A huge fuss is being made about The Specials releasing their first new album for 37 years. I loved The Specials. They were the original 2-Tone band, ska revivalists who defined a young, fresh, multi-racial, predominantly working-class scene in the late 70s and 80s. But I’m not quite sure why they’ve done this. The new album sounds very similar to their old stuff, which was a product of a time and place that seems rather distant and old-fashioned now. I’d prefer to remember those times by listening to this – The Specials in their original glory. Although if you’ve ever heard Birth Control by Lloyd Terrell, you may not think “original” is the best way to describe them.
