Too Much Pressure - Deluxe Edition

3 CD Deluxe Edition from 2021 to mark the 40th Annivarsary of The Selecter's 1st Lp Too Much Pressure.

The label's second long-player finally gets a re-issue worth such a stellar collection of tracks. It was re-mastered by Alchemy who so far have handled the majority of 2 Tone re-mastering and Too Much Pressure has never sounded better. It has now been expanded to include an extra two discs of additional material.

Disc 1 contains the re-mastered version of the band's debut while Disc 2 gathers all additional studio material, with the added bonus of the Peel Session from 1979. Also included is a recording of Live Injection/Mony Mony/Too Much Pressure from a soundcheck plus the re-mix of On My Radio - Ready Mix Radio - which was originally issued as a flexidisc via Flexi Pop magazine. The Whisper and Train to Skaville, although not released on 2 Tone, make the grade courtesy of the fact that they were the last tracks recorded by the original line-up.

Live recordings of the original band are few and far between, however, Disc 3 contains perhaps one of the best of them. It was recorded at Tiffany's in Coventry as part of the 2 Tone Tour which by then included Dexy's Midnight Runners, who had replaced Madness, and was the same night on which the Specials recorded The Skinhead Symphony. Listening to this recording it is difficult to imagine that this band was formed - in considerable haste - only a few months previously. It is a perfect example of just about everything that made 2 Tone so popular in the first place: energy, attitude and a danceable beat.

Completing the set is a 20 page booklet with sleeve notes by author Daniel Rachel, who was also involved in compiling and researching the collection. Daniel's writing is up to his usual excellent standard on the subject and by interviewing all the personalities involved he was able to provide a track by track commentary on all the studio tracks from both band members and producers.