Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
A perfect moment in time captured on vinyl forever, such is the Specials' eponymous debut album; it arrived in shops in the middle of October 1979 and soared into the U.K. Top Five. It was an utter revelation -- except for anyone who had seen the band on-stage, for the album was at its core a studio recording of their live set, and at times even masquerades as a gig. There were some notable omissions: "Gangsters," for one, but that had already spun on 45, as well as the quartet of covers that would appear on their live Too Much Too Young EP in the new year. But the rest are all here, 14 songs' strong, mostly originals, with a few covers of classics thrown in for good measure. That includes their fabulous take on Dandy Livingstone's "A Message to You Rudy," an equally stellar version of the Maytals' "Monkey Man," and the sizzling take on Prince Buster's "Too Hot." If those were fabulous, their own compositions were magnificent. The Specials managed to distill all the anger, disenchantment, and bitterness of the day straight into their music. The vicious "Nite Klub" -- with its unforgettable line, "All the girls are slags and the beer tastes just like piss" -- perfectly skewered every bad night the members had ever spent out on the town; "Blank Expression" extended the misery into unwelcoming pubs, while "Concrete Jungle" moved the action onto the streets, capturing the fear and violence that stalked the inner cities. And then it gets personal. "It's Up to You" throws down the gauntlet for those who disliked the group, its music, and its stance, while simultaneously acting as a rallying cry for supporters. "Too Much Too Young" shows the Specials' disdain for teen pregnancy and marriage; "Stupid Marriage" drags two such offenders before a Judge Dread-esque magistrate, with Terry Hall playing the outraged and sniping prosecutor; while "Little Bitch" is downright nasty. Those were polemics; "It Doesn't Make It Alright" reaches a hand out to listeners and, with conviction, delivers up a heartfelt plea against racism, but even this number contains a sharp sting in its tail. It's a bitter brew, aggressively delivered, with even the slower numbers sharply edged, and therefore the band wisely scattered sparkling covers across the album to help lift its mood. The set appropriately ends with the rocksteady-esque yearning of "You're Wondering Now," the song that invariably closed their live shows. Even though producer Elvis Costello gave the record a bright sound, it doesn't lighten the dark currents that run through the group's songs; if anything, his production heightens them. It's left to guests Rico Rodriguez and Dick Cuthell to provide a little Caribbean sun to the Specials' sound, their brass sweetening the flashes of anger and disaffection that sweep across the record. And so, this was Britain in late 1979, an unhappy island about to explode.
© Jo-Ann Greene /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2020 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
DISC 2
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
The Specials, MainArtist
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
Album review
A perfect moment in time captured on vinyl forever, such is the Specials' eponymous debut album; it arrived in shops in the middle of October 1979 and soared into the U.K. Top Five. It was an utter revelation -- except for anyone who had seen the band on-stage, for the album was at its core a studio recording of their live set, and at times even masquerades as a gig. There were some notable omissions: "Gangsters," for one, but that had already spun on 45, as well as the quartet of covers that would appear on their live Too Much Too Young EP in the new year. But the rest are all here, 14 songs' strong, mostly originals, with a few covers of classics thrown in for good measure. That includes their fabulous take on Dandy Livingstone's "A Message to You Rudy," an equally stellar version of the Maytals' "Monkey Man," and the sizzling take on Prince Buster's "Too Hot." If those were fabulous, their own compositions were magnificent. The Specials managed to distill all the anger, disenchantment, and bitterness of the day straight into their music. The vicious "Nite Klub" -- with its unforgettable line, "All the girls are slags and the beer tastes just like piss" -- perfectly skewered every bad night the members had ever spent out on the town; "Blank Expression" extended the misery into unwelcoming pubs, while "Concrete Jungle" moved the action onto the streets, capturing the fear and violence that stalked the inner cities. And then it gets personal. "It's Up to You" throws down the gauntlet for those who disliked the group, its music, and its stance, while simultaneously acting as a rallying cry for supporters. "Too Much Too Young" shows the Specials' disdain for teen pregnancy and marriage; "Stupid Marriage" drags two such offenders before a Judge Dread-esque magistrate, with Terry Hall playing the outraged and sniping prosecutor; while "Little Bitch" is downright nasty. Those were polemics; "It Doesn't Make It Alright" reaches a hand out to listeners and, with conviction, delivers up a heartfelt plea against racism, but even this number contains a sharp sting in its tail. It's a bitter brew, aggressively delivered, with even the slower numbers sharply edged, and therefore the band wisely scattered sparkling covers across the album to help lift its mood. The set appropriately ends with the rocksteady-esque yearning of "You're Wondering Now," the song that invariably closed their live shows. Even though producer Elvis Costello gave the record a bright sound, it doesn't lighten the dark currents that run through the group's songs; if anything, his production heightens them. It's left to guests Rico Rodriguez and Dick Cuthell to provide a little Caribbean sun to the Specials' sound, their brass sweetening the flashes of anger and disaffection that sweep across the record. And so, this was Britain in late 1979, an unhappy island about to explode.
© Jo-Ann Greene /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 29 track(s)
- Total length: 01:32:15
- Main artists: The Specials
- Label: Chrysalis Records
- Genre: World Reggae Ska & Rocksteady
2016 Chrysalis Records Limited 2015 Chrysalis Records Limited
Distinctions:
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.