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On the Shelf 192: The Specials
May. 30th, 2019 07:25 pmThe Specials debut disc is such a classic that just thinking about a reunion is s good thing
Sure More Specials is worthwhile but like a few others (Television, Stone Roses, Elastica, Lauryn Hill), the debut lays such a heavy shadow over everything else.
Still, the reunion passes the sniff test. We all would love to see Jerry Dammers in the mix but I suspect he’s semi retired.
Terry Hall is here as well as Horace Panther and Lynval Golding. Rico Rodriguez and John Bradbury have passed.
Nikolaj Torp Larsen now has 10 years in with the band and a strong CV(he’s probably best known for working with Adele, Elton John and Jason Mraz) and Steve Craddock is a name everyone should know from his work with Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller. It totals a pretty fair facsimile of the original band.
That shows in the finished product. Like Blondie’s Pollinator , there is an ambition here that lands it in a tricky predicament but at the same time, the talent of those involved carry it through.
There are really no bad songs here. The Specials are able to maintain their image as a political band- which isn’t easy. The albums opener “Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys” is an Equals cover. It hasn’t necessarily aged well to hear “We’re all going to be half breed” as Eddy Grant sang it in 1970, but the idea is there.
Which is a metaphor for the whole record. Songs are seemingly drawn from everywhere. The Lunatics is a Fun Boy Three song reassembled. Ghost Town casts a heavy shadow over many songs here like Vote For Me. There are three (!) songs that are spoken not sung. Of these, 10 Commandments, a response to Prince Buster 60s spoken word single as done by Saffiyah Khan is probably the best.
Still, the reunion passes the sniff test. We all would love to see Jerry Dammers in the mix but I suspect he’s semi retired.
Terry Hall is here as well as Horace Panther and Lynval Golding. Rico Rodriguez and John Bradbury have passed.
Nikolaj Torp Larsen now has 10 years in with the band and a strong CV(he’s probably best known for working with Adele, Elton John and Jason Mraz) and Steve Craddock is a name everyone should know from his work with Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller. It totals a pretty fair facsimile of the original band.
That shows in the finished product. Like Blondie’s Pollinator , there is an ambition here that lands it in a tricky predicament but at the same time, the talent of those involved carry it through.
There are really no bad songs here. The Specials are able to maintain their image as a political band- which isn’t easy. The albums opener “Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys” is an Equals cover. It hasn’t necessarily aged well to hear “We’re all going to be half breed” as Eddy Grant sang it in 1970, but the idea is there.
Which is a metaphor for the whole record. Songs are seemingly drawn from everywhere. The Lunatics is a Fun Boy Three song reassembled. Ghost Town casts a heavy shadow over many songs here like Vote For Me. There are three (!) songs that are spoken not sung. Of these, 10 Commandments, a response to Prince Buster 60s spoken word single as done by Saffiyah Khan is probably the best.
The variety helps support the center. As it moves from Terry to Lynval, ska to pop to reggae, it is constantly moving forward. Like Pollinator, it’s a very satisfying record that makes you glad to see old heroes back in fine form. Will it convince everyone? Not likely. Personally for me though, it will be one of my favorite and most listened to discs of the year (and probably last 5 years)
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