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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