Protest Songs 1924 – 2012

The Specials

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Released on 2021-08-27 by Universal-Island Records Ltd.
Main artists: The Specials
Genre: Ska & Rocksteady

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In the middle of the punk tsunami, late-70s England was experiencing a healthy ska revival led by in part Madness and above all by the Specials. This multiracial gang from Coventry, led by Jerry Dammers, brought the syncopated rhythms of Jamaican rocksteady and its offshoot, ska, back to life. Pork pie hats, fitted black suits, checkered patterns: in the grey depths of Thatcherism, you needed the right outfit, the better to appreciate singles like A Message to You Rudy (a cover of the Dandy Livingstone number), Too Much Too Young and Gangster, and their two albums, Specials (1979) and More Specials (1980). Under the name Special Aka, they released the equally essential In the Studio With in 1984, which was topped off by the hit single (Free) Nelson Mandela... In 2019, the Specials got back together. Some were a little sceptical, as Dammers, who wrote their greatest hits, and Neville Staple were missing from the new line-up. But Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter all pulled it off in the end, with a ska sound that flirted with soul and even vintage disco on the album Yet. And above all, these new Specials for the new millennium are still making commentary on their social and political environment, just like in the old days. And there is plenty of both the political and the social in their well-named Protest Songs 1924–2012, a fine collection of covers ranging from blues to rock, folk, soul and reggae. These are political songs, mostly from the States, by the likes of Leonard Cohen, Talking Heads, the Staple Singers, Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Marley, Chip Taylor, Malvina Reynolds and even Frank Zappa. The trio opts here for an essentially acoustic sound, leaning on a folk'n'soul tradition that highlights lyrics and vocals. And while a touch more madness might have given the whole thing a bit more musical punch, these protest songs nevertheless retain all their historical force. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

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Protest Songs 1924 – 2012

The Specials

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Freedom Highway

00:03:24

Roebuck Staples, ComposerLyricist - George Murphy, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Producer, Piano, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Debney, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Terry Hall, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Lynval Golding, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Horace Panter, Producer, Electric Bass, AssociatedPerformer - The Specials, MainArtist - Steve Cradock, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kenrick Rowe, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Sellens, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Camden Clerk, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Hannah Hu, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Liam Larkin, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel