The Specials

The only negative that I have always thought about this record (and this is a very minor point) is that this it has a long version of 'too much too young' which I find a bit slow - perhaps that's why they decided to release the live version of it in single format, which subsequently got to number one. However that is only a minor point and do not let that put you off buying this as it is still a great song.

To this this day I still find 'you're wondering now' makes me sad - maybe its because its the last song. Still this a good reason to press the repeat button as this soon cheers you up again. No


You must buy this cd.   September 15, 2000
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

The vinyl version of this cd was the first record I ever bought and to this day it is still my fav record of all time. It is just fantastic. From start to finish this lp is brilliant. 'Do the dog' and 'concrete jungle' are particular favourates of mine. Its no wonder that this LP has been voted into the top 100 LP's of all times - its impact never lessons.

The only negative that I have always thought about this record (and this is a very minor point) is that this it has a long version of 'too much too young' which I find a bit slow - perhaps that's why they decided to release the live version of it in single format, which subsequently got to number one. However that is only a minor point and do not let that put you off buying this as it is still a great song.

To this this day I still find 'you're wondering now' makes me sad - maybe its because its the last song. Still this a good reason to press the repeat button as this soon cheers you up again. Now where did I put that pork pie hat?


An Absolute Classic   July 14, 2000
 9 out of 19 found this review helpful

This is clearly the best Ska record ever made. Their debut album (the BBC had just aired The Specials John Peel Sessions, but it was not yet for sale. Also, their true debut was a 45rpm single of Gangsters whose B-side was titled The Selector and credited to The Selector, but in reality, The Selector was Jerry Dammers, John Bradbury, both from The Specials, and two of their roommates. I think it is the best song The Selector ever did). If you listen to earlier versions of these songs available elsewhere, you can see how much they honed everything. The Specials had toured the U.K. supporting The Clash, and as a result you can hear more Clash-like-Grit on this album, and you can also see The Specials influence on Clash songs like Pressure Drop, very Ska.

I like everything about this album, every song. I still remember my high school English tutor in the 9th grade (I was really bad in school) who was more interested in shaping my musical tastes, and my sister, English was third on his list. He made me a tape of this album with the This Are Two Tone compilation on the second side. I listened to that tape for years, before they had tape-players that would flip the tape for you. I remember one time I accidentally hit "Record", so to this day I am surprised there is no gap at the beginning of "Concrete Jungle".

Not too long ago, I was invited to several Specials shows. My friend had gone to school with Mark Addams (keyboards) in Coventry and whenever they'd come to San Francisco my friend rob would arrange to have us on the list. They have altered the band since 1980 (when this album came out), a few new members, but they still have Neville Staples(who looks even cooler today), Horace Panter, Roddy Radiation, and Lynval Golding. They preformed these songs in a dizzying frenzy. After each show we'd go backstage with them (once to the Green-Room of the legendary Fillmore Auditorium!) and one time on their tour bus somewhere in Santa Cruz. My friends wife was blind, so she had a seeing-eye-Doberman with her. We were on this crowded bus, with the band, this huge dog and scattered other people. They were playing some old sixties Ska on the bus stereo, and Lynval Golding (guitarist) danced with the seeing-eye-dog, and I cracked a corny joke, which I began to regret as I was saying it. I said to Mr. Golding, "Do The Dog!" (referring to their song by the same name) then my ears began to turn red. He thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard and slapped his leg as he laughed. He put his rude-boy hat on my head, which was pathetically loose, and laughed his way to the ice-chest and he fetched two beers and brought one to me as his laughter died down. The joke seemed rather obvious to me. He took his hat back as he gave me the beer. It was all very weird.

Anyway, this is the album to have. I have many Specials albums, and would choose this one over all the rest, or any other Ska band, there is No Doubt about that. If you have never heard this album but are considering it, then trust the instincts that brought you this far and get it, if you remember this album from your youth but haven't gotten around to getting it on CD I suggest you drop everything and get it, and get Led Zeppelin IV another time. This album has aged very well.