Review:

on 2011-09-03 CharlesMartel Said:

Leading the vanguard of the British ska revival in the late seventies and early eighties were the Specials. Like their stablemates in the Two-Tone label, the Specials had a string of minor hits with their catchy, danceable pop. Where they differed from most of the rest was in that they very much put themselves in the angry young man category created by the punks. "Too Much Too Young" lambasts the consequences of inner-city deprivation in which lack of opportunity drives young girls into early relationships and pregnancy, frequently before they are out of their teens. It is a theme which Billy Bragg would frequently return to a few years later. It would be fair to say that the Specials did not get the success they deserved, most probably because the British public were uncomfortable with the messages contained within their music. In any event the ska revival died out pretty quickly and most bands had split or moved on within a few years of the start of the eighties.
Rating: 8/10