Track Listing

1. A Message To You Rudy
2. Do The Dog
3. It's Up To You
4. Nite Klub
5. Doesn't Make It Alright
6. Concrete Jungle
7. Too Hot
8. Monkey Man
9. (Dawning Of A) New Era
10. Blank Expression
11. Stupid Marriage
12. Too Much Too Young
13. Little Bitch
14. You're Wondering Now

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4376 in Music
• Released on: 2002-03-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
The beat that got a generation dancing and brought ska back into the public eye. Produced by Elvis Costello, then still a boy wonder himself, the album built on the sound of the Specials' first two singles, and gave the world its first extended look at Two Tone. Inspired writing and arranging (much of it down to founder Jerry Dammers) with Terry Hall as the laconic front man made for a perfect combination, the riddim of ska and the speed of punk. As a testament to its power, two decades haven't lessened its impact. --Chris Nickson

CD Description
Produced by Elvis Costello, this self-titled 1979 debut quickly became gospel to the wave of ska then sweeping England.Infusing the catchy, jumpy music developed by artists like the Skatalites and Prince Buster a generation before them with punk's youthful disenfranchisement, bands like the Specials, the Selecter and Madness gave birth to a movement, one which strove for such noble goals as racial unity (then a particularly sore issue in Britain) and non-violence. THE SPECIALS states these ideals magnificently, wrapping them in tunes bursting with energy--tight, sincere and masterful.
Ska's musical style is an easy one to discern--syncopated rhythm guitar, infectious rhythms, horn sections a-go-go; vocals often reach the level of a rant, and the lyrics are usually of utmost import. The album's opener and by far its most recognised tune "A Message To You Rudy" spoke frankly and directly to those youngsters tempted towards the gangster life. "Do the Dog" is more outright social statement--an earnest appeal not to fall into life's easy, safe categories, be they military or social. Societal issues of every stripe are attacked--from "Stupid Marriage" to "Concrete Jungle".

Customer Reviews

This is a 'must have' cd
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. No

OUTSTANDING
I bought this album without having heard anything other than Ghost Town and Too Much Too Young before. And it turned out to be be one of those rare records that you fall in love with on its first play, from start to finish. The sheer energy and enthusiasm of the record is astounding, every song is a masterpiece. I was only four years old when this was released, so I can't imagine how great it must have sounded back then. The lyrics get straight to the point, lines like "try wearing a cap, keep a generation gap" really get their message across. The only very minor criticism I have is that the version of Too Much Too Young goes on a bit too long, and its a tad slow. Overall though this record will quickly find its way into your Top 5 of all time. Stop reading reviews and just buy it now.

Pretty Special
This is my favourite of the 2 Specials albums. 'More Specials' is quirkier, but this is equally fun and more up-tempo. I love to leap around to this record at every oportunity, (much to the annoyance of my neighbours). I could wiffle on about all of the profound lyrics and such and Terry Hall's deadpan style, but once you buy this record then you will find out for yourself. Suffice to say that this record is well worth getting for your collection. If you like that 2 tone sound, then it really doesn't get any better than this. And at this price it is a steal!!!!