Encore

I have to be honest, I wondered what a Specials album could possibly sound like in 2019 and wondered just how relevant an album with only three original members would be. Encore has proved my doubts well and truly wrong, as this album is absolutely brilliant; incisive, cutting social commentary coupled with excellent music - this is already one of the top albums of the year. I imagine that many of the negative reviews will come from people who don't like what The Specials have to say, but the band are just as spot on today as they were in 1979, especially when they add voices such as Saffiyah Khan's. B.L.M. and 10 Commandments pull no punches and Vote For Me resumes where Ghost Town left us back in 1981... it's quite sad to see how far we haven't come since then in Britain, with our politically and economically divided society and The Specials are just as relevant today as they were back then. The music is pretty great too and there are a few good covers of songs by The Equals, The Valentines and Fun Boy Three (covering The Lunatics is perhaps a little too self-referencing, but in these Brexit times you can understand why they included it) and the new members of the band (especially Nikolaj Torp Larsen and Steve Cradock) gel extremely well.The "greatest hits live" second disc is very enjoyable and may be a small compensation for those buying this album for simply nostalgic reasons. For those with more open minds and definitely those who are more in tune with where Terry, Lynval and Horace are coming from, it'll be the new album that won't leave the stereo.

totally love this album and sent quickly. All new and packaged well.

great reminder

This is a great double album, but the case it terrible, I could not get disc 2 out of the case, and even though I tried my best to gently prise it loose of the bear-trap CD cover, the CD split before the case would let go of the disc. Be careful!

This album is fantastic. I am glad they made new music in years and I bought this album. It comes with a live album from 2 gigs. One from before and one from after their original drummer passed away. Highly recommend for any ska fans. I can clearly see why Terry and John are missed.

Ive given this 5 stars not just because of the music but because the songs on here have meaning , i loved the old school specials and this is not that same up beat punky ska this sounds completely different though there is one track that has definitely got the ghost town influence and that will be immediately apparent when you hear it,the reference to no dogs no blacks no Irish will haunt our nations history forever as it really was racism for racism sake,there were hardly any people of colour then coming to england and when they did it was at our invitation and those folks integrated and became as british as any white person. The live tracks are old school or at least i think most of them. Anyway its refreshing to know that at festivals (if u can call em that ) up n down the country the specials will be giving some real music with real lyrics and without the usual sexed up prancy fakes we get forced on us every way we turn.

Amazing album, love the songs.

Oh dear this is disappointing. Somewhere in the last 3 decades the Specials have mislaid their speciality. Ok, we still have the agit prop themes, just listen to the lyrics of "B.L.M.", but this ain't no punky skankin' mostly it's just funky r'n'b with a reggae beat, and that's why it doesn’t really work for me."Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" by the Equals is a good opener, and well reworked, as is "Gun Fever" by the Valentines reworked as "Blam Blam Fever", however re-working "The Lunatics …" was neither needed or necessary and it fails to touch, let alone improve on the original deducting from, not adding to, the album. The self-composed tracks are OK but I'm afraid forgettable and Saffiyah Khan's "10 Commandments" is one to take or leave depending on your point of perspective.So while nice enough, I am not moved to dance or hum along, and the second disc just adds insult to injury reminding us of how good the Specials' songs once were (although I can leave their cover of "Enjoy Yourself").