I’ve listened to ska music since 1996 and I can honestly say the spotlight currently shining on the genre I hold so dear hasn’t been this bright since then. There are likely several reasons for this, and while the general audience sees this as a resurgence, true fans know ska never truly left. We’re now in a timeline where ska is in the forefront again, and I’m going to drink it all in.
While I’m personally enjoying all of the new bands coming out, this newfound emphasis on ska also brings about a sense of nostalgia out for me as well.
A handful of books have also come out this year to help jump start the old memory banks. The latest love letter to the genre is Hell of a Hat – The Rise of ’90s Ska and Swing by music journalist Kenneth Partridge. He takes his book one step further and also discusses the neo swing revival as well.
From the opening paragraph of the introduction, Partridge’s book reads like a reunion with an old friend. Reminiscing about the good ole days as it were. As soon as I saw the name Carson Daly pop up, I immediately knew MTV’s Skaturday was up next. I remember watching it live and also recording over a VHS tape of music videos I taped from 120 Minutes. Skaturday happened a good year after I started listening to ska music. Seeing the music I loved all over MTV was something special for 16 year old me. Looking back on it from 41 year old eyes, it was extremely hokey and was likely the beginning of the end for ska’s popularity in the ’90s, but I still remember it fondly.
Through 280 pages, Hell of a Hat offers up plenty of feel good moments for fans that came of age back then. It also helps paint a picture of the time period for people who weren’t lucky enough to be old enough to enjoy the mid to late ’90s music scene first hand.
On the surface, Hell of a Hat reads like a love letter to the ska and swing genre. There’s a lot more to it when you read it critically though.
Partridge argues that one of the major contributing factors for the popularity of this music is because of the prosperity we saw in the ’90s. Up to that point, the younger generation hadn’t faced much hardship. This was the period after the Gulf War and before 9/11. Things were going relatively well all things considered. Even though there were definitely more socially conscious ska bands out there, for the most part, the general perception was that late ’90s ska was dance music that allowed you to let loose and live life. Partridge does a great job of juxtaposing band interviews and narratives with what was going on in the world back then to help prove his thesis.
Because Partridge and I grew up in the same scene, some of what is revealed about ska music was a retread for me, but like I mentioned above, reading it was like reuniting with an old friend. I found myself taking my time with my read through because of that. I wanted to drink it all in and remember a time when things were a lot more care free in my life. When he talked about Mustard Plug, I put on my copy of Evildoer’s Beware. During The Blue Meanies portion of the book, he reminded my about The Post Wave and I listened to it for the first time in 15 years.
It was the trip down memory road I needed.
When the world moved on from ska to swing, I didn’t. Admittedly, I didn’t know much about swing outside of The Mask and Swingers. It was in these sections of the book where I learned the most. Honestly, if I knew then what I know now after reading Hell of a Hat, I would’ve paid more attention to swing back then. I had absolutely no idea how interconnected the swing revival was with punk rock.
There’s something for everyone in this book – ska and swing fans and those learning about them for the first time
If you’re like me, Hell of a Hat acts much like the Pick it up! Ska in the ’90s documentary. It’s a time capsule and family reunion all in one. Partridge had unprecedented access to some of the time period’s heavy hitters, so the narrative he weaves is authentic and insightful. If, on the other hand, you don’t know about ska (or swing in my case), this book serves as an easily digestible piece of music history that anyone who cares about understanding American music should read.