Specials by The Specials 1979

1979  I was in England on holiday and there was like a youth explosion as Paul Weller so aptly put it. Everywhere in London, there were young guys in suits and girls in Mod dresses. They were dancing in record shops and congregating in Carnaby Street. There were lots of Mod bands about but what a lot of the Mods were listening to was ska music particularly The Specials, The Beat and Madness who seemed to be everywhere including one edition of Top of The Pops. Modern Ska was cool, intelligent and easy to dance to. Plus they wore the clothes mods aspired to. Just looking at the sleeve of the Specials this is what the Mods were wearing.
I bought my copy of Specials in a department store in Paris. I was surprised when I saw it was produced by Elvis Costello which I guess gives it the alternative rock edge. Even more, I was amazed at how good it was from first to the last song. No wonder the UK was going ska crazy. These bands were producing top-class albums. Just holding the cover in my hands felt so cool.
I didn't get to hear it again after Paris until I got back to Melbourne. Then it was never off my turntable.
Later it would become a part of the Lizard DJ set where I would play a number of tracks from it.
A few years back I went and saw them live at The Metro. Just brilliant. No one was wearing suits though. well, not in the audience. Then a bit later they played at the Royal Melbourne Zoo and it turned out to be one of the best gigs I've ever been to. Total atmosphere!