Reviews (page 3 of 10)
N2
Enjoyed this
Ska AF
da monKE MAAAN
Jay-Eff A message to you, Jay-Eff Pa pa ra pa ra paaaa
This album is awesome.
Just totes amazeballs, sets the feeling for the rest of the day. The gloom of the setting, offset by the bounce in the feet - noice.
Pretty dope
This was so great! I loved the vibe and the message.
Favourite so far. Enjoy ska and knew several songs.
I was listening to The Specials a day or so ago, they make me happy. I'm listening now with a giant grin on my face. As soon as I saw that chequered album cover appear on the page my grin began, and hasn't left since. I'm a kid again, with all the music that goes with that. I love it, these guys can really do no wrong in my eyes. Lovely stuff!
There is exactly 0 song I don't like on this album, and a lot I really like.
Ska is a part of me, and I will never turn my back on Ska!
Perfect ska day
SKA (old school)
It's 3.75
Is this a perfect album? No. But I do think it deserves a lot of credit for fusing Jamacian ska with British punk. In those regards, you don't get a lot of bands that emerged during my college years.
ska fun
A goofy little album; it's a fun album but not something I would really seek out again. I like this one a lot more than there other record on this list. Low 4.
Not bad. Had a good beat.
Cover made me expect a predecessor to the mighty mighty bosstones and was not disappointed
I liked this. In listening to more ska music through this list than I ever have before I realise that I like ska. This is probably the best ska album I’ve listened to so far.
Awesome stuff.
a ska album i don’t feel ashamed listening to
Favorite Track: Concrete Jungle
what a hoot!
FUCK YOU RUDY!!!!!
3 stars for A Message to You Rudy. One more for the rest.
Now this is a Specials album I can get behind. Favorite track: Stupid Marriage 3.5/5
These guys are special
i was just in london and i was telling everyone i totally understand the specials now and they're so awesome and make so much sense
Not going to lie I definitely thought ska music was a 90s creation and now I feel like a big dumb idiot baby fool. I love stupid dancey shit like this.
I like this Will I listen to again: 67%
Super weird and different and fun. Mix of reggae and British punk sensibility, as well as maybe the birth of ska? Great listen.
Further proof of Elvis Costello's importance.
Damn, I'm really starting to like The Specials. Just like yesterday's self-titled debut album I generated, the first half was incredible, the second half was a bit of a letdown, but still solid. Ska music is underrated, and special in its own way. Favorite Track: "(Dawning Of) A New Era".
4/5
I’m at a 4.5 that I'll bump down to a 4. It’s just a good ska album, really. It takes a few tracks to find more of its bite (by around “Do the Dog”), but once it starts to roll, it’s a really enjoyable album. Elvis Costello’s production work here is good, if not as tight/snappy as some of his own albums. He falls into some pitfalls of repetition / stagnant beats, and it’s possibly just because he’s not the most ska-driven guy to begin with. Those pitfalls are most of the reason I’m at a 4; there’s a few unremarkable tracks & a couple of poorly-aged bits (namely on “Little Bitch”) that are cherries on top, but the most striking reason is just the production work not quite meeting the energy the band is bringing. Obviously, I liked it, so I have to give some positive stuff – I really love the trombone work on this album, as it leans a lot closer to the traditional ska style I’m used to, ala Streetlight Manifesto or Reel Big Fish & any of the other bands that do more of a punk/ska mix. The percussion & guitar work are both great, with the percussion in particular having a really nice bounce to it that keeps the album’s energy up, even in those more stagnant / sterile moments. The lyricism is generally really good throughout; a lot of these are covers, so I can’t give too much credit, but when this album wants to really bite at something (like on “Do the Dog”, “Nite Klub”, “Concrete Jungle”, or “Stupid Marriage”), they perform it with enough force in the vocals to really bring the lyrics to life. I do think the album is just a little long, as there’s lots of little places to trim things down more concisely, but as it stands, it’s a pretty enjoyable 47 minutes, and for 1979 ska, it does feel like it’s pushing the genre forward. At the very least, it’s proof that they weren’t wrong in naming their second album “More Specials”, as this album just feels like a natural extension of that one. I liked it, and while it’s got enough little flaws to pull it down to a 4, I do think it’s worth hearing before you die. It’s a pretty enjoyable one, and maybe someday, it might get up to a 5.
A Message to You Rudy // Doesn’t Make It Alright // Blank Expression // Too Much Too Young //
Very fun
Ah I was this close to giving it full marks - it's so much fun and that bass guitar bouncing all over the place is so infectious. Trouble is, I just don't particularly enjoy ska music. Crazy, right? 4.5
The Specials just miss the 5 star mark for minor things here and there but it's a classic album albeit a little too long and a little too evenly performed. More substantially, when I first heard it I couldn't detect the rank whiff of juvenile gender politics on a few of the tracks as I was too young myself, but not all of the lyrics have aged well in this regard. I still reach for the record from time to time because warts and all it's one of the best ska revival records made.
Good
Fun little album from the origins of the second wave of ska that fused the sound with British punkiness. An album to party to, chill to, or fight against racism to. Quality bass, as expected.
What a fun album.
Classic two-tone ska album, already familiar with at least 7 songs. And the album version of Too Much Too Young is far superior! Best track (allowing previously known as already know so many) - A Message to You Rudy, Monkey Man, Dawning of a New Era, You're Wondering Now, Stupid Marriage, Too Much Too Young 4.5 stars (4) - their compilation album is really the 5 star album with all their best tracks
Proper Ska bangers , full of energy, proper fun album this. Loads of great tunes that make you want to dance, but also songs that hit you with real stuff. Really enjoyed this.
This album was an absolute party. Next time I hear it I want to hear it live with a beer in my hand.
Love me some classic ska and the Specials did it better than anyone else. This album, from start to finish, is consistent, diverse, and fun. Really is like a snapshot of Britain in late 70's and the racism and anti-immigrant culture that these guys railed against. They were an anomaly--a racially desegregated band that just wanted to have fun and kick against the pricks
Great snapshot of a time and place, keeping things loose and fun while dealing with heavy subjects. Long live ska. OG Jamaican stuff, two tone, even third wave american style. Usually great politics, always fun.
A breath of fresh air in socially dark times.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the English underground music scene was highly politicised within the burgeoning indie scene. Suddenly, there was music from working-class neighbourhoods for working-class people, with a trendy sound. Ska was danceable and lyrically driven (far more so than disco) and reflected the reality of life for young people in the urban jungle. The Police borrowed this ‘white reggae’ (Regatta de Blanc) from bands like The Specials, whilst Madness were set to make this new ska sound even more popular. When the album came out, I was too young to understand its significance. Back then, I saw The Specials as a slightly less fun version of Madness, though it was actually the other way round: The Specials were Madness’s bigger, more sensible older brother, musically more versatile and lyrically far more astute.
This is a brillliant crossover album with a melting pot of ideas, creativity and tunes.
Überraschend geil!
Damn fine ska. Too Much Too Young and Rudy are immortal.
4.4
This is probably the oldest ska album I've ever listened to (the fact that it's "ska revival" kind of blows my mind)-- it has brass but not that skanking high energy vibe of 90s ska. Fun energy, 4*
My second from The Specials in the last week after More Specials and this was vastly superior. The only problem is that for me it’s a very front loaded album. There are some great songs at the start but after Monkey Man it does tail off a bit until Too Much Too Young. Top Track - A Message To You Rudy
#relisten
4/5 great ska album w some classics
I never thought I would like to hear an entire albm of Ska. Today's Bird: Chilean Skua
i was excited for this one: For those who know, i love second generation ska music like the Specials, Madness, and The English Beat (3rd is also great with Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and Dance Hall Crashers). this is another album i own. this is the album that was the forefront of the second-generation ska of England in the late 70's. "A Message to you Rudy", "Monkey Man", and "Doesn't Make it Alright" were the big ones on this album, but there are some other great ones like "Too Much Too Young" (although it gets a little long winded), "Do the Dog" and "Nite Club".
très très fun 4.5-/5
As someone born in 1970 just up the M69 from Cov, this totally speaks to the world I grew up in. That grimy, fertile mixture of industrial decline and emerging multiculturalism is the grit that 2 Tone grew out of. Amazing that a brand of dance music is such a potent vehicle for anger. Yet it clearly is, and each successive wave of ska has brought it closer to punk. I don't think it ever got more pointed than this, though.
Wiederentdeckung für mich! Fand die bislang "nur" gut. Jetzt bin ich schwer begeistert. Starke 4 Sterne.
Short and sweet
Pretty solid ska record, definitely need to be in the right mood for it, but if that mood strikes this is a perfect record.
Shoot me I like some Sha sometimes
Fun stuff, ska is some white rude boy stuff. That being said, this one has too many tracks that sound the same. I thought this was Selector when I first turned it on and I got excited, but I never got Too Much Pressure or On My Radio, my favorite Ska songs. So, not their fault, but it’s a 4
Loved this album. High-energy, fun, and enlightening. I bet these guys were so much fun live! Not a huge fan of Ska, but this is as good as it comes.
Not bad. And I realized one of their songs is the open of the justice league movie. Everybody knows.
80/100. Fantastic and genuinely such a deep and fun record. Ska is not a genre I have spent loads of time with, but this was great. It balances upbeat rhythms with sharp social commentary. You are dancing one minute and then suddenly clocking how pointed the lyrics actually are.
Had this back to back with a Bob Marley album and I think it has helped me realise why I like Ska and not Reggae, despite the overlaps and shared roots. Ska is just more interesting, there's more going on, the rhythms are more varied, overall less repetitive... It's just more my jam. I've never listened to The Specials before, though I did recognise a few of the tracks on this album at least. I enjoyed the punk-like sounds, the beats were fun and funky, there were some cool guitar and bass elements from time to time. Vocals weren't my favourite, but they weren't bad either. I'd probably have gone for a 3 here, but I want to differentiate between this and the Bob Marley album (which I also gave a 3). I also want to recognise the cultural significance of the integration of black and white people in the same band, and the overall anti-racism sentiment of the album. Just about scrapes a 4.
On first listen, I can absolutely recognise how important a document this would have been for informing the ska-punk genre. The incisive, rebellious, matter of fact lyricism, which fully lends itself to punk attitudes, really does appeal to me. It's anger and a bubbling desire for systemic and social change delivered intelligently and insightfully, through a working class British lens. Precisely my preferred take on the genre. I'm not generally a fan of ska, particularly the American strain of it where it's far too in your face and overbearing, but I found it tastefully interwoven into this album, allowing the lyricism to take the primary precedence. It adds textural depth to the songs, making rebellion playful without veering into silliness. Good stuff, it's gone onto my wishlist.
A bit of ska here. I dig it every once in awhile. I see where Sublime got their style from, No Doubt. This is a fun album with nice grooves and good vibes. It puts you in a good mood. For being a band that helped create the two-tone genre, I'll give this a 4.
I think this one is a 4 star. Way ahead of it's time.
It's a vibe.
When I saw it I thought “yay, more Specials but not More Specials.” Last time was More Specials. This is just Specials.
Classic Ska feels weird to say, but still sounds great to skank to.
Solid birth of ska music for me.
Did not expect to like this so much
Torn between 3 and 4
It wasn't revolutionary - a synthesis of known musical styles is never going go be - but it _felt_ new. The tunes were good and it's a lot of fun.
I've never sat down and listened to a Specials album start to finish. This is an excellent example of classic 2 tone. I quite enjoyed this. I might add this to my list of albums to revisit.
Another "pioneer" of a subgenre of rock - ska rock - the Specials were the ska rock band. Third bunch of white dudes on this list to do black music so selfishly and use it to make themselves wealthy, but the second to admit it and these guys ultimately broke up to pursue political activism, so I'm going to give them a bit of a pass. Overall, ska is a bit one-note for me, but definitely a valid subgenre, and I absolutely took a few swing dance lessons in college and had buddies in ska bands. Influence 5. Hits 3. Quality 4. Intangibles 5. Like it, don't love it 3.
Ska isn't dead, it just smells funny.
Ik houd van ska, lekker viben. Eerste nummer kende ik al en is een banger maar leuk om nu meer te leren kennen.
Ska rocks. This album just gets better as it goes.
I liked this album wayyy more than I thought I would. Ska is such an underrated genre, I may look at some other albums/bands that do ska. 9/15 added to ear candy
Really liked it.
Very good record and love the flow it has, danceable and enjoyable all the way.
It's good, it's memorable, it's unique, it was influential but yes it's ska, so you've got to be in the mood. Love Terry hall and some of his other work lands better with me, but this is good. Solid 4.
8/10… reggae / ska / *1979
This shit rocks, rudeboy
ska is timeless
Two tracks in and i'm alr smiling SO wide. From "Monkey Man" on it's just relentless bangers. Really really great stuff. The standout track to me is "Too Much Too Young" but I'm also huge on "Nite Klub". Definitely will return to this one a bunch. Never really delved much into ska but found this irresistible. Chat am I cooked etc etc
While I do consider myself a ska fan, the best stuff here is what's closest to the sensibilities of 70s UK punk as a whole. (Dawning of A) New Era is a real highlight for me. But the whole album is great.
This album was really good. Some awesome early British Jamaican influenced ska music, with a bit of that porto-punk sound as well. It really painted a picture of late 70s England in a way that was very raw and honest. The discussion of race and subculture in these songs was very interesting. Solid 8.5/10.
Thank you!! This is what I come to the list for!
A ska band???? In this economy????????? This album was fun, because ska is fun, but unfortunately that's where things seemed to end for me. This was higher energy and more self-propellant than many of the albums that we encounter, and I laud that joyfulness.
C'était inhabituel, je ne connaissais pas du tout ce style. Un dirait du reggae, mais qui aurait été influencé par du punk. Je sais pas si c'est les guitares, la voix du chanteur ou le côté souvent énervé, mais en tout cas, c'était vraiment très cool.
Revisit
Epic skaa
A Message to You Rudy 3.7 Do The Dog 3.8 It's Up to You 3.8 Nite Klub 3.7 Doesn't Make It Alright 3.6 Concrete Jungle 4 Too Hot 3.7 Monkey Man 3.9 (Dawning of A) New Era 3.7 Blank Expression 3.7 Stupid Marriage 3.5 Too Much Too Young 4 Little Bitch 3.6 You're Wondering Now 3.4 Score: 3.721428571
That was good. I have come to appreciate ska music more as I've got older. It was confusing at the time.
British ska, how fun! Nothing exceptional but it makes you happy. A lot of the songs remind me of pub/drinking songs where everyone chimes in to sing. Love the reggae/Jamaican influence.
I love the Specials (who doesn't?) such a fun ride such a great sound
Great album. Killer band. This had to have been a great time for music in the UK.
BEST SONGS: - Too Much Too Young - Monkey Man - Doesn't Make It Alright
Let's skank! Let's jump! Let's bop around! I'm really digging this! Quirky and groovy, classic ska. This reminds me of so many other artists that came after... B52s, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, and another one that is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't quite put my finger on... Ashamed I hadn't explored this album before. Like many other Millennials, I had a ska loving period in the mid-90s and this album feels nostalgic even though I hadn't listened before. A couple of the tracks are annoyingly repetitive, but overall I enjoyed the album.
Feel good album of the year, so far! Had me dancing in my car, during a rain storm. Epic!
7.4/10 as ska music goes its up there with the best
fun, youthful, spirited, raw
I don’t listen to ska often, but when I do it’s this infectious band (or Operation Ivy, or Gville’s own The Usuals ;) ).
Fun listen. Extra credit for being unique. 4/5 Highlights: A Message to You Rudy Doesn't Make It Alright (Dawning of A) New Era Little Bitch
Particularly enjoyed Monkey Man
7.5/10
Pretty good. It was fairly repetitive like a lot of Reggae and Ska but it had enough of a punk edge to keep it cool.
Such a fabulous sound. The whole two tone thing was so enjoyable and felt so very positive when it emerged. The energy and positivity remains listening to this again so many years later. Very enjoyable toe tapping stuff.
Relaxed. Ska
Mostly nostalgia but I do enjoy this album. That being said I feel like I remember it being better than this felt. I own More Specials on vinyl and I get the same feeling when I revisit that album. I’m still going to say 3.5 rounds to 4 stars, but I think The Specials were likely one of this bands that were better live for whatever reason.
I like this album alot. It might be more for the nostalgia of when I first heard it, I probably wouldn't find it as enjoyable on a true first listen now as then. But, I do really like Concrete Jungle......
I really, really like this album. Crisp, entertaining - moving effortlessly between ska, reggae, dub and early punk. I will definitely return. A nice surprise. 7.5/10
Really enjoyed it. Something a bit different is always welcome.
What’s not to like
Mix of old school UK chill rock and reggae. Not too bad, but not my favorite. It was upbeat, but an also chill album at the same time.
Nite Klub a new favourite - the sound of late 70s London clubbing and a really nice bassline with a little popping. Terry's voice was quite raw and unprocessed on this, which lends it an innocence. When you're young and broke and fed up of racism and injustice, do you moan about it or form a band and make some of the most danceable ska ever written? I can't give this a 5/5 but I would give it a 9/10 if the option was there. This is going on my rotation list and will buy the album.
I actually really liked it. It felt like that kind of music you listen to when dancing at home with a glass of wine
A familiar album but I hadn’t understood its significance till now. To think it was released as Thatcher came to power… will def listen again.
Absolute class. Love a bit of ska
The Specials come at me from the TV set of the Trotters’ living room. In my mind’s eye a grain of static – a coursing jet of atoms that are the result of the big bang, I think I once heard – runs through them, through their sound as much as their image. I didn’t know the England that The Specials came up in directly. Still, echoes of the cultural context of the parsimonious late seventies and cruelly austere eighties – Only Fools…, The Young Ones, My Wonderful Laundrette, later The Full Monty – were strong enough to feel like a jolt from the beginning of time. Starting with the irrepressible “Gangsters” (as this version does, with apologies to purists) The Specials’ eponymous debut feels nothing short of a cultural museum. Sitting alongside a phenomenal run of all-time hits (“A Message…”, “Monkey Man”, “Too Much Too Young”) sit bona fide, mind transporting documentary pieces (“Nite Klub”, “Doesn’t Make it Alright”, “Little Bitch”) – with roughly as many of them adaptations from Jamaican ska tunes as penned originally by the group. The lyrical themes are a mixed up bricolage of social, racial and emotional politics; all of it delivered with the sort of perspective and authenticity that speaks as clearly today as it would have in ‘79. Mutuality, inclusion and the importance of having something good to dance to aren’t concepts restricted to one point in history, after all. For Charlie Brooker, the demons of ‘79 are yet to be exorcised. And fair play – if polls in England are to be believed, the next government could make Thatcher’s look like a gang of Quakers in comparison. With that in mind, the message carried by this group of musicians and these songs has arguably never been so important. Let’s hope England catches the echo.
Thoughts before listening: I love this album and own it on vinyl. I was a big fan of the 90s ska/punk bands, and any deep dive into that scene always pointed back at the Specials as one of the main influences. Its a fun, upbeat take on reggae/ska music played through the perspective of the London working class. Complete classic. Review: Yeah, I pretty much nailed it. Just a great soulful ska record from the leaders of the genre's 2nd wave. 4-stars
Really cool
I knew this day would come, the day I would have to face Ska. I listened to this twice back-to-back and regret nothing. Ska won this day.
2tone delight. Some absolute classics here and nothing not to like
I have never listened to much ska music due to the ska music that i have listened to being pretty awful. This album makes me reconsider my opinion of the genre. This is a well made album with great singing from both singers, excellent songs and a great groove.
Never really gave ska a real go for finding it too tedious, and I did find this tedious towards the end but I can appreciate it still. This album in the first instance is very listenable and makes you want to move. The tracks flow and bounce off each other in a theatrical way. Felt like I was simultaneously on a beach in Jamaica and also in a dusty back alley somewhere in London. Unconventional and triumphant. My highlights were: A Message To You Rudy, Doesn't Make It Alright, Monkey Man, Too Much Too Young and Little Bitch. 4/5
Gangsters - V catchy, not sure about major and minor shifts - 3.9/5 A Message to You Rudy - 4.7/5 Loved this song already so smooth and catchy with great lyrics Do the Dog - 3.3/5 Not sure about this one structurally it's up to you - bit repetitive but overall good 3.5/5 nite klub - favs out of new ones so far 4.0/5 doesnt make it alright - can really tell what style of song i like on this album, the slower more reflective ones 4.1/5 concrete jungle - 3.6/5 solid but not my fav overall the second half of the album is sm better then thr first - second half amazing first half mid
Shared at work even they loved it.
Probably one of the most loved album by some. It has unique tracks, but not my jam.
Pick it up, go!
There is a very narrow lane of Reggae/Ska-type music that I enjoy. Fortunately, The Specials sit comfortably in that space. Their urban take on island music stays fresh and avoids the repetitive tropes that can make the genre irritating. Give a bonus half-star for their contribution to the visual iconography that became vital to the Two-Tone Mod scene.
So that’s what Ska is!
This is a fun one. I am particularly smitten by the bass playing. London must have been a weird and interesting place in the late 70s. Punk, nwobhm, and Ska all competing for space. Anyway, the Specials is one of those records I don’t think about much but it’s always a good choice.
Classic album with crisp grooves and fun lyrics.
Ah cool album for #100. I’d heard a few of these songs over the years but didn’t know the band or anything. What a good selection.
I love the upbeat music mixed with furious vocals. The social justice of two tone makes me feel both very happy and very sad in equal measure. You can hear the late 70s anger and discontent mixed in with some of the most catchy songs ever.
4.5
Gold standard for ska
Puiku
this was fun to listen to!
This was really fun.
Dammit, Rudy!
A classic! Some super songs on here with some forgettable ones too. It just really works.
Yeah I love The Specials, this is fucking great.
Love the 80s composition and sound, kind of one note throughout the album though. Some sick licks throughout.
Track One: I like the instrumentations. This is a fun opening track to the album. I like the main beat being kept by the brass instruments as well as the percussion. Track Two: Immediately picking up the pace a bit. already much more my vibe. getting a little bit more of that rock vibe. Track Three: i like the vibe. i don't really have any other major thoughts. very vibey Track Four: okay wait that was a fun intro moment. im vibing with this. different vibe than the other songs so far but kinda digging it. okay guitar and bass solos Track Five: nice chill track now. fun variety in sound between the different tracks. bit of an abrupt end but didnt hate it Track Six: okay loving this shift in vibe right off the bat. back to that more upbeat almost rock feel. okay yeah im loving this guitar solo moment. also love the couple breaking glass sounds added in the percussion Track Seven: and now were back to a bit of a more chill vibe. okay were picking it up a bit here at the very end. fun little twist toward the end Track Eight: nice beat. somehow still distinct from the rest of the tracks so far Track Nine: ooh i like this. real funky opening. real nice rhythms going on here. ooh ok. im liking this trend of a distinct shift in either tempo, vibe, or instrument focus as the sort of button of some of these songs Track Ten: ooh. im really loving the percussion in this one. also sick guitar solo. loving these different rhythmic emphases. Track Eleven: okay this is real fun. this courtroom set up is really fun. oh this is different than the rest of the album. ope. not the lyrics i was expecting lol. oh this is interesting. this is definitely supposed to have a much deeper meaning critiquing society i just think i am not culturally informed enough to understand exactly what it was critiquing at the time exactly. Track Twelve: that was a smooth transition between songs. this is really fun. i like the flow from the last track into this one. i like the funky ass beat in the background of the verses. the sort of wobbly sound is really fun. song has chilled out i am enjoying it but also how is there still almost two minutes left of this song Track Thirteen: ooh okay back to a more upbeat vibe. im not loving the idea of a song by a bunch of men being title "little bitch" but unfortunately it is kind of a bop. like as much as i hate to admit it this song is a vibe. ooh okay. this is funky im liking it. yes drums and guitar. Track Fourteen: im liking the more chill vibe to close out the album. Overall: i did enjoy this album a lot. again another album that was just really enjoyable to listen to and a good vibe. i liked the variety in the different vibes, with some of the songs leaning more upbeat and rock than others while others had a much more chill vibe. i definitely think there is a sort of cultural nuance i am missing out by virtue of being american. i think if i were to do a little bit more research about the band as well as the historical context i would defintiely appreciate it and understand it a little better than i do now. that being said i still really enjoyed the album. it didnt make me feel anything super deep, but i was definitely grooving and enjoying every song, which is rare for me. i want to rate it at like a 3.5 just because i didnt emotionally connect to it quite as much, but since i cant do that imma go ahead and give it four stars cause im feeling generous and three feels too low.
Highly influential 1979 debut album by the Specials. Loads of American acts in the 90s and beyond are inspired by this style, mixing punk and ska, guitars and horns. Some of the songs are cover versions of 60s reggae tracks and A Message To You Rudy hits best. However there are other wins, with Concrete Jungle and Doesn't Make It Alright in particular standing out for me. Too Much Too Young wasn't on the original album but is added here on the remaster. Wouldn't go the full 5 stars but pioneering album and heartily recommend
One of those situations where I can only find the delux expanded edition which mashes up live performances with remastered versions, I would rather just listen to the original for the sake of this project and am only using apple music. I dig this album overall, good variance in sound, however I feel sorry for ska, reggae, and to an extent country bands that just repeat the melody over and over. So that wears a bit with this style but I like it
Fedt album, alt det der fungerede på den sidste med dem er lidt bedre her. God energi. Ikke London Calling godt men det kan alt jo ikke være
Otro grupo esencial, por estilo, influencias y por calidad. Solo dos discos y ambos igual de buenos (el segundo no tuvo éxito por incomprendido). El paso del Punk a la New Wave fue por bandas como ellos. Aquí hay clásicos como el A Message to You Rudy de Dandy Livingstone. También más versiones como Do the Dog de Rufus Thomas, Concrete Jungle popularizado por Marley y que tiene poco que ver con esta, You're Wondering Now de los Skatalites o Monkey Man de Toots. Pero la muestra de temas compuestos por la banda raya a gran altura: It´s up to you o Too Much Too Young son fenomenales. Nite klud desata el ritmo. La música es para bailar y pasarlo bien, no para exabruptos huecos como los imperantes en gran parte del punk entonces.
A 1979 ska album? Hell yeah. Really cool to see this one and assume this is a direct influence to so many bands in the 90's and then a band like the Interrupters today. Hated the Do The Dog song but every other song was a great listen!
ay-ay-ay, ay-ay-ay them a tell me you huggin' up a big monkey man
Not bad. Had one really good song
Some great songs
Fun, easy, catching!
I feel like Ska has a cap at 4 Stars, and that's what makes it so great! It's not trying to impress anyone, it's just the most fun music genre, period. 4.5 Stars
The debut album of The Specials is great, a very good 2 tone, ska revival album from the late 70s. The music is mostly fun and upbeat while the lyrics have important societal topics. I can see why it's a cult band in the UK. I liked this more than theie second album.
all in all a nice album, was fun to listen to
Ska is cool! Some good songs on here.
First time officially hearing Ska music. It has got the perfect "night at the pub, downed a couple pints, and the uni kids are tonight's band" vibe.
never a bad time to skank
Nice album - great opening track.
Brilliant album that is fun from start to finish
Fun and joy for bleak times.
A good way to weed out the yanks. 4 Stars.
Always vibed with The Specials, and I enjoyed this. The bass playing is particularly good.
I cannot put into words how excited I became when this album popped up. I LOVE ska music, and the Specials are a classic group. What a great debut album too! There’s just something about the upbeat brass and the biting lyrics that works SO well.
I dont know if i will be coming back to that album at the moment, but im sure that at one point i will remember it in a different mood; decent listen, important for sure. rudeboy
I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about this for whatever reason but a very pleasant surprise, it's great on the whole.
This album is like reading a richard brautigan book. It's bonkers and I love it. 3.9
This is a great album. Never boring or predictable, but still keeps the essence of the band clear. I kindda expected more brass though.
Hard to go past Rudy! Classic track. Generally a very good listen.
A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY! I think I listened to AMTYR like 20+ times keeping me from moving on to the rest of the album, and the other subsequent albums. It honestly just made me want to listen to a bunch of other ska/rock with horns artist, like They Might Be Giants, Madness, Street Light Manifesto and Pain. It makes me feel like I’m a kid again watching the really old Nickelodeon splash reels. “nick-toons-only on Nick-nick toons, on Nickelodeon, Nicktoons!”
I love ska
I want to play Tony hawk pro skater
I was starting to get REAL sick of all the British bullshit on here, but these guys just brought me all the way back. Sick ass album.
This is one of those albums that I would have never heard in my life, but I’m glad I did
Ska pioneers
Музыка на любителя - но я и есть любитель. Задорный хулиганский ска в самом классическом его понимании - однозначно лайк. Регги-мотивы, трунь-трунь на гитаре. Главный хит с альбома мне как-то не очень зашел, а вот остальные треки - вполне ничего.
I was excited when I saw this album pop up, not because I have a personal connection to the music, but because I love the cultural background behind this release and, more broadly, the two-tone movement. My understanding is that two-tone refers to the connection between black and white working-class youths in housing projects in postcolonial UK. In the late 70s to early 80s, these kids had every social motivation to be racist against each other, but they chose to love the people they grew up with and, by extension, their music. Also, these kids looked super slick in their mod-revival suits! Even though the movement was ultimately small and short-lived, it represents one of the best things about cultural connections between groups: the immense creativity that comes from blending styles and influences. The music itself is inconsistent. Sometimes, it is really exciting; other times, it drags. A few of the tunes, especially those that address young marriage, while fun, can be too specific to their particular time and place to hit home with me. Ultimately, I had a lot of fun with this release. Four stars.
As a ska fan, I really enjoyed this. Lots of energy and great grooves.
Reminds me of being a kid, enjoyed it
Takes me back to my youth - jumping about!
lo escuche en el auto creo q eso ya le suma un punto xq pega distinto, me gusto mucho
Great distinctive sound.
The specials - strong 4. Such an important album. National Front was big in the mid/late 70s. So mods aligning behind a sound and a vision of the UK as multicultural is pretty cool. Great tracks as well
Genre defining.
A uniformly fun and free record. Each song has a strong lyrical concept behind it and the band do a great job of balancing the structure of clear, concise songwriting with looser, more longform moments. There’s not a weak spot on the LP - the gap in brilliance between flawless singles and good album tracks is only due to the strength of the former rather than the weakness of the latter.
Specials gets a 4 for me, a low one because a couple of the tracks suffer with some straight up sexist lyrics, but there are several iconic tunes here and it’s my favourite blend of ska
This was a great listen. I'm adding it to my library and plan to come back to it. It's so easy to hate on ska, but not this.
The Specials are a blindspot for me, so I was excited to check this out. I enjoyed it quite a bit, despite some side-eye for "Little Bitch" (and "Too Much Too Young" goes on and on and on). But this is fun, and I'll need to dig into more of their discography.
That first listen was special, full on classic roots intro, taking each upcoming track to ease into more modern approaches of reggae and ska. Beautiful! This is also my first time dealing with Elvis Costello, on production here, and I'm pleased with the resulting album. Not my favorite vocals, but the lyrics are fun to dissect over time. 3.6/5
One of the best things to come out of Cov
Oh, on touche de quoi de SPÉCIAL là! C'est groovy, reggaety et panini, viens faire mon spaghetti!
Bunch of songs I knew but didn't *know*. Early influence on MMBT? Crossover with the Clash? Very weird-brit.
Love me some ska
My dad is a huge Madness fan. Turns out the love for ska revival is a hereditary trait. I didn't really know The Specials, besides of course having heard "A message to you Rudy" before, but I'm glad I do now. I found myself humming "Too much too young" on my way to work.
Hell yeah, such fun ska music.
4.5 - really good this.
A mixture of covers and original Ska / 2-Tone / Reggae tracks. The covers include "A Message to You Rudy" and "Monkey Man", while the original tracks include the bouncy "Too Much Too Young".
hype
Monkey Man: me encantó, copada de verdad Crítica social, a la irresponsabilidad juvenil
I got excited when I saw this pop up on my screen! My memory exceeded the reality a bit and it loses a star for lacking energy in parts, but still a fun listen.
not my kind ma carino!
Such a fun album. Wish it had been bigger in the US around the time I was getting into Madness and other Ska-Revival bands in the early 80s.
Talk of influencial. I may be a man of a certain age - I was 15 when this came out - but this album was the start of a massive ska starburst; which burned out in a flash of glory and 2 years later was gone. Ska was all over my school. One of my best mates got a buzz cut and wore a set-forward beany and Doc Marten 1914s for ages. Made riding his racing bike rather amusing. I was into rock and metal myself, but I was happy to engage in a lot of Specials, Madness, Selecter, Beat, Bad Manners and the like. Yeah of all 274 albums I've had so far I'd say this is one of the most influential. To my school year at least. Never listened to it in full before. A nice treat. (factoid for the fact fans : Too Much Too Young is one of only a handful of live singles to make it to #1 in the UK Charts - My Ding-a-Ling is one of the others)
What a classic
This is a really good album that emerged from the multiracial working class community in Coventry. Mixing punk energy with ska revivalism, with an additional dose of social commentary, it's a startlingly good debut album.
Spanning. Was craving this.
Like it
7/10
2 Tone ska is not the ska kids hear when there's extra mozzarella sticks.
IDK these boys don’t seem all that rude.
oh man, this record is tops. Produced by Elvis Costello, who once described his production style as basically trying to get out of the way of a band and capture their sound before someone else came along to fuck it up. Perfect example.
Seminal blue tone and ska album.
good album
4 - great ska
Ace
love this sound - sends me back to the 80s
I never think of myself as particularly being a big fan of the Specials, but this is really hitting for me today! It's a ton of fun, and it's something I really need to be listening to more!
I enjoyed this. Probably my favorite of the two tone bands of this era. Unfortunate that the two tone moment in the UK spawned the US ska phenomenon whereby we were subjected to the likes of Bim Skala Bim.
as an ex-ska kid who has spent many years in my friend circles presenting myself essentially as deprogrammed cult member, complete with sober expert analysis and regretful memories, it gives me no pleasure to report that this is still pretty good. I'm skanking and tears are streaming down my face.
One of those albums that should be a fixture on topsters, yet somehow flies under the radar these days
Never heard of them. Was actually surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Great mixture of reggae and punk energy. Love the horns.
SKibididoop
3,9, on arrondit à 4 bien sûr!
Very good
Special album that starts with two bangers.
Finally, we’re getting to the real stuff. Forget all those post-punk bands who just jumped on the hype and ended up making bland or poppy tracks. Nothing beats a good old The Specials to me, they’re right up there with The Clash. Nobody’s done it better, even in the second wave of ska-punk. The voices aren’t pretty, sometimes it’s rough, but the energy is contagious, and the attitude is great. After War and this, I’m hoping for Bad Brains and RATM.
I don't care what anyone says, ska music is FUN as hell, I will always enjoy a funky ska album.
i love ska that was awesome. 8/10
Muy buenoo tiene muy buena vibraa
Very good album, with an amazing bass sound in all of the tracks and very catchy songs! For me an 8/10
my 301th album... upbeat melodies! jaunty beats! political lyrics that sounds unserious with the accompaniment! what else could i ask for! 4.5/5
Brilliant work. Great sound. Variable quality - Message To You is incredible, there were a couple lime Do The Dog that might be worth playing and the album version of Too Much Too Young was a tough listen.
This is definitely a fun album to listen to, especially if you’re into ska, reggae, or punk. One thing I found really interesting is that it was produced by Elvis Costello, which adds a cool crossover appeal to the whole thing.
Just an insanely danceable insanely political insanely good album
Nice nice.
This album was super fun to listen but I agree with Asa it sort of just feels like a compilation of random songs. Favs: a message to you Rudy, blank expression. Fun change of pace 😛
This is a hard album to rate because it’s somehow worse overall than almost all of the songs on it. Something about them just doesn’t mesh. That being said, the songs that I like on this album are so good. The combo of early British punk with ska is very fun to listen to and definitely stirs some minor nationalism 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧The bass playing is also top tier. I really want to give it a 5 because I love the best songs so much but it just doesn’t work well enough overall. Gangsters is only on some versions but I’m including it bc it's one of my favorites. Standout tracks: A Message to You Rudy, Do the Dog, Concrete Jungle, (Dawning of A) New Era , Gangsters, Too Much Too Young 5/5 deserves to be on this list
Love the Jamaican influence. Recognized "Little Bitch" right away. Iconic.
Mixture of punk attitude and ska grooves. It still holds up well today
These guys are the masters of staccato. They veil their songs in the guise of reggae but a reggae style that was very palatable to a UK Audience of the 70s / 80s (similar vibe to Madness). I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would “nite Klub” was a great unknown tune Doesn’t make it alright also very enjoyable “people think they are clever smashing your head against a wall, then they say you got it my way”
Good ska
I already knew a few of the songs going in but wasn’t sure I’d enjoy a full album of theirs. It really grew on me as it went on - ended up listening to it twice. It must have been so exciting to be a part of this scene as it was emerging. Favourite song: Too Much Too Young
Ska is fun, idk what else to say
Ska is the one genre that will bring us all together
This is the perfect album for a Friday. 4/5 because the album becomes somewhat repetitive.
I really like this album it has such an energy! I liked them when I was young but had long hair and a leather jacket so wouldn’t have gone down too well at one of their gigs.
2 Specials albums in a week, not complaining as said last time this is probably favourite of the 2 and after listening to More last week I put this straight on afterwards. The 2 tone scene brings back good memories of infant school with my mates, of having much too young taped off the radio on a cassette player, obviously not understanding the lyrics at the time, but digging the beat, the mixed sound and as got older the social context. so close to, no it is 5 Star
I don't remember how I originally found The Specials - but it's a bop. Yet, it goes on for too long.
Super simpatičan album
good good! interesting blend of sounds between like reggae?? and pretty typical british pop rock but i enjoyed
Офигенно же, тут и ска, и регги, и панк 🤘
Definitely feels like I'm visiting ska Mecca. Thank Christ Rudy was such a fuck up they had to write this belter of an opening track.
Taka płyta na granicy. Ja, czasem wbrew sobie, lubię ska. Nie szanuję, ale lubię. Napawa mnie radością i zmusza do tańca. A to jest naprawdę porządne ska. Płyta jest zróżnicowana ma bardziej energiczne utwory, ale nie boi się wejść w te bardziej bujane. W sumie to nie mam się do czego przyczepić. 7/10
I quite like ska, but not actually really heard much Specials. Enjoyed this in general, just fucking hated the patronising patriarchal bollocks of Too Much Too Young.
Plus ça va plus j'aime The Specials. Feel good music.
ngl ska is high on my favorite genres list
I wasn't expecting ska when I first saw the cover, but in retrospect, I should have expected ska.
This was great; I'd never actually listened to the specials despite listening to everything they really spawned decades later. This is an upbeat album played by guys who are good enough at their instruments to not make it a mess. The singing is a bit of an afterthought, and it fits just right with the vibe and the music. A couple of the songs towards the end got a bit dull ("Stupid Marriage", "Too Much Too Young") but they picked it right up with the final two. I liked this a lot, was a good mood booster.
A great album with some brilliant songs on. Loved this era and this album sums it up so nicely
Two tones make for a potent weapon. In the midst of a rapidly changing music scene in Britain came The Specials, who blended ska and punk with political and social awareness in the makings of a statement that could last a long time. While mired in its time frame, this self-titled manifesto still has things to say that still rings true in these hectic yet far more hostile environment; maybe we should keep turning these pages. Favorites: A Message to You Rudy, It's Up to You, Nite Klub, Doesn't Make It Alright, Concrete Jungle, Monkey Man, (Dawning of a) New Era, Blank Expression, Stupid Marriage, Too Much Too Young.
Loved The Specials, though I'll admit some of their songs are aimed at the live audience and kind of fall flat in the studio setting. I'd say there's more hits than misses on their debut album, though.
Haven't heard ska in forever
Fun ska album, idk why they needed the other one this is better
This was my first lusten to a ska/punk band and I found it fun refreshing and danceable. There lyrics are rooted in social commentary of the establishment society and other social issues. The music is a joy to hear. They are particularly good on their live cuts. I listened to the deluxe edition which I recommend for the live recordings. Too bad they only released 2 LPs back in the early 80s.
One of the few ska albums that is really really great
I was surprised how much I liked this. And the theme to Death in Paradise!
Great album - like soany of these the famous songs are Fantastic and the others are fine
me ha sorprendido. no me sabía ninguna pero me han gustado muchas canciones
As ever, made so much more with a bit of context. Ah, Jamaican influence, early punk! So much more than the hits, and a real time capsule. Shame the vocals grate mine lugholes.
I think I saw them talk in an itv or bbc documentary about skinheads. A message to rudy is such a standaout track. Giving a 4 as I just like the vibe and fun of it, although I think it's more of a 3 really.
Everyone wants to be Special but there can only be one Specials
ska 70er - a message to you rudy
Wasn’t really into Ska when I was younger, lots of people in school were but in my latter years I have come to appreciate it and this album is a complete corker. Each track is like a massive burst of energy and supposedly even more so live. Love it!
I like ska and this was a nice ska/two tone album. I like the punk influences on this also and the early Elvis Costello feel to the sound. Highlights were "It's Up to You", "Nite Klub" and "Little Bitch"
Landmark
quite awesome. cool it on the misogyny though why dont ya
Reggae or SKA if you will is not built with rhythms or melodies that I enjoy, but these boys make it very well. Rather fun stuff.
Местами энергичное ска с элементами панк-рока и гитарами на первом плане
A new experience for me
Original UK Ska
Ska revival, but more like a lyrical playground for Elvis Costello: 'Am I the dog that bit / the hand of the man that feeds it.' Punk has always been a cousin of ska and reggae, politically, culturally, but also musically, since it's relationship to rock-n-roll isn't ambivalent, but it is complicated. This doesn't just have groove tho, it has sweetness and wisdom too: racial, social, insights from all concrete jungles. A bit too repetitive, and tho the DIY vibe is fitting, a bit too raw: they run out of ideas, but I don't tire of what they represent.
Never any complaints when I listen to ska. Got some early morning skanking in this morning before work started. Can hear their influence all over 3rd wave ska.
has its moments
Great album. Lots of fun to listen to at the end of a long day. Upbeat and interesting.
I was huge into 3rd wave ska when I was a highschooler, and I dipped in and out of 2nd wave and Jamaican stuff, but I wanted it to be more punk. I even think I saw one of the Zombie Specials live once in the 2000s, but it might have been some other rudeboy outfit. I appreciate this a lot more now then I did then. It's fun but pointed, extremely listenable.