when people stop me in the street and ask me who/what was my first true love (and its amazing as to just how often this happens), i always give the same answer : 2-tone.
in 1979 i was 11 when the 2-tone monster hit the radio, and i loved it all.
the music, the look, the dr martens, the logo, all kickstarted my love affair with music.
the use of politics and social commentary throughout the self penned songs probably had more of an impact on my own teenage awakenings than lessons learnt in class or home, and remain as compelling and relevant today as back then.
so this 2 disc compilation by the scenes leaders, the specials, is a perfect catch all package.
comprising of one cd of all the hits and more, and a fascinating dvd which collects the videos for the classics, along with a mini film for each track from the final in the studio album.
the music may be overly familiar, but there is no denying that the compilation still provides a fresh blast of ska bounce and punk attitude, not to mention the presence of the greatest single of the 80s, the ever chilling, ghost town. all of which having been given a remastering by the main man, jerry dammers himself, sounds even more vital in its ‘ultra stereo’ form.
utterly essential.
more detail : here