Day 0453 - Specials

The Specials "Specials" (1979)

The Specials kind of came out fully formed here; from their image (suits and narrow ties, shades and porkpie hats - referencing UK 'mods' and Jamaican 'rude boys'), to their music which was a brash and rocky take on ska, dub and rocksteady... all with a hint of the recent punk movement reflected in it.

A number of the band members sing, but it's the combination of lead singers Neville Staple with his warm round Jamaican accent and Terry Hall with his punkish holler that really help carve out a unique sound amongst the then burgeoning ska scene in the UK. "Too much too young" is a favourite of mine here.




....well goodbye 1970s. You have been an education.

Day 0433 - Regatta De Blanc

The Police "Regatta De Blanc" (got it)

The second album from The Police. After the moderate success of "Outlandos D'Amore" the band's label wanted to set them up in a flash studio with a high profile producer, but the band chose instead to stick with the same recording setup as their first album, the used the profits of the first album to pay for the recording of this one, whichj meant that the label had less control over what the band recorded.

The album that resulted was regarded by Stewart Copeland as the best that the Police ever made. It was the album where they fully embraced reggae to supplement and even supplant their post-punk pop sound of the first album. The influence of reggae also helped shape Copeland's drumming style significantly with his floating backbeats.

Regatta (the album title is pidgin for 'white reggae') was also a relatively even spread songwriting-wise. Sting wasn't lord and master, with Copeland contributing just as many songs, and Andy Summers putting in some too.

"Message in a bottle" is a brilliant track. The Police always had an ear for a pop hit - even their heady concept album 'Ghost in the Machine' features the light and poppy (slightly out of place) "Everything little thing she does is magic".