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jackhammer · 03-25-2010, 08:06 PM

The Specials made two albums with the band being dissatisfied with the direction of the sound lead to Jerry Dammers splitting from Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynval Golding who formed the Fun Boy Three. Main guitarist Roddy Radiation also quit which left Dammers to complete the third album with many session musicians which lead to the outfit being renamed as Special A.K.A. The album took over 2 years to complete and is not classed as an official Specials album.

Many bands used the Specials template for their sound as the social commentary used within the lyrics on the first two albums fitted perfectly within the original ethos of many Ska bands who utilised music and lyrics for their own ends,

The scene was drastically distorted with many Punk bands appreciating the ethos of the socio-political ethos of Ska and applying it to their own needs.

Unfortunately this lead to a proliferation of bands that copied the musical stylings of Ska but didn't adhere to the essence of the music and we saw a slew of bands who played fast skanking sounds because it sounded good with scant regard for it's roots.

Putting a Big D and the Kids Table track up as a shining example of Ska and saying that the Specials had lost it is folly regardless whether one track is better than another.

Kudos to you for mentioning The Toasters but there are a ton of bands that adhere to the Ska ethos both musically and asthectically that are far more pertinent than Big D namely Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Capdown, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, New York ska jazz ensemble and Pama International.

03-25-2010, 08:06 PM	#22 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	The Specials made two albums with the band being dissatisfied with the direction of the sound lead to Jerry Dammers splitting from Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynval Golding who formed the Fun Boy Three. Main guitarist Roddy Radiation also quit which left Dammers to complete the third album with many session musicians which lead to the outfit being renamed as Special A.K.A. The album took over 2 years to complete and is not classed as an official Specials album. Many bands used the Specials template for their sound as the social commentary used within the lyrics on the first two albums fitted perfectly within the original ethos of many Ska bands who utilised music and lyrics for their own ends, The scene was drastically distorted with many Punk bands appreciating the ethos of the socio-political ethos of Ska and applying it to their own needs. Unfortunately this lead to a proliferation of bands that copied the musical stylings of Ska but didn't adhere to the essence of the music and we saw a slew of bands who played fast skanking sounds because it sounded good with scant regard for it's roots. Putting a Big D and the Kids Table track up as a shining example of Ska and saying that the Specials had lost it is folly regardless whether one track is better than another. Kudos to you for mentioning The Toasters but there are a ton of bands that adhere to the Ska ethos both musically and asthectically that are far more pertinent than Big D namely Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Capdown, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, New York ska jazz ensemble and Pama International. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”