The English Beat “Wha’ppen?” 1981. Ranking Roger, The Beat’s vocalist and deejay/toaster, died today, March 26th at age 56 (b. Roger Charlery, 1963). I loved English Beat, especially their first album I Just Can’t Stop It which I’ve had on heavy rotation since the mid-80′s, but since I’ve already written about it, I’m spinning their second album Wha’ppen? today in tribute. The LP went to #3 on the UK charts with a more dialed-back reggae/ska sound than their first release. NME ranked Wha’ppen? at number 4 on their top ten “Albums of the Year” in 1981. It’s got a lot of blended world beat flavors: steel drums paired with saxophone, marimbas mixed with trumpets. I like the groovier, upbeat tracks the best: “All Out to Get You,” “French Toast,” “Over and Over” and “Get-a-Job” though the chill island vibes of “Drowning,” “Dream Home in NZ” and “The Limits We Set” are pretty great, too. I never got the chance to see English Beat Ranking Roger iteration – in recent years he toured with a version of the band that included his son, while Dave Wakeling toured with a different iteration and that was the one we saw a couple of years ago as part of an 80′s retrospective.