The Specials (album)

Musically, The Specials encapsulates the first wave of British ska, greatly reworking the original sound of 1960s Jamaican ska. The music shares the infectious energy and humour of the original sound, but injects new-found anger and punk sensibility. The resulting sound is considerably less laid-back and "Caribbean" sounding than original ska, and dispensed with much of the percussion and the larger horn sections used in the older variety. The Specials also brought guitar to the front of the mix; it had often been a secondary instrument in Jamaican ska. Several of the album's songs are covers of older Jamaican songs. "Monkey Man" had been a hit for Toots and the Maytals in 1969, "Too Hot" was a Prince Buster original from 1966, and the opening track, "A Message to You Rudy", was a Dandy Livingstone single in 1967. "You're Wondering Now" was originally performed by the duo Andy & Joey and later covered by the Skatalites; the vocal version was recorded by Andy & Joey in 1964. Other tracks are reworkings of Jamaican originals: "Too Much Too Young" was based on Lloyd Charmers' "Birth Control" and "Stupid Marriage" draws heavily on the Prince Buster hit "Judge 400 Years" (also known as "Judge Dread"). Trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who performed on many 1950s and 1960s Jamaican recordings before moving to London in 1962, played on the band's version of "A Message to You Rudy", as he had on the original recording 15 years previously. Rodriguez's appearance on the album considerably added to the album's credentials. ==Critical reception==

Reviews of the album in the UK music press were mixed. NME critic Tony Stewart praised the album, writing, "Although the predominant musical influence is black (ska, bluebeat, reggae and soul), it's wrapped in ferocious rock'n'roll: the kind of hybrid that so many other British bands have tried to contrive but, in comparison, failed to make convincing ... This album embraces two decades of black and white music, gives it perspective and then goes on to reflect the modern rock'n'roll culture ... It's the kind of album that's musically fathomless and it will probably establish the Specials as true hopes for the '80s. At the very least, this debut is essential for anybody who wants to know what's going on in rock'n'roll today". Record Mirrors Simon Ludgate described the Specials as "Madness' older, more responsible brother" with "a social conscience" and "greater vocal flexibility", further lauding the album's production for its faithfulness to the Specials' live sound. Dave McCullough of Sounds agreed that the album had not fulfilled its potential, stating, "There are no rough edges to upset you, nothing new to shock you ... The Specials seem to have lost the attacking, forward-looking, forward moving, almost militant momentum that was witnessed and promised from the beginning". Legacy In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Jo-Ann Greene described the record as "a perfect moment in time captured on vinyl forever ... It was an utter revelation—except for anyone who had seen the band on-stage, for the album was at its core a studio recording of their live set, and at times even masquerades as a gig". She felt the album captured the feeling of "Britain in late 1979, an unhappy island about to explode", and that "The Specials managed to distill all the anger, disenchantment, and bitterness of the day straight into their music". However, Mojos David Hutcheon, reviewing the reissue, felt that "Specials doesn't feel quite as exciting as it did 23 years ago". In June 2000, Q placed The Specials at number 38 on its list of the 100 greatest British albums ever. Pitchfork featured The Specials at number 42 on its list of the 100 best albums of the 1970s. Rolling Stone included the album at number 68 on its list of the 100 best albums of the 1980s, as the album was not released in the US until 1980. In 2013, NME ranked The Specials at number 260 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. ==Track listing==

; Side one • "A Message to You Rudy" (Dandy Livingstone) – 2:53 • "Do the Dog" (Rufus Thomas; arrangement by Jerry Dammers) – 2:09 • "It's Up to You" (Dammers, The Specials) – 3:25 • "Nite Klub" (Dammers, The Specials) – 3:22 • "Doesn't Make It Alright" (Dammers, Dave Goldberg, Mark Harrison) – 3:26 • "Concrete Jungle" (Roddy Byers) – 3:18 • "Too Hot" (Cecil Campbell) – 3:09 ; Side two • "Monkey Man" (Toots Hibbert) – 2:45 • "(Dawning of A) New Era" (Dammers) – 2:24 • "Blank Expression" (Dammers, The Specials) – 2:43 • "Stupid Marriage" (Dammers, Harrison, Neville Staple, Campbell) – 3:49 • "Too Much Too Young" (Dammers; acknowledgment to Lloyd Charmers) – 6:06* • "Little Bitch" (Dammers)† – 2:31 • "You're Wondering Now" (Clement Seymour) – 2:36 • Canadian and some US pressings of the album have a shorter, 2:16 version of this song. † On some US releases, the song "Gangsters" (Dammers, Campbell) appears between "Too Much Too Young" and "Little Bitch". In Australia and New Zealand, "Gangsters" was included between "Do the Dog" and "It's Up to You". ==Personnel==

; The Specials • Terry Hall – vocals • Neville Staple – vocals • Lynval Golding – rhythm guitar, harmonica, vocals • Roddy Radiation (Roderick Byers) – lead guitar, vocals (on "Concrete Jungle") • Horace Panter – bass guitar • John Bradbury – drums • Jerry Dammers – keyboards ; Guest musicians • Rico Rodriguez – trombone • Dick Cuthell – horns • Chrissie Hynde – vocals on "Nite Klub" ; Technical • Dave Jordan – engineer • Carol Starr, Chalkie Davies – sleeve design ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==