10 Perfect Post Punk Albums With No Bad Songs
7. More Specials - The Specials (1979)
The Specials came to represent the coming together of black and white middle class culture in the UK. At a time when racial and social tensions were at an all time high, the band's blend of traditional reggae, ska and punk rock, symbolised the rejection of the old dividing lines.
Their first record, The Specials (1979) was far more oriented towards traditional ska music, and contained hits like, A Message to You Rudy and Monkey Man. With their second album, the band pulled in a larger range of influences and created a sound that became distinctly their own.
The bands 2 Tone approach struck a chord, with laid back melodies that cut a deep groove across the dance floor. Tracks like, Rat Race, contained infectious Afro-Caribbean grooves while humorously exploring the blight of the working person. Sock It To Em, Jb., was distinctly more upbeat, with a melody that lent itself more to a fusion of jazz and funk.
This record serves both as a social commentary of late '70s Britain, as well as being an album you could stick on at a party, for the sheer enjoyment of dancing to it.