Reviews (page 7 of 10)
3.5
I wouldn’t think they classify to be “special”, it’s not bad but it’s their band name is a lie. The bass is hella nice thooo and has good vibes
Ska and Reggae fusions have some interesting and neat parts. Nice listen but nothing special.
Knew the hits, enjoyed the rest.
not really my vibe but nice
Not exactly my cup of tea, the music just doesn't sound like it has much substance to it, even though I can groove with a couple of the tracks here Good tracks: A message to you Rudy, Doesn't make it right, Little bitch
I have to give them points for a vibe here. I can tell that were enjoying making this. Pretty unique, clearly speaking to a crowd of outsiders. Not really my style but I can appreciate what they were doing and think it's good to have heard. Low three high two.
I can't deny that the opening track is a solid song. Sounds like they have fun being a band. Probably a fun live act. I like the brass. This is probably a 5 star Ska album.
I got super bored 🥱
The only song that stuck out is "Stupid Marriage". The rest is nice as well but not something I'll actively search and listen. 6.5/10
White kids go to Jamaica and get inspired. This is nice but not something I would go running to. These guys are out here inspiring so many bands that I wouldn't come around to for another 20 years. They heard what they heard and added in what they already had. Boom, presto, a new genre of music is born.
Hahha wauw! Een Ska album? Wachten op een Madness album ondertussen. Ik heb wel een klein zwak voor Ska. Het is domme fun, je moet het vooral niet te serieus nemen. Daarnaast betekend Ska eigenlijk altijd een trompet of saxofoon en daar word ik al snel gelukkig van! Ska is wel echt een genre dat je in kleine mate tot je moet nemen vind ik, dus ben benieuwd of ik een heel album kan trekken! Ja het is best te pruimen, ik word wel vrolijk van dat belachelijke ska geluid. Absoluut niet een album dat ik meteen weer aanzet of waarvan ik vaak zal denken 'He ff lekker dit album aan knallen' maar voor deze lijst? Dikke prima hoor! Niet wereldschokkend, tenzij je het wereldschokkend vind dat er een ska album op de lijst staat, in welke ik het opzich wel met je eens ben hoor. FAVO: Message to you Rudy, Nite Klub, too much too young
2.5 stars
Rock and reggae - Unique blend of the two styles - A bit too long
I mean it's a good ska album. Perhaps the only good one
Reasonably enjoyable
I'm surprised I've never listened to this album, or really familiarized myself with these guys. I've certainly heard Message to Rudy. I guess these guys are among the first of the ska revival, which is probably why this album is here. So cool to hear on that level, as I'm a fan of later punk ska bands that built on this like Sublime, Operation Ivy. The sub-meta text on the fact that Little B*** uses a sample from the Stones' Brown Sugar, adds an additional issue to an already mysoginistic brutal song that I'm not sure people picked up on.
Blind album, know the artist from another album on the project. I liked this album more though for sure.
It’s Up to You if you want to listen to this.
There is so much to hear in this album. The ignition of The Police, the coming of The Cure, the depression of The Smiths. Seems much started here at the fusion of ska and punk.
Well, it's ska... but also kinda catchy...
This album represents as much as I will ever love Ska. Solid album, "A Message to You Rudy" and "Concrete Jungle" are highlights. Sorry, not really in a mood for this at the moment, so the score probably reflects that.
Oddly entertaining.
It's OK. Small doses of fun, but not usually my mood for long-term listening.
Fun listen, but a bit repetitive...
Pretty good vibes! Seems like a good album to put on while you’re on vacation on a beach somewhere. I wouldn’t really seek this out otherwise, though tbh.
Just another Brit punk rock group from the late 70’s. Nothing special
Biriyse punk
Didn't get it until about halfway through, when I realized it was a genre defining ska album from the uk.still not great to listen to, but the cultural relevancy broght it to 3 stars. I'm also a ska apologist
This was a ska album. Ska is good for a bit but quickly becomes annoying after about 20 minutes when you get over it. Because of that, I enjoyed the first half of this album and then didn't enjoy the second half that much. 6/10
This album made me learn something about music! While listening to it, I kept thinking, "the ska songs are pretty fun, but why do they keep mixing the reggae into it, which keeps ruining the flow of the album?" After doing some searching, I learned that they are actually linked genres. I had no idea! My only association to ska was what is apparently called third-wave ska or punk-ska - Rancid, Sublime and the like. I'm not too fond of reggae, as it's too mellow and repetitive, in my opinion, so my overall feelings for this specific album remain as I described it in the first paragraph - indecisive and intrusive. Not my taste. But I give it +1 for the fast paced ska, and +1 for the knowledge, which was somewhat mindblowing to me.
Ok if you like that sort of thing.
It’s ska. Ska sucks. But this is at least trying to do and say something that the awful nightmare of 3rd wave ska never could. Uhhh. Better than I thought but I’ll never listen to it again
Yep late 70s early 80s ska/reggae music. It’s fine and this genre hasn’t been represented yet so I appreciate its presence on this list. No need to go back to this but I can see a song or two being played summer time day drinking possibly.
I'm very familiar with the hits on this album and The Specials in general so it's a little hard to be objective. The hits are great (Gangsters, Rudy, Alright, Too Much Too Young) but you don't really need more than a few songs to get your fill. This album starts to get repetitive and I definitely didn't need any live renditions although they bring great energy. That being said, The Specials are influential and will always hold a place in music history. At least one of their songs is played at every ska/reggae show I've ever been to. Their music is also a whole lifestyle: braces, Fred Perry's, porkpies, and checkers. 3.25 for reminiscing on all the great times with Pretty Ricky by the beach.
This was a nice little glimpse into to what I expect was early ska/reggae. For the most part it was a pretty fun bop. It hits a lot of the standard ska and reggae beats/notes and was a pretty fun listen. It's not necessarily too long, but I think the ska/reggae sound gets a little tired after more than half an hour. Either way I enjoyed The Specials and had some fun with it. I could swear I previously heard the A Message To Rudy song elsewhere on this list. 3.34 stars
Enjoyed about half this album and I’m sure others would appreciate it more if you are into Ska and reggae music. Concrete jungle release stood out though.
As one of the grandfathers of ska and late 70s UK rock, I see why it should be here. It’s hard to wrap my head around the sound unless I’m in the mood for it, so I needed a few listens before I could give it a rating. Some good songs in here but ultimately a lot of it sounded the same.
A very reggae-esque Clash sound. Not bad. But also not The Clash.
alright ska
I really dig this type of music, when it plays for me. Everytime they come on or something relative to them, I always enjoy listening to it. Interested into listening to this album, fully. Very cool.
Can’t lie…not my vibe. A little bit confused by which genre they are.
Pretty good for ska. Appreciate that it’s early ska. Fun and funny.
Reminds me of the B 52s with the use of punk ethos to revive an older genre. I’m just not a big ska fan so 3 stars seems right. I like the big hits and a couple of the deeper tracks but as a whole I was bored most of it. Rating: 3.2
Kind of charming, but not my cup of tea.
Ska is me altijd iets te happy-go-lucky en bouncy, waardoor het 't muzikaal vernuft wat een band heeft wel een beetje verbergt. De climax is vaak hetzelfde en vrij monotoon. En ook al is het catchy, het verveelt mij wel vrij snel. Dat gezegd hebbende; dit album haalt misschien wel het meeste uit het genre voor Ska-sceptici als ik. Het speelt met tempowisselingen, en geeft ook tragere dub-reggae de ruimte. Het eerste helft van het album bevalt dan ook aardig, de tweede helft zijn ze mij kwijt. De iconische (gesampelde) riff van 'Little Bitch' daargelaten. 6,5/10 Highlights: Concrete Jungle Do the Dog It's up to You Little Bitch
They say "You're married with a kid when you should be having fun," but also "Stop your messing around." I will NOT be approaching The Specials for life advice.
Not as terrible as I thought it would be but still not something I would put on conscientiously
Hey yeah there’s barely been any ska on this thing
This is pretty good. I like the feel of it. Favourite tracks are Concrete Jungle and Little Bitch. But I need that punch that punk or post punk gives, that ska doesn’t. I like the tracks that are closest to the Clash in style - the others are not nearly as good
Interesting. Some nice reggae undertones. I didn't know this band. I liked their vibe and the big band sound on some of their tracks.
Weird one is this. There was a time that I wouldn’t have given this type of music Ska any attention and immediately dismiss it. But when the 2 Tone Ska revival came along I did eventually climb on board. Maybe it was because of the regular radio and club plays that I became very familiar with the style of music. I bought this album and other subsequent ones together with other’s in the 2 Tone stable. The biggest outcome I got from this was a desire to discover artists who the 2 Tone artists were influenced by. So I had a brief dalliance with the likes of Prince Buster, Judge Dread and Linton Kwesi Johnson. I also saw The Special’s live at St George’s Hall, Bradford in 1980 which was full of blokes dancing wearing pork pie hats. But the overall memory of this was the one and only time I saw someone crowd surf by diving off the circle balcony. Good gig but not enough to keep my interest long term in 2 tone and Ska. But plenty of music on this album to revive memories of that time so a worthwhile listen to a decent album. 3/5 16/12/24
"A message to you Rudy" - I've heard this song so many times and I didn't know who it is, ha! Great start to an album. It went so and so from there on. I still didn't hate this album though :)
Young dumb and full of cum Richtig spaßige Songs auf dem Ding aber mein Enthusiasmus hält sich noch in Grenzen
Skakati
Highlights: A Message to You Rudy, Concrete Jungle. In a nutshell: head bopping protest songs. Some good songs, some absolutely jarring songs. Stupid Marriage and Too Much Too Young were uncomfortable to hear with 2024 ears. Message to You always nice to hear. Always appreciate hand claps in songs. Overall: 5/10
Little Bitch instantly makes me think of Sixteen Candles. Great needle-drop in a movie full of them. The Specials set the tone for Ska. Sounds raw like punk, but does not sound as angry unless you read the lyrics. The only problem with ska is it starts to sound repetitive if you listen to it for a long time. Enjoyed this one.
It's alright. Has its place. Ska's not really my bag.
Fun album, doesn’t set the world on fire though 3.4
Much better than 'More Specials' but still not very special.
Ska = Ein bisschen Reggae, ein bisschen Punk
Had never heard of these guys, and was not really familiar with a british ska movement which seems like it was pretty big for a while. Definitely picks up for the second half. First half feels like background ska with occasional nice touches, second half gets pretty dark and angry. Rolling stones ass little bitch.
The music was not what I expected based on the album art, but I liked the ska vibes, but only would listen again to 2-3 tracks on the album
Some old school ska. Fun at first, but gets a little old. Some of the lyrics seem kind of immature. Maybe I am just getting old .
Pretty fun, but not really my cup of tea
Reggae-flavored ska. There were glimmers of something likeable here, but for me, it just didn’t work as a whole album listened through. The repetition just kinda drives me nuts. I’ll be perfectly happy to never hear “too much too young” again 2.5
More Specials ❎ No More Specials ✅ (I kinda like the other album than this one)
Don't know how to feel about this one. It's well done but it just feels too daft and silly, like half of the songs with the vocals removed would be the soundtrack to hijinx in some sitcom. I couldn't have said who A Message To Rudy was by but I've heard it in so many adverts, it's such a Sainsbury's ass song. Not sure if that's reflective of ska as a whole but if it is, it's probably not for me Highlights: You're Wondering Now
Less special than I remember
Classic ska!
Hugely important historically; reviving interest in ska and making combatting racism ultra-cool. A Message to You Rudy remains an absolute gem. I can only imagine how mind-blowing it must have been to see these guys live in a club back in the day. But the rest of the album, 45-years on? It's a schizophrenic experience. The more punkish, up-tempo tracks (It's Up to You, Monkey Man, Dawning of a New Era, Little Bitch) still sound fresh and fantastic. The purer ska tracks (Doesn't Make it Alright, Too Hot, Blank Expression, Stupid Marriage, Too Much Too Young) have incredible backing tracks but are severely diminished by the irreverent approach to vocals, which may have sounded nonchalant and cool at the time, but now sounds lazy and uninspired. Particularly in light of how great they sound when they finally take vocals seriously on You're Wondering Now.
Ska legalzinho
Fun, with clever lyrics, but not really my thing.
a message to you rudy- 6 do the dog- no thank you. very british. 6 its up to you- 5 nite klub- 5 or 6 doesnt make it alright- 5 concrete jungle- 6 too hot- 5 monkey man- 6 new era- 5 blank expression- 5 stupid marriage- 5 too much too young- 5 little bitch- 5 youre wondering now- 5
Light hearted punk album. A lot of instrumentals in each song sound the same, almost gives me beach vibes, but that's not necessarily a bad thing
Always loved the singles I knew from this, great album.
Although Ska is not really my thing, this album was pretty decent.
2 - British bias or smth, no way this is in the greatest albums of all time
Ska jazz fun style music but can only listen to so much
I’ll begin this by saying I completely forgot who The Specials were. Or that I ever would have reviewed one of their records in the first place. I clicked post on the review of their sophomore album, More Specials, and then removed their presence from my brain. It confuses me how they managed to find a spot on this list not once, but twice, and why this was necessary. Going back to that original review from some months ago, it’s funny seeing how many of the same thoughts I wrote there that I was feeling while listening to this. This album in particular was produced by Elvis Costello himself, so that’s now twice I’ve had to listen to him in some capacity this week. So I’ve basically hit my limit. And all of the same gripes that I had with their follow up record are mostly present here. The way my smooth pea brain interprets ska music is very much an amalgamation of the basics of reggae and punk. That’s probably a really small minded way of looking at it, and I apologize. And I like both of those genres on their own merits. But take all of that and bring it together under this late 70s umbrella of 50s influenced new wave music and you lose me a little bit. What the band is actually playing is not what I take issue with. I also like that this form of music is rooted in a sense of rebelliousness and distrust like much of the music it is inspired by. It more so comes down to personal taste. Reggae and ska have always been gray areas for me, and it takes something particularly interesting to keep me coming back. This is not one of those cases, but I still enjoy it slightly more than their second album. Rating: 5/10
Favorite Track: Monkey Man
This is an album I should have been aware of as a kid, but ska/reggae wasn't on my radar at the time. I've learned to appreciate them and the fact that they were definitely ahead of their time. They paved the way for Madness, No Doubt, UB40, Sublime, Fishbone and others. \"A Message To You Rudy\" is an absolute classic 80's song, if you can't enjoy that song you're just not a fun person. It's a tribute to late 60's reggae while being on the front edge of the New Wave movement. Every song is under 4 mins long so it's fast & furious even at 15 tracks. At the time they were breaking new ground, but today it may not sound all that new or unique to the listener. Their version of Toots' \"Monkey Man\" is really well done (and inspired No Doubt on theirs), and their own \"Concrete Jungle\", \"You're Wondering Now\" & \"Blank Expression\" are catchy tunes. A fun album to listen to, I can hear the influence (seeing that this was released in 1979), but maybe not Top 1001 worthy.
When they pick it up-pick it up-pick it up, I like it, maybe because it’s closer to the ska punk it influenced, which I can tolerate (key word here); when it cools down and sounds closer to more traditional reggae, I get bored, and I think that’s just because I don’t really love reggae at all. Unfortunately for me, because it’s a 50/50 split between the two styles, I couldn’t really ever get to a place where I loved this. In fact, it took me a long time to even just warm up to it. I expected more punch, and even at its punchiest, it’s very downtempo, and that just isn’t to my personal taste. But again, even if it had sounded like riotous ska punk, I still would’ve found it corny, and wouldn’t seek it out past this listen. The historical value of it is undeniable, though, and when it hits, it hits just enough to earn my lukewarm support.
pretty fun, plus opened with a harmonica do extra points 6/10
Can't really go wrong with ska.
Ska and reggae not my thing.
Got better towards the end
I don't really like Ska that much but this is pretty decent stuff
I liked it a lot. It started really good but since the album itself had not that much variety it got a bit lifeless towards the end. Songwise i liked pretty much all of them but album whise it was a bit too flat for me.
history wise this is a pretty interesting band that combined the ska/2 tone revival in the 70s/80s in britain with intentional anti-racism messages and political activism. While probably a little derivative/appropriative of Jamaican culture, the album has a relatively light hearted musicality with the intensity of punk. Fairly clever and unique.
Fun era of music and it puts a lot of the 90s ska wave into perspective. Good stuff, but I'm not sure I can throw 4* at it.
Pretty good. Vibey. I like a message to you Rudy but other than that nothing really stood out.
Too reggae. Kinda fun
A message to youuu ruuudyyy...Skaskaska...Monkey Man...mal tocadinho e mal mixadinho.
7/10 Strong start to this album, two songs I know and like. The rest wasn’t quite as good as this promise but was enjoyable. Rock influences and a classic ska sound, didn’t stray too far from it The whole vibe is more punk than much of the punk and serious rock so far on this list Best: A Message to you Rudy
I liked this more than I expected. I’m not normally a ska kinda guy, but the fact that this had a little more variety to it made me like it more than most. Solid stuff.
I think I'd only heard the singles off this, so a lot of the moodier stuff (It's Up to You, Doesn't Make It Alright, etc) is hitting a lot harder, and honestly? It's a really good vibe for them. A bunch of the less racially politically charged tracks on here kind of run on a surprising level of misogynistic tropes, though, bc while many of his politics may have been good, Terry's always seemed like kind of a twat (also Too Much Too Young has always been overrated, don't @ me, and having the longer, slower mix of it on here helps nobody)
decent but dragged
Feel like the historical context of this album is quite important to appreciating it (which I don't have). Lots of references to race/gender which was probably more profound 40 years ago. Musically, I'm not that in love - feel like ska is just worse than reggae. The odd song does a good job blending that rock/reggae sound (stupid marriage, stupid bitch)
Don't like ska. 2.5
Listening to this brought me back to the '80's when I frequently saw ska bands at Bunratty's. I enjoyed the album, very fun, but it got a tad repetetive.
The opposite of metacognition is incognizance. In a sentence: "despite liking the fine reggae song "A message to You Rudy" in an obscure way, I was incognizant of any link to the Specials. partly because for me, a "Special" is an lit award given by very old pinball machines. By that I mean pre-1980s. This is older than even that" I definitely didnt know tracks 2 onwards I am having a mixed response, its a clash of things I like and dont like at all. Interesting exploration. But oh so dates, but if this the best trashy english reggae album they could find? there is something wonderfully innocent and horribly childlike here. Glad I hear them for the first time. "Is everybody Happy?"
It's good. Definitely just me, but when I listen to the specials I can see ashtrays, drizzle, violence, brown and orange clothes. It's so 70s British. It is good. Just not for me.
an absolute vibe. i've always found third-wave ska annoying but now it seems almost criminal that gen x americans listened to cool, culturally-unifying shit like this and stripped it of its blackness in the pursuit of glorified pop-punk tracks about, like, smoking weed with your girlfriend or whatever
Fun to listen, sounds kind of timeless.
Odd mix of energy but it works. Rhythm section is the glue for this album. A bit repetitive
This definitely deserves to be on the list, but I didn’t love it. Admittedly ska is hit or miss for me, but The Specials are iconic, so I can’t hate. Overall I enjoyed this record. Not every song was great, but it was pretty enjoyable as a whole.
Meio puxado pro reggae. Muito tranquilo pra ouvir surtandinho
Some songs are good, others sound fun but fall flat.
Feels like a really standard album. Like a very solid 3. Has me reflecting on the fact that I am trying to listen to 1001 albums and I am very happy I am doing this because I probably won't revisit this album much but like it was a good enough listen and I feel like this is the average album I need to endure to experience all the good ones on the list is so worth because this wasn't even bad. its even good. just not good enough to be super compelling
I guess it’s fine, I just don’t really like reggae that much
как обычно, мерзкие жанры но из лет где примерно истоки были не бесят) просто не моё но забавный тыц-тыц
Hard to put in a box genre wise. I hear elements of reggae, rock, blues and pop at least. Terrible British vocal on the white dude which makes it really hard to listen to.
Reggae fun fun woo 2.5
I like their style and some of their songs. But then there are quite a lot of songs which I think are too simple and not interesting.
A couple of great tunes that are foundational to ska.
Was never a huge ska fan, but this is something y of the bedt
I consider ska and reggae to be generally under appreciated, and I was thrilled to hear both genres in The Specials' debut album. They were part of ska revival, though I wish I knew more about it to appreciate the impact of the Specials. By covering some classic reggae songs and creating their own, The Specials pay homage to the early reggae and ska sound. Fascinatingly, the Specials dabbled in some punk, too? That alone made this a unique album, with ska, reggae, and punk. This album came across as super chill and super fun, with the silliness only increasing on the second half of the album. 3.5
I'm really not a big ska person, but I found this to be pretty enjoyable. Honestly, the majority of ska that I am familiar with is from the late 90s to early 2000s, and you could have convinced me that this album was from that time period too. They definitely nailed that modern ska sound and the album was very well produced. Speaking of production, my partner in crime on this project brought it to my attention that Elvis Costello produced this album, and honestly that made a lot of sense. The album cover and a lot of the music have an underlying Costello-ness to them, complete with dabbling a bit in those new wave and punk spaces.
Not bad but sum about white reggae
I kinda like Ska. The Specials aren't as good as some Ska bands, but I enjoyed the album.
Essa pegada de ska é muito boa, mas soa uma coisa bem amadora, com a produção feita em casa. Não sei explicar, provavelmente as músicas com uma produção atual seriam estrondosas.
Not bad, full of energy. Inevitably it's a bit samey and repetitive but that's ska.
Rastabilly. Pretty good, but I'd rather just listen to reggae.
Reggaen ja alt rockin sekoittelua. Silti letkeemmän puoleista. A Message To You Rudy, tuttu sample tältä. Parhaat: A Message To You Rudy, (A Dawning Of A) New Era, Little Bitch
Good but middle of the road. Strong 3. 67
A million high school boys in a band have this (& the Ramones) to credit.
Fun bouncy ska. Easy to see why everyone into ska comes back to this album -- it is one of the genesis points. Pretty solid.
Pretty fun, and cool to see the origins of the ska punk that dominated the 90’s and early 2000’s.
So. SKA. I like reggea and big beat, upbeat, high tempo dance style music. I see it as one of those genres you would here at a summer outdoor park and everyone gets into the dance and fun and there are vintage cars and clever costumes... Of course it would be fun! I think maybe that is the trouble... See, that IS where this band shines. It is definitely a live, open, high spirit, high energy, go for it boozy blowout band. It is hard to zone out or tone down if you are trying to casually listen on a Tuesday afternoon. It doesn't allow for doing anything else. It is like the difference between a good movie you have to focus on and an OK movie that doesn't challenge you as much. Sometimes you just choose not to watch the better movie because it is requires too much head space.
Lyrics not bad. Use of horns good. But not that strong of an album overall.
I have heard many of the songs in various movies. Good listening.
. The music is ramshackle and the lyrics are angry and petulant but this is a record of its time. Coventry, 1979 and it brings out the monochrome of the times before derulation and colour of the eighties. Rudy and Monkey Man are great. Too Much Too Young was revamped to become a number one hit single and the rest is pretty much jamming through a new breed of reggae which would mature and become very relevant.
What better response to the bleak austerity and right-wing economics of the Thatcher era than to blend Jamaican ska with English punk? What made The Specials unique is that their blending of styles was very genuine. They're not a punk band stealing bits and pieces from black musicians (which rock n roll history is filled with), or the occasional special guest appearance, but they're actually working together as one band. Equal partners working to make something greater than the sum of their parts. Ok, maybe it falls a bit more on the side of punk, but the principle is there. And more importantly, it works and makes a very fun album. I have a slight preference for their follow up album 'More Specials' just because it's so bizarre, but this was also a great listen.
Normally I'd love an album like this, but this is my 3rd listen to it and still doesn't quite hit for me. Not a bad album by any means and there's a handful of songs I love, but More Specials is like 20x better than this album
Knee's up! Respect to those that came before.
I like British Rock but not when it's too British
I bet this must have been a contentious album among the artsy crowd back then. It is obnoxious to say the least, but in a minimally endearing way.
The first song made me think this was spooky ska but then I realised it was just regular ska . It was ok
Very talented musicians. Not my sound in general, but in doses, I can dig it. I have to give 3 stars just because I recognize the talent.
шашечки равно ска ну в целом я скажу что ну норм, послушал на чилле
3.5 stars. Good ol fashioned ska. Island guitars and horn sections, often having a big band sound. Favorite tracks include "Nite Klub" and "Blank Expression." "Doesn't Make It Alright" has a straightforward message, and offers a nice gentler change of pace from the other songs. "You're Wondering Now" is clever as a closing track.
I like The Specials for their style, their progressiveness, and for doing everything completely different. The music itself I don't love - I find a lot of ska to be kind of goofy, the GOATs being no exception. But I do admire them for who they were.
I liked it until I didn't.
Decent, too much too young is by far the worst song
This was an interesting listen. There is not a lot of ska on this list. I enjoyed the album for what it is. It might not be something I would listen to often but I would not mind hearing it again.
This was fine, but I got REAL TIRED of their sound about 10 minutes in and still had another 34 more minutes of pop-punk reggae-rock.
Enjoyable Ska album for me. Nothing bad about it.
Thats ok
Better than their follow up album Favourite songs: Little Bitch, Nite Klub, It's Up To You, Concrete Jungle, You're Wondering Now Least favourite songs: Too Hot 3/5
So much of this sounded so familiar but I don't think I actually knew any of these songs. It was very british, and mostly fun, but also tiring at times. Stand-out: A Message to You Rudy
I dig the ska
Not a big fan of this but interesting enough to rate three stars. I prefer a letter grading system where this album would get a C- for me.
It’s the pinnacle of Ska. But Ska is kinda boring
Det här är så brittiskt. Gissar att Blur lyssnat en del på The Specials. Är svag för brittisk pop/rock. Är inte lika svag för reagge. Men ska-punk funkar. Man vill liksom dansa taktlöst. Lika mycket som jag hatade trummorna på Adam Ants skiva älskar jag trummorna i Concrete Jungle. Ett bra exempel på hur trummor bör användas. Sen kan ju ska bli lite enformigt, men jag gillar det ändå. Tänk om man fått se The Specials live gissar att det hade varit en upplevelse.
Första låten är najs. Användes mycket i den väldigt roliga komediserien Plebs. Det är ska. Det är helt ok. Passar nu i sommarvärmen.
Gillade den här rakt igenom, men som någon annan skrev, av någon anledning var det också lite skönt när den tog slut.
2-Tone music arising. Interesting mix between regae and brit-pop
Really liked most of it. Nothing great about it, just that it was a fun little listen.
Falls somewhere between I really enjoyed this and I really didn’t care for it and I can’t tell which.
- surprisingly summery, album cover looks like it’s new wave
A unique style of music for sure!
A-side is the studio side, so I am reviewing that. The tracks on this record sound very same-y. Some of them are quite fun, but I feel like this band is a better live experience. Record feels lacking.
Variety of musical styles. A bit of calypso back beat
The first song was good. The rest were meh. Not special.
Ei epäilystäkään: tällä bändillä on muitakin ideoita kuin vain tyylillisiä, ja biisinteko/coverointi kantaa melko hyvin läpi koko LP:n. Hurahdinko ska:han? Ehkä melkein, kuten ennenkin. 3,5
I had no idea ska was this old!
British ska revival 1979, just ok for a few songs
Loved the instrumental side of the tracks. Unique lyric style
I enjoyed the album, it felt like a complete album with some certified bangers that I added to my all-time favourites playlist. That being said, I thought that 'Stupid Marriage', 'Too Much Too Young' and 'Little Bitch' seemed a bit personal against an ex-lover perhaps? It stained my enjoyment of the album somewhat.
Message to youuu ruuuby Verder wel grappig maar niet enorm bijzonder
The This The That Veel Brits spul zeg Wel geinig
A few years ago, after seeking the origins of the ska I grew up with (which I learned was apparently third-wave ska) I found my way to The Specials (second-wave). The mix of punk and reggae is so fascinating. Gotta love those normie-prodding, angsty, fun-loving bunch of rude boys.
I only like the hits.
Quite a good album for a ska genre, I was able to listen to few songs before being taken to mental asylum, which is definitely my personal best. Never again (*).
It's another one I wanted to like more than I did. It's just not great. It's also not terrible, it's just slightly boring. I can see how it was quite subversive in its time, but today it just sounds quaint and anachronistic. I'd give it 2.5 if I could. I'll probably end up giving it 3 stars because it's not *bad* per se.
This is an interesting one. Similar critique as the police album, I liked the instrumentation a lot but some vocal parts and lyrics were weird and off putting. Other than that I thought it was fun, I definitely preferred the fast songs. Favorite Song: Nite Klub 7/10
All in all I thought it was a fun listen. I really dig the combo of punk and ska. Fav Songs: A Message to You Rudy Nite Klub Too Much Too Young
I didn’t make it all the way through this one… is it ska?
It's alright.
A classic ska album, but also pretty cheese at times
its good just not for me really 2.8/5
This was fun. This is Ska well delivered. The music is light, detached, and carries a good mood. The lyrics on the other hand might be a total contrast.
Gets a little screetchy/yelling, but all in all not bad
It's funny. I remember liking this one quite a lot. And it is good. I dig their vibe and sense of humor. But I don't know, it fell a little flat today. More of a 3.5, but I'm rounding down. I prefer the first English Beat album.
Great album example of why I love this project. An important band I kinda got exposed to but didn’t truly know. I liked it. Won’t say I’d ever spin ska just for the heck of it.
Good British ska album, but not my cup of tea.
Really fun album. Ska isn't for everyone....but is for me :) Monkey Man rocks. Very strong 3....I would definitely put it on again.
Highlights of the album were the ska tracks. The original songs were nowhere near as good (or fun) and I’m not a fan of the overly British style of singing. However, I liked all the instrumental parts and the calypso/reggae beats had me vibing.
So... this is Ska. Very fun but about half of the songs either go on for too long or have some obnoxious gimmick. I really liked Do the Dog, Concrete Jungle, and Stupid Marriage though. Worth hearing once, but I'd rather listen to something else most of the time.
Likeable -worth another listen.
Huh. Was about to rate it 0 and joke about how ska is just the gentrified child of reggae and punk but this is actually decent. It's the old school british punk rock voice that dows it! 3/5, which is a lot from me for ska.
I liked the first song, the rest was OK at best
kinda nice, still don't like ska
This was fine for a genre of music that I generally don't enjoy, but I will never be revisiting this.
My formal introduction to Ska. I did not know the difference between ska and reggae. Now j know that Ska is faster and guitar oriented with a social commentary flavourful. This was a good album. Another UK album.
Nice hearing some earlier ska. Some very cool parts and also some things I'm not into as much
It’s a very generous 3
I’m aware of the specials, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever listed to an album. Ok. Half way through. I do t get the hype. It’s good. But nothing is really jumping out to me. And now “too hot” is on and I’m changing my mind.
Protest music. Some soul, some reggae. Not bad
It's a good album. The ska-reggae beats are nice. A few songs hit a bit more than others. The whole band is having fun playing the tunes.
Would potentially have rated a star higher but have issues with some of the lyrics
Avant Pop - Enjoy Yourself. Está bien.
Se parecen a Toreros Muertos, pero en inglés. Más british, aunque no sé de dónde son.
Hmm…ska…maybe not…although not repulsive, just not something I love.
I liked this more than I thought I would.
Wow people hate this one. Always been a fan of their singles, have a compilation of theirs. I have to say this album is uneven, and yeah moaning lyrics are a bit of a drag. Hall is doing that "I'm young and I think I'm being edgy, but really I just sound quite conservative" thing. But the good songs are great, Gangsters, Message to you Rudy are total classics. The album version of Too Much Too Young is trounced by the live single version which captures the bands energy much better.
Two Specials in a row. I think this dampened my review of this one (with the only Specials song I’ve heard before). It’s likely just as good as the one before, but I’m feeling less excited. Too much ska is definitely a thing.
Do The Dog and Concrete Jungle are the standouts. Pretty decent even though it's ska.
Some good songs.
Fun album, great musicians! 7 out of 10
Liked the Reggae style songs the best.
Good enough.
Sounded interesting.
Se parecen a Toreros Muertos, pero en inglés. Más british, aunque no sé de dónde son.
Pretty interesting listen. Kind of reminded me of music that I'd hear out of the movie 16 Candles; cool reggae pop sound. 7/10.
I like Ska a lot. This album was just ok for me. The first song was great and the rest was pretty pedestrian.
A couple good songs, a bunch of meh songs, a couple bad songs, so it all levels out to be pretty meh.
Ska
Solid overall but only a few really standout songs.
That was kinda fun
Although I just listened yesterday I find myself forgetting everything about this album… is that significant or just bad how small of a memory I have? Not sure but.. I think this was used as background music while I was doing other things but I did like it generally. I hate giving out so many 3s but it’s exactly average.
It's pretty good but I don't think an album is this genre can be truly great to me. 3.2
A cool vibe. Def hear their influence on a ton of punk bands I grew up with.
boah super lang aber gangsta ist gut
Origin of ska… I mean I’m not going to listen to that a lot, but now I know!
SKAAA!!!!!!
Ganz nett, war mir aber zu viel vom Gleichen
Jaunty and typically British tunes.
I nearly ran for the hills when I saw those three frightening letters (S-K-A 😟) but was relatively relieved to find this relatively inoffensive.
Great Ska Album
🔥🔥🔥🔥SKA MUSIC🔥🔥🔥🔥
msg to rudy a gooden
Okay
It's good. It's special. But not amazing.
Ska not really my jam, but I can appreciate the energy and levity.
This was a lot of ska, ska punk? Ska rock? There were trumpets. It was okay.
Perfectly alright album, and a fun introduction to ska. Though evidently, not my favourite genre. Another middle of the road album for me, but there were a number of pretty good tracks. 6/10 Top 3: 1. Little Bitch 2. Concrete Jungle 3. Gangsters
Okay but not my thing
not that great but it's the brieflos song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! brieflos for youuuuu
Good but very repetitive
Enjoyed this far more than I initially expected
Did not expect the reggae influence. Really blending genres, you can tell it's original and an early ska influence but has very brit roots. Sounds much later than '79
Favorite Tracks: A Message to You Rudy, Nite Klub, Doesn't Make It Alright, Concrete Jungle, Monkey Man, Little Bitch, You're Wondering Now
Early ska sound
Quand même bien aimé malgré que c'est très ska. J'ai l'impression que ça a dû avoir un impact important sur la scène. J'ai trouvé peut-être un peu long mais c'est probablement parce que ce n'est pas mon style de prédilection. J'y retournerais. 7/10
They sound disorganized but with a lot of heart. There are some really great aspects such as originality and instrumentation, but also bad parts like the lyrics and production. It was fun, though. 3/5
Lots of fun!
I thought the album, including the live tracks, was going to be a bit much but I enjoyed. Some songs haven’t aged well, and that’s why you won’t hear them on the radio.
- Tropical vibes with some ska influence this is great blend - Great blend of instruments that work together very well
Not my vibe
I had fun listening to this album but I was simultaneously ready for it to end at any point. I'm not a huge ska fan but I like it well enough and there were a couple fun tracks on here (rudy, stupid marriage) but also a decent number of duds (too hot). In all honestly will probably completely forget about this album about three albums from now.
I like The Specials in small to moderate doses but their style does grate after a while (Ghost Town is grate-proof; I like when they explore that darker edge to their sound, but they don't do that on this album). I respect what they're about and their reputation as state-of-the-nation documenters, though I have to take that on faith a bit having not lived through those times. Social commentary comes across in a few of the songs but not all of them. To summarise: Fun and important, but not *that* fun or *that* important.
Definitely a good time. I don’t really have much to say about this album.
70's british ska with reggae influence. Sounds like they had an impact on 311 and Sublime.
Meh. 3 stars. Its early reggae.
Another one where I have no idea what to expect. The album opens with Gangsters that has a ska-infused, polka beat going for it with some whiny buried vocals. This feels like it would be at home in the intro of some cheesy Halloween movie. I've definitely heard A Message to You Rudy before. Either embedded in a DJ set or sampled in some other artists work. Pretty classic vibes on this one. Very dusty feeling; I'm into it. Do the Dog is an energetic surf song with a very strange chorus + vocal overlay. I think it works in a surf/skateshop context, but outside of that I'm not huge on it. It's up to You is a groovy dub track. Has a lot of similar vibes to some Police tracks. One of the better so far, with some sweet fretwork to boot. Nite Klub follows up with a meaty slab of bass forming the backbone. I can get down with it. Concrete Jungle goes in hard with the drums out of the gate. Gives way to a pretty standard energetic dub hop, but damn this song rips. The guitar work in the background is fire; reminds me of Minutemen in the tone and vocal nature. Jam. Too Hot is more reggae than ska. Reminds me of a Marley song that I can't quite put my finger on. Kaya maybe? Monkey Man feels familiar as well, though I'm not certain why. Unfortunately the back half of the album doesn't keep up the energy of the first. Either that or it becomes repetitive. Either way, I lost interest shortly after Monkey Man, which is too bad because I was really surprised and into the first half. Wish there was a bit more virtuoso guitar work as in Concrete Jungle, or bass rumpus as in Nite Klub. All said, I enjoyed this much more than I expected. Surprise 3 / 5 for me.
This is a nice sounding album right out of the gate. A little reggae/punk? A good combo in my eyes. Feels like some beach rock. It's easy to listen to, but gets a little bit monochromatic throughout the album. Overall was an enjoyable listen, but didn't have much variety to send it to 4 stars. I could see this whole album playing on repeat at a place like Mackey's on a Tuesday afternoon.
A eclectic mix of ska and reggae, and really these guys were doing ska before many did. It's a lighthearted yet earnest album for the most part, it would be the type of thing that you'd kick back on a beach and just vibe while it plays in the background, which isn't a bad thing at all.
var nice å høre men har eksamenshjerne nå så husker ikke hvordan d var 3.5
Fun listen like the Jamaican thing
The Specials ken ik vooral van Back to Mine. Verzamelcd's met de favoriete muziek / inspiratie van van grote namen in de elektronische muziek. Liam 'Prodigy' Howlett en de Audiobullys zetten beide een nummer van dit album op hun Back to Mine. Een leuke cd-serie om muziek te ontdekken of mee te reizen met een artiest. Tip! Hier had ik dus zin in. Tja, en dat moet dus eigenlijk niet. Is de verwachting groot, dan valt het altijd tegen. Nu ik het hele album hoor, staat de matige zang me tegen. Het mag allemaal wat voller. Maar ach, dat komt dus wellicht vooral door de verwachting.
Fun and still fresh-sounding, but not as good as the second record, and perhaps a bit one-note and unnecessarily lengthy. "You're Wondering Now" and "Message to Rudy" are tops.
3.5 Prima album, maar too much too young is gruwelijk kut.
“There was some good stuff, there was some skippable stuff but none of it was a bad listen at all.” - Me, yesterday, can be repeated today. Although I was more pleasantly surprised this time, enjoyed it more than I expected
I bet these guys are a blast live. Music was good
Kinks möter Hoffmaestro
was alright
These are very special boys. A special 3.5 for being so special. 👨🦼
Hörde talas om The Specials för något år sedan, och än mer för några månader sedan då sångaren Terry Hall gick bort. Tyckte de verkade väldigt spännande, hur de gjorde sin egen ska- och reggaeinfluerade musik i en period som känns mer dominerad av postpunk och new wave. Alltid härlig, svängig musik med tydliga basgångar! Gillar! Temat är aldrig heller fel, antifascistiskt och om hur brittiska ungdomar känner frustration och hur man borde "stick it to the man". 'Doesn't Make It Alright' har lite långsammare tempo och väldigt fin refräng, men melodin i verserna låter så jävla mycket som en annan låt och jag blir galen när jag inte kommer på vilken det är. Men den, tillsammans med låtarna innan och efter - 'Nite Klub' och 'Concrete Jungle' - utgör albumets bästa låtföljd. 'A Message to You Rudy', bandets största hit, är också bra, men inte bland de bästa. '(Dawning of A) New Era' också bra. Bästa låt: Doesn't Make It Alright.
Like basically every ska album I’ve heard, it’s fun at first but grows a bit tiresome
British reggae funk, pioneer band for the period. Enjoyable and funky 6/10
Ska
The Clash after a year in Jamaica. Pleasant, but forgettable
Nothing Special
One that deserves a second listen, upon first it didn’t seem too impressive. May have missed on the ska influences as it just felt more 60s/70s rock and roll
HL: “Concrete Jungle”, “Too Hot”, “A Message To You Rudy” Decent. More punky than I expected (tbf I knew “Ghost Town”, & nothing else) July 3, 2023
2.5
first listen bouncy romp, kinda forgettable idk
Pretty fun older alt vibe. 3.5
Spot ik hier een Dries bop?
Een Dries bop. Leuke gezellige muziek.
Alright with some weak songs.
3/14
nite klub is good, the other songs before it have blurred together so far too hot is neat but deserves more instrumentation to make the lyrics stand out. taking a break at midway point of album as of 21:38. to be finished
Starts strong, tapers off
Pretty cooo sound. RUDY!
Even though it was the forerunner of reggae which I love, I've never really cared for ska. Too poppy and almost like novelty music.
This was alright, certainly an albums you would bob up and down to, but it doesn't feel it has too much substance. Once you ignore that, fun enough.
Quite conflicted regarding this record. I have several issues with ska and reggae, but the punk nerve and general dissatisfaction on tracks like 'Little Bitch' are great. That being said, I'll probably never listen to this again.
Enjoyed this one. Unlike anything we’ve had up to now and sounded ahead of it’s time.
Not the biggest fan of ska but that was alright. First half definitely stronger. Could hear a lot of ska-punk elements that bands I used to love borrowed/stolen.
I get the impression that The Specials and two-tone ska in general reflected a regretfully limited social movement to be easygoing, inclusive and optimistic about life in general and about race relations in Britain in the 80's in particular. This record portrays a possible world where you and I can get along alright and have a some fun along with a tinge of rock-reggae and horns.
Some fun individual tunes on here, but I just couldn't get it out of my head that every once in a while the lead singer sounded like John Mulaney. 3/5
I can't really explain it, but I have a weird soft spot for ska music. It's not cool at all and it kind of surprises me that it was ever popular, but it's light and fun and it always brings my mood up a bit. This album basically aligns with my general feelings about ska (though occasionally it's a little more alt-rock-y than just ska (Concrete Jungle), and sometimes more heavily reggae (Too Hot)). Good vibes throughout, a few interesting songs, generally a pleasant listen, though I would still probably not choose to listen to this over other things. The genre caps the rating a bit, but it's perfectly good for what it is. Favorite song: You're Wondering Now Other: A Message to You Rudy, Doesn't Make It Alright, Concrete Jungle, Too Much Too Young
2nd wave ska meta
fun but over wrought
Highlights: "Concrete Jungle," "Gangsters," "Nite Klub" It's good that a seminal ska-punk act, with compelling intros, hooks, and vocals, also knows how not to be appropriative way back in '79. Jamaican, Cuban, and British members each speak as themselves to their shared situations. But. If we're caring about the politics of the songs, because that's part of punk music, it absolutely trips on the finish line.
Nah
It was enjoyable enough. I don't really know what else to say. I'd say this is a perfect three. My favourite song was Monkey Man, I think.