The Specials - The Specials (1979)

What is there to say about The Specials that hasn't already been said? As the seminal ska revival band, The Specials fused traditional Jamaican ska and rocksteady with elements of rock & roll, pop, and punk. In the late 70s, this was an exciting and innovative musical development, and led to an entire music scene that revolved around 2-Tone Records, a label started by members of  The Specials. And although Jamaican roots run deep throughout their music, The Specials were a punk band at heart, with the energy and attitude to back it up.

Their brand of British ska was less jazzy than that of their Jamaican counterpart, and shifted the instrumental emphasis away from the horn section and towards the guitars, led by the rockabilly-inspired playing of Roddy Radiation. Throw in the funky bass of Sir Horace Gentlemen, the bouncy keyboards of 2-Tone founder Jerry Dammers, and veteran ska trombonist Rico Rodriguez and you have a a very talented (and very credible) group of musicians. A minimalist production job by a young Elvis Costello does a great job capturing the band's raw, infectious energy on tape.

The album's sociopolitically-charged lyrics are simultaneously gritty and fun, and paint a colorful picture of life as a lower class youth in 70s Britain. Tracks like "Concrete Jungle" and "Do the Dog" renounce inner city violence and racism, while "Too Much Too Young" and "Stupid Marriage" provide humorous yet insightful looks into teenage pregnancy and relationships. Covers of classic Jamaican artists like Toots & The Maytals ("Monkey Man"), Dandy Livingston  ("A Message to You Rudy") and Prince Buster ("Too Hot") also find the band paying homage to some of their musical influences.

The Specials’ eponymous debut album is a perfect time capsule to 1979, and is worth listening to for its historical significance alone. Not only did The Specials revitalize ska and cement it as a permanent fixture in the pop music canon, but their music serves as a token that reflects the sociopolitical climate and youth subculture of an entire era. It's also just a damn good record.

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Yellowman - Mister Yellowman (1982)

One of the most popular deejays to ever come out of Jamaica is probably one that you would least expect; a six foot tall albino. After growing up in an orphanage and steadily building a reputation in the underground dancehall scene, Yellowman quickly rose to popularity in Jamaica with a string of hit singles in the early 80s, eventually becoming the first Jamaican recording artist to be signed to a major US label. Mister Yellowman, his first studio album, arguably remains his best, thanks in large part to the influential Roots Radics band and production by famous dancehall producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes. Yellowman effortlessly rides the riddims laid down by the Radics, which have been further finessed and infused with dub by Lawes. The end result is a far cry from your typical folk-driven roots reggae.

Lyrically, the album perfectly showcases Yellowman's exuberant personality and keen sense of humor. "Mr. Chin" features Yellowman complaining about the local Chinese grocer (all the while seducing his two daughters), while "Yellowman Getting Married" endorses Yellowman as the perfect husband. There's also the politically-conscious "Duppy or Gunman," but most of the album's lyrics revolve around the minutiae of everyday life, which has helped the album resonate with so many different people over the years.

Although Yellowman has now largely been overshadowed by many of his contemporaries, his influence on music as a whole is unmistakable. Not only did he help bridge the gap between roots reggae and the electronic sound of the next generation, but he also had a less direct influence on the evolution of hip-hop, and has been quoted and/or sampled by a number of popular artists such as Eazy-E, Tupac, Biggie, Mos Def, and Ice Cube. "King Yellowman" indeed.

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Mephiskapheles - God Bless Satan (1994)

Mephiskapheles, in addition to having the best name ever, seemingly created a band around a terrible mad-lib. The ska/metal/satanic group formed in New York City in 1990 and once and for all proved that "real" genres are for posers. While touring the East Coast, the group eventually settled on a 7-piece lineup and developed an occult following among devil worshiping ruddies. Not content with merely creating its own genre, Mephiskapheles carved out a musical niche by contrasting powerful horn melodies and metal leanings. Their debut LP God Bless Satan hit in 1994, and the video for "Doomsday" played on MTV. After few US and European tours, two more LPs, and presumably 666 shows later, Mephiskapheles called it quits in 2001.

The blaring horn section drives God Bless Satan. Sometimes bright and playful, other times dark and ominous, the horns take on the melodic duties on the bulk of the album. "Bad John" opens with the archetypical ska revival upbeat intro, punctuating riffs, and solos while a minor tonality melody slowly builds up the brooding "Hard Times." The articulated lines of "Doomsday" conjure up images of a demonic reveille calling the dead to rise and juxtapose the bouncy Latin dance vibe of "Saba." While always tight and driving, the horns usually fall back on playing in unison. While this doesn't really detract from the overall quality of the album, a more layered approach could improve most tracks.

You don’t need to be a fan ska revival or Beelzebub to enjoy Mephiskapeheles. Anyone who enjoys upbeat, high energy dance music (and who has no qualms with outright satanism) should give God Bless Satan a shot. It’s loaded with fast, fun, and occasionally funny tracks. Fans of the genre, especially, should tune in because God Bless Satan offers a hectic pace and tight melodies that put most other ska albums to shame.