Special

AMG Review of Special

Jo-Ann Greene
All Music Guide

Delroy Wilson was in virtual retirement when in 1993 the Roots Radics coaxed him into ABENGG studio in Kingston to create Special. Within he revisits not only many of his own numbers, but one from the Techniques as well. After all these years, the singer's magic hasn't faded, and even if he can't quite equal his definitive earlier versions, the star still makes these songs sound special. While too many of his compatriots have sullied their copy books with mediocre retreads of hits, Wilson makes every one of his sparkle. "Cool Operator" is particularly effective, the bouncy Radics rhythm putting a spring into Wilson's step, while even the much-resurrected "Dancing Mood" glitters, the singer happy to be dancing and singing still. In fact, what makes Special so special is the delightful atmosphere that imbues the entire album. The Roots Radics, as always, deliver the goods, a breezy dancehall lite accompaniment that percolates giddily away, with the insistent rhythms cut with copious amounts of melody. It obviously pleased Wilson to no end, which explains why everything sounds so fresh, with the new numbers slotting in perfectly with the older ones. The cool operator is as charming as he was of yore, and bar the occasional waver from age, he has lost none of the passion and soul of his youth. It's heartbreaking to know that Wilson's death was less than two years away, for here he sounds as if he's in the prime of his life. Enjoy.