In the Studio

by The Specials, The Special A.K.A.

Overview

Three years and a reputed £500,000 pounds in the making, and what was the result? For starters, an album that just scraped into the U.K. Top 35 and a set that rounded up three out of the four Special A.K.A. singles: "War Crimes," the double A-sided "Racist Friend"/"Bright Lights," and "Nelson Mandela," as well as the latter's 12" B-side, "Break Down the Door," and a set that spun off the group's final release, "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend." Thus, half the album had already spun at 45, poor value for the money. However, at a time when Wham!, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and Duran Duran reigned supreme, In the Studio was offering something distinctly different, which explains its popularity. This was Jerry Dammers' baby, and the birthing had been decidedly difficult. And it's no wonder considering just how far Dammers had taken his music, light years from the Specials' roots and miles even from the group's more diverse More Specials finale. "Housebound," for example, is absolutely claustrophobic, the rhythm disconcerting and the melody moving into no wave territory. "The Lonely Crowd" is even more dislocating, with the club-meets-funk rhythm crashing into the no wave jazz atmosphere, while the purer club strains of "Nite on the Tiles" are equally disturbing, with its odd blend of genres. Even the more accessible numbers have bite and exceedingly sharp edges, from the frustration that fills the soul-styled "Break Down" to the derision that floods the lyrics of "Bright Lights" and on to the cutting theme of the dreamy, roots-flavored "Girlfriend." Dammers' world view was growing ever darker, and his lyrics reflect this polarization. Where once there was thoughtful reasoning laced with sarcasm, here the coddling is gone, and even the irony is heavy-handed. Proof is found in the uncompromising "Racist Friend," where Dammers insists one should sever such relationships rather than attempt to alter such opinions. The evocative, Arab-esque "War Crimes" is even more militant. Israel's invasion of Lebanon, in much of the world's opinion, certainly qualified as a war crime, but many felt that Dammers overstepped the mark by comparing it to Nazi death camps. Only the warm melody and gentle delivery prevent the song from being dismissed as an outright polemic. But the 2-Toner now saw the world only in black and white, searingly condemning everything around him. Which is why "Mandela" comes as such a shock smack-dab in the middle of the set. Its glorious melody, jubilant atmosphere, and exuberant optimism are the only bright moments on the entire album, a single song of hope which crumbles to dust by sequencing it just before the horrors of "War Crimes." That, like everything else on this album, was deliberate, and underscored the total desolation that Dammers saw all around him. It's an ugly vision, but the world is very much like that. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2014
Label:	CHRYSALIS
UPC:	0825646297047

Tracks

1. Bright Lights
2. The Lonely Crowd
3. What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend
4. House Bound
5. Nite on the Tiles
6. Nelson Mandela
7. War Crimes
8. Racist Friend
9. Alcohol
10. Break Down the Door

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Specials   Primary Artist
The Special A.K.A.   Primary Artist
Rhoda   Primary Artist
Rico Rodriguez   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Trombone,Vocals
Caron Wheeler   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Dave Wakeling   Guest Artist
Rankin Roger   Guest Artist
Elvis Costello   Guest Artist
Jerry Dammers   Organ,Piano,Keyboards
John Shipley   Guitar
Rhoda Dakar   Vocals
Gary McManus   Bass
Egidio Newton   Vocals (Background)
Andy Aderinto   Saxophone
Rico Rodriquez   Trombone
Horace Gentleman   Bass
Stan Campbell   Vocals
John "Brad" Bradbury   Drums
Karen Wheeler   Vocals (Background)
Naomi Thompson   Vocals (Background)
Nicky Summers   Bass
Anthony Wymshurst   Guitar
Satch Dickson   Percussion
Claudia Fontaine   Vocals (Background)
Dick Cuthell   Horn (English),Horn (Tenor),Flugelhorn,Cowbell,Cornet

Technical Credits

Rico Rodriguez   Composer
Jerry Dammers   Arranger,Composer,Producer
John Shipley   Composer
Nigel Reeve   Remastering Coordination
Rhoda Dakar   Composer,Lyricist
The Special A.K.A.   Composer,Performer
Noel Summerville   Remastering
Martin Colley   Producer
Jeremy Green   Mixing,Engineer
Stan Campbell   Composer
John "Brad" Bradbury   Composer
Sarah-Jane Owen   Composer
Adrian Thrills   Sleeve Notes
Penny Leyton   Composer
Stella Barker   Composer
Miranda Joyce   Composer
Nicky Summers   Composer
Tony Wilson   Producer
Martin Cioley   Producer
Dick Cuthell   Composer
Jane Summers   Composer