Recorded before the release of the band's first album, and on the eve of the general election in 1979, this is The Specials at their rawest. I know it's not rock'n'roll, it's Two Tone, it's a craze that changed British pop, and great it was too.

The importance of the scene, in terms of both music, political comment and fashion, as well as the label launched by the band, cannot be overstated, and this live set, already a legendary bootleg, finally gets an official release.

The sound is rough and raw, but the hard edged guitar mixes well the keyboards, you can almost hear the crowd moving to this.

The 10 track set opens with 'It's Up To You', a track aimed at the following day's election, and the band move swiftly into 'Do The Dog' and 'Monkey Man'. 'Concrete Jungle' is worth a listen, but the highlights of the set are the proto versions of the classics 'Too Much Too Young' and 'Long Shot (Kick De Bucket)'.

If any modern band, rock or otherwise, has an ounce of ska in them, it'll be due to this band.

Official bootleg it may be, and it's light on the packaging, but really well worth a listen.

The timing is good too, with most of the band recently reforming for a tour.

****

Review by Joe Geesin

www.joegeesin.com