The Specials

I still remember my brother going into the Wherehouse in Antioch and asking the guy at the counter "what's something new that is really good". He handed Bob this album and it changed our lives. 100/5.

Lightning in a bottle, every song is great and the whole album goes together amazingly. Also a real cultural memento of the times. Amazing stuff.

pinnacle of (sorta) white guy reggae this is completely irrelevant to the album but fuck eric clapton

Good God no

Not great

It's a fun album! Some of the lyrical topics are a little odd, but all in all, I really enjoyed. Knowing that it was produced by Elvis Costello makes sense - it honestly has his feel throughout it. A little ska, little regae, little new wave punk...

Ta guay, tiene buena vibra

It was good, but it all feels kinda the same to me. Message to rudy is an all time classic tho and has one of the best vibes.

More like a 3.5. Had its moment but ultimately I think ska is better live

Favorite songs: A Message to You Rudy, Monkey Man, (Dawning of a) New Era, Too Much Too Young, Little Bitch, You’re Wondering Now

Rudy was a big hit, and reflective of happy music, like Monkey Man. Overall though, not something i would purposely play the whole album for.

평범한 느낌의 앨범이었다. It was an album that felt ordinary.

meh. agradable al oido pero nada wow. 5/10

As a young punk in the 90s there was a certain subsection of the scene who were mad on this album, and old school ska/two tone/reggae etc. I'll admit I never quite got as hooked, although the link between the two genres makes sense to me academically. This is a very fun album, my toddler absolutely loved it, and maybe that's all that matters.

2,4 Highlights: Do the Dog, Little Bitch

Dette var spesiellt, men ganske vibe egt

3.5/5

I like the bands this album/band influenced more than I like this. But I’m never in a bad mood listening to ska

Maybe with a few extra listens this would grow on me. Not a huge fan of the reggae parts of the album.

3 - Pretty okay.

3.5

This album this album for the most part was a slog for me mainly for the most part is I am not a big fan of English wheggae, and I would say a majority of this album fits that bill what I did like about this album. What makes this one better than the follow-up that we did earlier their strength is when really draw into ska Punk songs like "Concrete Jungle" , "Dawning of a New Era", and my absolute favorite on this album and probably the one great song that have in their catalog "Little Bitch". **ONE TWO**. Honestly if the rest of the album was more like that album I could really kind of see myself getting into them but honestly most of it is that laid back reggae sound that makes me just want to put my stereo on fire. 5.45 ★★½

Reggae and ska done by white people is not my thing. 3 stars

I definitely preferred this to the other Specials album. I think this is a pretty cool 2-tone ska album. "A Message to You, Rudy", "Concrete Jungle", "Little Bitch", and "Too Much Pressure" are all really cool. 4 stars.

Not so ‘special’ after all! The odd classic single but the rest is pretty bleh. One of those ‘Message To You Rudy and 13 Other Songs’ kind of deal. Gangsters has got those cool Madness House Of Fun vibes although the Madness one is still better. Little Bitch or the intro at least perked me up a little bit and made me want to put the video of Dandy Warhols Bohemian Like You on. Too Much Too Young goes on for much too long. But at least compared to their second album which has inexplicably been included this one probably a fair candidate for 1001.

Fun, fun album

I had high hopes for this album as it falls into the wheelhouse of a lot of stuff I've liked in this project. And while there was a lot of good that I enjoyed, it was a bit hit or miss for me.

Pretty classic stuff! Very enjoyable stuff! Maybe a 5 at some point but not this one.

I understand and appreciate how this band is/was loved by disaffected and angry British youth. But, to me, it’s just simple and uninteresting.

I don’t like ska

Fun background music

I don't think I like ska

we have LCD Soundsystem at home

nice enough

Reggae/ska is a niche genre for me. It can be fun and enjoyable but I don't need a whole album's worth. The repetition is fatiguing. 2.5/5

Cool and enjoyable enough just not very much for me

An absolute vibe

Ehh... I didn't really dislike it but I don't hear much that's special about The Specials by The Specials. They do have a fun ska sound (and today I learned that ska is an older genre than I realized) and I can appreciate it, but I think I need a bit of time to go back to it and really love the full extent of it. But I dunno if I'll really do that. For now it is still good enough for a 3 out of 5 (above average!)

SKA BABY! This is great. You can feel how they influenced Operation Ivy/Rancid/any 90s ska. Truly enjoyable.

couldn’t tell what on earth this wanted to be. only enjoyed the final song

1 - A Message To You Rudy - 👏 2 - Do The Dog - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 3 - It’s Up To You - 👏 4 - Nite Klub - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 5 - Doesn’t Make It Alright - 👏 6 - Concrete Jungle - 👏 7 - Too Hot - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 8 - Monkey Man - 👏 9 - (Dawning Of A) New Era - 👏 10 - Blank Expression - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 11 - Stupid Marriage - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 12 - Too Much Too Young - 👍 13 - Little Bitch - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 14 - You’re Wondering Now - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 2/5

Pretty sick. Thoroughly enjoyed

This seems like good ska, but it's a genre I don't think I'll ever be that enthused about. I do think ska culture is really interesting though.

Sounded like The ramones at times but also ska.

I feel like the guitar player must have gotten tired of playing the same shit for the whole album.

Strong opener. Mostly enjoyable.

Dad’s favourite album. The best of British ska and such a brilliant band. A message to you rudy is the background track of my childhood so I’m a little biased. But these guys rock

Beetje erg drukke madeness cloon

This ska sounds like reggae for me - and I hate music without personality or creative energy.

Notable Textzeile: You've done too much Much too young Now you're married, with a kid When you could be having fun with me Das Lied ist das ganze Album in a nutshell: das soll politisch sein, aber ist nicht klug genug klug poltisch zu sein, es wiederholt sich alles ständig, dauernd, immer wieder und nervt musikalisch und in seiner Haltung. Ich hab jetzt kurz überlegt ob es was gibt was mehr als einen Punkt rechtfertigen würde. Aber nein. Nix.

Habe ich zweimal angefangen und dann Ska Sucks von Propagandhi gehört. Und dann Punk gehört. Die Specials machen was relevantes in einer relevanten Zeit, aber mit mir macht das nichts relevantes, weder die Cover/Re-Interpretationen noch die eigenen Stücke.

Erityisiähän nää on, mutta harmillisesti erityisen huonoja.

Nää on ottaneet rekeiokei-jutun ja nyrjäyttäneet sen tohon peribrittiläiseen likaojameininkiin. Ihan hauska kompinaatio. Näijen isointa hittiä ei tässä kuultu, mutta tunnelmallista renkuttelua.

Kyllä skata aina mielellään kuuntelee! Ihan hauska levy, ei kyllä jäänyt mitään erityisesti mieleen,.

Old ska?

So excited for this one today, already have a few on my favorite songs list.

This album is Jamaican reggae/ska music. It can get repetitive, but it's also pretty catchy. The lyrics are cheeky at times, too. The beats were very consistent and it was okay to listen to, but not something I'd revisit.

An album very deserving of being on this list. Song after song, banger after banger. Like I said in my review for “More Specials”, they have such an authentic English vibe - so much more so than bands that claim it, or are lauded as such by the press. Lots of great moments on here, and many that will make you move. I initially thought a 4 at least, but on revisiting it there’s no reason why this isn’t a 5.

Good album

this was a great album, some great tunes

Not a fan

Nice for a song or two but a whole album is a little to much for me.

I knew a couple of songs and I’ve seen the Specials live, very recently. This album was pretty much what I expected. Ska is a fun music style and the lyrics were on point.

Another album by The Specials, and this one is approximately the same type of fun as More Specials. There are gives and takes honestly, this is a little more focused, but a little less interesting, more consistent, but with lower highlights. But it is solid overall. And even if this is a little less vareid, it's still a colorful soup of Ska, Reggae, Two-Tone, and what kind of sounds like a little punk influence. Although I must conclude that The Specials refined their craft a little between this album and More Specials. I don't think anything here is as good as Enjoy Yourself, Sock It To Em J.B., Stereotype, or International Jet Set. Though there are highlights here, like Do The Dog, Gangsters, Doesn't Make It Alright, Blank Expression, and more. This is still fun, and still holds up well and stands out among other ska albums.

Dropped it.

#480/1001. Now here is something I never thought about when starting this list: I've met someone who played here. And not just anyone but Rico Rodriguez! I happened to get to know a great guy and superb musician (cheers Fizzè!) in Switzerland, he makes his own blend of world music by recording all sorts of musicians, a lot of them Jamaican, but all things go. So I visited him and Rico happened to be there, I shoot some video while they were recording... Does this make famous now? Or does it make this album better? Well it is mostly fun, although most of the songs are covers, but ska beats reggae every day.

It's fun day at the pub again!

Fav song: A Message to You Rudy

Better than Coldplay

love this album. don’t know if it’s strong enough for this list but still love it

Enjoyed this one. Interesting historical album

Nice to see some ska rep

Very weird to start an album I've never heard by a band I've never heard of and immediately recognize the first line from the middle of another song 25 years newer. I prefer my ska with horns personally. I didn't like this as much as the other ska record I had on here (Madness) and I don't really love when it slows down gets closer to straight reggae. This was definitely an interesting listen and cool to study. I wouldn't listen to it over and over, but it's good. 3.5

2.5/5

Fun album, particularly like Rudy. Not one for repeat listen but I appreciate its place in music history

Really great ska album. Great use of horns and solid rhythms. Definitely liked this more than the other album by them on the list. Entertaining lyrics throughout as well. Favorites were A Message To You Rudy, Doesn’t Make It Alright, Concrete Jungle, Monkey Man, New Era, and Little Bitch.

fun

A fun and fairly enjoyable listen.

Hard not to love this, full of energy and fun.

What a tour de force! Two albums one studio, one live, Great mmix, especially when you need a lift! Cannot keep your feet from tapping! Great job. [I have only 10 more albums to go! (#991) I hope I get a cake...]

I have a strong fondness for the Specials and this is an album I absolutely loved when I was 17 years old. When I was working my first job in high school, at the local library, my boss handed me 3 old records from her collection because she found out I started collecting vinyl -- London Calling, the first Madness LP, and this. (What a generous gift!) My bestie named his first car Rudy after this record (and "Rudy Can't Fail"). Of course, as a suburban kid in the 90s/00s, my knowledge of ska was mostly related to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack and the Warped Tour (as others have said, third wave ska is "the sound a kid hears in their head when they get handed a plate of mozzarella sticks"). I still have a certain fondness for that era of ska-punk, but it felt incredible to find out about the immediate "roots" from the late 70s (it would take a few more years before I figured out this was only the second wave and not really the origin of ska, but that's another story). It lent a strange credibility to some music I'd been listening to since age 10. The record itself is fab and I didn't totally understand its impact until I took my first trips to London. You could find 2 Tone singles at nearly every charity shop, which felt like an incredible score. I then came to understand how this movement was (almost) on par with the Motown craze in the US. The proliferation of ska into pop music, as modeled by the Specials, has a wide, deep, substantial effect if you listen closely.

Ahh yes, I’ve been waiting for this album. Not necessarily through this app but just to remember to listen to it. So from what I get, it’s not as hard as Sublime. It’s better than the Police. Not as punk as Rancid and different than the Clash. They got a follow from me on Spotify. Doesn’t mean anything to you dear reader but it’s a passing grade in my books. Choice cut: A Message to you Rudy

Repeat listen

Okay

Ska classic

Svängigt, men inte min grej

me encantó la portada, sin embargo.

Thought I’d be a lot more into this than I was, last 3 songs of the first disc saved it a bit but wasn’t for me

It's ska, so wasn't going to be a 5 by any means. Not horrible though, some good moments. 3/5

cheeky

A blast from the past. A few good songs but it does sound a bit amateurish.

This is whack

It was a cool genre that I never heard before, but the songs got a bit boring after a while.

Wasn't expecting ska/reggae, I'm sure this was influential but I think the genre has produced much better than this. Pretty enjoyable but kind of repetitive and a little too British

old school reggae album

Great British ska album with many classic tunes. Some, however, haven’t held up well over the years.

Was in a bad mood when I put this on and was ready to write it off as corny but by the end I have to admit I enjoyed it. Points for good politics. Ska is truly an insane genre, and SO BRITISH. Like what if punk music but not angry? Like let’s combine the most angry music ever with the LEAST angry music (reggae). Would not listen again but appreciate it exists. Made me want to skank.

5 sterne

One of my favorite records of all time.

Reggae with a little bit of a punk edge. It was ok but not really my thing. The melodies and vocals are very simple and repetitive.