Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Spurðu mig fyrir helgi hvað mér finnist um ska og ég segi þér að það sé ekki skemmtilegt. Og svo er þessi plata bara ljómandi skemmtileg, gæti vel hlustað oftar. Enjoy yourself í upphafi og í lokin er lang sísti hluti annars ágætrar plötu.
Fun album
Eins og clash
HL: "Man at C&A", "Do Nothing", "Stereotype", "I Can't Stand It", "Rat Race" (bonus) Even more Specials! Oh good, I was just thinking I haven't heard some good trombone in a while. It's an album with an identity crisis, but I enjoyed this more than the 1st Specials. The kitschy synths in songs like "I Can't Stand It" just put me in a better mood somehow. I was a little put out upon realizing that "Ghost Town" isn't actually on this, and was recorded ca. a year later, but "Man at C&A" has a similar ominous vibe. Like dark clouds on a sweltering summer day Maybe it's because of all the times they refer to nuclear war October 21, 2023
Loved this album, especially at is most political.
I was surprised to find that I didn’t recognise any track titles on this album. I’d consider myself a fan of The Specials, but I guess I must have just not come across this album before. I’m general, I find it hard to understand how anybody could dislike ska. It’s the happiest genre! One of my first album purchases was a ska compilation album called 2 Much 2 Tone. I’m a bit sad that I’ve lost that over the years. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Pearl’s Cafe, Hey Little Rich Girl This is exactly what I hoped it would be. Generally happy music, some tongue in cheek lyrics with bittersweet tones. I especially enjoyed Pearl’s cafe and the story of Pearl, and the “It’s all a load of bollocks” hooks have been in my head since listening. The Specials truly were something… well, special.
An absolutely banging album! And features Do Nothing, my favourite Specials song. What a legendary band and one of the few really great musical exports of Coventry. The unique style and social commentary is just excellent, plus the splashes of humour. This was a joy
Though the group splintered because if it not long after, the Specials’ second album benefits from the various styles contributed by each member. Trip hop’s grandpa.
3.5 liked the reggae vibes
Not much to say about here. I do like the album’s concepts and mix of ska, reggae & new-wave, along with songs like “Mant at C&A” and “Pearl’s Cafe”. The rest of the album sounded good, but it just doesn’t sound like my type of thing.
I love The Specials and was really upset when Terry Hall died so young last year. They played mostly ska but also experimental and brave, I loved Hall’s laconic style, world-weary, worn and bitter but with that angry political bite. This isn’t their best album but it has some great tunes on it. I was so glad to see them live for their 30th year reunion tour back in 2009. They had the audience up and dancing and totally captivated the whole time. For that memory alone I doff my cap.
This was lots of fun. I went in expecting not to love it, but I related to the band's sense of of humor and sensibilities and will certainly seek out more. It's almost like they had no blueprint, like they're the first band ever, as their ideas of what a song is and how to write lyrics and what's supposed to happen next seems very much their own. Special indeed.
I am loving the 80s albums we are being fed recently. Living through that decade I lamented not being around for the music being produced two decades prior. This 1001 endeavor has revealed I was right there in the middle of some great music. Ska was a genre that intimidated me. Felt so British and like something I wasn't cool enough to get into. (Damn you stupid adolescent internal voices!) I enjoyed this album a lot and recognized so many of the songs. Adolescent voice be damned...now I am cool enough for ska!
I liked this more than the first one by them; a little more Reggae, a little more variety of sound in general
Mixed bag, great and weird
pretty great but you gotta be in the mood for it
Very good
I found the music kind of quirky, so I really wanted to love it, but at times it also irritated me a little, so I couldn’t fall in love. I’ll guess I’ll settle for like.
Wow… this is quite a thing… I certainly consider this something to listen to before I die thanks to its crazy sort of loungey-Muzak-ska mishmash. I’m not sure if there is a lack of coherence here or if I haven’t listened to this enough to figure it out, but eclectic and unusual suits me just fine! I’m glad to see some lounge-oriented music on this list. Bravo!
I'm usually pretty hit or miss on early ska albums. I like this one a lot better than the last album I got on this list, which was their debut album. The production is much better on this album, and I think it benefits a lot from the diverse set of rock influences that helped inspire its creation. 4/5
Gee this is a fun album. Enjoy yourself!
For me, this lacks the energy, anger and punch of The Specials.. I'd probably not have gone quite as pop-ward with it, but it is still a hoot.
I don’t know what it is about ska, but I’ve always liked it This album was a fun listen, even though a few of the songs have heavy lyrics But like the first song says ‘ENJOY YOURSELF..IT’S LATER THEN YOU TINK’
Amazing talents. Such incredible grooves, I will listen to this album on repeat
Fun album
It isnt my style but i enjoyed some songs of the album
Love it.
When I hear \"ska\" I kind of roll my eyes but I think that's the unfortunate effect of bands like the Cherry Poppin Daddies. This shit is good. Like really good.
A really fun and surprisingly political ska album. Would love to check out some of the band's other works now. 4/5. Favorite Track: Holiday Fortnight
Only knew the specials from their singles before but this whole album is excellent. Really enjoyable and fantastic energy to every song (but especially Enjoy Yourself and Sock It To Em JB)
perfect album to wiggle to fav tracks pearls cafe international jet set hey little rich girl
good funk
This popped up for me around the time Terry Hall died so it seemed somehow wrong to review and rate it. But it's great, obviously, with Do Nothing the best song.
This one was a hidden gem for me. Lots of interest in the variety of songs.
genre defining album
Bouncy ska fun. Turns out I only know two Specials songs, and neither is in this album. But it’s still a good listen.
Great album, not quite like the debut, but close
Wonderful record.
Somebody wants me to be happy! Somebody wants me to dance! And probably get high but no worries, Specials, your brand of upbeat island partytime fun is the only foreign substance I need!
Ska
I love this album, The Specials and ska in general. I don't think it is as good as their first album which is hard to beat.
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this as I don't usually seek out ska or similar. Very interesting album that feels like it changes with every song. I'll deffo give this another listen! Saved tracks: Man at C&A, Stereotype/Stereotype, Pt.2, Holiday Fortnight, I Can't Stand It, International Jet Set
Ska. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
I really liked this. The cover of 'Enjoy Yourself' is a great version of a classic happysad song (the same sentiment as 'Do You Realize??'). It sets the tone of the album, which is eclectic in style and theme, but always fun and bouncy regardless of the seriousness of the lyric. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think) Date listened: 17/08/22
Much better than I was expecting. I am not super familiar with the 2 Tone ska revival from the 1970s and have kind of been dismissive of ska in general, but this is a lot more eclectic and enjoyable than I was expecting. Will check out more from The Specials.
7/10. I liked that all the songs sounded different, but they were definitely better at some styles of music than others.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Stereotype
En la universidad tuve mis tres semanas de querer oír mucho ska “del viejito” y fue que descubrí a The Specials, pero con las descargas de torrents tenía canciones sueltas de varios discos y ya nunca me aventé a buscarlo completo y oírlo, así que está fue buena experiencia. Creo que lo ma más destaca es que no suena monótono. Incluso en la versión extendida que trae casi el doble de rolas, la variación entre ellas es tanta, que nunca suenan dos igualitas al hilo. Y mira que eso es muy difícil lograr con las limitaciones del ska. Quizá parecerá mucho la cuarta estrella pero en verdad disfruté el disco y hasta se queda en mi colección.
That was an unexpected joy to listen to. It had nice hints of 80s weirdness + proto-ska
surprisingly good genre bending new wave-ish. Like if Talking Heads were a ska band that also enjoyed doing spots for kids television
Ça part fort. On est tout de suite dans la fête. Le Groove de Man at C&A est contagieux. On a un bon enchaînement avec les 4 premières chansons. Par contre, la voix sur Pearl's Cafe est moins intéressante, mais la chanson n'est pas si mauvaise. J'aime la guitare sur la grosse distorsion en background. La face A se termine avec Sock It to 'Em J.B où j'aime particulièrement le son du drum. L'expérience jusqu'à maintenant est vraiment agréable. La face B est un peu plus exigeante, mais pas nécessairement mauvaise. J'aime bien le petit beat d'orgue sur Stereotype mais la pièce devient redondante. Je n'ai rien contre les pièces longues, mais faut qu'il y ait une certaine construction intéressante. Holiday Fortnight est la pièce que j'aime le moins. I Can't Stand it serait bien sans les voix. J'aime la basse sur International Jet Set. Peut-être la plus expérimentale du disque. Bref, un album inégale dans un tout, mais je vais sûrement y revenir. J'aime beaucoup le style du groupe.
The hint of ska at in the first 30 seconds made me want to immediately hate the entire thing but I couldn't bring myself to keep it up. Very sonically pleasing.
Really enjoyed having the Specials come up (again) - such unique sound, commentary of the era and taking in their unique musical talent. Very specials.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Good early ska sound. Maybe I’m a Specials fan?
God, The Specials are great! I only heard their debut in full for the first time last year but was blown away. I don't think this quite lives up to its heights, but the opening song kicks things off with so much energy, and the wider range of instrumentation with some more ambitious songwriting (Stereotype, namely) is a really nice contrast to the more direct debut. Also the song where they just list off a load of James Bond titles was bizarre but a lot of fun
The Specials are surely one of the best ska bands to grace the planet. That being said this is a very good album. Not 5 stars but if you like ska you will almost certainly like this.
Enjoyable album but not a genre I’m very familiar with.
Pretty good. Difficult to make ska music which ages well in my opinion, this album is probably as good as it gets.
4.5/5. Shit had variety and energy, I like
Classic
I don't know if The Specials had as much to say on this album as they did on their debut. But it opens with one of my favourite songs about death - Enjoy Yourself so that's a start. Man in C&A is a much dubbier song than anything they did before, and Hey, Little Rich Girl feels like a much poppier update to Too Much, Too Young (nowhere near as good, but TMTY is near perfect). Do Nothing is class. Where the first album was urgent, this feels much more resigned. The play between the cheery ska and the defeatism of a lot of the lyrics is divine. Pearl's Cafe starts like a week track, but a cheeky refrain halfway through makes it work! It then has a possibly pointless, but spot on and joyful James Brown tribute - I AM NEVER SAYING NO TO THIS! Then they just start listing James Bond films. The back end of the album is very genre agnostic. There's easy listening, dub, pop, and a Casio version of the opener. It's a very good album, but not the terrifying propulsion of the first. It's still the Specials, but you can see that Specials AKA and Fun Boy 3 are on the horizon, sadly.
Enjoyed this, not the right weather or time of year for casual ska but still a great album
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would its a really good album with some ace tracks, some fade a bit into the background which is why its not 5
Some fantasic songs. Some throwaways. I feel like I've lost the grasp of my own scoring system....
Super ska album met onbekende nummers voor mij
The Specials are so fun, I love their sound. I hear lots of what inspired Gorillaz phase 1 in this one.
Yeah really enjoyable 3.9
Like Belle & Sebastian if they weren’t the whitest band in the world
First forray into ska music. Interesting and not bad.
Good vibes. Almost reggae pop?
genuinely was enjoying! lol
Ska Klassiker und fast schon genre begründend.
4/5
I've heard of the Specials before but hadn't ever actually listened in. I really dig this. Before listening I was thinking they were Reggae and was surprised but not surprised to find out that it was Ska! I know of the roots of Ska but had never done my homework enough to actually listen in. Very much helped me place other Reggae inspired bands like the Slits in the London scene. So many jams on this record with a fun spectrum of influences. I look forward to tuning into their first album. All are good but top tracks go to Hey Little Rich Girl, Stereotype, and Sock it to 'em JB. Only last note is that I'd like to do more research on the politics of the lyrics!
Love it. Funky dancehall and ska that’s aged perfectly
four star album! fun poppy rasta
Really interesting. The first few tracks I thought really sounded muddy and like they were recorded in a garage or something. The later tracks seemed better. Not sure I love it, but it wasn't bad overall.
Músicas divertidíssimas!
Hey, you are using my project.
Good refresher and enjoyable Ska.
No le encontré mucho lo especial (*duh*), pero es un disco chistosón hasta cierto punto. De repente hay sonidos que se lucen, pero sobre todo lo sentí así, ligero, entretenido. Como música para no tomarse en serio, pero hecha por gente que sabe de música. Al principio pensé que iba a ser todo con vibras un poco de reggae, pero luego se fue diluyendo. Me divirtieron "Stereotype/Stereotype, Pt. 2" y "International Jet Set". Le doy 7.5/10.
Lovely. Love steady rock steady be steady.
This was a fun listen. I liked it a lot.
It's very catchy!
Great album, lots of great groovy tracks. Standout Tracks: Man at C&A, Hey Little Rich Girl, Stereotype / Stereotype Pt. 2, I Can't Stand It, International Jet Set
I’m from Coventry, where every child is given a Harrington jacket at birth. Having said that, I’ve never really liked The Specials - they aren’t rubbish, but just not my thing. This is ok.
Taustamusaa mutta kuitenkin hyväntuulista ja positiivinen fiilis koko levyn ajan. Yllättävän hyvä kasarilevy, bilemusaa. Puntarointi kakkosen ja kolmosen välillä, kellahtaa kuitenkin positiivisen kokemuksen ja fiiliksen perusteella kolmoseksi vaikka huippuhetkiä levy ei suoranaisesti tarjoillutkaan. 3/5
Fun.
Pretty fun! Would give it another listen!
Really interesting, but it does feel a bit incoherent and unfocused.
Album number 904. I feel lazy, but this just seems like a fine album. 3s seem to be order of the day.
C'est spécial.
instruments. groove. mellow.
ik was toch meer fan van hun eerste
Enjoyable and some decent variety. I'm looking forward to their first album whenever it generates for me, but I don't think I'd revisit this one anytime soon.
01) Enjoy Yourself - 7,5 02) Man at C&A - 7,5 03) Hey, Little Rich Girl - 7,5 04) Do Nothing - 7,5 05) Pearl's Cafe - 7,0 06) Sock It to 'em J.B. - 7,5 07) Stereotypes/Stereotypes Pt. 2 - 7,5 08) Holiday Fortnight - 7,5 09) I Can't Stand It - 7,0 10) International Jet Set - 7,5 11) Enjoy Yourself (Reprise) - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,36 (74/100) Current ranking: 418/940
I don't dislike it but im prolly not gonna listen to this on repeat.
This album is a mixed bag, for sure. The Specials try to expand on their trademark 2-tone ska sound, but it doesn't always quite work. There's a few good tunes here, but it doesn't quite capture the magic of their first album. 3 stars.
Great
An exuberant, quirky, playful mix of styles made this an unexpected delight.
Great vibes and some cool experimental stuff from the ska legends. Just a little disappointed in the lack of classic tracks.
Album #172 The Specials: More Specials Though I have made a concerted effort to listen to much of the British canon, one band which I have delayed my exposure to is The Specials. A name which will often come up when exploring the UK music scene of the 70s and 80s, which I often find myself doing. It’s not that I expected to dislike The Specials per se; I suppose I just rarely find myself explicitly seeking out ska or 2-tone. Though I do enjoy myself some Beat, even they tend to wear on me when digested in full album form; because, let’s be honest, the genre can be quite corny. It is essentially just westernized reggae, which has led to many aspiring white rastafarians adopting the sound and aesthetic, and making it agonizingly cringe. However, The Specials are pretty much the foundation of the genre, and judging by the diversity of their group, I suspect the music was crafted with good intentions. So despite me being a bit skeptical, and even more so due to this not being the group's relatively beloved debut, I was pleasantly surprised by More Specials. Around the third track, I couldn’t help but cave into the infectious grooves that the band was presenting me with, and though there were moments of drawn-out parody of ska, like Stereotype Pt. 2, the album remained consistently fun and groovy all the way through. Probably one of those bands who I’d prefer to listen to in a greatest hits setting, but nonetheless this album is a very solid listen, and some tracks are amongst the best 2-tone I’ve heard. Best Songs: Hey Little Rich Girl, Do Nothing, I Can’t Stand It Worst Song: Enjoy Yourself (Reprise) Score out of 10: 7
I liked the diverse sounds and instrumentals with the risk of being hit or miss. Some songs were really a bit too much jingly but I actually listened to this twice so not bad at all.
Was excited about this album after the first track but that was the high point.
Big mood.
A remarkable advance from their first album, taking the core ska formula and building more sophisticated songs around it. That said, just really not my thing.
Solid 7/10
I rly liked the old school sort of jazzy and sassy and funky kind of feel it has to it. I only did listen up to sock it to JB
Fun
Doe die kopersectie weg en het zou fire zijn, helaas helaas... Also zo speciaal zijn ze niet hoor, zeker niet zodanig dat er meer nodig is.
Some of this was very enjoyable and some of it was not my cup of tea. A lot of it reminded me of my least favorite Joe Jackson songs.
I’m not sure what to think…
More of that classic 2-tone ska sound that made the Specials immediately stand out on their debut 2 years prior to this. This album generally keeps up the jovial, nighttime party atmosphere of the debut with a few more with a few more slow, groovy tracks to for added effect. Some songs clearly stick out more than others, especially in the early goings; I find there's a distinct slump in the middle section that makes too much of this come off like a chintzy island resort playlist. Overall it's fine as an album but it's equal parts background music and essential listening - I don't think I've heard too many albums with such a wide gulf of quality. Key Tracks: Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think,) Man at C&A, Stereotype/Part 2
Not as direct / good as their debut. Still okay though.
Glad they exist, but ska always leaves me cold
Enjoy Yourself starts it off pretty fun. Hey Little Rich Girl was also pretty fun. Sock It To 'Em J.B. is a funny James Bond song, that was really fun to listen to. Stereotype was nice. I Can't Stand It was really funny. The Enjoy Yourself Reprise ends it off nicely. Overall a solid album. Best song: Sock It To 'Em J.B.
It was good. Didn't stand out. I liked international jet set but the track right before (didnt even bother to remember the name) was terrible, almost skipped it. I am aware that to a British person in the 70s being sick and tired of seeing "fags" meant something else but I couldnt agree more. 5/10, good but could be better
Aggressively mediocre ska 3/5
Moins bien que leur premier Quelques bons sont quand même 3/5
The best of a genre I typically don't care for
very different of what i have heard lol, starts fun, feel good music. the message of the first song, enjoy yourself while you are still in the pink!!! definitely will need to follow that advise. I liked the enjoy yourself reprise, interesting band.
This album didn’t fully align with my taste, as I had expected a stronger punk influence. It leans more toward a ska-driven sound, with elements that feel lighter and more pop-oriented. However, considering when it was made, I can understand why it’s regarded as distinctive. Its blend of styles and underlying cultural context make it feel like more than just a collection of songs. I can appreciate its significance in that era.
Definitely not special, merely pedestrian and ordinary. Didn’t have to skip any tracks, although I came close on the last few. All really just okay in the end.
This had plenty of fun moments... at times it felt like a 3.5 or a 4. But overall the album didn't hang together enough to move me. Much more likely to return to individual songs than the record as a whole.
Bro Ska is not what I wanted to hear today. I'll give it this, the album has good instrumentstion and i cant say i was ever bored at points. But ska just doesn't connect with me at all, and this sounds like every Ska band I've ever heard. I'd tell others to give it a go, back this feels somewhat lacking at points. Fav Track: I can't stand it
surprisingly not bad
Ska music is inherently goofy. Certain parts of songs sound like a scrapped jamaica mario 64 level. This is not bad per se, it's playful and I kinda like it. However the trackks are just very badly mixed, it sounds blurry like I am trying to listen through a bad speaker. Ghosttown & Friday Night, Saturdaymorning are pretty alright, but this record is wayyy to long to just have 2 good tracks. Still it does it's thing and for that I'll give it a 5.5
It's a fun ska album, but I find it quite tricky to say more than that about a ska album. I like listening to ska every now and then, but it definitely isn't my favourite musical style out there. I haven't really found anything too new or special about it either.
Inoffensive, but why is there more.
Fun album. I like the song where he just lists James Bond movies.
Quite mix of songs and styles ranging from good downwards. The singles were pretty good mind.
Це слабше за перший альбом. Мені десь чверть пісень не дуже подобається. Ще тут є якийсь лаунж-вайб, який мені не те щоб дуже сильно подобається. Плюс головний хіт альбому з кабере піаніно - одна з найменш улюблених пісень тут. Я, власне, і якщо їх слухаю, то дебютний включаю. Цей десь на 3-3.5.
Чомусь попередня рецензія моя не зберіглась. Класно що є 2-тон ска в цьому списку, але це як на мене не найкращий реліз спешлс. Хоча гурт реально топ.
I found myself particularly fond of the Enjoy Yourself message, starting and ending the record with a solid Carpe Diem, an energy true to the Rastafari lifestyle. I wouldn't guess any of these are Rastas, but I do think the essence of reggae has to do with messages of love and unity, and the way the message ended, childish but firm, really made me reflect on the idea. I can admit I got a little emotional, though they didn't succeed at making me cry this time. Overall the way they play with their sound is intriguing here. Sometimes it picks up, sometimes it slows down, it doesn't always work for my tastes but as far as the album itself, it's pretty solid and I could see myself spinning it again. It's the type of record I'd get excited over if I see it on the discount bin, but mostly because of the band itself, not because it's the record my collection needs. Giving the debut a listen again after this one, I believe I find it superior *because* Elvis Costello is producing. After hearing a couple of his albums and coming back to that one, there's a lot of structural similarities. Though, I also highly appreciate the consistent and classic reggae bass that record had a lot more of. 3.4/5
я ниче не добавил но ваще очень даже прикольно International Jet Set очень интересный трекич
Decent album but I’ve heard better from The Specials
Reggae and ska mixed with a little punk.
Nothing special.
A little too special in my opinion
I enjoy ska and these guys have some good energy. That said, I didn't find it super compelling.
I think the Specials are such a great silly little band. I got tired of it by the end and it didn’t have the punchy beats of the first album “The Specials” with hits like “A message for Rudy”, “Gangster” and “Too Much Too Young”. Still, it had some fun spots with “Little Rich Girl” and “Pearl’s Cafe”. A fun time but just listen to the other album instead. Weak 3.
What strange album. Fun listen. Will not be listening again
this album felt like I was on vacation
Zabavan album
Alright, fun enough.
Oh man, more white guy ska. Not even like Sublime-maybe-gets-a-pass ska, but faking-the-Jamaican-accent ska. They can barely get the sound past their British teeth. You can tell they're having fun, though. Which I guess is the point. Favorite track - Sock It To 'Em, JB. Something about yelling out all the names of James Bond movies gets me.
Not my thing
Неплохо, но не мое.
Me gustó mucho el uso de los instrumentos, lo sentí como un soundtrack de una peli de acción
Mucho ska para mi gusto
Du ska sympa mais pas inoubliable
Favorite Track: Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think)
I think I said something similar the first time I got this band but the ska here is fun at first but it definitely overstayed it's welcome a bit which for a 41 minute album isn't great. 6/10
The first Specials album is a work of singular perfection. This one is pretty OK though.
great
not as Special as I had hoped it would be
Better than expected.
Nice stuff
Quite fun but needed a few more bangers, a little tedious towards the end
Classic, influential, and eclectic. But there are better Specials albums in my opinion. Good background listen, but not as gripping to me as others would have been.
algunas canciones están bien pero es muy sin más
3.5 Opening/closing song a bit weak imo, enjoyed most of the rest though
p469. 1980. 3 stars. I always feel I should like The Specials more than I do - great tunes, sharp lyrics - yet somehow my immediate reaction is "meh" whenever I hear them. Just my musical blind spot. Sorry lads.
That was disappointing. I loved their debut album- lots of energy/ spiky tracks with a real bounce. This feels a much flatter / baggier affair with much less joy or bounce. Enjoy yourself sounds more like a pub sing along...
More Specials was the collective noun for Len Houmous’ wives 5-8. 2.9 1/11 Enjoy Yourself
Didn’t massively grab me. Some good songs but nothing I’m gonna rush back to
A nice change after such a bad run but I doubt I'll revisit. 'Do Nothing' is OK. 'Rude Boys Outa Jail' sounds like the kids just before I tell them to calm down. 'Maggie's Farm' is a questionable cover. 'You're Wondering Now' is still great though
Pretty good
It's okay. Didn't get a lot from it. Like generic 80s post punk mixed with ska. Even though they deal with deep, kind of grim subject matter, the ska makes it sound like kids party music. No songs stick in mind.
More, indeed. A mixed bag on this one. I do like the darker songs like “Man At C&A” and “Do Nothing”.
It's OK. I've dabbled with some ska punk over the years and I've tried out the Specials before and wasn't super into it. Gave this a shot. It's OK. The production feels a little muddy at times and often there's just far too much going on at once for me to enjoy it.
Not the biggest Ska fan, but I rather enjoyed this!
I love the specials but I had only listened to their debut as it turns out - and who can blame me? That is simply a no skip album. All killer no filler. Not sure I’d say the same for this one but it certainly still has some real gems! And I’m never gonna be upset at having them on. And what it did illustrate to me is something my entire family have been saying as long as I remember is in fact from a song from this album! When we were tiny we changed the words to rubbish but as we got older we’ve all continued to say ‘it’s all a load of bollocks’ in that exact tune from ‘Pearl Cafe’ so that definitely brought a smile to my face.
Stupid and enchanting. Almost quit after three songs but it grew on me.
I enjoyed it more than the reviews had led me to fear. A couple of catchy tunes but definitely a few shockers.
This was fun. But how many Specials albums do we really need on this list? More hair metal please. 3.5
Good but not great
I enjoy some Specials. I was really into Ska years ago. 3.5 stars
Not necessary.
S'OK. I can listen to some SKA, but not a whole album.
Even after listening to this I'm not sure what to make of it. However, it's a pretty fun listen.
This album is fun, though not as fun as their first, self-titled album. It's not the Specials album I'm going to put on in the off chance I want to listen to them, but I wouldn't be mad at hearing it again. 3/5
Very conflicted about this record. I love just about everything before it and admire what Dammers attempted here by moving away from the two-tone sound he helped to create. But my favourite song on it and maybe my fav Specials song - Do Nothing - is written and sung by Golding and does not contain the muzak affect Dammers preferred. I’ll always be up for anything Golding, Hall, and Staple sang on, but I get the sense Dammers was a better arranger and interpreter of other work (whilst usually requiring assists from a producer - see Ghost Town) than songwriter. Shrugs.
Restless, shape-shifting post-punk / ska-adjacent pop built from brittle synths, stiff rhythms, lounge pastiche, and deliberately awkward arrangements, paired with flat, ironic vocals, moves like flipping through radio stations in a foreign hotel—clever and unsettling in concept, but alienating over time.
Pleasant
Skön vibe.
Funky blues
Familiar with The Specials’ first album, but nothing outside of that really, Ghost Town aside. This was good. An extension of their debut, but I wouldn’t expect anything more. Very English, and very enjoyable. Nice that it gives me nostalgic, UK in the 80s vibes. “Sock It To ‘Em, J.B.” was a highlight. The Specials are always good to listen to, despite them not being a regular revisit for me. Great band and solid album.
The Specials hebben altijd een speciaal plekje in mijn hart gehad. Maar eigenlijk kom ik erachter dat met name hun debuut plaat dat plekje verwarmde. Want More Specials is maar een schim van die energieke 2tone plaat. Het is meer mellow en een mix van invloeden uit andere genres. Een allegaartje. De band lag in scheiding en je hoort aan de muziek dat niemand zich wilde voegen naar de lijn of ideeën van één bandleider. Jammer, het was zo'n mooi stel. De mix van de diep-britse teksten en de zwarte reggae beats vind ik altijd zo vet. Terug naar het debuut dan maar. Die komt vast nog wel een keer langs. Toch nog 3 sterren voor deze maar het viel me tegen. 6,5/10 Highlights Enjoy Yourself
Felt more like a strange journey of the senses than an album
I like this less than the other album. It’s pretty eclectic and a bit bizarre, but that’s part of the fun. Would I listen to it again? Probably not, but I’m glad I have listened to it. Better this than some polished turds I’ve listened to already! Yes, that’s right I’m looking at you Metallica.
Probably not as good as the debut album but still a fun listen. For some reason it’s with this album that I can see the influence this band had on Blur.
Pretty good. I like their version of Enjoy Yourself and the song about James Bond was fun. I like the band's and ska in general's upbeat nature. 5.6/10
Absolutely a fan of the 1st album (5 racist-free stars) and this was the 1st time I've listened to More Specials all the way through. It's good but not great. Somehow, the original energy got lost by egotistical tensions (yeah, Jerry Dammers you an asshole) and the energy suffers. Too bad. But I guess you can't just keep doing the same ol'. Rat Race is exceptional. Otherwise, at best the songs aren't terrible except for the reprise at the end...for fuck's sake stop while you're ahead, boys! As a fan of ska-punk, I still like the rest, more or less better than average. But I gotta blast it down for that last reprise of an already weak song. 3 almost sweaty dance stars.
6/10 Maybe it's not for me but I didn't like it a lot. I just don't see this album doing anything interesting or new for an album released in 1980.
Zeer Specials
Enjoyed this, great ska groove, liked the James Bond track in particular
An ok album, much preferred their first album to this
Fun and a good variety.
Fun
This was nice but for some reason it didn't grab me
The Specials are integral to the 2-Tone sound and revival of Ska music, but this album is not remarkable, and doesn't contain any of their "hits". Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Sock It to 'Em J.B.
Незвичне звучання та досить унікальні ритми. Така музика іноді набридає, але під деякий настрій добре.
Surprising and mostly enjoyable.
Meh
Second and final Specials... supposedly. For whatever reason this website has a third book album from The Specials (archive.md/zvccb), which only has 160 ratings and six reviews. It can't be a user album since all of the reviews are from October of 2020. I've also checked my PDF copies of the 2013 and 2016 editions of the book and it isn't in there either. The genres also appear to have changed following the recent site update, though that could just be an automatic thing. I guess the dev of this website put the phony album in on accident and made it impossible to roll shortly afterwards. I did a cursory Google search for any fraudulent lists which include this insidious, fake album and found this: archive.md/wtVuD. As it turns out, all of the album pages on this website were created with a script that scraped Wikipedia and Spotify, resulting in more than a few anomalies. The fake Specials page was supposedly created since both this release and the live album begin with "more". Interesting. A lot of pages in the Reddit thread I linked were either merged or outright deleted, which explains why some early adopters of this site have an album count which is either above or below 1089. Okay, okay. This is the most autistic thing I've ever done, but I have officially discovered eight fraudulent albums on this site. I ripped all of the album pages from the sitemap, removed everything but the album links using Notepad++ and compared it against the HTML of the albums list (1001albumsgenerator.com/albums), which I had also cut down in Notepad++. Behold! Eight albums you were never, ever meant to hear: Air Traffic - Fractured Life (archive.md/8lxll) Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata (archive.md/okJmn) Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes (archive.md/upkiM) Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Kanye West - FourFiveSeconds (archive.md/VIfgq) The Presidents of the United States of America - Self-titled (archive.md/Up2zI) The Specials - More...Or Less. The Specials Live (archive.md/zvccb) Throwing Muses - Purgatory / Paradise (archive.md/f915p) Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork (archive.md/fncOW) It's interesting to look through these dead album pages and read the reviews of all the FOOLS who didn't know they were being conned. Nobody rolled FourFiveSeconds or The Presidents of the United States of America, so those pages are completely empty. Purgatory/Paradise has the fewest ratings and appears to have been removed first since all of the reviews are from September 2020. All the Young Dudes appears to have been removed last since there's a review in there from March of 2021. For whatever reason, a lot of people listened to Like Clockwork and All the Young Dudes - those albums are at around 1000 ratings. The review at the bottom of All the Young Dudes doesn't have a rating. The review doesn't even appear on that guy's profile. Spooky. I honestly feel tempted to listen to these eight albums so I can assert myself as the supreme power user of this site. ================== Holy fucking shit. I need to talk about the album already. I just couldn't help but blog post about my cool discovery. Anyways, I can decisively say, with confidence, that this is my final Specials album. I don't remember much about their previous album since I listened to it 320 albums ago. "A Message to You Rudy" was a good tune, however. I remember thinking some of the middle tracks of that album were good as well. Since I've said it before I may as well say it again: Ghost Town is a good song. Shame it's a non-album single. I wasn't too big on side A of this album, but side B was pretty cool. My expectations were thoroughly flipped on their head. The album goes from featuring derivative, by-the-numbers ethnic music to sounding years ahead of its time. The album gets these sleek, funky, polished synths that fit the ska stylings like a glove and propel the album into what sounds like its own genre. These electronic tones genuinely sound like something from the late-90s. It's kind of surreal. The songwriting also goes a long way in heightening the impact of these songs. The vocals have a bounciness to them that makes this stretch of the album pretty fun to nod along to. While I'm not sure if an album filled with this style of music would work, I appreciated the 20 minutes or so that I listened to. Good stuff. Book time. Shook up the ska formula. Side one samples many different genres of Black music. Side two is even more varied and experimental, being even more exotic in its influences. It also inspired some 90s trip-hop acts, notably Portishead - that figures. Wikipedia says this album initiated a chain of events which lead to much of the original lineup departing from the band. The Go-Go's feature on this, which is a remarkably strange coincidence since I rolled their entry three albums ago. Alienated some of their audience, but charted well. Has a solid critic backing. This is the beefiest research segment I've had in a while. I was initially skeptical of this inclusion since their debut album appears to be the heavy hitter, but there's some solid reasons for this one making it, too. I cosign this inclusion.
Not really my thing, but enjoyable nonetheless
Yeah, I don't know. It's like Ska is kind of a dumb idea to begin with, but we can all handle 3 minute hits of dumb. Two great songs and some attitude that carry the record.
This one grew on me, less rushed, more patient and mature in ways. I liked the dissonance and creative fill choices 3.5
not very special to me.
Spearheading the Two Tone movement of the early 80s, lots of great songwriting and a bit more adventurous than some of their contemporaries, I was never a two tone boy at school, no Harrington jacket or Fred Perry shirt for me thanks, but you have to acknowledge they wrote some great hits.
Ups and downs but mostly meh
Always fun when the Brits get in on the reggae vibe and throw in some punk. Pretty musical offering here, mostly enjoyable, though there's a few points where I found myself thinking "next track can come any time now."
Solid sophomore effort but I think self titled debut is much more essential. As with a lot of things on this list, there are a lot of things I’d choose over having two Specials albums. That being said, they were highly influential to a lot of my favorite ska bands and I quite enjoy listening to them in the right mood.
3.5
I thought it was ok 3ish
A handful of these are decent. 2.5.
The longer this album went on, the more it grew on me. I went from thinking the whole thing was bollocks to finding some moments I really enjoyed. The sound styles varry pretty greatly. There's some ska which gets old but there's also a handful of catchy choruses and at least one nice keyboard solo. So I'm settling on a generous 3.
Wanted more ska. Was too loony at times.
This one caught my attention a bit, but I think I liked the idea of the album more than the actual album maybe. It didn't wow me and it didn't hold my attention Standouts Sock It To 'Em J.B. 3/5
Not quite as fun as some other ska i've heard.
Haven't come across the first specials album, which I assume will be included since it's much better than this swing 'n' a miss. It's got some good stuff (but not ghost town! even if Man at C&A sounds a bit like it's headed there!) but it's just kind of a mess. Which is maybe why it's here? It's a talented group putting together a mess? I dunno, man. Less than the sum of its parts which is a real death knell for an album, but it also manages to be experimental enough to save it from the dreaded two - some of these sounds are 20 years in the future. Need a radar chart for this one, and maybe some more time. And maybe be a teenager in Thatcher's Britain.
Quite a fun album -- weird but also a number of earworms
Musically adventurous, The Specials expand the ideas of ska by layering new styles and textures. Gloomy lyrics filled with humor, cold war fears, and modern urban decay, this album starts with hope, ends in disaster. A much darker album than expected.
On first listen, I found this a tad irritating but I gave it a second chance and some of the complexities of the album came out. This is a ska album at its core however; there are some moments of psych that make things a bit more interesting. Don't love this but its interesting enough. 3 stars
Crazy how well Sergi knew this band/genre
Absolutely no bangers. Such a downgrade from the debut
izrazito nedosljedan album. prva pjesma ko da ja s nekim pijancima pjevam u kafani. nakon toga postaje solidnije ali je kvalitetno pregrbavo. baš šteta jer ima odličnih momenata. ti su me momenti podsjetili na pjesmu "ghost town", koju sam potom guglao i - gle čuda! - to je njihova pjesma. šteta što album nije više u tom stilu, prava šteta.
This was alright. Really seemed to pick up with the last few songs. I did quite enjoy both versions of “Enjoy Yourself.” Always happy to see ska on this list, even though this almost seemed for ska/reggae in parts. I think I preferred their other album better, but this okay too.
I had already heard the album The Specials by The Specials 200 albums ago. And this is, indeed, more of the Specials. It's good, it's fun. But did we need both albums? No room for another ska band, even?
Gute Unterhaltung.
I enjoyed the song that is basically naming James Bond movies/novels.
This mostly a fun sound. I wouldn't buy it, I wouldn't choose it, but it was a pleasant listen.
As described, more of the specials but nothin special
Nice
good great ska music, good vibes
I find ska in general, and The Specials in particular, really exciting in terms of their background and cultural significance. However, most ska bands, and The Specials in particular, make a type of music that I just don't find exciting. Ultimately, Two Time is not much more than punk rock with a few extra instruments, but without the energy of the original. Still, it's worth giving it a listen.
Fun. I see what this inspired for sure.
Starts with the party anthem "Enjoy Yourself..." which may be the cause of the much derided third-wave of Ska. Then it kind of devolves into a loungey studio experiment where every member the band has a different idea about what to do - as long as IT'S NOT THE THING THAT EVERYONE LOVES YOU FOR!!! How Rude "Stereotype" and the dub contrast is a great example of what this album could have been. It's mostly merely ok, and because The Specials' first was one of my favorite albums, this is very disappointing. Fun Boy Three was a better version of this style, although Terry Hall does a great job on here (as usual).
I’m never going to think to put this on, but it’s kind of ok if it already is playing.
On More Specials, the band doubles down on British ska’s muscular rhythms while gleefully sabotaging any expectation of coherence, turning their sophomore effort into a shape-shifting oddity that’s as frustrating as it is fun. The grooves are still taut and danceable, but the album’s mood lurches from upbeat crowd-pleasers to left-field experiments, getting stranger and more diffuse as it rolls along. That tension works best early on: “Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think)” is a buoyant, ironic opener that feels built for packed dance floors, while “Hey Little Rich Girl” cleverly splices ’50s sock-hop nostalgia with ska’s nervous energy. “Sock It To ’Em J. B.” lightens the mood with horn-driven kitsch, a playful James Bond pastiche that underscores the band’s sense of humor. Still, the album’s scattershot approach keeps it from hitting the sharp, unified impact of their debut, making More Specials an interesting, occasionally inspired detour rather than a fully convincing statement.
Christmas Day selection and as far as I can tell not one reference to the festive season at all on this album. Quite the opposite in fact as the lyrics are bleak hinting at nuclear war or grumbling about Margaret Thatcher (how I wish we had her like now!) As it happens I bought this album at time of release mainly for one track - the extended dub version of Stereotypes. I was into Linton Kwesi Johnson at the time so this track fitted well into what I was listening to then. Listening today amongst boiling sprouts and basting the turkey it is still only this track that grabs me and no prospect anytime soon of dusting off my original vinyl copy. 3/5 25/12/25
First Listen; 3; This is a very diverse and ambitious album, and also fun. I think the more upbeat songs work better for the band. Favorite Track: Enjoy Yourself
need to listen still
I would give this a 3.5 if I could- unexpected sound and really enjoyable! The brass was great
Chill album
My first REAL intro to ska. Very hit or miss but I LOVED stereotype and other high moments.
I think this reggae pop big band with lyrics stuff is very fun and very interesting. It is not "always" likely to be my thing as I think it requires a kind of mood or kind of party to put it out there. There is nothing actually wrong with it and it is clever and fun... but it ... like it IS sort of party only music. I suppose a song on the radio now and then or.. yeah it would be uplifting. Again, and important! It IS fun and it is pretty well done. Maybe the genre is a bit too ... Much, actually...
not as bad as i thought but definitely too long
Goofy but goofy in a endearing and interesting way, just like Madness. 3.5
I didn’t enjoy it as much as their debut album. But even not great ska is still fun.
Fun, funky, ska band that doesn't stick to the predictable ska roots. Would listen again. A couple tracks were great, but ultimately not sure if I would purchase the album.
Ironically, I found there to be nothing special about The Specials to be completely honest. Not bad, but not groundbreaking either.
I associate the specials primarily with the song "Ghost Town", one of my favourites that I listen to over and over again. It's supposed to be on this album, but apparently only on the deluxe version. I've now listened to this album in its entirety for the first time. It was quite fun, but I've heard SKA that I like much better. 3/5
Enjoy Yourself 3.4 Rat Race 3.4 Man at C&A 3.6 Hey, Little Rich Girl 3.5 Do Nothing 3.4 Pearl's Café 3.2 Sock It to 'em J.B. 3.4 Stereotypes/Stereotypes Pt. 2 3.1 Holiday Fortnight 3.3 I Can't Stand It 3.5 International Jet Set 3.4 Enjoy Yourself (Reprise) 3.2 Score: 3.366666667
I find this so hard to rate. I mean, it's fun, bouncy. But the singing is mostly not great. It's ok, but a little talk-y. The lyrics, for the most part, are juvenile. But it's fun. Some are better than the rest, but after listening three times, I'm struggling to remember what the high points/ songs were. If this was playing, I'd let it play, but I don't think I'd ever choose it. Feeling super generous today and giving it a 3.
# Album Name: More Specials # Artist: The Specials # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Just an alright album. Quite fun and boppy but no real standouts for me. # Top Tunes: JB / Stereotype / Do nothing # Would I listen to it again? Probably
La primera cancion me ha saturado un poco, pero el resto del disco me ha parecido bastante guay como mezcla melodias y ritmos diferentes que quedan bastante bien.
This was fun, but not really a record I would go back to repeatedly.
Never rated them that much. Not terrible
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, good fun
honestly why is no one making music like this anymore? it kicks ass
Interesting and wacky. Opening track is great, the album overall though is too strange for me. Not into ska and the musak second half is interesting but not memorable or particularly enjoyable. Appreciate that it inspired some great bands like portishead and massive attack. Before it’s time I suppose
Ska:ta :D Hyvän henkistä ja vähän kieli poskella tehtyä. J.B. style :D Eli James Bond style. Parhaat: Man at C&A, Sock It To 'Em J.B.,
A very eccentric but charming experience. Can't say I'll come back but it was a fun listen.
I'm going through an existential crisis right now. This didn't help.
Listened to this in full earlier, now I'm boozed. So now all I have to offerf is 'secondary school nostalgia' vibes. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Why? ★★★☆☆ (6/10)
Generic, OK for background music.
I like The Specials, and this is a decent album. That said, their debut album is quite a bit better.
I enjoy the Specials, but I feel like a lot of the songs on this album run together.
Definitely the second best Specials album on here - it starts off with some definite tunes, but gets really lost in the second half. Also, Mirror in the Bathroom came on after this in Spotify, and just made me wonder how did two Specials albums get on here and no The Beat??
Fun I think, pretty odd. British reggae but in a way that's not bad, I think because of the different trumpets and instruments they employ
It was fine. It’s one of those records on this list that I guess I’m glad I’ve listened to for broadening my band horizons, but I didn’t come away wanting to give it repeated listens. It is an interesting take on reggae/ska though.
3+ Stars (9/15)
I need to come back to this album it sounded good
Fun for the first 10 minutes. Less fun for the next 10. Somewhat annoying for another ten minutes. And then outright animosity thereafter.
Eh, it was fine. I wouldn't buy it.
It was fine
This album starts off really well, it’s firing on all cylinders straight off the bat, and then it falls into chaos and ends really poorly. I get that The Specials were trying to build on their debut, and it’s starts out well going from ska to dub then getting a bit more reggae, but then it just loses its way completely. I’m disappointed, lads. I’m disappointed. Not sure this needs to be in the book really. The debut was the catalyst for ska/dub/reggae. This is just an album Influenced by the previous one.
04/11/2025 Nothing special about The Specials. Spotify listeners: 3.6 million
Not without charm but also not as good as their album which precedes this. Which I love. At its best this is wonderfully British reggae. At its worst they are listing James Bond movies and slagging off girls with no real aim. Still a great sound
Unfortunately I don’t like this specials album anywhere near as much as their first, it’s a low 3 for me
I never got the appeal of ska.
Fun
A strange and buoyant little album, bouncing between moods and genres. Not all the songs are much good, but it’s a fun listening experience. Best song: Enjoy Yourself
This is okay. Some of the songs are quite straight-ahead and uninteresting. Some of the songs are a bit more interesting, but not enough to redeem the whole.
I know of The Specials because of the dearth of Ghost Town jungle remixes from the 90s, so I get the impression they're a big deal in the UK. I see they have an album of protest song covers from 2021, I'll need to give that a look. First track. I guess this is ska? The blokes-at-the-tavern chorus doesn't grab me. Man at C&A has some slightly trippy vibes that I dig. It's a head change. Or maybe I just had too much lunch and am feeling ill. Hey, Little Rich Girl is fun. It's what I think good ska probably sounds like. Then a few tracks where I don't really get what they're trying to do. There's some storytelling. Stereotype sounds like something you'd half hear from the floor of a heroin house. Maybe all of it is. Alright, that's all I can do. It is Later Than I Think, and I will take their advice and Enjoy Myself rather than finish the album.
The second half of this album has a specific feel: You’re on the one vacation you take a year. It took six months to afford this weekend. You lost most of your gambling money in 45 minutes the night before. You only managed to get one watered down gin and tonic before the bankroll petered out. You spent the first 28 minutes at the pool looking for somewhere to sit. All the chairs are $225 a day or have a sagging bronze heap occupying it. You spent $12 on a Michelob Ultra because it was the cheapest. It got warm in 8 minutes. You swam in the pool. Every stroke past a group of people sends you into a cloud all enveloping warmth. You spit out some mixture and try not to think about it too much. You go back to your seat to find your book missing and one flip flop. A blast of cool sends shivers into your trunks as the scorching concrete yields to cool linoleum. There’s three blisters on your left foot. You wait for the elevator next to two kids and a dad that’s spent 9 years in TRT. The elevator dings. The kids hit every button after they get off on the second floor. Jim Rogan laughs, “sorry brother.” You want to give him a tracheotomy with his kids snorkel. You’re glad it’s filled with piss. I Can’t Stand It by The Specials comes on. You remember sweating out $6 pitchers of Bud Light in skank pits and bumming cigarettes between sets. You stay the whole elevator ride and shake your hips for a sec. Your key card doesn’t work. You pound on the door. One of the six of them will wake up. It takes three rounds of pounds. “Fuck fuck ok…. Shit sorry man…. Fuck. How was the pool?” “Meh. It was fine.”
That was a fairly fun album.
I like a bit of Specials but I'm not sure I love this record all that much, except for a couple of high-spots. Even if plenty of the lyrics are remarkably on-the-nose and prescient with it, there's just something about some of the instrumentation that I can't quite get behind.
Kind of fun but also very inconsistent. A bit all over the place but does enough to earn a pass.
It's fine
not bad 2.75/5
Sadly, this wasn't as good as I'd hoped, or even expected. It's not even close to their debut album in terms of quality. I did make it all the way through, and there was never any moment I considered turning it off, so I think 3 stars is about right.
Early Ska
not normally a specials fan but this album was okay
Specials är kul! Men känns som att det var noll av hit:arna på den här
What a fun and positive album. The dub/island vibe makes it even more chill and completely sets the mood to simply enjoy life while we can and not let the glooms of life bring us down too far. I’ll be revisiting this one in the future.
This was a very fun and cool album to listen to. I gave it 3 solid 'back-to-back' listens. It's like a time capsule for the early 80s. Ska is such a funny/odd genre. It's all a load of bollocks, and bollocks to it all! Loved it!
The songs I liked I really liked! and the songs I didn't like sucked. Overall pretty fun and silly album - glad I listened to it, very different from my usual music taste. Enjoy yourself while you’re still in the pink