From New Wave to the 'NOW', experience the thrill of NEW WAVE from it's beginnings in the late '70s to the modern bands so obviously influenced by it! So, if you grew up in the '80s and still enjoy discovering new sounds as well as rediscovering old favorites, then read on!
PUNK! POWER POP! SYNTH POP! NEW WAVE! POST-PUNK!
For a music fan, listening to certain albums can unlock many memories that are usually hidden somewhere deep within the recesses of the brain. Those memories could be good or bad, but the magic of the melodies bring those ragamuffin thoughts and emotions back up to the surface again.
We all have favorite bands or albums that we listen to over and over again throughout our lives but there are always certain ones that really make an impact. You may not consider these as the band’s best albums, but they are the ones that matter the most. They are the key that opens those time capsules within us and allow us to relive the thrill (or sadness) of a certain time in our lives.
Here are 10 albums that never fail to take me back to a certain period in my life. They may not have sold millions of copies but they had an enormous impact on me. And they are albums I will cherish until my dying day….There are many more I’d like to list, but don’t want to bore you with too much at once.
I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by band because, to be honest, I can never say that one of them had more of an impact on me than the other. They are all equally important. And I've refrained from explaining WHY they mean so much to me. Those reasons are ones that only I would understand... (and I'm sure that your choices are made based on similar situations and circumstances).
Graham "Suggs" McPherson Chris "Chrissy Boy" Foreman Mike "Monsieur Barso" Barson Lee "El Thommo/Kix" Thompson Cathal "Chas Smash" Smyth Daniel "Woody" Woodgate Mark "Bedders" Bedford
Madness may be best known in the U.S. for their 1983 hit single "Our House", but they had quite a history before and after that hit. Now known as one of the UK's greatest singles band of all time, Madness also recorded some of the greatest albums of the '80s and achieved success far beyond what anyone could have predicted. They have become a musical institution in their homeland and their music is synonymous with London. They
I first became aware of Madness in 1979 by seeing their debut album, One Step Beyond, in the record bins. Being musically curious, the cover struck me immediately: these guys looked like they'd be fun to listen to. I was vaguely aware of the Ska movement in the UK but I wasn't drawn to the band because of their musical style. In fact, when I plopped down my allowance and bought the album, I had not yet heard a single note by them. I was buying it based on the album cover alone (which I did a lot in my younger days).
"Hey, you! Don't watch that, watch this! This is the heavy, heavy monster sound. The nuttiest sound around...."
When I laid the needle on my newest purchase, those immortal words from the mouth of Chas Smash came leaping from my turntable like an atomic explosion.
"So, if you've come in off the street and you're beginning to feel the heat, well, listen buster, you better start to move your feet to the rockinest, rock-steady beat of Madness! Oooooone Step Beyooooond!"
And then the music started... my 16 year old ears were floored by this circus-like music that was immediately joyful and energetic. The rinky-dink keyboards, the blarring sax, the revved-up Reggae beat... so this was Ska? I was an instant Madness fan and I'd only heard the first 45 seconds or so of the first track on the album! What followed excited me right down to my core: these guys played music that may have had Punk's energy but mixed Pop, Rock, Reggae, Ska and classic music hall into one amazing wall of sound. The production by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley was flawless and I would buy practically anything they produced from this point on...
(The Salvo two CD reissue adds loads of non album tracks.)
Lyrically, Madness were very British. Being a young American, I wasn't able to relate to some of the lyrics, but that didn't stop me from loving what they had to say. How many other bands at the time had a song about someone who stole underwear ("In The Middle Of The Night")? I could definitely relate to songs about relationship strife ("My Girl") and I really dug the Ska'd out version of "Swan Lake' as well.
One Step Beyond contains many of Madness' most popular tracks including "My Girl", "Night Boat To Cairo", "Madness", "Bed & Breakfast Man" and many others. While the title track and a few other songs were covers, most of the album was written by various band members and they were just as great! Shortly after I purchased the album, L.A.'s great alternative radio station, KROQ, picked up on the songs "One Step Beyond", "Night Boat...." and a few of the other album tracks, turning Madness into the first Ska band to gain a huge following in SoCal (followed closely by The Specials, English Beat and Bad Manners).
I bought every single from the album including "Un Paso Adelante" the Spanish version of the album's title track. Each of the singles had non-album b-sides that were absolutely fantastic. This was a band that seemed too good to be true. And at such a young age (they were all in their early 20s), they shouldn't have been this good. But sometimes, the right musicians come together to create something special and these six gents (plus Chas, who would become an official member after the debut album was recorded) were certainly the right men for the job.
The following year, amidst the break-up of my first real teenage relationship, Madness were there to ease the pain with their first 'new' single of '80, "Baggy Trousers", a track that would be the lead-in for their second album. I bought the 7" vinyl at Licorice Pizza and it solidified my love for this band. In my mind, they could do no wrong. Alongside The Jam, Squeeze and Split Enz, Madness were MY band throughout high school.
And as expected, KROQ picked up on "Baggy Trousers" around the time of the U.S. release of their sophomore album, Absolutely, in October of 1980. I remember how awesome it was to hear while driving in a friends car on one of our many record shopping treks. Being young never sounded so fun.
I remember being stuck in Driver's Ed class after school on October 10th, just waiting for the moment that I could leave and head over to Licorice Pizza. I had started working at Jack In The Box and had set aside money to buy the album. My birthday was only a few days away, but I made sure NOT to ask for the album because I didn't want to wait that extra three days to listen to it! So, when Driver's Ed let out, I hopped on my bike and headed straight for Licorice Pizza and bought Absolutely...
(The Salvo two CD reissue of the album adds all the non album tracks plus a full concert from the Absolutely tour)
Regardless of how passionate I felt about One Step Beyond, I loved Absolutely even more. The band's Ska beat was still there, but they had matured and more influences had begun to creep into their sound. Every song was an absolute gem: "E.R.N.I.E.", "Embarrassment", "Disappear", "In The Rain" (which had been a b-side of an earlier single), "The Return Of The Los Palmas 7" and many more. The album was so great that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I still have so many fond memories of listening to the album under the headphones and soaking it all in. The album received more plays in that first month than One Step Beyond did over the course of the entire year. I don't think I listened to anything else for quite awhile.
Again, I bought each of the singles that were released and slobbered over the b-sides. I bought UK magazines just to find out info on the band. Even though they had made quite a splash, there wasn't a lot printed about Madness in American music magazines, which I found downright unforgivable. But in the end, it was all about the music... and that is what mattered most.
When 1981 dawned, I'd heard rumblings of a Madness movie. A movie? While I didn't quite know ALL the details, I was intrigued. The movie that finally emerged, Take It Or Leave It, had the boys in the band recreating their early days when the band was just coming together. Of course, I didn't see the movie until a decade later when someone lent me their VHS copy (which may or may not have been a bootleg...). The movie was funny, a bit awkward (was there a script?) and filled to the brim with pure Madness. While it may not have been A Hard Day's Night, it remains a great snapshot in time when the band were still filled with youthful energy...
Take It Or Leave It (Complete)
In April of '81, the band released "Grey Day", a new single that continued their move towards a mature Pop sound. The single broke the band's ties with their Ska past while still managing to retain their unique sound. Though not a ballad, "Grey Day" was a more relaxed affair with darker lyrics and a Dub vibe. In essence, it was almost a shock to the system after the two rambunctious and energetic albums that preceded it. Did this mark the end of their jovial youth and their first steps into adulthood? In a sense, yes. It also showed that Madness were unafraid to move forward, which many bands are hesitant to do once they hit a winning formula.
Around this time, I read that Madness were on tour in the U.S. and were making a stop in Reseda at a venue called the Country Club. Being 17 and not having a driver's license, I asked my friends if they wanted to go. Of course, nobody wanted to make that drive so I had to deal with the disappointment of not seeing one of my fave bands play live. When the gig got closer, I found out that they had been sold out and second show had been added two nights later. I think that sold out quickly as well. I was bumming big time....
In May of '81, I managed to tag along with my brother Mike and our friend Rick Intveld to go see Rockabilly favorite Robert Gordon live at the Roxy in L.A. While we were waiting in line outside of the Roxy, Rick says "Hey, that guy looks like Suggs from Madness". I turned to see this guy walking past us and froze: was that Suggs? I looked at Rick and my bro and wondered if I should call out his name to see for sure.... so I did. Immediately, this tall chap turns around and scans the crowd, trying to see who called his name. Yes, it was Suggs! I didn't fess up then and there, but I followed him to the front of the line and who did I manage to see? Along with Suggs, there was Bedders, Chrissy Boy and perhaps Monsieur Barso (I can't believe I can't remember all the members in attendance standing there in front of me). I went up and spoke with them, all of whom seemed extremely nice and either surprised or annoyed that someone recognized them. They were in town for their Country Club gigs and were checking out Robert Gordon since they had the night off.
While I'm chatting with the guys, Suggs points me in the direction of sax player Lee El Thommo Thompson, who I then go and chat with for awhile. He was a top bloke. He asked if I was going to the show at the Country Club and I said 'no' cuz it was sold out. We chatted a bit more and then the doors of the Roxy opened and we went inside. About 30 minutes later, I passed him on the way to the restroom and he leans over and says to me "Steve plus one". I wasn't sure what he meant. He repeated "Steve plus one" and told me I'd be on the guest list for the Sunday night show at the Country Club! And lo and behold, when Rick and I showed up on Sunday, there I was: on Madness' guest list. So, May of '81 is when I saw Madness live for the first time and they blew me away. They did stuff from the first two albums plus tracks that were yet to be released including the song "Pac-A-Mac", which really stood out for me.
(Of course, three years later at an in-store autograph signing, Lee Thompson had no recollection of our meeting at the Roxy or getting me on the guest list, but that was OK. The fact that he did it was pretty damn cool.... and the memory has remained an extremely fond one for 30+ years...)
Later that year, out comes the album 7, which showed the band moving even further away from the Ska sound, but it seemed more like a natural, organic shift rather than a conscious decision. With two years of touring behind them, the band were better players and they were now being influenced by music and cultures outside of jolly old England. Madness had matured very quickly and were practically seasoned pros at such an early stage in their career. The songs on 7 still had charm, wit and delicious melodies but the band were becoming masters at their game: fantastic arrangements, more introspective lyrics (without being pretentious) and a more spacious production, which really allowed each member's musical contributions to shine. From the aforementioned "Grey Day" and "Pac-A-Mac" to the singles "Shut Up" and "Cardiac Arrest", 7 was an amazing album from start to finish. It may not have been as 'nutty' as their previous albums, but it was every bit as fun-tastic. While I think Absolutely and One Step Beyond might be considered better albums, 7 remains my favorite Madness full length platter.
(The Salvo two CD reissue adds a plethora of non-album tracks)
A funny thing happened in late '81 when the band released "It Must Be Love" as a single in between "Shut Up" and "Cardiac Arrest". Why was it funny? Well, the single was a track NOT on the album! While it sounded like it could have been recorded during the 7 sessions, "It Must Be Love" was a stand-alone single and earned the band major airplay all around the world but there wasn't an album to support it until the following year when it appeared on the band's 1982 compilation Complete Madness. I always thought that it was a bold move to release this single and it paid off for the band, becoming one of their best loved songs. While it was not an original (it was penned by singer/songwriter Labi Siffre, who appeared in the video), most folks in the U.S. think of this track alongside "Our House" and "One Step Beyond" as the most popular Madness songs.
To coincide with the release of the Complete Madness collection, the band released a new single in '82 called "House Of Fun", which became their first (and, so far, only) UK #1 single. The song combined the more mature arrangements of 7 with a jaunty tune that could have fit on Absolutely. It was both 'nutty' and 'mature' at the same time with the subject matter dealing with the attempted purchase of condoms by a young man coming of age. As the title suggests, it was definitely one of their most 'fun' singles to date.
Later that same year, the band released the non-album single "Driving In My Car", another fun tune that may not have reached the heights of their previous seven inchers but was a slice of Pop genius, especially when El Thommo's sax break would pop in and out of the recording. In a way, the song was a link between their earlier nutty sound and a more serious direction that they would follow on their next album.
The band's last release of '82 was a song that would eventually become their biggest U.S. hit and the song that has become their most well-known song: "Our House". It cemented their reputation not just in Britain but all over the world.
My appreciation of MADNESS will be continued in Part Two
2012 album from the veteran British Pop band, their 10th studio album overall. On Oui, Oui, Si, Si, Ja, Ja, Da, Da sees the band team up with a number of new producers, the first time in their illustrious career they have decided to do so, to create an album of incredible pop songs. Oui, Oui, Si, Si, Ja, Ja, Da, Da offers up artwork from legendary British artist Sir Peter Blake (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band), who has designed the artwork for this album. Features 'Death Of A Rude Boy' and 'My Girl 2'.
CHRISTMAS is almost here! My elves are busy building toys, reading your e-mails and keeping busy. A few of them spend far too much time on Facebook these days, but we're still on schedule so I won't complain.
Have you written out your Christmas wish list yet? No? Well, you better get busy. There's only a little time left before I load my sleigh up with gifts and make my journey around the world on Christmas night!
If you are having a hard time deciding what you want, may I suggest this?
Last year, the lads in Madness released a new album and achieved more accolades and acclaim than they have in years. While the band have not been a full-time, prolific unit like they were in the early '80s, they have managed to chalk up quite a few tours since reuniting in the mid '90s. Wonderful, released in 1999, was their first studio album since 1985's Mad Not Mad and was an absolutely brilliant return to form for them. It's a shame that nobody actually noticed! You see, many folks love the whole nostalgia thing and they want to hear the hits (and believe me, Madness have plenty of them) so a 'new' Madness album didn't matter to the general public. But for the Madness fan, it was a dream come true. Living up to it's title, Wonderful was perhaps the band's best album since the 1981 album, 7. Now, a decade later, we have an expanded two CD edition to cherish. Enanced with videos and bonus tracks (a whole CD of them), they should have changed the title to Wonderfuller!
I must get going now. Mrs. Claus needs some help in eating those delicicious sugar cookies and I don't want to miss out! They are fresh out of the oven, you know! Yum Yum!
One of the greatest labels ever, CAPTAIN OI, are reissuing the MADNESS back catalog on vinyl, my friends! But these are not your ordinary twelve inch vinyl LP repressings, NO! Captain Oi are stepping out and reissuing these titles as limited edition double 10" vinyl sets containing the entire albums plus select bonus tracks! Not only are these going to be extremely rare.... they are going to be absolutely beautiful works of art that you can listen to and display on your favorite shelf!
One Step Beyond was the band's 1979 debut album... and what an impact it made! Along with The Specials and The (English) Beat, Madness were one of the main players in the Ska/2-Tone movement that took the UK by storm at the tail end of the '70s. While their debut single, "The Prince", was an homage to Jamaican Ska legend Prince Buster, One Step Beyond (the album) used Ska as a starting point and took off in several different directions. While hits like "One Step Beyond" and "Night Boat To Cairo" remain Ska classics, there are moments on the album that show that the band was already out-growing the genre. "Bed And Breakfast Man" is pure '60s influenced pop with no sign of Jamaican influences within earshot. "My Girl" is gorgeous pop that just happens to have a Ska beat. "In The Middle Of The Night" (about an underwear thief!) is a glorious throwback to British music hall wrestling with classic '60s pop. Each and every song is a triumph as this young band tackles musical styles that artists twice their age would have difficulty attempting. Not only is the album musically diverse, it's as fun as hell! They don't call them Madness for nothing! Oh, and production from Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley is stunning and timeless.
Sides 1-3 feature all tracks from the original album while Side 4 contains a selection of non-album tracks!
Absolutely essential for music fans in general, but certainly more-so for Madness fans!
A year after their debut, Absolutely hit the streets in 1980. While Ska was still part of their sound, Madness were not relying on one musical trend in order to get their musical point across. Yes, they were still extremely fun, energetic and upbeat but the songs were even better than those on One Step Beyond! That debut album remains a classic, but Absolutely is damn near brilliant. The band not only avoided the 'sophomore slump', they defied all expectations and became bona-fide Pop stars when all of their contemporaries were falling away, unable to break out of the Ska mould. Absolutely is filled with great pop tunes that still sound exciting and timeless, due to top-notch songwriting and Langer & Winstanley's production. Tracks like "Embarrassment", "E.R.N.I.E.", "Baggy Trousers" and "Disappear" are some of the band's finest cuts, but the whole album is filled with wonderful surprises. Madness had successfully broken away from the shackles of Ska and created their own unique sound. Madness had truly arrived.
Sides 1-3 feature all tracks from the original album while Side 4 contains a selection of non-album tracks!
Yes, absolutely essential. No pun intended.
While Madness were still the most fun you could have with your clothes on, their third album, 7, showed a side of the band that we had not seen before. On the surface, the album contained their usual jovial and fun approach to music, yet, lyrically, it pointed in a far more somber direction. The single "Grey Day" was a dub-laden and lyrically depressing come-down after the party the band had on the first two albums... and it was brilliant. "Mrs. Hutchinson" deals with the impending death of a certain hospital patient. "Cardiac Arrest" describes a heart attack brought on by stress. "Shut Up" is sung from the point of view of a career criminal caught in an uncompromising position. Well, OK, so it may not be the 'woe is me' crap that Emo bands have given us in recent years, but for Madness, this was serious stuff. That is not to say that the album isn't fun, because it is. "Benny Bullfrog" is a gem of a tune, no matter how close it gets to novelty. More musically diverse than Absolutely, 7 is a stunning and mature album that this writer feels is one of their best albums, if not their best. Ska fans were sorely disappointed by the lack of skanking tunes, but Madness had grown up and this albums remains a fantastic platter of Pop gems. Once again, Langer & Winstanley's production is flawless. NOTE: While "It Must Be Love" was NOT included on the album, it was released as a single shortly after this album's release and can be found on the bonus disc. One of their all-time finest singles, "It Must Be Love" was a brilliant re-invention of the classic Labi Sifre tune, succeeding on all levels. In fact, many folks think it's a Madness original... and they definitely turn it into a song they can nearly claim as their own.
Sides 1-3 feature all tracks from the original album while Side 4 contains a selection of non-album tracks!
All I can say is "WOW!" This is a truly essential album. But it's Madness, so what did you expect?
Like the Kinks before them and Blur a decade or so later, MADNESS were (and remain) one of the best and most quintessential British bands of the Rock era. They came from London, lived in London, sang about London and celebrated life in London. Yet, many of their finest tunes held universal appeal, reaching out across different countries and having a profound effect on listeners around the world.
If you're sitting there, thinking "What's he going on about? Madness were a goofy Ska band!", then you weren't paying attention, apart from maybe a track or two from their first album! Madness may have risen from the late '70s Ska movement, but by their second album in 1980, they had matured a great deal and naturally progressed beyond any particular genre. For some reason, it annoys ME a great deal when people call them a Ska band, but that's just because I love these guys so much. Yes, I LOVE Madness. Get over it!
The band had a slew of great singles spanning their initial six year career (1979-1985), and they've been referred to as the best singles band of the '80s. While I agree with that wholeheartedly, I'll also have to call them one of the best album bands of the '80s as well. There was never any filler on a Madness album. The only time that the band got close to putting out sub-par material was a few b-sides towards the end of their career, but that was it. The rest of the band's output is absolutely stunning.
One of the things that made Madness exceptional was that they were always an ordinary bunch of blokes who just happened to be extraordinarily talented. From their early days up through Pop stardom and beyond, Madness never lost sight of who they were, what they meant to their fans and what their fans meant to them. Madness were just like you and me. Except more popular, more talented and way cooler.
Madness were originally six members (Suggs, Chris Foreman, Mark Bedford, Lee Thompson, Mike Barson and Daniel Woodgate) but Carl Smythe (Chas Smash) made such an impression during the recording of their debut that he became a full-time member. And the mixture of these seven members made Madness one of the most amazing hit machines of our generation.
Before writing this review, I sat down and looked at many of their contemporaries that I've loved throughout the years and compared them to Madness. From The Clash and The Undertones to Ultravox and A Flock Of Seagulls (and everyone in between), none of them can touch Madness' brilliant back catalog. And trust me, I love those other bands with a passion.... but Madness were not just any band. They were a fucking extraordinary band! The only three bands that I feel equaled Madness' brilliance were The jam, Squeeze and Split Enz. But those are different blog postings for a different day...
While all of Madness' albums have received the remaster treatment on CD, the extra love and attention that they deserved was missing... until Salvo began their Madness reissue campaign late last year with the release of One Step Beyond. Since then, both Absolutely and 7 have been given the same treatment and, just around the corner are deluxe double CD editions of The Rise And Fall and Keep Moving. As I anxiously await the release of the deluxe double disc versions of those two fine albums, I'm going to take a look back at the three titles that have already hit the shelves and are ready for you to purchase the moment you get a chance! Credit cards were made for moments like this!
One Step Beyond was the band's 1979 debut album... and what an impact it made! Along with The Specials and The (English) Beat, Madness were one of the main players in the Ska/2-Tone movement that took the UK by storm at the tail end of the '70s. While their debut single, "The Prince", was an homage to Jamaican Ska legend Prince Buster, One Step Beyond (the album) used Ska as a starting point and took off in several different directions. While hits like "One Step Beyond" and "Night Boat To Cairo" remain Ska classics, there are moments on the album that show that the band was already out-growing the genre. "Bed And Breakfast Man" is pure '60s influenced pop with no sign of Jamaican influences within earshot. "My Girl" is gorgeous pop that just happens to have a Ska beat. "In The Middle Of The Night" (about an underwear thief!) is a glorious throwback to British music hall wrestling with classic '60s pop. Each and every song is a triumph as this young band tackles musical styles that artists twice their age would have difficulty attempting. Not only is the album musically diverse, it's as fun as hell! They don't call them Madness for nothing! Oh, and production from Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley is stunning and timeless.
Disc One features the original 15 track album plus five enhanced videos!
Disc Two contains four Peel Sessions plus an additional 14 b-sides, edits, alternate versions and live tracks.
Absolutely essential for music fans in general, but certainly more-so for Madness fans!
A year after their debut, Absolutely hit the streets in 1980. While Ska was still part of their sound, Madness were not relying on one musical trend in order to get their musical point across. Yes, they were still extremely fun, energetic and upbeat but the songs were even better than those on One Step Beyond! That debut album remains a classic, but Absolutely is damn near brilliant. The band not only avoided the 'sophomore slump', they defied all expectations and became bona-fide Pop stars when all of their contemporaries were falling away, unable to break out of the Ska mould. Absolutely is filled with great pop tunes that still sound exciting and timeless, due to top-notch songwriting and Langer & Winstanley's production. Tracks like "Embarrassment", "E.R.N.I.E.", "Baggy Trousers" and "Disappear" are some of the band's finest cuts, but the whole album is filled with wonderful surprises. Madness had successfully broken away from the shackles of Ska and created their own unique sound. Madness had truly arrived.
Disc One contains the original 14 track album joined by seven non-album tracks (b-sides, live and rare recordings) PLUS three enhanced videos.
Disc Two is a great 21 track live set recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in December of 1980. This excellent set features a nice mix of tracks from their first two albums.
Yes, absolutely essential. No pun intended.
While Madness were still the most fun you could have with your clothes on, their third album, 7, showed a side of the band that we had not seen before. On the surface, the album contained their usual jovial and fun approach to music, yet, lyrically, it pointed in a far more somber direction. The single "Grey Day" was a dub-laden and lyrically depressing come-down after the party the band had on the first two albums... and it was brilliant. "Mrs. Hutchinson" deals with the impending death of a certain hospital patient. "Cardiac Arrest" describes a heart attack brought on by stress. "Shut Up" is sung from the point of view of a career criminal caught in an uncompromising position. Well, OK, so it may not be the 'woe is me' crap that Emo bands have given us in recent years, but for Madness, this was serious stuff. That is not to say that the album isn't fun, because it is. "Benny Bullfrog" is a gem of a tune, no matter how close it gets to novelty. More musically diverse than Absolutely, 7 is a stunning and mature album that this writer feels is one of their best albums, if not their best. Ska fans were sorely disappointed by the lack of skanking tunes, but Madness had grown up and this albums remains a fantastic platter of Pop gems. Once again, Langer & Winstanley's production is flawless. NOTE: While "It Must Be Love" was NOT included on the album, it was released as a single shortly after this album's release and can be found on the bonus disc. One of their all-time finest singles, "It Must Be Love" was a brilliant re-invention of the classic Labi Sifre tune, succeeding on all levels. In fact, many folks think it's a Madness original... and they definitely turn it into a song they can nearly claim as their own.
Disc One features the original 13 track album plus four enhanced videos.
Disc Two features three tracks from a Richard Skinner session (including "Tiptoes", which was later recorded for the band's following album, The Rise & Fall) plus eight additional non album tracks (including "It Must Be Love", "In The City" and even the very rare extended version of "Cardiac Arrest").
All I can say is "WOW!" This is a truly essential album. But it's Madness, so what did you expect?
Coming in July on Salvo: The Rise & Fall and Keep Moving. I'll see you here the moment I get 'em! Don't mind me: I'm salivating now in anticipation!
In celebration of MADNESS' 30th Anniversary AND the release of their long-awaited (and critically adored) 2009 albumTHE LIBERTY OF NORTON FOLGATE(which I will be reviewing in the next few days), I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about my life filled with Madness moments...
My love affair with MADNESS started 30 years ago when I first heard their debut album ONE STEP BEYOND. Being in my mid-teens and hungry to hear as much new music as possible, the sounds that Madness created made my head spin. Sure, I knew what Ska music was all about, but to me, Madness were not a Ska band. They were something bigger...
The following year, I remember sitting in Drivers Ed class, waiting for the bell to ring so class would be over and I could hop on my bike and pedal myself down to the local Licorice Pizza (a music retail chain) and buy their second album, ABSOLUTELY. From the moment "Baggy Trousers" blared out of the speakers, I knew I was in for yet another treat... and I was right. I loved this album even more than the first one!
So, in May of '81, I see Madness are going to play in Reseda at a place called The Country Club. I begged for my allowance early from my folks and asked them to call and buy tickets for me. I might have even promised to mow the lawn every weekend for the rest of my life! But alas, the show as sold out!
My buddy Rick Intveld and my bro Michael were going to go see Robert Gordon at the Roxy a few days later and asked if I wanted to go. Since they had a spare ticket, I went. Well, guess who just happened to be attending that very same show? Five of the seven members of Madness!!
Being the slobbering fool that I was, I went up and introduced myself to them. I got all their names right except for Bedders, who I called Woody (they all laughed... stupid me) They were all really cool, but were certainly more interested in the hot L.A. babes than this little fan-boy. Suggs pointed me in the direction of Lee Thompson, who was standing apart from the rest of them and I went and had a nice conversation with him. I was in awe that this talented guy would talk to a schmuck like me, but I was in heaven.
Later on, while inside the club, Lee passed me in the corridor and said "Steve plus one!". I said "What?" And he leaned over and spoke in my ear, stating "Steve plus one. I'll get you on the guest list!".
Two nights later, I was at the Reseda Country Club watching Madness. It was one of the most fantastic nights of my life. I did all the fanboy stuff: spotted different band members in the crowd before the show and had them sign my LPs and singles. When the band came onstage, I yelled out "Chas!" Band member Chas Smash (Carl Smythe) spun around, walked over to me and shook my hand. I think I finally understood what the term 'fookin' brilliant' meant that night!
I continued to buy every seven inch and twelve inch single released by the boys and every version of their albums I could find (UK pressing, US pressing, German pressing, etc). 'Twas such a joy to collect their stuff and play it for friends, who were all usually gobsmacked by how great Madness was.
Within a few years, it seemed that everyone was finally catching on: "Our House" was a bona-fide U.S. hit! I wasn't 'proud' per say, but it felt good that people were finally buying their albums here in the states. I had NO idea how popular or unpopular they were anywhere else since I didn't know about UK magazines like NME, Melody Maker, etc. until a few years later.
Anyway, my friends and I drove up to L.A. when their U.S.-only album, Madness, was released, the band did an in-store at...hmmmm... I think it was Licorice Pizza! I stood in line to get their autographs (although I already had them from the Country Club show) and when I tried to talk to Lee Thompson about meeting him at the Roxy, he just said "There were a lot of people at that show, mate!" and that was it. I was bummed... but only for a few moments because I realized that, sure, I got to meet Lee Thompson, one of only seven members of Madness, but he's had the chance to meet thousands upon thousands of fanboys just like me... and I think we kind of all look the same! So, no harm, no foul!
As the years rolled on, many more Madness releases came, but then the world seemed to crumble once keyboardist MIKE BARSON announced he was leaving the band. What? Monsieur Barso leaving the nutty boys? Wassup wid dat?
Their post-Baron album, Mad Not Mad, was a much more somber, mature effort and initially caught me by surprise. But, upon second, third and fourth listens, I was hooked. "Yesterday's Men" still sounds wonderful today.
When Madness announced that they were splitting up in 1986, I was majorly bummed yet again. But you know what? I realized they had a great run and better to go off on a good note than just keep touring the band into the ground until all that was left was Suggs and six young musicians from L.A. touring the fairs as Madness featuring Suggs.
Because of Madness, my eyes were opened to a lot more styles of music. I'd go back and buy albums from the bands that they were influenced by. I'd buy records by bands that they picked to open for them. I'd buy any and all albums produced by Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley (who produced all of the Madness albums). I'd buy anything that former Madness members released, played on or produced. And almost everything was top notch (Feargal Sharkey's "Listen To Your Father" single is the best Madness song they never released so go check it out if you can find it).
A decade after they split, Madness reunited for live dates and the magic was back. In 1999, they released the album Wonderful, which certainly lived up to it's title! It was my favorite Madness album since Seven was released in 1981!
In 2005, their Dangerman Sessions album was released, which consisted of cover versions of songs that influenced them. As good as the album was, I'm not big on covers albums by anyone! So, it's got a ton of great things on it but I don't go back and listen to it as often as their other albums.
Now, 30 years after I first heard Madness, I sit here with a physical copy of THE LIBERTY OF NORTON FOLGATE at my fingertips, amazed at what I hear. Could this be Madness' best album yet? Find out when I review it here on the blog!!!
Those are the opening lines to the song "The Prince", the debut single from MADNESS, the most successful band to emerge from the UK's Ska movement in the late '70s. They were singing about Jamaican Rocksteady/Ska legend PRINCE BUSTER, an artist who barely cracked the charts in the States but was extremely influential in Jamaica during the '60s and beyond. This popularity spread throughout the UK in the '70s, and every Jamaica-obsessed British youngster adored Buster alongside his more famous Reggae contemporaries (Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, etc.).
While many of the mid to late '70s Punk acts incorporated Reggae and Dub into their sound, there was a new breed of bands who loved the earlier Ska and Rocksteady grooves of acts like Alton Ellis, Desmond Dekker, The Maytals, The Paragons and Prince Buster amongst many many others. These bands included the aforementioned Madness plus The Specials, The Selecter, The (English) Beat and Bad Manners to name just a few. All of these acts formed the core of what has been called 'the second wave' of Ska or 'The 2-Tone Movement', named after the 2-Tone label set up by Jerry Dammers of The Specials. And 30 years later, this second wave remains perhaps more memorable than the first wave of the '60s and the third wave of the '90s.
So,that's it for your history lesson today.
Um... Where was I?
Oh, yeah. I want to tell you about this fabbo reissue of PRINCE BUSTER's 1967 album,Ten Commandments(Reel Music), or to list it's full title, Prince Buster Sings His Hit Song Ten Commandments, which was a U.S. only release at the time, consisting of a handful of various Buster recordings that leaned more towards the soulful side of Jamaican music. In fact, throw it on in your store, at a party, in your car, etc. and what you'll hear is a groovy slice of '70s Soul, but listen beyond the surface and the core of each and every track is pure Jamaican pleasure (or Rocksteady, if you will), right down to the rhythm and backing vocals.
The album is a smooth and self-assured collection of tracks that may have been the U.S.'s first real introduction to Buster (being released through RCA at the time), but it was, by no means, the beginning or the end of his incredible recording career.
The title track, "The Ten Commandments (From Man To Woman)" is about as sexist as as song can get and woud never be played on the radio today, but he does try to balance it later on the album with "The Ten Commandments (From Woman To Man)" by one Princess Buster (who incidentally verbally beats him down when he tries to interrupt HER ten commandments!) Other tracks of note include "Wings Of A Dove" (did Cat Stevens steal the melody of this chorus?), "Girl, Answer To Your Name" and 'They Got To Come".
If you're searching for the Ska beat that inspired 2-Tone, it's not as prevelant here as on some of his other releases, but it is definitely here. The album contains so many musical reference points that were later used by the British Ska bands (Madness even used the title from the aforementioned "Wings Of A Dove" for a later single).
But if you're searching for classic Rocksteady and music that helped pioneer the Jamaican music scene, then Prince Buster is a name to be reckoned with and The Ten Commandments is a more than worthy reissue that must be added to your collection pronto, mon!
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was the band's 1979 debut album... and what an impact it made! Along with The Specials and The (English) Beat, Madness were one of the main players in the Ska/2-Tone movement that took the UK by storm at the tail end of the '70s. While their debut single, "The Prince", was an homage to Jamaican Ska legend Prince Buster, One Step Beyond (the album) used Ska as a starting point and took off in several different directions. While hits like "One Step Beyond" and "Night Boat To Cairo" remain Ska classics, there are moments on the album that show that the band was already out-growing the genre. "Bed And Breakfast Man" is pure '60s influenced pop with no sign of Jamaican influences within earshot. "My Girl" is gorgeous pop that just happens to have a Ska beat. "In The Middle Of The Night" (about an underwear thief!) is a glorious throwback to British music hall wrestling with classic '60s pop. Each and every song is a triumph as this young band tackles musical styles that artists twice their age would have difficulty attempting. Not only is the album musically diverse, it's as fun as hell! They don't call them Madness for nothing! Oh, and production from Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley is stunning and timeless.
