Hello all

All the albums I have posted so far have been all random albums, apart from my next one, which I have been holding back on. A word of warning, this going to be a totally bias opinion of this album, I might as well spell it out now, this to me is one of the greatest albums ever made, now I have got that off my chest let continue.
Back in 1980, I brought my first album from Woolworth on the Harrow Road, I was 12 years old, the funny thing is the year before this, I had no interested in music at all. It wasn’t until I joined the secondary school and was placed in class 1-3 where I met a great bunch of blokes, Andrew Ubaka, Danny Spring, Martin Fox, Mick Murphy and Gordon St Louis to name a few, music was the main topic, even above football.

The album that started it for me was, The Specials‎ by The Specials, and for let say for 2 years, there was no other music apart from the 2-tone groups, the only other group that did sneak in was UB40 with there Signing off album.

So does it still work for me today, Goddam you bet your arse it does, and now I am older I now know what the songs are really about, and it’s better than it was if that makes sense. How to describe it musically, SKA/Punk which also had a social message, just listen to the “Night Club” we use to love this line in school, “I won’t dance in a club like this All the girls are slags And the beer tastes just like piss” and yet these days I love Sir Horace Gentleman ( Horace Panter) bass work on the album, and John Bradbury drums.

I read an interview with Roddy Radiation, where the producer Elvis Costello wanted to sack him and get another guitarist in, which would have been a mistake I feel, just listen to his riff on “Too Hot”, “Blank Expression” and the rockabilly riff on the start of “(Dawning Of A) New Era”.

Then there the deadpan vocals of Terry Hall, with Neville Staples playing a great Judge on “Stupid Marriage” with Jerry Dammer’s organ solo, Lynval Golding keeping the rhythm going with his guitar.
All I can say is this punk/ska/rockabilly/reggae album still does it for me, after 40 years of listening to it.
Little PS here, I did say to my wife once that “You’re Wondering Now” could be my funereal song, I don’t think she was that impressed, so god knows what she is going to see me out with.

For the the geeks: just got myself the 40th Anniversary Edition 2 ×Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Mastered At Abbey Road Studios – Half Speed Mastering ‘ and it sounds very nice.

(Visited 76 times, 1 visits today)