The Specials Album: “The Singles Collection”

The short-lived British Ska revival of the late 70's early 80's produced only one really great band. The Specials were indeed very special. We ALL need a little Specials in our lives. And if you buy only one Specials CD, this should be it. ( Their self titled debut album is great too, and should be your next Specials purchase, as it contians one song - "Little Bitch " - that SHOULD have been on this cd but isn't.) Serious, thought provoking and socially concious lyrics backed by some of the finest upbeat ska ever recorded. If you're looking for only one reason to get this cd, it's the 12" mix of Ghost Town, a spooky sounding dub reggae track with lyrics centering on the infighting amonst ska fans of different races that literally tore the movement apart. It was the last great Specials single, and the last to feature the original lineup, as they too would splinter shortly after its release. And all you English Beat fans out there who would argue against my point of the Specials being the only great ska band to come out of that period I offer my sincere apologies and can only say that in my opinion they were a pop band who used Ska and Reggae as only part of their musical palette ( listen to the second and third albums by the English Beat and you will see I am right .)

anyone interested in the roots of ska/punk/reggae and political music will undoubtedly love this collection. i wasn't a huge specials fan before i bought this (i hadn't heard much outside of the amazing "ghost town") but this seals the deal. if you're like me, this is likely the only disc you'll ever need from these guys, as it includes all the singles (i assume). from the opening "gangsters" and "rudi, a message to you", to the safe-sex anthem "too much too young", it's clear that their earlier stuff is the best (some key members left after "ghost town"), but none of this disappoints. the music is uplifting and the lyrics raise awareness as a political band should, even if some of the material is a bit dated ("free nelson mandela" - though the spirit here never ages). the two live cuts are nice to have, especially since this music is usually better in concert, and the dylan cover "maggie's farm" is delivered passionately. this is an excellent disc that serves as a worthy overview of the specials' career when they were truly revolutionary (they pretty much kickstarted this whole movement in the late 70s), and it should be a welcome addition to anyone's music library, regardless of whether you've heard of them or not.

Much of this collection can be found on THE SPECIALS, the first LP by the greatest Ska band of my generation.

Get it because "Ghost Town," written about London after Ska-concert violence had caused the authorities to begin the clampdown on clubs and bands left town for the studio or the States, is the all-time greatest Specials single.

"Free Nelson Mandela" is dated, for obvious reasons, but it is the obvious and admireable outcome of The Specials, and Ska's, cross-racial harmony. I didn't notice the Pistols or Ozzy Osborne doing much for the battle against aparthied, for instance.

I wasn't so sure that I would like the Specials, but after popping the singles collection into my player, I was hooked. "Rude Boys Out Of Jail" is my personal favorite; I can't stop humming it! This whole cd has a happy, danceable ska beat. I can't think of a better way to spend fifteen dollars.

I was captivated by the Specials when they appeared on Saturday Night Live way back in the late 1970s, and was hooked on ska and the Specials ever since. This collection however lacks the punch and enthusiasm of their first, self-entitled album or their later three-song EP "Ghost Town."

The CD includes some filler material ("Maggie's Farm" for example) and is most recommended for the three songs off the hard to find 1981 "Ghost Town" vinyl EP, including the title cut, "Why?", and the hypnotic "Friday Night/Saturday Morning." The lack of "Blank Expression" from the first album is baffling. It would have been a more solid collection if material from the post-Specials band, the Fun Boy Three, were included instead of the filler.

Overall, worth getting to round out your Specials collection. Music fans unfamilier with the Specials should start with their first album versus this collection to better understand their magic.