Limited edition MADNESS reissues on 10" vinyl!

CAPTAIN OI presents

Digitally remastered and expanded double 10" vinyl editions of the first three 

MADNESS

albums!!!

ONE STEP BEYOND

ABSOLUTELY

and

7

"HEY YOU!  DON'T READ THAT, READ THIS.....!"

 

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!

Click HERE to read my overview of MADNESS on my previous Discussions blog post.

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?


You're welcome,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee

SPAZ reviews MADNESS reissues!

SALVO MUSIC presents

Digitally remastered and expanded double CD editions of the first three 

MADNESS

albums!!!

ONE STEP BEYOND

ABSOLUTELY

and

7

"HEY YOU!  DON'T READ THAT, READ THIS.....!"

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...

If you want to read some of my Madness memories, check out this blog post from last year!

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!

You're welcome,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee

SONG OF THE DAY: MADNESS/"My Girl"

MADNESS/"My Girl"

From

One Step Beyond

30 Years of complete and utter MADNESS!

In celebration of MADNESS' 30th Anniversary AND the release of their long-awaited (and critically adored) 2009 album THE 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!!!

Madness is all in the mind,

Stephen SPAZ Schnee