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By Anthony Carl Kool-Aid Addict |
Guide to Star Ratings |
Guilty 'til Proved Innocent! (MCA Records) is the latest album from the legendary ska band The Specials.
The Specials started in 1977 as the Coventry Automatics, a punk-reggae band. After about a year, they decided it wasn't working out. They added a few members, renamed themselves to the Specials, and started pumping out ska classics. Their beginnings were short lived however. They only released two albums, one in 1979 and the other 1980, before breaking up. Some of the members went on to form Fun Boy Three and the rest went their separate ways.
However, The Specials were not doomed. After a brief hiatus of only 15 years, they released a new album in 1996, Today's Specials. The line up contained new and old members. The Specials are still going strong with their new release, Guilty 'til Proved Innocent! I liked this album. The album contains fifteen studio tracks plus three bonus live tracks. It's full of catchy hooks and swinging horns.
The Specials stayed very close to their ska roots on this album. The sound more like a cross between jazz and reggae rather than the punk stylings of more recent ska bands like Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. I would recommend this album to anyone who wants to hear some good traditional ska.
The album has produced a single "It's You" which may be heard on the nation's airwaves. The Specials will be on this summer's Warped tour http://www.warpedworld.com. You can also check out The Specials at http://www.waycoolmusic.
com/artists/thespecials.