Stereo-Typical (A's, B's and Rarities)

Artist(s):

Specials

Label: Chrysalis
Publisher(s):

Chrysalis

Studio: Chrysalis
Manufacturer: Chrysalis
Binding: Audio CD
Format(s): Box set
List Price: £17.99
Our Price: £13.93
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours

Track Listing

Number of discs: 3
1.

Gangsters

Message To You Rudy - Specials & Rico

Nite Klub - Specials & Rico

Too Much Too Young

Guns Of Navarone

Skinhead Symphony Medley

Rat Race

Rude Boys Outa Jail

Stereotype

10.

International Jet Set

11.

Do Nothing - Specials & Rico

12.

Maggie's Farm - Specials & Rico

13.

Braggin' And Tryin' Not To Lie - Specials & Roddy Radiation

14.

Rude Boys Outa Jail (Version)

15.

Ghost Town

16.

Why

17.

Friday Night Saturday Morning

18.

Concrete Jungle

19.

Racquel

20.

Boiler - Specials & Rhoda

21.

Theme from the boiler - Specials & Rhoda

22.

Jungle music - Specials & Rico

23.

Rasta call you - Specials & Rico

24.

Easter Island - Specials & Rico

25.

War crimes (the crime remains the same) - Specials

26.

Version - Specials

27.

Racists friend - Specials

28.

Bright lights - Specials

29.

Nelson Mandela - Specials

30.

Break down the door - Specials

31.

What I like most about you is your girlfriend - Specials

32.

Can't get a break - Specials

33.

Nelson Mandela (1) - Specials & Friends

34.

Ghost dub '91 - Specials

35.

Let us unite - Specials

36.

Ghost town (1) - Specials

37.

Why (1) - Specials

38.

War crimes (the crime remains the same) (1) - Specials

39.

Rascist friend (1) - Specials

40.

Bright lights (1) - Specials

41.

Nelson Mandela (2) - Specials & Friends

42.

Break down the door (1) - Specials

43.

What I like most about you is your girlfriend (1) - Specials

44.

Can't get a break (1) - Specials

45.

Nelson Mandela (4) - Specials & Friends

46.

Ghost Dub '91/Let us unite - The Specials

Customer Reviews

Sometimes More is Less Special

`Stereo-typical' expands on the previous Specials collection `Singles' by adding `A's, B's & Rarities'.

Disc one is the best disc of the set containing all of the singles of the original Specials from debut pot boiler `Gangsters' through to epoch number one band closer `Ghost Town'. The chronological order also gives all of the b-sides and the whole of `The Special AKA Live EP' which also hit the number one spot. Also contained is the very rare Dutch only Release `Concrete Jungle (live)' b/w `Racquel'.

Disc two chronicles the band after Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynval Golding leave to form Fun Boy Three and the group continued under the revitalised name The Special AKA whose first release was the uncomfortable `The Boiler' with ex-Bodysnatchers Rhoda Dakar. Next up they recorded a three track with legendary Jamaican Trombonist Rico `Jungle Music'. After that the pop that was definitely un-easy listening was back with vengeance with `War Crimes' and `Racist Friend'. `Nelson Mandela' took a crusade every one could get behind back into the public eye and the band back into the charts but it was short lived with their final 45 `Girlfriend' b/w `Can't Get a Break' fail to chart. Disc two closes with the poor 1988 re-make of `Nelson Mandela' and two unfortunate mixes of `Ghost Town' which were released to promote the 1991 `Best of Two Tone' LP.

Disc Three contains all the extended 12" versions of both bands which with the notable exception of the heavily dubbed Trombone sols on `Ghost Town' are all poor `versions' with possibly a slightly longer into or fade created in the mix.

So the first disc is excellent and everyone should own a copy, the second disc for completists only and the third disc makes for a nice coaster.

A bit of a mixed bag, but still fine....

The Specials were a band of two halves. The 'classic' Specials were one of the most exciting bands to emerge in the post-punk period. Then they split and Dammers continued with what was left, his now departed creative rivals replaced by various guests.

The first CD covers the 'classic' period and is pretty much flawless. From Gangsters to the import only Concrete Jungle/Raquel they simply didn't put a foot wrong. All the singles (a's b's and a few odds and ends) are here.

The second and third CDs cover the post-split band (except for longer versions of Ghost Town and Why?) They only recorded one album, but left behind many more 'remixes' and 'alternative' (sometimes only just) versions than the original band. It has to be said, however, that the consistent brilliance that marked the first CD goes here. The distinct identity of the band is also lacking, and at times it's like listening to a various artists collection. There are some classics here (Nelson Mandela, War Crimes, The Boiler, Can't Get a Break) but there's also too many versions of the first and the three attempts to blend Ghost Town with new song 'Let Us Unite' (with a bit of the already over worked 'Nelson Mandela' thrown in) in '91 don't quite come off... 'What I Most Like...' is, frankly, best skipped over, a classic case of a decent song ruined by an almost unlistenable vocal performance. The 2CDs are rather patchy but, as a whole, still rather good.

The booklet is built around a excellent essay by Adrian Thrills.

Obviously it's best if you like both incarnations of the group, but this is a good value collection.

What it say on the box

Part of the title to this 3 CD box is A's, B's and Rarities so of course it's going to have every single and more. If you don't like some of the tracks then simply skip them. I'd rather have all the tracks over 3 CD than some of them over 2. At the price it's at now is hardly going to break the bank either is it? Anyway, Jerry Dammers is the man.

It is a album with every song by the specials- has to be ace

CD 1- Mint, Ace, Super, Brill. This one has all the gud ones on- Rat Race, Gansters, Too Much Too Young. This alone is a mint CD
CD 2- I strongly sugest the first track is skiped. But this CD has some really good songs like Jungle Music and What i like about you most is ur girlfriend. But with 46 songs there are gonna be some naff ones.
CD 3- Not really needed- but you feel like ur getting more for ur money.
The book thing with the CDs is quiet a intresting read, with the bands history and stuff like that,

As a whole worth a buy if u are missing the specials in ur CD collection.

A must have for all fans of The Specials or Special AKA

Whilst this triple CD Collection has 46 Songs on it it is well worth buying, okay so you may not like every one of them, they are worth listening to, whether you like the early raw power of Rat Race, Concrete Jungle, Nite Klub, or the later stuff like Nelson Mandela, The Boiler, Racist Friend etc. it is well worth purchasing this collection.

I personally would have cut some of the remixes out ie there are 4 versions of Ghost Town, etc. The first CD is in my mind Brilliant, however I would have cut down the Second and Third CD's and made them into one CD and packaged it as a double.

Browse Pop

The biggest selection of books, magazines, music, DVDs, videos, electronics and anything else!