Beat, The: I Just Can't Stop It (Coloured Vinyl LP)

Known simply as The Beat in their native England, the band’s lineup comprised Saxa (saxophone), Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), Everett Moreton (drums), Ranking Roger (vocals), and Dave Wakeling (vocals/guitar). Since its debut on Sire Records in America in May 1980, I Just Can’t Stop It has earned widespread praise for its irresistibly danceable sound.

In the liner notes, music journalist Neil Kulkarni writes: “Multiracial in an era seething with racial division, deeply class-conscious, gloriously diverse in influences, The Beat provided a dancefloor-directed escape from the grim realities of early-’80s British life but also confronted those realities with songs about paranoia (“Mirror In The Bathroom”), insecurity (“Noise In This World”), and the new decade’s instability (“Stand Down Margaret”). Far beyond the revivalist constraints of the 2 Tone scene, The Beat’s imaginative hybrid sound was punchy, possessed with an infectious energy, and delivered with a unique sense of style on this absolute riot of a record.

Magenta vinyl version

1. Mirror In The Bathroom
2. Hands Off...She's Mine
3. Two Swords
4. Twist And Crawl
5. Tears Of A Clown
6. Rough Rider
7. Click Click 
8. Ranking Full Stop
9. Big Shot
10. Whine & Grine / Stand Down Margaret
11. Noise In This World
12. Can't Get Used To Losing You
13. Best Friend
14. Jackpot