The Specials // More... Or Less
They feed off the energy of their audience and really shine.
“More Or Less… The Specials Live” was released in honour of their appearance at the Hyde Park Olympic games concert, and consists of the best live tracks recorded on their 2011 European tour.
A lot of live albums are seen as wastes of time produced by record companies to make more money with less work, but with The Specials, this is not the case. When you compare the live recordings to the original recordings, you can really feel that the first albums had something lacking. With a band as iconic and energetic as The Specials, you need to hear the crowd, they feed off the energy of their audience and really shine. The live cheering and singing along adds to the atmosphere without being a distraction.
The album, of course, opens with “Message to You Rudy” which is not only a fantasic recording but will make you very jealous that you weren’t at the original performance, its then followed by “Do the Dog” and the energy level just never comes down! “Too Much Too Young” also deserves a special mention, as it’s the really popular tracks like these that makes the atmosphere really incredible. As with all live albums you will probably already know which songs you’ll love, but if you’re new to the specials, I would also recommend “Rat Race” and “Hey Little Rich Girl”. From their very first formation in 1977… They’ve still got it.
