The Specials - Reaction to the Debut Album - My Thoughts

 

It is true that debut albums can be hit and miss sometimes. Little or no studio experience and/or no clear establishment of the band's distinctive sound can make for a lacklustre first album. It can be the case that that first album that a band produces is a bit of a let down or at least falls short of the fans and critics expectations. This was a definite risk for The Specials who had become a tight, high octane live outfit by the time they entered the studio to record their debut. However, with Elvis Costello at the production helm and General Dammers keeping a watchful eye on progress, nothing was lost in the studio environment.

The album is now 43 years old having been released in October 1979 and unlike many of its contemporary releases it has aged like a fine wine. Perhaps it is the content, in terms of the style of the music. Take sixties Bluebeat infuse it with the snarl of punk and its a kind of future proofing. Produce something that contains a strong element that is already ten years old and you almost protect it from aging. Conversely, listen to some of the over produced shiny hits of the '80's and they can be instantly placed as products of that particular OTT decade. But it's not just the sound of the album that must be considered here, it is equally the message that it conveys that has stood the test of time and the reason is pretty straight forward. 'Specials' held a mirror up to societal environment in which it was written and recorded. British heavy industry was in a steep decline, death throes even, unemployment figures were huge and as ever, in this set of circumstances, the far right flourished. The music of 1979 has rarely been bettered but gigging and going to gigs could be a perilous affair as different youth cultures clashed, be it for reasons of fashion and/or politics! The material on 'Specials' echoes all of these issues, albeit in a particularly lively and upbeat manner. The message that pervades both sides of this remarkable piece of vinyl is that yes, things are shit, but you have one run at this life.... don't waste it. 

'Specials' is just 10 years younger than me but as I listen to it now as I am writing this at the end of 2022, there is so much of that message that resonates today. The reflection from that mirror held up in 1979 is not so different from this year's reflection. Roddy's 'Concrete Jungle' includes the lines 'I have to carry a knife/Because there's people threatening my life'. In 1981, guitarist Lynval Golding was set upon by three men in a racially motivated attack in London, an incident which was immortalised in the song 'Why?'. A year later, he was slashed with a bottle in an incident in Coventry that nearly cost him his life. Fast forward to 2018 and vocalist Neville Staple's grandson was fatally stabbed outside of a Coventry nightclub.... things don't seemed to have moved on so much in the intervening years. As in 1979, our young people are on the receiving end of a new raft of issues.... a cost of living crisis, Brexit, a European war and let's not forget our friend, COVID-19.

Perhaps digital copies of 'Specials' should be co-prescribed with the anti-depressants that now seem to be given to young people at the drop off a hat.