Present Arms (album)

Present Arms
Standard vinyl/CD cover art
Studio album by
UB40
Released29 May 1981
StudioThe Music Centre, Wembley
GenreReggae
Length47:09 (Original version)
2:47:45 (Deluxe edition)
LabelDEP International (1981)
Universal Music/Virgin EMI Records (2014)
ProducerRay Falconer, Bob Lamb, UB40
UB40 chronology
Signing Off
(1980) 		Present Arms
(1981) 		UB44
(1982)
Singles from Present Arms
  1. "Don't Let It Pass You By / Don't Slow Down"
    Released: May 1981
  2. "One in Ten"
    Released: July 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStar[1]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[3]
The Great Rock Discography7/10[4]
MusicHound3/5[5]
Record MirrorStarStarStarStarHalf star[6]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarHalf star[7]
Smash Hits7½/10[8]
Uncut8/10[9]

Present Arms is the second album by UB40 and was released in 1981. It spent 38 weeks on the UK album charts, reaching number 2. An album of original songs, it spawned two top 20 hits in "One in Ten" (number 7) and "Don't Let It Pass You By/Don't Slow Down" (16).

Like their first album Signing Off, Present Arms contained many socially and politically charged lyrics, from the anti-military title track to "Sardonicus" which was linked to both President Ronald Reagan and risus sardonicus, an ironic smile on tetanus victims' faces, The UK top-ten hit "One in Ten" was an attack on Thatcherism. The album also touches on a subject very dear to UB40's heart: 'Lamb's Bread' and 'Don't Walk On The Grass' are written as part of the band's longstanding campaign for the legalisation of cannabis. Musically, the album continued in the heavy, reverb-drenched, mellifluous style of the debut.

The title track has been used to open UB40 concerts from the mid 1990s onwards, usually with the blasting horn section beginning the concert.

As with Signing Off, Present Arms was critically acclaimed and commercially successful in the UK.

A dub version of this album called Present Arms in Dub was released soon after.

In 2014, this album is rereleased as a deluxe edition with 3 CD.

In the deluxe edition specifically in the track 13 of the third disc of the deluxe edition, the song "Burden Of Shame" is misspelled as "Burdon Of Shame".

Most if not all CD iterations of the album (including the 2014 Deluxe Edition) have the titles of "Don't Walk on the Grass" and "Dr. X" transposed; "Dr. X" is the shorter of the two tracks, and begins with a count-in.

Track listing LP

All tracks composed by UB40

Disc One (album)

Side 1

  1. "Present Arms" – 4:08
  2. "Sardonicus" – 4:29
  3. "Don't Let It Pass You By" – 7:45
  4. "Wildcat" – 3:04

Side 2

  1. "One in Ten" – 4:32
  2. "Don't Slow Down" – 4:28
  3. "Silent Witness" – 4:15
  4. "Lamb's Bread" – 4:48

Disc Two (EP)

With the original 1981 release was a 12" single (7" single in some countries) containing two instrumental tracks. These were added to the CD album.

  1. "Don't Walk on the Grass" – 5:20
  2. "Dr X" – 5:07

Track listing CD

  1. "Present Arms" – 4:08
  2. "Sardonicus" – 4:29
  3. "Don't Let It Pass You By" – 7:45
  4. "Wildcat" – 3:04
  5. "One in Ten" – 4:32
  6. "Don't Slow Down" – 4:28
  7. "Silent Witness" – 4:15
  8. "Lamb's Bread" – 4:48
  9. "Dr. X" – 5:07
  10. "Don't Walk on the Grass" – 5:20


Track listing CD (2014 deluxe edition)

Disc 1

Present Arms

  1. "Present Arms" - 4:10
  2. "Sardonicus" - 4:29
  3. "Don't Let It Pass You By" - 7:46
  4. "Wildcat" - 3:04
  5. "One in Ten - 4:34
  6. "Don't Slow Down" - 4:29
  7. "Silent Witness" - 4:15
  8. "Lamb's Bread" - 4:48
  9. "Dr. X" - 5:07
  10. "Don't Walk On The Grass" - 5:20
  11. "Don't Slow Down" (Extended Version) - 7:14

Disc 2

Present Arms In Dub

  1. "Present Arms In Dub" - 3:04
  2. "Smoke It" - 3:23
  3. "B-Line" - 4:36
  4. "King's Row" - 4:57
  5. "Return of Dr. X" - 5:23
  6. "Walk Out" - 3:13
  7. "One in Ten" (Present Arms In Dub Version) - 4:17
  8. "Neon Haze" - 4:21

Disc 3

BBC Live Sessions

BBC Radio 1 Session 23/04/81

  1. "One in Ten"
  2. "Present Arms"
  3. "Silent Witness"
  4. "Sardonicus"

BBC Radio 1 In Concert 13/06/81

  2. "Present Arms" (includes intro by Gary Crowley)
  3. "Tyler"
  4. "Food for Thought"
  5. "Don't Let It Pass You By"
  6. "Sardonicus"
  7. "One in Ten"
  8. "Madame Medusa"
  9. "Don't Slow Down"
  10. "Burden of Shame"
  11. "Don't Walk On The Grass"
  12. "I Think It's Going to Rain Today / Dream a Lie / My Way of Thiniking" (Medley)

Personnel

UB40
  • Astro – trumpet, vocals, toasting
  • Jimmy Brown – drums, vocals
  • Ali Campbell – vocals, guitar
  • Robin Campbell – vocals, guitar
  • Earl Falconer – bass guitar
  • Norman Hassan – electronic drums, percussion, trombone
  • Brian Travers – saxophone
  • Michael Virtue – keyboards

with:

  • Neil Black – violin on "Dr. X"
Production
  • Ray "Pablo" Falconer – producer
  • Pete Wandless – engineer
  • Neil Black – assistant engineer

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[10] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Platinum 300,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Ogg, Alex. "Present Arms – UB40". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "UB40: Present Arms". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). "UB40". Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Groves Dictionaries. p. 5562. ISBN 1-561-59237-4.
  4. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). "UB40". The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate Books. p. 1577. ISBN 1-84195-615-5.
  5. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "UB40". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 1178. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  6. ^ Gardner, Mike (6 June 1981). "Present Cards". Record Mirror. p. 14. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  7. ^ Considine, J. D. (1992). "UB40". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. pp. 726–727. ISBN 0-679-73729-4.
  8. ^ Hillier, Beverly (11–24 June 1981). "UB40: Present Arms". Smash Hits. Vol. 3, no. 12. p. 29. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  9. ^ Thomson, Graeme (April 2015). "UB40: Present Arms – Deluxe". Uncut. No. 215. p. 96.
  10. ^ "Dutch album certifications – UB 40 – Present Arms" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 10 June 2019. Enter Present Arms in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1984 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  11. ^ "British album certifications – UB40 – Present Arms". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Present Arms UB40 in the "Search:" field.
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