiscent of Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, as he belts out how there will always be progress “as long as Jah is by my side”. He also had two other tracks on the album: Gravy Train and What Happened To The Have Not’s?
Slinger’s attempt at an interpolation of Papa Levis Mi God, Mi King and the rhyme schemes of Supercat and Yellowman, in his song Mi Life Action, falls short lyrically. The lyrics are basic and are centered more on rhyming as opposed to telling a story or making a solid point.
Among the artists on the album are the New Zealand band House of Shem, whose Love You Now, is at best “average” as it is loaded with clichés and overused words that easily go with each other, likewise Good Vibes Tonight. Their other song Message Of Love has an OK hook and there are elements of Bunny Wailers hit song Cool Runnings noticeably woven into that track.
One key factor in songwriting is that “not everything has to rhyme. And so, while General Zooz got a nice bouncy beat in Roots Rock Reggae , that could carry almost any song and belts out about his love for Jamaica and Reggae, again, there seems to be a deficit in songwriting, as the song carries only basic lines, which follow Papa Levi’s rhyme schemes. One verse of this song, in particular, is starkly reminiscent of Skillibeng’s much-ridiculed song titled Yo.
Zooz sings:
Tell me can you feel the bassline/Does it make you move your waistline
Ready to leave your troubles behind/Well then this must be a sign
Well this must be one thing for sure/You knock on my door
Cause I can guarantee that you come back for more
Whether you rich or you poor/Twelve or sixty-four
We gonna dance all night till our feet get sore”
While writing a song with unforgettable melodies and creative lyrics can be challenging, it is obvious that there was more work that could have been done, evidenced in the tracks Did you see that? By Pablo Rider; My Best Friend’s Girl featuring Winston Francis and Show And Prove by Leno Banton.
So, if you are expecting punchlines or any really witty metaphors, solid lyrical hooks, and structure throughout all 15 songs, you will find this in a few. What you will find throughout the album though, is cadence, as it is the instrumentals that are really the “star of the show”.
Apart from that, the vibes-y Reggae beats on the all-male album would make for good background music on a tropical resort. Take away the beat and listen to the lyrics only, and many of the songs would be laughable. The album gets a 3/5.