A Ska Revivalist Masterpiece
It's hard to believe that Philly ska/reggae legends Ruder Than You released their debut "Big Step" on Moon SKA Records all the back in 1992.While it took a few live renditions of the songs to fully appreciate it, Big Step is a ska revivalist masterpiece. Pulling influences from all waves of ska, reggae, and even some funk thrown in here and there, I honestly haven't been able to stop listening lately (especially to "Swallow Blood", what a damn catchy song!)For some reason, Ruder Than You never gained the same popularity of other contemporaries such as The Slackers or The Pietasters even though they've toured and opened for The Skatalites, Bad Manners, and even Desmond Dekker. "Big Step" is one of their strongest releases, and should definitely be part of any ska fan's collection.[...]