Deal's Gone Bad

Deal's Gone Bad are an old school, ten-piece, first wave ska band complete with excessive amounts of keys, baritone sax, and percussion. Deal's Gone Bad are so bold as to compare themselves to Jimmy Cliff, the Slackers and Hepcat. It's not just boasting - this band is amazing! With 11 songs, including a brilliant cover of Derrick Morgan's "Loverboy," if anything Overboard is too short. Songs like "Fat Cat," "Too Early Too Late" and the album's highlight "I'm Sorry" leave you wanting to dance all night to the sweet, sweet sounds of Deal's Gone Bad. Overboard, an album of "finest quality reggae and ska," seems to have a bit of a "pirate" theme throughout. The disc itself is a giant skull and crossbones, and pirate insignia is scattered all over the artwork. The band even goes so far as to include a pirate anthem, "Shiver Me Timber," which is a very odd way to end off an album. The lyrics are a little strange, to say the least. Deal's Gone Bad's first wave ska roots are shown even in the liner notes by the album's dedication to Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso and other deceased Jamaican legends. Overboard is pure ska genius.