The Untouchables “What’s Gone Wrong” 1985. Stiff Records. 12″ single of “What’s Gone Wrong (extended version)” with “The Lonely Bull” and “What’s Gone Wrong (album version). 80′s California reggae/ska (I really thought they were British, with the mod logo and a sound similar to ska-revivalists like The (English) Beat, the Specials, Madness). The Untouchables apparently get credit for being America’s first ska band and, weirdly, appeared as a scooter gang in Repo Man.

“What’s Gone Wrong” and “The Lonely Bull” are both on their first LP Wild Child. The tracks are highly polished 80′s ska: bright horns, synths, kicked-back lilting reggae rhythms (“The Lonely Bull” is a bit more ranking full stop), rich vocals. The extended version of “What’s Gone Wrong” is, not surprisingly, longer than the album version with more instrumentation and shimmering musical effects. Overall the 12″ is pleasant enough but for me lacks the subversive political message and playfulness of their contemporaries.