The Specials (1979)

The Specials is the debut studio album by the English ska revival band the Specials. Released on 19 October 1979 on Jerry Dammers' 2 Tone label, the album is seen by some as the defining moment in the UK ska scene. Produced by Elvis Costello, the album captures the disaffection and anger felt by the youth of the UK's "concrete jungle"—a phrase borrowed from Bob Marley's 1973 album Catch a Fire—used to describe the grim, violent inner cities of 1970s Britain. The album features a mixture of original material and several covers of classic Jamaican ska tracks.

A live version of "Too Much Too Young" was later released on a five-track EP of the same name, subtitled The Special A.K.A. Live!, which went to number one on the UK charts. "A Message to You Rudy" was also released as a single. A digitally remastered edition of the album also featuring promotional videos to "Gangsters" and "Too Much Too Young" as enhanced content was released by EMI in 2002.

Composition

Musically, The Specials encapsulates the first wave of British ska, greatly reworking the original sound of 1960s Jamaican ska. The music shares the infectious energy and humour of the original sound, but injects new-found anger and punk sensibility. The resulting sound is considerably less laid-back and "Caribbean" sounding than original ska, and dispensed with much of the percussion and the larger horn sections used in the older variety. The Specials also brought guitar to the front of the mix; it had often been a secondary instrument in Jamaican ska.

Several of the album's songs are covers of older Jamaican songs. "Monkey Man" had been a hit for Toots and the Maytals in 1969, "Too Hot" was a Prince Buster original from 1966, and the opening track, "A Message to You Rudy", was a Dandy Livingstone single in 1967. "You're Wondering Now" was originally performed by the duo Andy & Joey and later covered by the Skatalites; the vocal version was recorded by Andy & Joey in 1964. Other tracks are reworkings of Jamaican originals: "Too Much Too Young" was based on Lloyd Charmers' "Birth Control" and "Stupid Marriage" draws heavily on the Prince Buster hit "Judge 400 Years" (also known as "Judge Dread").

Trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who performed on many 1950s and 1960s Jamaican recordings before moving to London in 1962, played on the band's version of "A Message to You Rudy", as he had on the original recording 15 years previously. Rodriguez's appearance on the album considerably added to the album's credentials.

Critical reception

Reviews of the album in the UK music press were mixed. NME critic Tony Stewart praised the album, writing, "Although the predominant musical influence is black (ska, bluebeat, reggae and soul), it's wrapped in ferocious rock'n'roll: the kind of hybrid that so many other British bands have tried to contrive but, in comparison, failed to make convincing ... This album embraces two decades of black and white music, gives it perspective and then goes on to reflect the modern rock'n'roll culture ... It's the kind of album that's musically fathomless and it will probably establish the Specials as true hopes for the '80s. At the very least, this debut is essential for anybody who wants to know what's going on in rock'n'roll today". Record Mirror's Simon Ludgate described the Specials as "Madness' older, more responsible brother" with "a social conscience" and "greater vocal flexibility", further lauding the album's production for its faithfulness to the Specials' live sound. Smash Hits was also positive, saying it had "some excellent original touches" and that the lyrics were "very strong". Reviewer Red Starr went on to praise Costello's "first rate production" and concluded that the album was "a very promising debut and highly recommended".

On the other hand, Vivien Goldman in Melody Maker was disappointed, observing that "this album's drawbacks are exposed all the more vividly in the light of its missed potential ... producer Elvis Costello seems incapable of producing a rhythm—by that I mean pop, as well as reggae". The review expanded upon this comment, saying, "A key word is pace. The Specials—a great band to party to—can't sustain the shock of having the speed of certain numbers halved. When the pace on record doubles—as in 'Too Much Too Young'—The Specials suddenly make sense". Goldman also criticised the lack of understanding of a female point of view in certain songs, but concluded on a positive note: "Perhaps I'm extra critical, because I (still) have great hopes for the future of The Specials". Dave McCullough of Sounds agreed that the album had not fulfilled its potential, stating, "There are no rough edges to upset you, nothing new to shock you ... The Specials seem to have lost the attacking, forward-looking, forward moving, almost militant momentum that was witnessed and promised from the beginning".

The Specials was ranked among the top ten albums of the year for 1979 by NME.