It seems like half the world is enduring an election year in 2024 ...

I feel bad about my attitude to Terry Hall back in the 80s ... 'Ugh, that miserable bastard again !' was my reaction whenever he came on the telly. It wasn't until he died that I learned about his crazy back-story. He was kidnapped by pedophiles when he was 11 years old and taken to France for 6 weeks (!!!) He spent his whole teenage years addicted to valium (who can blame him!)

That aside, I didn't quite realise what a decent bloke he was. A man with a genuine social conscience (not a phoney one like modern pop stars) I was always a bit unsure about 2-tone. I loved the music and the multiracial bands ... but so many of their followers (scooter boys) were utter rednecks ... Pauline Black (Selecter) often told a story of coming onstage at one gig to face six rows of skinheads seig-heiling down at the front (?!)

79-81 in Britain was a fascinating, confusing, scary and tribalistic time ...

I've got to admit, though - I did warm to him at one point, when, in an early interview, he corrected the interviewer to say "We don't play ska ... we play punk rock !"

P.s. ... Inspiring to think that 'Ghost Town' was recorded on an 8-track tape machine in a basement in Leamington Spa and mixed in someone's front room in Tottenham

I ordered this LP from a UK seller on Discogs - it was so worn out, it was practically transparent

 Welcome to the dystopia of 1970s Britain