"Whine and Grind/Stand Down Margaret" has got to be one of my fav songs (of all time!) This ska 2 tone (?) band from England mixes ska/punk/pop into songs well-crafted and genuine (most of them) read lyrics for most of the songs as i listened, have not done this in quite while due to the fact that lyrics have ruined perfectly good songs to me in the past, but whats the problem? if the lyrics suck, then you make critical judgments and move on, no need to hack away the words anymore, must find more in this vein, seems to be a musics that blends and vibrates with me, a la Police, these two similar in reggae/ska skirmishes however Police has more rock roots and punk flourishes, more obvious, but The Specials seem to be a band in this genre, did not realize that ska had been round since the 1960s! what about reggae? has been round since?... So for the most part this album was a pleasure for a listen, got more weak after "Whine and Grind", yet maybe will rub off after repeated listens? not perfect, but close..."Mirror in the Bathroom" is another gem, very good topic, personal, vanity on the sheer surface of it, perhaps a deeper message? Also, i like the sociopolitical musings of the band's lyrics, this is another venue i want to explore, i have liked the clash's lyrics when dealing with these themes, as well as some of the Police's, soooo i think i may be interested, at least, in politics in this aesthetic realm, need MORE!
more research as well into the clash's leanings, this delves into punk as well, hmmmm the trappings of a muse, now leaned towards a sociopolitical realm for me, would this have been a greater risk and channel for me expressively? too technical was the thing that ruined, too introspective? thats what lyrics that deal with these themes seem to counteract, the selfish propensity for inward obsession and vanity, its an outer man, an outer...
NOTE: The English Beat was supposedly part of the "Second Wave" of Ska (that entered Britain in mid-70s?)
