Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Gangsters [Live] - The Specials
2. Missing Words [Live] - The Selecter
3. Tears of a Clown [Live] - Special Beat
4. My Girl Lollipop [Live] - Bad Manners
5. Blank Expression - The Coventry Automatics
6. Doesn't Make It Alright [Live] - The Specials
7. Three Minute Hero [Live] - The Selecter
8. Too Nice to Talk To [Live] - Special Beat
9. Lorraine [Live] - Bad Manners
10. It's Up to You - The Coventry Automatics
11. Nite Klub [Live] - The Specials
12. Too Much Pressure [Live] - The Selecter
13. Ranking Full Stop [Live] - Special Beat
14. Walking in the Sunshine [Live] - Bad Manners
15. Too Much Too Young - The Coventry Automatics
16. Monkey Man [Live] - The Specials
17. On My Radio [Live] - The Selecter

Disc 2:

1. Long Shot (Bust Me Bet) - The Selecter
2. Concrete Jungle - The Coventry Automatics
3. Carry Go Bring Come - Desmond Dekker
4. Wet Dream [Live] - Bad Manners
5. Double Barrel - The Specials
6. Sally Brown [Live] - Bad Manners
7. Tighten Up - The Selecter
8. King of Ska - Desmond Dekker
9. Feel Like Jumping [Live] - Bad Manners
10. Enjoy Yourself [Live] - Special Beat
11. Skinhead Girl - The Specials
12. Everyday (Time Hard) [Live] - The Selecter
13. Don't Knock the Bald Head [Live] - Bad Manners
14. King of Kings - Desmond Dekker
15. Rough Rider [Live] - Special Beat
16. Train to Skaville [Live] - The Selecter

Disc 3:

1. Echo 4+2 [Live] - Bad Manners
2. Selecter [Live] - The Selecter
3. Mirror in the Bathroom [Live] - Special Beat
4. Dawning of a New Era - The Coventry Automatics
5. Ghost Town [Live] - The Specials
6. This Is Ska [Live] - Bad Manners
7. Al Capone [Live] - The Selecter
8. Nite Klub [Live] - Special Beat
9. Return of Django - The Specials
10. Little Bitch - The Coventry Automatics
11. Skaville UK [Live] - Bad Manners
12. Easy Snappin' - Desmond Dekker
13. Madness [Live] - The Selecter
14. Get a Job [Live] - Special Beat
15. Do the Dog [Live] - The Specials
16. Can Can [Live] - Bad Manners
17. Celebrate the Bullet [Live] - The Selecter

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75154 in Music
• Released on: 2004-01-13
• Number of discs: 3
• Formats: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .30 pounds

Album Description
2003 compilation featuring 50 tracks by some of the leading groups of the Two Tone era including The Specials, The Selecter, The Special Beat, Bad Manners, & more. Three paper sleeves housed in a clamshell box. Trojan.

Customer Reviews

Skankin' 2-tone classics
Another great box set from Trojan. This ska revival set includes tracks by the Specials (as well as old Coventry Automatics recordings), the Selecter, Bad Manners, The Special Beat, and some Desmond Dekker. At first I was a little taken aback to see that most of the tracks were live, as I usually prefer the original recorded version of a song, but the live renditions of such classics like Nite Klub, Lorraine, and Gangsters grew on me. You really get a feel for the bands' energy on some of these live tracks, especially the Bad Manners' performances. This album is a nice compilation of some of the greatest hits (and near misses!)of the most influential second wave ska groups--certainly worth purchasing for any fan of ska.

The Essentials
It is hard to understand the appeal of ska without going back in time to the Two-Tone era that gave this genre a boost of energy. Bands like Bad Manners and The Selecter had a stage presence that electrified and inspired many musicians, of their day and ours, all around the world. This set is a sampler of live recordings that helped me understand and better enjoy ska. This set in essence is a record each of Bad Manners, The Selecter, and The Specials/Special Beat/Coventry Automatics, an excellent deal. I hope for more sets like this from Trojan.

Good, but...
Would love to know what the difference between this album and the one titled 'Trojan Ska Revival' on the Trojan/Sanctuary label is? It says that the other set is remastered, so why is it so much cheaper? Would also love to know the connection between Trojan and Two Tone Records?

Anyone who was around at the time of this boom will love this collection. It brings together the main players and their hits, minus Madness, who strangely appear on another Trojan recent release. Nearly all the tracks are live and are of better quality than the few studio recorded classics. What is with that `hiss'? It's 2004, CDs have been out for nearly a quarter of a century and were supposed to improve sound quality, but we are instead treated to `hiss' on digital equipment. And these record companies complain that their profits are down.