1979: Concrete Jungle

The Specials: Concrete Jungle

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In my opinion, our leader here at Starmaker Machine couldn't have picked a better year on which to focus our collective efforts this week. I can hardly think of a year when there was more explosive, sweaty, real, unpolished excellence being produced in the UK and the US music scenes.

I grew up listening to my Dad's music: Elton John, The Beatles, Gordon Lightfoot, and the like. These are great artists, for sure. But the first time I heard Safe European Home by The Clash, it felt like an atom bomb went off in my brain. For the next decade there was no going back to the safety of my Dad's record collection. The Specials were another band that I listened to until the needle on my record player practically wore out.

These are the years when modern music was born.

Enjoy Concrete Jungle from The Specials eponymous first album.