#67
February 23 1980
The Selecter
Too Much Pressure
Genre: 2-Tone
3.5 out of 5
Highlights:
Too Much Pressure
James Bond
One of the most interesting parts of my early songwriting experience was teaming up with a great friend whose musical sensibilities differed from mine pretty radically, for the most part. Save his love for AC/DC we were nowhere near each other on a Venn Diagram. It’s possible that Angus and pals are the ONLY common place.
He loves Grateful Dead and the Stones (which I came very very late to) and reggae. Lots of Reggae. When I produced a retrospective of the best music of 1979 he came in with “Three Little Birds” as his entry. Because of course.
I lean heavily in the other direction. Queen. Adam Ant. Meat Loaf. Theatrical stuff.
One place I imagined we might find commonality is with two-tone Ska. I’ve never asked him about it. But the higher energy appeals to me and I would think the raga roots would work for him.
That’s a lot of lead up to say that I like 3rd wave ska. The one that seemed to inject itself with even more adrenaline. Less than Jake. Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Save Ferris. I’m not a big Specials guy. And, it should come as no surprise that I’d never heard The Selecter.
I am gonna get killed for this but…I feel like this record wants to harken back to the late 60s more than it does want to move the form forward, even though it’s moving that form forward all by itself just by existing in 1980.
I wish I liked it more. I feel like quite the outsider in that I don’t. I write my rating with a great deal of guilt and also the knowledge that this genre, in this form, just isn’t for me. It’s too much repetitive groove and not enough hard edged angles. For me. For me! Jeez…stop yelling!
(Did Sonseed steal “Jesus is my Friend” from “Too Much Pressure”? I say yes.)
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