The Specials, 1979. – I discovered this gem of an album a few years after its release but again, as so many great albums do, it grabbed me by the shirt collar and shook me to the core.

From the opening track “A Message To You, Rudy” to “Too Hot” (the first track to be recorded), and “Too Much Too Young”, every single song is a revelation of energy, rawness, and electricity.

These were the days of vinyl or cassette. I had my Walkman glued to my hip, assorted cassettes either in my knapsack or back pocket (in case of a musical emergency), headphones embedded into my skull, and would listen over and over, taking in the music, the arrangements, the production (Elvis Costello produced it) and the mixing. Like any album with longevity. It was all of the above details that made this such a cohesive soundtrack to so many lives, and has remained one of the definitive 2nd wave ska albums to this very day. An album you simply must listen.

The Specials – Debut Album (1979)
Written by: Jesse Dubmatix King
Bandcamp: Music | Dubmatix (bandcamp.com)
(Musician / Producer @ Renegade Studios)
Radio Host at CIUT 89.5 FM