Great album that took Ska into the next step of it's life.

The Specials were one of the most important and powerful Ska bands ever to emerge from the UK. Blending a punk sensibility with fun ska riffs and beats, it was an album that made you think while dancing. They took ska to another level, with lyrics commenting on birth control, skinhead/mod culture, and self-image.

The band's self-titled debut is pure genius. They had already established themselves with a couple of singles, including the widely successful "Gangsters", which is included on this album. This is really what pushed them over the edge and really got people back into ska and opened more people than the originals ever could.

The songs are so diverse on this album that it's never boring. They take the standard ska, off-beat rhythm and turned into something more accessible to the masses, opening up the music to punks and the youth of America, where they had a great effect in opening up kids' ears to new music and allowing them to experiment with different ideas musically and socially.

Not only is the music diverse, the topics the band discusses are vast and interesting. From critiquing their own skinhead/mod culture to supporting anti-racist and revolutionary tactics. The best thing is that there is no way to confuse what they are saying. It's straightforward and urgent, but still tons of fun.

This is the album that gave birth to a million second and third wave ska bands, embracing the music of yesterday with the ideals and feelings of tomorrow. It's the soundtrack of a revolution of music, racial barriers and social expression. Definately one of the most important albums of the first half of the 1980s.