Apologies if this has already been posted, but there’s a new Specials track appeared this week on YouTube. Not brilliant, but not bad IMHO.
New Specials
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I concur – not ‘arf bad.
Seems to pick up (and update) where More Specials left off.
New album next February, and some touring and 40th Anniversary stuff to follow.
Only 3 originals left (who knows, Jerry Dammers might put in a surprise appearance?), but now with added Steve Craddock (Ocean Colour Scene) and Gary Powell (Libertines)
Yeah, I like it and all. So who is in the band these days and who was on vocals on this?
Reminds me a bit of Marilyn’s 2016 comeback classic, Love Or Money. Only not as good.
For anyone who hasn’t heard it, I’m finding this track from the new album one of the best things they’ve done:
Like it, but isn’t it just a rebranded version of Ghost Town?
I think it’s a really successful mix of past and present/future, as befits a total reworking of a Prince Buster song to suit modern attitudes. The inclusion of a Ghost Town-y bit, the new guest vocalist, the reggae-rather-than-ska sound, all good.
I’m really enjoying the album overall. To me it sounds like a good continuation of the first two proper albums. Many seem to be ignoring the fact that there were a couple of albums in the nineties under the name that have their merits, which I guess means that without Terry Hall it isn’t the Specials. To me this feels odd in a way because I loved the In The Studio album, where Hall, Golding and Staple had already left. Not a tidy history is it?
Let’s not confuse the issue though, because Encore is a good album, one that shows a dignified but on the case approach, far from the apolitical, good time knees up that Jerry Dammers might have feared would be the result when they reformed. The funk influence on a couple of tracks is a welcome start, but the reggae feel of most of the album is nice, and greatly helped by the experienced reggae/jazz drummer Kenrick Rowe, who seems to have replaced Gary Powell from the Libertines.
I’m seeing them at Southsea’s Victorious Festival in August and I can’t wait. Might even wear a Fred Perry if the sun’s out.
Read a bit about them in one of the Sunday papers last week.
Coventry this, Coventry that, Thatcher this, Thatcher that … moderately interesting, though I’d have been far more interested in a piece on Jamaican Ska.
Then the subject turned to football and, whad’ya know, they all support Man. Utd.
Coventry, my arse. Wtf is that all about? I hope Thatcher made their lives a bleedin’ misery.
Never trust a punk.
A Man U fan not from Manchester. Who knew such creatures existed?
Sounds like you’re sending them to Coventry, Deram.
Its a very good album with a great bonus live cd.
Ignore the naysayers – they are talking bollox.
Maybe it helps that I was never a massive fan, I just liked what I heard, but I really like this new song.
Oh yes, I do like this album – a bit more Funky-Jazzy than Punky-Ska.
They packed a lot in to their original years – two perfectly formed albums and a slew of great singles.
But … this aint no nostalgic re-tread, they have actually got something to say (even if it a very similar conversation to 40 years ago)
And that extra Live disc is very good – the transition of Redemption Song to an upbeat Monkey Man is a fine moment (even if they are from 2 different shows)