Reviews (page 9 of 10)
British ska revivalists The Specials have some killer singles in their catalog but unfortunately none of them appear on this (their debut album) which honestly sounds like a bunch of b-sides. Only "Too Much Too Young" manages to distinguish itself from the pack (but it certainly didn't need to be 6 minutes long). This album *is* lively and upbeat and it would make for decent party music, so it's not entirely without merit. The band also has a lot more personality than, for example, the godawful UB40, but nonetheless the songs on this record lack the melodic sense or inventiveness of say, fellow two-toners like Madness or The (English) Beat.
First time ever listening to Ska. Also researched that is considered the best Ska album of the First Wave. Completely unimpressed by the whole project. Feels unserious but not in a fun way. Sounds like a parody of Yacht Rock. Stupid Marriage was the best moment for me. Overall not looking forward to the other Ska albums on this journey.
Is that reggae?
I'm not really into ska and two tone. I find it all just too samey, I was hopeful though as Rudy is pretty good, but it didn't really go anywhere after this. Much too young is catchy but it's just the same thing forever. I can't be bothered with it all.
British ska... Alright but also not 🤷
I can keep on happily living without ever listening to The Specials again.
Meh.
British reggae? I mean, that’s essentially what this was. Not bad but not something I would seek out on my own.
look ma, he's skankin! he's skankin' ma! outta 5
Just ok, though did recognize Message for Rudy
Sounds like a fever dream
The reggae elements of this album drove me crazy. It just felt out of place and repetitive. Not to mention the lyricism and delivery of the vocals was pretty corny.
it's fine, but for some reason didn't quite grab me
Early SKA. Not for me.
2,3/5
Do I detect the origins of ska? 'Do The Dog' feels like I'm watching America's Funniest Home Videos Also sensing Jimi Hendrix
Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should. Call me biased but the Americans did a far better job ripping off Jamaican culture. I’ll save for the special exception that is Sting
meh
Felt oddly sour on this one compared to More Specials. Maybe I just don't like older ska too much?
I’m not going to give this a 1 because I did enjoy a lot of the instrumental jams but hoo boy this was pretty bad
I tried to have fun with it but this singing is seriously so bad. I think it's the infusion of punk that kills it for me. Standout: A Message To You Rudy
Eurgh. I like reggae, for the record, but I realized after the OTHER album by The Specials that popped up that I don't like ska. I definitely eased in more on my second listen - I was ready to say fuck it and give it a 1 the first time. However, there are some truly abominable cuts on here. The one two punch of Stupid Marriage and Too Much Too Young almost took me out.
Some funky basslines in here, but at the end of the day it's Ska
Sparkling ska, spoiled by some sour misogyny - Little Bitch and Too Much Too Young especially - which takes away the achievements of A Message To You Rudy and Doesn't Make It Alright.
Guitar is pretty good but just couldnt vibe with the rest
I just never got into ska, not even the '90s re-revival. There are Clash songs I like that would probably be categorized as ska, but that's about as far as I can enjoy it. There's a Specials video in heavy rotation on MTV Classic but I looked it up just now and it's "Ghost Town," which isn't on this album. I don't have anything else to add.
Brit pop based around ska, reggae, new wave, punk all produced by Elvis Costello. It’s an interesting listen and I’ll give it many more listens throughout the day, but my first few impressions were underwhelming, especially the vocals. The music wasn’t bad. I didn’t mind it, but I also found myself looking forward to it ending and was relived these 14 songs were only 45 min.
Favourite track: Concrete Jungle
pretty ok ska
107 The thing is... I do this to myself. La versión del splotify tiene 2 discos, asumí que era sólo el primero y en un acto de amor propio decidí no extender más esta agonía. Está bien, pero el ska/reggae definitivamente no es para mi.
Creo recordar que ya me había salido este disco, pero supongo que estoy equivocado. Realmente pasa lo mismo con el disco, es repetitivo. Creo que más allá de su significado político y social, no soporto esta música mucho rato.
Music happened. But it didnt need to. Not much special about this.
Another British bias inclusion. This is mediocre at best.
Ska for me has to be a certain mood. Yesterday wasn’t it. Not that great
I just don’t like this kind of music. Gets a point for the recognisable songs
Only one song that I liked Very mid Good guitar but bad vocals
Meh, just waiting for this album to be over. Not the worse I’ve heard, some of it is catchy, but def won’t listen to again. I’m stuck between a 1 and 2.
Not as much fun as I was expecting
2.5
Not really a big fan of this one. There were some good tracks here, but I didn't really enjoy most of the record. Favourite Track(s): Doesn't Make It Alright, Too Hot Least Favourite Track(s): Do the Dog
stupid marriage
As a longtime ska fan I feel like I’m supposed to love this, but I just couldn’t
idk why i could tolerate this more than the other specials album but i guess this was more punk-adjacent? not necessarily in a good way, just in the sense that i found it easier to endure…my dad really likes the first song on here for some reason.
I like that first song, and the other song that sounds like the first song (Rudy). 2.4. My guess is this gets a 2.92
Honestly had me laughing at some parts with how corny some of it is especially towards the beginning. I really think that if they got rid of the organ for a lot of tracks, it would be a lot better. Some of it feels like its the warmup routine backing track for a circus. Other tracks are vibes though, but overall, I wouldn't say that I'm converted to being a fan yet
How much ska is too much ska. This much ska. This much ska is too much ska.
uu
It's fine, but also an exhausting album start to finish.
Carino ma non mi ha coinvolto, anzi mi ha scocciata abbastanza velocemente
non proprio il mio genere, capisco la rilevanza che può aver avuto alla fine degli anni '70, ma le canzoni non mi hanno fatto impazzire, tranne Little Bitch che ha evidentemente ispirato il riff di Bohemian Like You dei Dandy Warhols
The lead singer reminds me of the sex pistols, especially in a new era it is very sex-pistols-esque. First few songs were good but it got very repetitive in the second half of the album, especially with the walking track.
Meh, 2/5
Annoying
Didn't really enjoy it :/
Ce palmarès me fait découvrir à quel point je n'ai aucun intérêt pour le reggae et le ska (c'est à peu près la même chose right?) Stupid Marriage est drôle.
Listenable-ish.
So I have never been a fan of ska and it always all sounded the same to me. Even a 45 minute album started to feel long, as the songs kind of all blended into one. My YT Music app will just play another related song after your album is finished, to be honest I didn't even realize the album ended and some other band started, then I was wondering how long ago did the album end. For me the specials were not that special, but I am sure they were revolutionary at the time, and as a Primus compilation album once proclaimed, they all can't be zingers.
Heard A Message to You Rudy before and it will remain my favourite from the album. The vibe overall was really fun but no other song felt Special (get it?) to me 2/5
wasn't for me
Message to you Rudy, too much too young, and the rest is middling ska
Ska
not my type of music.
I get why this album is important in the history of ska. I made it through the whole thing. I don’t think it’s a particularly great album-it feels thin and very white bread. Some of their songs are fun, but this whole album felt flat in the whole.
Ska and not the best Ska
This album reeks of fish, because this is cod reggae at its finest! Wow, I did not like this album. It sounds like if Bob Marley and The Clash has an ugly love child. The songs meander and are really random at some points, with songs like Stupid Marriage having pointless skits involved in them, or songs like Little Bitch just being plain up stupid. The vocals can be grating, and there isn’t any distinct musical elements for me to grasp on to besides a couple of guitar solos. Another issues is that, for the life of me, I can’t see why Too Much, Too Young was such a big hit, it’s literally just the same boring song played twice. I also just realized they got Chrissie freaking Hynde to do backup vocals on a song, weird. Overall, I found this album to be thoroughly unpleasant, now I’m gonna take my dreadlocks and Jamaican flag and go find some actual reggae.
Is this the first 2 Tone album? It might be. I'm not a fan of ska revival broadly, but I'm okay with it. There's a few songs that are lyrically pretty... dated, and there's nothing here I like, but I respect it.
Better than the first The Specials album I got from this. Nothing I’d listen to again and still don’t really think The Specials are anything special
It's okay, nothing Special. ehhhh.
Starts inovative then gets kinda repetitive Some beach boys vibes
Aussi étonnant que ça puisse paraitre, le ska, ça m'a pas emballé.
Rating: 1.8 There’s just a permeating stench of lameness all over this album. No offense to anyone who likes this stuff, but you probably got beat up a lot in high school.
"2 Tone = Combina ska jamaicano dos anos 1960 com punk rock e new wave para criar faixas tocadas em andamentos mais rápidos e com um toque mais pesado do que os discos jamaicanos originais", de acordo com RYM. É um disco bacaninha e divertido, mas não acho assim relevante para estar no livro.
I have a hard time getting down with ska. The tracks felt reparative and it’s a lot of horns. Someone who likes ska would enjoy this a lot, but it didn’t really warm me up to the genre
This genre isn't for me. I admittedly kept skipping songs partway through because I found it really annoying. It was at least played well, I think, so I'll give it a star for that.
These guys were def having fun! I appreciate a lot about this album. So danceable but also politically charged. Can't say I am walking away from listening to this one with a changed opinion on ska - it has a time and place and for me it is very rare that I am in that place at the right time.
I have a complicated history with ska. I loved it when I was a teenager, but somewhere along the way, the part of my brain that was receptive to the genre broke, and now I can't stand it. The Specials feel very much like the blueprint for ska, so I respect them for that, but as I said, I don't like ska, so maybe that respect doesn't translate into a charitable rating from me.
Guessing they put ska on the map but not great music.
2.0 - Weak
2.5 whatever
Ska and British punk is kind of a nightmare genre combination for me. And yet there were still a couple songs here that I found enjoyable. Not enough to save the album but I thought I would despise it. So small victories.
It's jaunty and upbeat, but I don't like ska. Surprised this came out all the way back in 79 though
This album didn’t convince me that I was missing out on ska
Not for me.
Fav songs: on this album - none; for the band: Ghost Town I hate ska in all its forms all the way up to the 3rd wave that crested in the '90s. I will admit I do like one song which isn't on the album. But this is not my genre of music. I don't hate this album although I think it's a hair long. Also "Stupid Marriage" and "Too Much Too Young" effectively have the same message, why back to back? Go with "Too Much..."
I had no idea “A Message to You Rudy” came out in 1979! I’ve always liked that song. And I was enjoying the album, at first. But by the time I got to New Era, I was started getting sick of it. There’s only so much Ska I can listen to, I suppose.
sorta fine. nothing special
# Playlist Track - A message to you Rudy # Notes - Once again a lame British singer makes an entire genre worse. - I can dig the laid back fun here and there, but no instrumentals can save vocals that bad.
Nein, das war nicht meins. Habe auf das Ende gewartet, auch wenn ich an ein paar Stellen eigentlich Potenzial rausgehört habe.
Not my thing.
Kinda boring reggae rock ? I tried
I tried
Probably decent, just not for me
30%ban UK punk ami jó, 70%ban reggea ami nem jó
Som de långtråkiga delarna i lock stock and two smoking barrels
Was ok.
Made me realize I'm not that into ska or two tone. I like 'Do the Dog', I guess...
Not a big ska fan.
This was ... alright, I guess. The livelihood of the music and spunk in the performance was laudable, but I found the execution and musical interest kinda lacking. I had trouble staying engaged with it and wouldn't listen to this again. Two stars.
Not for me
For the most part of the album, it was questionable if I want to continue at all. Last several tracks were better, while the overall impression of the recording is average and by no means GOAT.
Das Debütalbum "Specials" der britischen Band The Specials wurde 1979 veröffentlicht. Die Aufnahmen fanden in den Horizon Studios in Coventry und den TW Studios in Fulham statt. Die Band bestand aus Musikern unterschiedlicher Herkunft, darunter Terry Hall, Neville Staple und Lynval Golding. Ihre Musik kombiniert Elemente aus Ska, Punk und Reggae. Das Album enthält bemerkenswerte Stücke wie "A Message to You, Rudy", eine Interpretation des Dandy Livingstone-Songs, sowie "Too Much Too Young" und "Concrete Jungle". Die Texte behandeln Themen wie soziale Spannungen und Alltagsprobleme. "Specials" erhielt gemischte Kritiken. Während einige Rezensenten die Energie und die Mischung der Musikstile lobten, äußerten andere Kritik an der Produktion. Dennoch wird das Album als bedeutend für die britische Musikszene der späten 1970er Jahre angesehen. Insgesamt stellt "Specials" ein wichtiges Werk dar, das die musikalische Vielfalt und die gesellschaftlichen Themen seiner Zeit widerspiegelt.
Sounds like semi-happy punk. Not horrible, not great.
Hey! I've listened to these guys - a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence for anything released prior to the 90s. Ghost Town is one of those songs that I really like but have never listened to enough of. How tragic that I will never be able to sing my praises about that song on this list given it's status as a non-album single. I'm favourable to ska when it's intersected with other genres, but I don't think I'll ever sit through a ska-centric album that I've come away from feeling anything more than ambivalence towards. It's a very restrictive genre to work with, and while there are little musical nuances and some competent vocal performances throughout, I can very confidently say that I'll never return to this. The most entertaining part of this album is that it was produced by Elvis Costello. I don't think I'll be escaping him if the sordid tales that I've heard through this site are anything to go by.
Incredibly repetitive ska music to start off my morning. I can't believe how long this went on for, being the same song in different keys over and over again. A Message to You Rudy is probably the only track that stands out, the rest are just pretty mediocre. It's cool to see how this set the stage for a subgenre to come, but there's not much more to say than that. 5/10
I didn't like it, but it's ok
Not my vibe
I just didn't get into this at all.
This one was a bit weird to me. In some songs the mixing felt off, and other songs were way too repetitive.
Not my style honestly but overall a nice album!
Eh, not my type of music.
I liked the first song, but after that there weren’t many positives on this album.
Two ska songs in a row is about right. Any more than that and it seems like too many horns & hijinx. The deluxe version has too many repeats and runs too long. Album started strong and went South quick. Best song was Long Shot Kick de Bucket. Glad I listened but don’t need anymore Specials. (2.3*s)
Nothing special but def some foundational ska. Never huge into the genre but this debut has some good things going. Fun, diving bar sound that would be a good live show. "Dawning of a New Era", "Little Bitch" and "Too Much Too Young" were best tracks. Influence the likes of Sublime so give em credit...2.45.
Interesting
Not another one?
Está bien, supongo que suena como debería sonar un buen disco de reggae/ska. más allá del género está ok
I'd like to start that this is not my style of music. With that said, I appreciate and see what The Specials contributed to the music history - ska and 2 tone, apparently are the terms describing their music. After looking into their history and taking into consideration the time period they started out as, it was a bold thing to do, to combine the influences of punk rock and ska, the multicultural sounds brought together during a period of cultural unrest. According to Jerry Dammers, the group was interested in starting a whole new subculture in an effort to change the societal perceptions around racial issues.
2 Tone is a curious genre, a bit silly, if you ask me. I am not too familiar with the genre, other than it sounds like a better and new wave-y version of the dreadful 90's ska bands. The other 2 Tone band I know of is Madness, who I prefer. This album is just ok. Key tracks: A Message to You Rudy
Ska is ok
Not great
Ei kyllä tämmönen löysä ska innosta. Luulin että tää olis menevä genre! 2/5
Dated badly
As soon as the first note hit, it made me so happy. Stop your messin around, more horns! Too bad the rest of the album is mid. 2/5
I guess you just had to be there. Or maybe I just don’t get it. What is so special about this band? I’ve had two of their albums now and haven’t felt moved. I’ve just felt underwhelmed. I haven’t ever been a reggae fan, and there’s obviously a lot of reggae influence here. They’re labeled a ska band, and I see that. I like ska. Well, 90’s ska anyway. Upbeat songs with horns. This isn’t that. I heard the Clash a lot in here. Sometimes I could’ve sworn it was Joe Strummer singing. Hell, there was even a riff that sounded like “The Right Profile.” I dunno. I just feel like they really wanted to be The Clash with their own twist and I just don’t get it. The music doesn’t blow you away and the lyrics don’t say much of anything original. Somebody enlighten me because I don’t see it. Two stars. Standout Tracks: A Message to You Rudy, Nite Klub, You’re Wondering Now
Didn’t really connect with it, unfortunately.
Plata nr. 2 var miklu skemmtilegri en þessi frumraun. Spurðu mig hvað mér fannst um ska í gær og ég segi að það eigi góða spretti. Spurðu mig í dag og ég er liggur við kominn á sama stað og áður. Jákvætt social commentary mögulega en samt easy tvistur.
La verdad que meh tirando a no me gusta mucho, una pérdida de tiempo Total del album: 58 2,5 esptellas
makes me wanna smash faces after 5 or so songs...
Not really for me.
While this album is a lot of fun, the songs are all so similar that it gets monotonous. I’m sure this was a fun band to see in concert.
I’m just not super into British white dudes playing reggae, it’s just not that good
This may have been an influential album, but it wasn't enjoyable, and each song melted into the next.
Definitely nothing special
I love that Two-Tone exists. Ska and Punk together, as a tasty combo. We even get some of their great early hits, right off the bat. However, there is a downside. The lyrical content on this album is downright sexist at times. Yeah, I'm not sugarcoating it. It feels very laddish, which I'm sure was part of the point, but it doesn't really hold up now. And it's sad because on other tracks Terry Hall gets across that frustration of urban chaos and boredom that lyricist Jerry Dammers was trying to convey. They didn't need to go there. But they did. It's also cover-heavy, but that's not a problem for me. Tangent: Elvis Costello did a good job producing. Not bad for the son of a secret lemonade drinker. Fave: A Message To You Rudy Least Fave: Too Much, Too Young Strong Bad Demerit Count: 1
This is not my kind of music.
The whole time I was listening to this I wondered if Gwen Stefani would still be famous if not for this album. That's how boring this is. I think I'll take the advise of it's up to you and just walk away.
This has nice energy, but it's really sloppy. The singers are mediocre, to the point where on e.g. "Too Hot" or "Do The Dog" it's like kind of a joke. The best vocal performances they get are when the whole band is shouting in unison, e.g. on "Concrete Jungle". The production quality, even down to the quality of the recording and the mix, is pretty poor - it's good for DIY, just not that good for major label. And the band is sort of one step above punk rock for musical ability. So I don't really like that style, but DIY quasi-punk really needs to be graded on it's own scale that ignores major aspects of the actual sound. And yeah, it's kind of fun, although neither especially fast nor especially loud (unlike e.g. Sex Pistols, which it is a cut above in terms of quality). The energy comes more from the feeling the band seems to be having fun when they play. I would still take almost every other late 70s DIY-type album that's been put on this list first.
Bitish ska... mostly blah
Inoffensive, but feels very long because it's pretty much the same song
Might just not be in the mood for this one, but it's a little bit boring. Pretty interesting to hear the predecessor of all the 90s ska bands though. I like it more than a lot of the punk albums I've heard from the same era, but it isn't super up my alley. Yeah this album gets super repetitive and monotonous, pretty taxing to listen to after a while.
The majority of the songs from this album are a bit meh, nothing too exciting, and then there are a couple that are pretty okay-ish. I do understand that this was released 25 years ago but nowadays it is mostly outdated, so I'm giving it a mid-ish rating of 2,5 stars but because we can't give halves - I'm rounding it down.
I absolutely loathe the song A Message To You Rudy, so I fully expected to hate this album. After listening I can call this tolerable, but I certainly wouldn't listen again.
ska ska ska ska
Not my type of music
Meh
Went downhill fast, that.
Everything I liked on this album was the songs I already knew - the singles etc. I enjoyed some parts of the musicality this contains but overall I think ska is too wack for me.
Veikkoset tehny albumia. Respect 3 star? Ei. Avg to 1.5 like my bob dylan esikuvain.....
There are a couple fun singles on this album, and a bunch of fair ones. If one of these songs came up on a mix while I was at a cookout, at the beach, walking the dog, driving with the windows open, I'd think that was fun. But there's no combination of 2 songs that I particularly want to listen to in a row, and three is right out. As an album, there's just nothing here to hold my attention.
Try listening to this while waiting for a delayed train while being already late for an appointment... Easily removes one star... Anyhow, was pretty meh from the start, did not finish this one.
cada país tem o titãs que merece. new wave com ska né turma. é divertido, mas acho que nunca mais vou ouvir nao, infelizmente ska não é mto minha pira...
3/10 - His voice is so annoying omg. I really was not expecting most of this to be reggae, and bad reggae at that. Most of the songs are pretty bad. Stupid Marriage is well, stupid. Too much too young was all about contraception which was strange as well. He is just mad bc the girl has a kid and now cant sleep with him.
Its too British for any one person to listen too.
Better energy from the singer but not quite as interesting musically, put it off about 3/4 through
Rudy-sangen gir meg vonde flashbacks til musikkjulekalenderen
STANDOUTS: I DNF'd most of these, so no. OVERALL: 2/5
anime pirate music
a truly exhausting listen. Rudy is a good song and when they lean into the more ska vibes it’s fun but overall just a slog
British ska revival band ... just what I wanted to hear on my drive into work.
The most taste-dependent album I've encountered after ~120 albums recommended through this 1001 albums project. If you like reggae rock, it is good. If you don't... it is a tough listen. A few good numbers here and there but I don't see myself coming back. But perhaps not my type of sound.
this did not change my opinion on ska
Im never going to enjoy ska. Cool artifact tho
This is the least terrible ska I've heard but I still hate horns
I'm not mad that I had to listen to this record, but I also could have gone my entire life without ever hearing it. One additional star for that one song that somewhat resembles The Rolling Stones, but the rest of this made me go 'well, ok. that was okay i guess.' It's also not a great sign that I can't remember which song I'm even referring to as the pretty good one, but whatever.
(Don’t) Play that funky music, white boy
Skatastic
insoportable. 5/10
not so special
Kyllähän tässä on eheä albumi saatu aikaiseksi, mitä en ihan heti olettanut, tuntui jotenkin vähän sinne tänne heittelyltä ensialkuun. Reggae ei hirveesti vetoa muhun, mutta tässä ollaan selvästi jonkun äärellä. Toimii melkeinpä kolmosen verran, mutten vain pidä äänimaailmasta.
Thought I’d like this a lot more, just a bit boring.
I do not enjoy Ska, I did not enjoy this album. This was at its best when I zoned out and did notes at work, whenever I paid any attention I largely just felt irritated. 2/5
Largely just not my speed but there's flashes of real fun to be had. Two and a half. Fave track: Nite Club
Would have got three stars but it’s too long with a lot of the same stuff.
- meh -
Very dated and worn to my ears Some songs seem empty and repetitive I respect the meaning of the songs and what they wanted to create though
Strange mix of reggae, British, and jazz? Didn't love it, just not my style. Maybe I don't like ska. I enjoy the brass but not with the British vocals. Top songs: None?
Not quite what I expected, another not really my cup of tea. The production quality seemed really inconsistent and that's not normally a thing I notice. Some vocals sounded detached from the recording, and some other sounds or instruments were really jarring in some songs. The first track sounded familiar, and was probably my favorite of the album. Just not a big Ska guy. I recently had a Fish Bone album on this list and liked that style a lot more. Favorite track "A message to you Rudy" 2/5
Es un disco básicamente de ska, con algo de reggae. Realmente no me gustó mucho y me aburrió bastante, aunque no me pareció malo.
Combines rock and reggae in a very soulless and annoying way. I was really not a fan of this album.
Didn’t finish. Didn’t care for the sound
The Specials - Not special at all
Got a little bit annoying by the end, really not my thing
Reggae ska
Meh....
Not my style. I don't think this album aged well.
I think this is the earliest ska I’ve ever heard. Ska has come a long way from this. The beats and music is there, but it feels totally disconnected from the singing. It’s hard to describe. The Specials walked so Reel Big Fish could run.
70s ska isn't my sound.
Nicht meins, nach paar Minuten einfach nur nervig.
Another 80s British(it so they sound) post pop (if that's a thing) in the same vain as a group like madness, which I couldn't stand
not an enormous fan of it bc it’s simply not a genre i’m familiar with! i need to come back to it
This was fun, for the first few songs, but then it started to feel and sound repetitive and I got bored with it. I remember when this sound was popular and fresh back in the late 70s & early 80s, but I was never sold on it as something I wanted to, or needed to see performed live. Oh well.
Jungle videogame soundtrack except it has vocals and it's also ska, not really my thing
mmmmm i did not enjoy it that much
The only song I was familiar with was a message to you Rudy and I really like that song, so I was hopeful. I found the rest of the songs, overall a little annoying, except for monkey man, which was all right. I’m disappointed because I thought I was going to like this one more.
No thank you…….
I do not like the singer at all
I have never heard of The Specials. I went in with an open mind, and I can respect the sound and the influence they had, and I didn't HATE anything on the album, but Late 70s British Ska is just not my jam. I am reminded a bit of reviewing Motorhead. Both bands had singers that really had no range. the music was good, but lyrically each song could be identical. 2.5
eh, not a big ska fan
Not for me sober 4/10. Maybe if I were high
As a Ska lover and have learned that I might not like guitar as much as I thought I did. The first half of this album is horrid in some parts and I can't forgive it for doing that to me. The back half has some great songs that help it a little bit but I just can't man. 4/10
ska isn't my thing. I can't get the 'what 13 year olds hear in their head when they get an extra mozarella stick' joke out of my head when I listen to it
This sounded how I was guessing based off the album cover. Punk but infusing pop and reggae a la the clash or Blondie. Doesn’t reach their heights
December 3, 2023 A few interesting cuts but unlikely to put this on again from start to finish. That's my message to you, Rudy.
Talk about samey... Fun vibe, but it's the same song over and over.
2 weeks...2 Specials albums. ok. I enjoyed their follow-up a bit more than this debut, there's just a little more raw ska sound here which is fine but they didn't develop their melodic complexity quite yet here... And where their 2nd album is fine for a 5-6 song sampler and nothing is bad here but I find myself really focusing on the similar sounds to each cut, which makes it not all that exciting overall. A fair start but go with More Specials instead. 5/10 2 stars
Sorry, just found this album boring
Interesting and legitimately impressive that an entire genre just copied this album's sound for a couple decades. Didn't make it any less annoying though.
not really my vibe but it's alright
nothing special about this. . .
Þetta er ska. Ekki að grípa mig en svo sem ekki lélega gert.
Uggh. This wasn't great. At least they appear to have had a black person in this group but this is just white as hell.
this is my first introduction to the ska sound and I enjoy it, but not heavily. I thought the production sounded great with very catchy instrumental passages. Wasn’t a huge fan of the vocals or the kinda “spooky” vibe on the intro. Overall I can see how people would like this album, nothing offended me it’s just not my style.
Madness two days ago, The Specials today, this generator is trying to kill me. This white boy was not built for ska consumption, call that Skactose intolerance. Did you know that the chemical responsible for fecal odor is called Skatole? Isn't that concerning?
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: it’s ok, a nice easy listen Favourite song: Track 3 - Do the Dog
I don’t care how much reggae these guys ripped off to make ska popular. Ska sucks. Some tracks here are a bit more entertaining than I thought, but I still got way too little enjoyment from this record to make it Special for me.
Kinda fun at parts , little jazzy but overall just ska ...
Definitely a British Band from the 80s but unremarkable. The music does not resonant with me as I do not relate to the lyrics
I appreciated the album for what it was - a ska resurgence that even had some early punk vibes. However, as an album it didn't do much for me personally.
Love the history behind but maybe ska is not for me. Too long and repetitive, I had the feeling that the rythm was the same on almost every track (Too Much Too Young is the same phrase for 6 minutes)
UK Ska. I hear bits of the Clash and Talking Heads. It is interesting. Not sure there was a song that stuck out to me though.
this is in the top 3 goofiest albums of all time. this is so goofy and silly.
It's good musically but not really for me
Meh
ska, that is enough to give this album two stars or less
The Specials is the debut album by British ska revival band the Specials. It's a defining album from the UK ska scene - ska is similar to reggae but uses elements of American jazz & blues - the revival brings guitars and punk rock into the mix for a sense of anger instead of calming "Caribbean" ska. Critical reviews were mixed because most thought the band was not living up to its potential and left some rough spots in the album. The debut album did go on to be certified gold in the UK. In retrospect, this album is a time capsule of the British rock scene in the late 70's/early 80's. The band created a wonderful album for the time period, even if it left more to be desired. I didn't care much for this type of music (ska), but it was unique enough to hold my interest while I worked during my day. Like some other reviews I read said, this album would've sounded better if we were listening to it in the UK for a time after its release. The novelty has worn off and this genre has basically fizzled out.
Ska
Gawd, I hate ska.
Not for me, but not bad. Instruments pretty interesting. Vocals a bit annoying.
this album just reinforced that ska really isnt my thing. the group shows obvious musical talent but i just wasnt a fan unfortunately.
Nicht mein Ding; recht simpler und generischer Ska.
Catchy at times (Do the Dog, Nite Klub, etc). Good last track. ** 1/2
Just not into the genre.
not for me lmao
Meh
That was rough.
reggae, ska, punk, ok.
All of these songs sound like that Elvis Costello song about the detectives which I like. But I don't need a whole album of that
The chorus of A Message to You Rudy is at the end of DJ's by Sublime! Never knew that wild. Stop yo messin around. Another album that just feels all over the place. Doesn't sound like it came out in 79 for some reason. Bass in Nite Klub is sick! Not much else I'm really feeling enough to write out.
I really love the message of this album. Sadly thats kinda the only thing i love about it.
No es un album para escucharlo para mi ya que la verdad me aburrio y no es mi estilo así que le doy un 3 o 4 de 10
5/10 du ska UK, s'écoutait bien au début, devenait long à la longue.
Concrete Jungle. Instrumentals are the best part and the voice is hairable. It would be a 3 if the singer jumped off a cliff.
Pas mon genre de musique mais du bon petit ska
Interesting but not for me
Harvest festival music
It’s fine. Not really my thing though
i listened to this at my standing desk so it had me moving a bit but will likely never hear again
not really what i would listen to and dont really know why its here
Yeah, these guys just don't do anything for me. It's one of my blind spots. It's discouraging because I feel like I should be all in on them, but I'm so far removed from this band that I wonder if perhaps it's the critics writ large who have it wrong about them.
Ska just isn't my thing. Really disliked this one.
Usually I don't like ska but... I still don't. This album was a slog to get through. I think I just don't like ska.
There’s really nothing special about this Specials album.
Just not my thing
Pretty weird album. Monkey man really resonated with me. I’m giving this a 2 and i’m unsure if that’s fair but a 3 didn’t feel right either
early white boy rock that has a weird amount of reggae influence 2.5
Never got into ska, a few good songs tho
This music would be great if I was 7 beers in at a party. If I need to be drunk to enjoy your music, it’s probably not very impressive.
Respect what the band put out, but not really my cup of tea.
More like "The Alrights". I thought it was fun at first, Rudy is a good song and the start of the album kind of makes me want to dance in some mud or something. The album drags through the middle, maybe I just get tired of Ska by that point. Little Bitch is a standout song on the back half of the album, think I might add it to a playlist. It was an alright listen but won't go back to this
Thanks to Chef I have heard 1 song on this album before. And it’s the best song on this album. That song is Very catchy and fun to listen to. The rest of the album is some decent ska music but I never would’ve expected it to be as old as it was. Overall it was decent and mildly impressive. 5.2/10
Not for me. Proto ska punk.
Rudy-sangen gir meg vonde flashbacks til musikkjulekalenderen
Really not a fan. This didn’t have the energy that makes ska fun for me and I don’t know how else to put it in words.
Very British ska music. It's ok I guess. Not my style honestly. Probably a 2 or 3 Honestly it isn't terrible, but I don't really find most of the songs very good. Sonically it is ok I guess, but I would not want to listen to it
pretty offensive, but not quite a 1 yet i think. definitely the closest to a 1 so far.
Non offensive but not my cup of tea reslly
Eh. I mean, ehhhhh.
Look was it bad? Not really I guess. I think it was growing on me. British reggae is such an odd combo though.
Gammel poprock, med en lille reggae-ting kørende, hyggeligt, lidt for nemt
1 previous listen... to 1 song
They have a light, unpretentious energy but I’m not crazy about ska in general and this isn’t a strong batch of songs. The only song that stood out to me was "A Message to You Rudy." It's got a great, easy vibe. Very catchy too.
Interesting sound- I appreciated how fun it sounded as this was a Monday morning listen for me. "Do the Dog" kind of drives me nuts from a mix/master perspective. The bass is so loud, the drums are so reverberant, and the second singer's voice as the "response" voice is SO loud and dry. Very weird. The last song was funny- "You're wondering now what to do, this is the end". I like when artists do these sort of meta moments in albums. It was just OK. Unless there's some angle about this album being influential for a niche genre I'm not really sure if it belongs on the list. I also felt like once I heard 3-4 of the tracks that I knew what to expect from the others which is something that I don't like.
In the interest of full transparency, I really do not like ska. That said, this isn't ska at its worst, but it's still really annoying.
I have never heard this album before. It got better as the album went on but it's not my type of music. I don't feel the significance of this album.
Used to like this not sure it is a true classic
It's been a lifelong dream of mine to brag to people that I listened The Specials' The Specials album.
UK ska? I’m pretty sure those two terms are mutually exclusive. Does this album count as cultural appropriation? Not to mention, I’m quite certain that the song Monkey Man has racial undertones. Anywho, this album is just plain strange. There are some redeeming factors, such as A Message to You Rudy, but then to follow that up with Do the Dog is frankly appalling. The lyrics are good and I appreciate the history behind the album, but the music surrounding it is cut and paste at its best. Do better, UK ska. Do better.
I liked it, but not that much
A white reggae album produced by Elvis Costello? Holy sh**, I am excited. Like chicken without seasoning.
Ahead of it's time for sure.
Ugh, ska. No thanks.
Not my jam
ahhhh ska is so lame
Ska is interesting, but I’m not overly interested in it
Not really for me, but some nice ska tunes
I just don't love ska. Just like the other Specials album that we had to listen to from this book, first song was alright and then it got boring until the end.
How can you have that much energy, but still be so boring?
This album is boring, this band is boring, ska is boring...
2 great songs and a whole bunch of nothing to care about. I know this is an important album for the genre, but I just can't get it.
:|
Eh nothing special
Definitely thought this was from like the 60s until I looked at the year. “I Can’t Stand It” sounds like a song they play over and over in a dystopian cyberpunk society where the authoritarian overlords are trying to give the veneer of happiness. In Do the Dog, the guy says “donkey” the same way Shrek does.
Decent, would be nice to play at the beach, but nothing really stood out
Mmmmmm
The concept was interesting - reggae music but instead of drums a horn section. The individual songs went on for too long. I don't think I will revisit this group but it was interesting.
ok
This was a very generic album, I'm not sure why it's here as it's far from special. Works well as background music.
Don't really listen to ska but was an okay listen : | 4/10
I hate Ska. I'll forever go on record with that. This one is one of the better Ska records i've ever heard. I atleast made it through this one.
He, jammer. Ik had hier zin in, maar ze verspeelde hun kaarten al snel