The Specials – the kings of 2 Tone. Social messaging impelling you to the dance floor. I vividly recall seeing Too Much Too Young and wondering where the hell had this come from? This was a distinctly urban take on teenage pregnancy and pulled no punches. It did so with a wry sense of humour, demanding that you move those feet.
The Specials was a revelation of an album. With Elvis Costello at the production helm it captured a relentlessly upbeat and irresistible sound. The mixture of updated Caribbean ska and new songs has an energy to fit the period – the same post punk and youthful rebellion which informed London Calling prevailed throughout. The timing is important – 1979 and the winter of discontent, economic hardship, a change in government and outlook with tough medicine ahead, racial tension and social change all around. It made for an uneasy cocktail.
The Specials tackled the racial tension issue head on. This was a blend of musicians which announced themselves as social commentators on day one with the 2 Tone label itself. They aimed to push important messages to the younger generation.They were to be taken seriously.It was a sensibility to be refined with Ghost Town, when the humour was stripped away and Terry Hall’s splendidly deadpan vocals suddenly seemed genuinely apocalyptic. Despite a major personnel change, Free Nelson Mandela was a logical and glorious ultimate end point.
Reggae and ska increasingly permeated the audio landscape, but now they were infused with a more aggressive attitude. The Clash covered Police and Thieves and Armagideon Time, delivered The Guns of Brixton and The Ruts brought it to a peak with Jah War. In each case this was a social unrest message with a Caribbean twist. The Specials introduced themselves with Gangsters, a reworking of Prince Buster’s Al Capone. The follow up single was another cover – A Message To You Rudy took Rudy, A Message to You, a rocksteady track from the era of Sergeant Pepper and turned it into an urban warning. This was an example where the cover version becomes the de facto version for others to follow. What a way to kick off your debut album.
Rudy… is a joy from the very first blow of the harmonica as it eases us into The Specials. Against the trademark choppy ska beat, there’s a brisk almost military snare roll and then the maestro announces the song to us: Rico’s trombone introduces a fantastically catchy hook. This is the same Rico Rodriguez who played on the original a dozen years earlier and he plays with mellow authority. It’s a slightly loose, easy going and warm sound – laid back, as pre 70’s and Caribbean ska should be.
But Rico’s languid hook is set against a punchier backdrop. We shouldn’t forget that this is a band born of Rock Against Racism and showing the foresight to see the how youthful disaffection would spill over into rioting in Toxteth and Brixton within the next two years.
Lyrically clear and simple, this is a direct message to those who would see their youthful lives frittered away. Its origins are Jamaican and its focus was the Kingston Rude Boys (and therefore Rudy). The Rude Boys were typically juvenile delinquents and petty criminals, associated with gang violence. It was natural that awareness if not the subculture itself could find its way to 1970’s UK, particularly the major cities. It’s a clear warning and a moral message to the UK’s youth and underclass trapped in the Concrete Jungle:
“Stop your messing around / Better think of your future / Time you straightened right out / Creating problems in town”
It targets its audience directly – no pussyfooting around here: “Rudy, a message to you / Rudy, a message to you”.
“Stop your fooling around / Time you straightened right out / Better think of your future / Else you’ll wind up in jail”
Unusually, there is no single lead vocal. Although Terry Hall and Neville Staple’s lugubrious vocals are most prominent in the mix, it’s a group message and, subliminally this is a peer group message. The joint vocals give it a low key anthemic edge, encouraging an almighty sing-along. And then there’s Terry Hall’s backing vocal, bordering on the tuneless, but somehow all the more authentic for it. This is a very British warning – direct and unequivocal.
One thing I really enjoy about brass on a song is the sense of attack. It’s crisp, vibrant and urgent. Not here – Rico’s solo is a louche trawl around the musical theme. Throughout the song Rico has set a tone of relaxed authority. Though the message is clear this is not a preaching exercise and it’s not heavy handed. It’s like a Don’t Worry, Be Happy languidness acting as a counterbalance to the importance of the core message. The common sense is in touch with its audience and the Caribbean meets Coventry.
The whole feel of the song is captured in that solo. The horns are smooth and catchy as hell, soaring over the tight, choppy guitar and keyboard persistently driving the tempo. The whole thing is bright and minimalist in nature, repetitive and delightful. I defy anyone to listen to this without at least twitching along. It has an earthy energy to it, urging you the listener to join in. Go on – sing along or dance. And while you’re doing so, think about the message.
The Specials is regularly voted as one of the most important and influential albums of all time. With A Message To You, Rudy the band pronounced a direct and universal sentiment. Buck your ideas up or end up in jail (or worse) – it’s the same near parental message that could be delivered to any generation in its teenage or early adult years. In this sense I guess it’s timeless. Underpinning this, Rudy… is a perfect infusion of punk’s DIY and antagonistic ethos and captures the moment when its influence coloured other genres. The Specials introduced ska to the wider public and did so with edge. It also captures the mood of a tense period in UK social and political life but it manages to be more than a simple snapshot.
Rudy… was a signature and statement of intent, creating the foundation for Ghost Town. It continues its timeless message, from the radio to the football stadium. But it does so because The Specials created an irresistible and infectious masterpiece.
Just want audio? Listen here: http://grooveshark.com/s/A+Message+To+You+Rudy/4fCniQ?src=5
Music Noises 