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Slow and relaxed is the way that the next group of songs plays out, a lot different than their first album, but more in the style of More Specials or “Ghost Town.” Next they cover Hall’s and Golding’s song from Fun Boy Three, “The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum,” and with a ska beat, they make it sound great. It talks about Lynval and his father’s racial slurs and feelings great lyrics, but… ummmm, not something that musically grabbed me and I’m getting scared, but it is a fantastic and biting song about race.įinally on the third song, “Vote For Me,” the band gets into a sweet, slow ska beat, and I feel better and start to sway along with the groove.
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The second song “B.L.M.,” is a spoken word song over more 70s funk.
The specials encore skin#
Well, things start off with their cover of the Equals’ “ Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys,” and what a shock it is! The song is more 70s funk than ska, but it’s not too bad, just not at all what I was expecting. The band is made up of three original members, singer Terry Hall, singer/guitarist Lynval Golding, and bassist Horace Panter, and several new members, Tim Smart (trombone), Drew Stansall (saxophone, flute), Nikolaj Torp Larsen (keyboards), Steve Cradock (lead guitar), Pablo Mandleson (trumpet), and Gary Powell (drums).Īfter hearing their amazing, self-titled debut album way back in the early 80s, I knew that I had to hear this one. Spearheading their legendary 2-Tone label, influencing a ton of ska bands, and putting out the classic “Ghost Town,” the group is held in high regard for everything that they have done.
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