jackhammer

Specials ARE 2nd wave Ska without a doubt and a band that had lost the plot by then? They only made 2 albums and although the first is superior they are still absolute classics and indeed templates for the Ska that followed. Just a shame that most of it was two bit Ska Punk bands who think that a bit of fast skanking on a track constitutes as Ska whilst playing generic Pop Punk riffs.

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SBWNik

The Specials made 3 albums in their first incarnation: Specials, More Specials, In The Studio.
There are at least 5 albums in their second incarnation: Todays Specials, Guilty Til Proved Innocent (possibly the best of these), Skinhead Girl and Conquering Ruler and Kings Of Ska (Featuring Desmond Dekker on lead vocals).
On top of these there are several live (usually bootleg) releases including Live At The Moonlight Club, Live At The Palace and The Peel Sessions

I'd not disagree that a lot of the bands that followed used the 2-Tone sound as a template, but I'd suggest that most followed in the footsteps of The Selecter or Madness than the Specials, although there are one or two notable exceptions, such as The Toasters. I'd disagree with you saying that ska/punk bands used the sound though, that is a later development that owes as much to punk itself as ska.

FTR I've been collecting ska since 1979, have over 1000 albums and know a little about the music now.....