The Specials (#1): They Did Too Much, Much Too Young.

Bassist Horace Panter and vocalist Terry Hall of The Specials. I'd add that the band was opening for The Police at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver in 1980, when I took this photo -- but, actually, it felt more like The Police closed the show for this legendary, British ska amalgamation (and it wasn't like The Police had a bad set, by any means, either). The Specials were so hyper-manic (like watching a ping-pong match), with a purpose (think black-and-white, inclusive, "2 Tone" movement), it was hard to accept that they fizzled out after only another year. Perhaps it was a case -- to quote one of their songs (albeit, one about teenage pregnancy) -- of them doing "too much, too young."

Back together, more or less (more if you count Terry Hall returning to the band; less if you count the lack of keyboardist and founder Jerry Dammers), the band continues to play shows. Just as long as they're not "too little, too old," I say...hell, they've never needed my encouragement to "go for it"--frenetically or musically.