I Just Can't Stop It

Released in 1980, the English Beat's debut, I Just Can't Stop It, is their best album and a classic of the ska genre. Whether you have the 12 song version or the 14 song version that contains their awesome reading of The Miracles' "Tears of a Clown" and "Ranking Full Stop", you can't go wrong. Everything here is great. The opening "Mirror in the Bathroom" is one of many ska classics here, thanks to David Steele's addictive bass line and Saxa's sax lines. The tracks "Hands Off...She's Mine", "Two Swords", "Click Click", "Twist & Crawl", "Noise in this World", and "Best Friend" are all excellent and feature great rapport between vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger and tasty lines from Saxa. The tunes "Jackpot" and their covers of "Rough Rider" and "Can't Get Used to Losing You" slow the pace down to reggae and are just as impressive. Finally, "Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margaret" is a ska classic, starting out as traditional before delving into call for unity. All told, I Just Can't Stop It is a must own ska album and is just as irresistible today as it was when first released. Highly recommended.

I really thought that "Original Recording Re-Issued" meant it would have these tracks put back on. I got the disc years ago without even realizing the hack. I guess I'm still stuck with my mp3's from vinyl.

I.R.S. CD 70606 [UPC: 0 4479-70606-2 5]
01. MIRROR IN THE BATHROOM
02. HANDS OFF . . . SHE'S MINE
03. TWO SWORDS
04. TWIST & CRAWL
05. TEARS OF A CLOWN [Cosby/Robinson/Wonder]
06. ROUGH RIDER [Prince Buster, Arr. and adapted by The English Beat]
07. CLICK CLICK
08. RANKING FULL STOP
09. BIG SHOT
10. WHINE & GRINE / STAND DOWN MARGARET
11. NOISE IN THIS WORLD
12. CAN'T GET USED TO LOSING YOU [D. Pomus/M. Shuman]
13. BEST FRIEND
14. JACKPOT [Asgard/Crooks/Robinson/English Beat]
The Beat are: Saxa, Andy Cox, David Steele, Everett Moreton.

This is the original U.S. release, which inserted "Tears of a Clown" and "Ranking Full Stop" (both singles in the U.K. but unreleased in the States) to the original U.K. version.
This CD is out-of-print now and has been replaced by a reissue of the original U.K. form of the album with only twelve tracks. The two songs left off the reissue are available on BEAT THIS: THE BEST OF THE ENGLISH BEAT.
If, like me, this is the version you wore out on vinyl in the early '80's, I think you'll miss "Tears of a Clown" and "Ranking Full Stop" if you buy the reissue.
If you order this version, be sure you get 14 tracks; you'll probably have to pay more, but it's worth it.

This, along with The Specials (The Specials) is one of the two of the defining masterpieces of the 2nd Wave of ska. However, unlike the Specials, they give credit where credit is due -- crediting Prince Buster with "Rough Rider," whereas the Specials did *not* credit Toots & the Maytals with "Monkey Man," basically ripped off "Al Capone" by Prince Buster, threw some nonsense lyrics together, and voila "Gangsters". They kept the "Don't Call me Scarface," and in lieu of "Al Capone's Guns don't argue" at the beginning, "Bernie Rhodes (their manager) knows don't argue"...
Ok, enough of that. Both are masterpieces in their own right, but "I Just Can't Stop It" takes the cake, IMHO. And I've been listening to ska for quite a few decades now...and just came from seeing the Beat (as they're known in England; unfortunately an American band named the Beat had them precursor their name with thier country of origin...) for the 2nd time in 6 months. They played over 2.5 hours straight through, and are at the top of the list of energetic bands I've ever seen. And live, they are much different than they are on record -- both are brilliant, in their own special way. My favorite song off the CD, "Twist & Crawl," which is more new wave/mod meets ska, became an insane dub-fueled monster live.
If you are a fan of music, especially one of the 3rd wave of ska (e.g. Sublime, No Doubt, to name the most famous...and who blended punk rock with ska) and want to know some of the origins of the music, even though Sublime covers Toot's "54-46 Was My Number" and never covers any of the 2nd generation (even looking through my prodigious Sublime bootleg collection), this album is for you. And for those wondering what ska is, this is for you...it is a masterpiece. It's better than any ska anthology you'll find IMHO.

The Beat took up their task with relish and purpose, producing one of the most definitive ska albums of the 80's. Today, I Just Can't Stop It remains a timeless work a quarter century later...

Quibbles about the British edition aside (only the early American version of the cd has Tears of a Clown and Ranking Full Stop), this record is as socially conscious as it is fun. Ranking and Wakeling were not overly opinionated lads, but they made their points eloquently and with arresting honesty. It is quite often the case, however, that you find yourself singing along to a beautiful harmony, only realizing later on what the lyrics actually say. I only noticed the political overtones of 'Stand Down Margaret' after grooving to it for some two or three years. :)

It's a shame that a group of this caliber splintered after only three albums, but I suppose we should count ourselves lucky to have heard them at all.