This is an awesome CD. A must for Specials fans, not to mention some rare tracks like "Look But Don't Touch", and "Jay Walker". There's also a great version of "Stupid Marriage".

This album is great, especially if you want to hear the Specials before they were the Specials (i.e., when they were the Coventry Automatics and The Special A.K.A.). Also, since "The Coventry Automatics AKA the Specials: Dawning of a New Era" CD is no longer available on Amazon, you can still hear rare songs like "Rock and Roll Nightmare" (which has the same beat and some of the same lyrics as "Pearl's Cafe" which is on their last album), "Look But Don't Touch" and "Jay Walker". Even if you're not sure if you should really get this CD, its only $5.99 so get it! You'll be happy you did.

I guess this is from 2 different shows. And it appears to be from the olden days of around 1980. Great lively show, good quality recording and the group is lively. There is a minor setback so to speak when one of the Specials singers asks if the crowd is doin' alright and then asks again due to a tepid response and he just gets another low key response from the audience. It doesn't appear to have taken the wind out of the sails of the group. If yer a Specials fan there's so little material they really released, just the ultra perfect classic first lp and is there a second one, I forget, and the Specials AKA material and that's it. So, if you want to expand what you have and wonder if this is a high quality show, get this. The later years in the, what? 1990's and 2000's are just ok, nothing spectacular. But, you gotta admit that first album of material is just one of the greatest records in modern music, well, if you ask me. It's wonderful to hear some of the original songs that the Specials covered on that first album. Mojo magazine did a cd with one of their magazines with the Specials on the cover (some versions of that issue have Neil Young on the cover instead but the cd is the same, original ska and reggae songs that the Specials covered). There's also a Ska Maddness, as I believe it's called, doing the same thing, releasing the original songs that these and other Two/Tone groups covered. But this show is really nice but, like I said, I wish there were more than the 12 or so songs. Did you ever see their Saturday Night Live appearance? It's about 1980. Maybe it's on YouTube. Unbelieveably lively, they are just jumpin' and dancin' all around and it's an eye popping and ear popping delight. This is virtually as good as those 1 or 2 songs they did on SNL. Do buy this if it's in a good price range and definitely if you love their first album.

I AM A SPECIALS FAN,AND HAVE SEEN/HEARD THEM LIVE IN BOTH ORIGINAL AND REFORMED LINEUPS.IT IS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIANCE.THIS RECORDING OF THEM LIVE IS OF POOR QUALITY AND MUDDIED/MUFFLED SOUND.I KNOW THIS AS I OWN IT.