The Specials’ “Live From the Cathedral” Shows Their Brilliance and Energetic Live Performance

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THE SPECIALS
LIVE FROM THE CATHEDRAL
Island UK (2 CD, 6 CD, 3 LP box set)

This 2019 concert recording features songs originally from all three studio albums and two standalone studio singles by The Specials, on which Terry Hall played lead vocals. The albums whose songs are presented are those from 1979. Specials1980s More promotions and 2019 Bis. Hall was also the lead singer on The Specials’ final studio album, 2021. Protest songs 1924-2012which was recorded after the concerts from which the live performances on this album are taken.

The four concerts from which this recording is taken took place from July 9 to 12, 2019 at the ruins of St. Michael’s Cathedral in the band’s hometown of Coventry, England. The cathedral was built between the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. It was almost destroyed during an aerial bombardment of Coventry on 14 November 1940 by the German Luftwaffe. The ruins of the cathedral are now a listed monument and still bear witness to the determination of the people of Coventry during the Second World War. The current cathedral, inaugurated in 1962, adjoins the ruins.

The Specials’ lineup for the concerts featured on this album consisted of founding members Terry Hall (vocals, keyboards), Lynval Golding (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Horace Panter (bass), as well as Nikolaj Torp Larsen (keyboards, accordion, backing vocals), Kenrick Rowe (drums), Tim Smart (trombone), Pablo Mendelssohn (trumpet), Steve Cradock (lead guitar) and political activist Saffiyah Khan. (singing).

Golding and Panter dedicated this album to Hall, who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 63 in December 2022, and released a statement about the album, which read: “The four nights at the Cathedral were more than just concerts. They had the feel of a homecoming, of a great celebration. A celebration not just about a band but about the connection between music and the city, a religious experience, being given the venue, for us they were some of the most memorable and moving shows we have ever played, and these recordings are a fitting tribute and celebration to our wonderful and brilliant friend Terry.

The Specials’ unique brand of socially conscious ska shines throughout this magnificent live recording. The opening song, “Man at C&A”, begins with the sound of air-warning sirens, followed by Golding shouting: “Attention! Caution! Nuclear attack!” All the band members prove their courage by performing the song. A solid, tight version of “Rat Race” follows and has Hall’s strong vocals at its center. It’s one of the album’s many highlights.

From there, the album just went from strength to strength. Before the performance of “Friday Night, Saturday Morning”, Hall said: “This is the first time I’ve ever dedicated a song to a chip shop” and proceeded to name-check Coventry’s Parson’s Nose restaurant. The tight rendition of the song that follows this introduction is another highlight of the album. Hall and Golding share lead vocals on the terrific version of “Embarrassed by You.” The strong anti-racist message “That doesn’t make it okay” appears loud and clear.

“The Lunatics,” an updated version of the 1981 Fun Boy Three song “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)” which also featured Hall and Golding, has a terrific keyboard intro from Torp Larsen, excellent horn work including an impressive trombone solo, and sharp guitar playing by Cradock. At the end of the song, Golding says: “This is for Boris Johnson. » And Hall adds that the new “axis of evil” is “Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Simon Cowell”.

Live from the Cathedral is a very interesting document on these triumphant Specials concerts. Well done!

Dandy Livingstone’s terrific, tight cover of “A Message to You, Rudy” is another highlight and features Smart on trombone. Khan takes lead vocal duties on “The 10 Commandments” and delivers them in spoken word form. The song was originally featured on the Bis album and serves as a response to Prince Buster’s notoriously sexist song of the same name. Among the song’s lyrics are: “I won’t be the icing on your cake, and I won’t be the candy on your arm / But I will be seen / And I will be heard.” »

The intro to “Nite Klub” is a bit bluesy and features an awesome trombone from Smart and keyboards from Torp Larssen in the intro. Shortly after Hall’s vocals arrive, the song’s tempo picks up considerably. The crowd sings the lyrics during the instrumental break, then Hall recounts how he and Golding met 45 years prior. The song goes into overdrive for a strong finale.

Rufus Thomas’ cover of “Do the Dog” features powerful drumming from Rowe and nimble bass playing from Panter, as well as strong vocals from Hall and Golding. This goes straight into an exceptional version of “Concrete Jungle,” which is the album’s standout track.

Standout performances of the Specials’ classic songs “Monkey Man,” which is a cover of the Toots & the Maytals original, “Gangsters” and “Too Much Too Young” precede the funky “BLM,” on which Golding delivers the song in spoken word style and recounts how he, his sister and their father moved from Jamaica to England. He goes on to discuss the racism he faced at school in England and a racist incident that happened to him in a store after moving to the United States in the 1990s.

An extended version of “Ghost Town,” a tight, ska-infused version of “Breaking Point,” which addresses serious social issues, and a superb cover of The Skatalites’ “You’re Wondering Now” close the recording.

Live from the Cathedral is a very interesting document on these triumphant Specials concerts. Well done!

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