The Specials

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 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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

ehhhhhhhh

Jaunty London reggae

One of my favorites. This was one of my first favorite "foundational" bands. It wasn't necessarily foundational for me, but it was one of the first bands that I worked my way to find. I was really into ska, so I naturally eventually found my way to this record and this band. This record is kind of a perfect ska record. Its still very reggae focussed, but really leans into the two tone. And then its all wrapped up into British punk. Its fantastic. My favorite tracks: Rudy, Monkey Man, Little Bitch

Exactly how I expected a Specials album to sound. 3.5

Brilliant, genre creation

3.8/5

This album almost caused me to buy checked trousers some years back. 5.0/5.0: Iconic

once again, 45 minutes is a bit too much but the specials are a fun listen for most of the runtime

2.6/5 Favorite Songs: A Message To You Rudy It's Up To You Concrete Jungle (Dawning of) A New Era

Bomboclaat

Liked it a decent amount, probably won’t be revisiting. Almost reminds me of Violent Femmes.

At first it was chill but around "Doesn't Make It Alright", the voice started to grate. 2/5

410/1001 The Specials - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I love how the band can go from super energetic to taking it slower and it all feels natural. Lyrically, it's rebellious and cynical and a clear state of tge nation address from a working class background. Needless to say, such an important album.

Just like the last album I got of theirs on this challenge, the music is decent, but the singer’s voice ruins everything. He makes it unlistenable.

Ein Ska‑Track im Übergang vom Reggae hat genau diesen charmanten Zwischenzustand: noch warm, laid‑back und rhythmisch schaukelnd, aber schon mit dem typischen Offbeat‑Kick, der alles nach vorne schiebt. Der Song wirkt wie ein Stilwechsel in Echtzeit – die Basslinie bleibt erdig und reggae‑nah, während die Bläser und das schnellere Schlagzeug klar Richtung Ska drängen.

British “people” thinking they deserve to live 😭😭😭

An album I’d never listened to by a band I’d never heard of, and it was great! I guess I dig ska?

Nerds trying to be cool by playing punkish ska with a 50’s flair. It’s just alright.

Number: 236 Familiarity: Extremely (5) Rating: 4 Before: ======= I'm thinking 5 or maybe 4 from me. I like most of the album a lot but not quite as much as More Specials. After : ======= My favorite track is still A Message To You Rudy. I even have a black and white cat named Rudy in honor of that song. Overall my rating for this album came out to 4.2 as there were a few 3's that brought the score down.

Some of these songs are pretty alright, but others are just annoying, and the second side is way worse (Blank Expression, Stupid Marriage, and Too Much Too Young is three awful songs in a row…)

Beyond feeling like I was having a stroke listening to "Too Much Too Young", I thought this was pretty alright. Probably some of the best ska I've heard, though unfortunately not enough to make me a ska convert. Good political messaging and coherent sound, but this just kinda went on for too long, and I ended up feeling a bit bored by the end. Favorite tracks: A Message to You Rudy, It's up to You, Night Klub

Full of songs I didn’t know I know. Reading that it grew out of a love set they had honed makes a lot of sense. It has the energy of a gig and an infectious energy to it.

2/4

Second specials album. This one had the song I like the most. Still a weird vibe but fun listen nonetheless

this was very fun and funky. enjoyed thoroughly

There are clearly so many bands that I’ve listened to the singles of and never bought the albums. The Specials are another one of these. I had my fears during the first half of this that this would be singles plus filler but things notably picked up for me, not least with Concrete Jungle and Monkey Man. The Specials define an era as well as any other band and there wouldn’t really be much Ska without them. For that, it is a solid 3/5.

Oh so ska would've been fine without UB40. Drawing a line around ska as a genre is honestly ridiculous. What other genre is defined by playing a specific instrument with a specific rhythm? It's anti-creative. If I was the guitarist for a ska band you'd find me out back with Joe Satriani playing on repeat. Anyway the album was cool and punk, but maybe we should've stopped there?

im pretty sure i do like ska, but this didn't do anything for me. droning and repetitive and not nearly as fun as i wanted it to be. favorite song was Doesn't Make It Alright. soft 2

Rating: 6/10 It's a well done important ska punk record (fun fact produced by Elvis Costello, I'll probably like his production credits more than his releases), even though it's ultimately not the kind of album I would prefer to sit through in its entirety. And it is on the longer side, even though the energetic upbeat songs don't exactly get boring. Seems like a notable cultural touchstone, specifically a counter-cultural one, the punk energy combined with the funky ska rhythms clearly had a cool moment here in time. Don't really want to see ska music that was made after this record here

We’ll take it. Rivalling Madness for most iconic Ska band.