UB40

Who knew UB40 were big enough stars in Holland to play to an arena of 30,000 crazed fans? Filmed on the band's 2003 tour for the Homegrown album, this DVD features 22 songs that cover the pop-reggae act's 20-year career in front of an adoring audience. Like the group, the presentation is polished to the point of being overly commercial, with lots of cuts and slick photography that ultimately detracts from the music. The show is a crowd-pleasing affair, with most of the hits loaded on the front and back ends, leaving the middle for five tunes from the Homegrown release. The surround sound is crisp, the camera work tight if a bit hyperactive, the lights perfect, and the ten-piece band plays with enthusiasm, if not fire. But at over two hours, the approach grows a bit tiresome to watch because of the hyperactivity of the cuts. Some older songs such as the opening "Present Arms" and "One in Ten" are trotted out early, but even they are glossed up compared to the tougher original versions recorded before UB40 found chart success. Interviews with the band along with short, not particularly interesting snippets that describe each song are extras, as well as behind-the-scenes pieces about the road crew and even a chat with a woman who is in charge of the member's wardrobe and dressing room organization. It all looks and sounds like a well-oiled, professional machine, one that has taken reggae to many people who otherwise would never have heard the music. Most fans will be thrilled by the glossy presentation, and since that is who this is aimed for, it's a success on those terms. But others who might have hoped for a tougher, more roots-oriented gig will be disappointed. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide