Specials [2002 Remaster]

1	A Message to You Rudy 2:53
2	Do the Dog 2:11
3	It's Up to You 3:23
4	Nite Klub 3:24
5	Doesn't Make It Alright 3:25
6	Concrete Jungle 3:18
7	Too Hot 3:09
8	Monkey Man 2:44
9	(Dawning of A) New Era 2:26
10	Blank Expression 2:44
11	Stupid Marriage 3:50
12	Too Much Too Young 6:05
13	Little Bitch 2:32
14	You're Wondering Now 5:08

Barnes & Noble

With their kinetic R&B rhythms, dub-wise organ lines, and searing social commentary, the Specials were the archetypal band of ska's "2-Tone" revival, which blasted onto the charts in riot-torn Britain at the turn of the '80s. They'd go on to score bigger hits with the later singles "Ghost Town" and "Free Nelson Mandela," but The Specials, produced by upstart rocker Elvis Costello, is the group's calling card. The Top 10 U.K. singles "Gangsters," "A Message to You Rudy," and "Too Much Too Young" harnessed the energy of early punk rock but gave it a reverential twist, as the biracial band looked to the early Jamaican ska of the Skatalites and the Maytals for musical inspiration. And tag-team vocalists Terry Hall and Neville Staples proved the perfect vehicle for dramatic tunes demonstrating racial tension ("Concrete Jungle," "(Dawning of a) New Era") and urban ennui ("Nite Klub," "Stupid Marriage"). Ska would go on to find a home on American Top 40 with hits from 2-Tone brethren Madness and millennial modern rockers No Doubt, but the music never sounded more vital than on this angst-riddled album. The 2002 reissue features all-new liner notes from Specials authority Adrian Thrills and videos for "Gangsters" and "Too Much Too Young" (live). Lydia Vanderloo

All Music Guide

The Specials' self-titled debut sparked the Two-Tone movement in the late '70s. With well-chosen ska classics and Prince Buster-inspired originals, the band mixed political and social activism and blended punk's intensity with an infectious dance beat. The Specials is a landmark recording that, while very much a product of its time, hasn't really dated at all. Produced by Elvis Costello. [The album was reissued in 2002 with enhanced CD-Rom material.] Chris Woodstra