Review: Terry Hall The Collection

 Album:The Collection

Artist: Terry Hall

Released:1993

Label:Chrysalis

Terr Hall didn't find its way on our local record bar 'till local Ska band Put3ska achieved huge success with their debut self titled album, wherein they cover a ska version of local Punk Legends Urban Bandits song "Manila Girl"  in the mid 80s. 

Put3ska label Octo Arts, seemed to acknowledge Put3ska's success as soon after they released some ska related albums such as "The Specials- The Singles Collection", "The 2 Tone Story- Various 2 Tone Artists",  The Specials current album that time "Today Specials" and This Terry Hall Collection album.

... for someone who would walk around inside a record bar on a daily basis, these releases will definitely not passed me by. And with enough allowance i had, i was able to get all the aformentioned records in Isettan Recto. 

While i would always incline to be an album guy more than the "Greatest Hits" CD /Casette. At a time of album availability scarcity. I'll take it anytime.. though i would later realize that yes an artist's greatness most of the time (especially with huge catalouge) is not possible to compress into one album... but on the other hand would be a good introduction and career retrospect that creates a different vibe especially for the ones who are just discovering the artist.

Take this Terry Hall album for instance. I love the Specials and i was already deep into The Specials when i bought this particular album.

While i am aware of his "Post Specials" works such as "Fun Boy three" and "The Colourfields. i didn't have too much information. (Pre Internet age, the sources of stories were if not for imported mags, were reposted articles from mags on our local zines, MTV -hardly though, album sleeves) nor i was able to hear it prior to me finally getting this...

So how this album helped me understand Terry Hall's career retrospect? Well the album tracks started with some of The Specials hit singles "Gangsters", "Night Club", "Ghost Town", and "Friday Night saturday Morning" which i believe are strong tracks to start with. Personally i was looking fotward on tracks 5 to 18 which are all songs after his departure from The Specials.

- which would bring me to one of the album's downside. There was no information, No Story on the album sleeve.. it's in a way bad or lack of publicity to sell or to introduce the man's legacy. . I'm not sure if the US Version is the same but i felt bad thinking atleast a short guide through small information could've made the album better. But instead lost the connection there for both as Terry Hall fan or just on the process of discivering the artist.. it was a big let down. Especially that was already mid 90s.. a lot of album sleeves and artwork at that time have long been progressed since. 

The song choice were pretty safe and of course this is a collection album. Singles and hits were most obviously a shoo-in. Which leave a lot of things to look forward to when you get the albums. There were songs surprisingly that i knew (that i already heard that i didn"t know was Terry Hall's) . So 2nd part of the Tracks were hits From "Fun Boy three"  , the 3rd part are tracks from "The Colourfields" and the last part was from his solo ventures.

Overall it was good. But i felt it could have been better.

Personal.

Seing Terry Hall in the flesh was a dream come true, and it happened  some 3 years ago. When Fred Perry brought Terry Hall for a one night spinning /DJ gig  in makati. It was a night of the Rudies and ska afficionados and it was a blast he didn't performed but that was understable. He was so engaging for the fans signing LPs and some photo taking (though the man hardly ever smile that night).

Rating: 7/10