Any love for Madness here? They don’t seem to get written about that much on The Afterword. Their new album “Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’est La Vie,” released in the last week, is an absolute joy.
As a 13 year old ska fan in 1980 I was just a bit obsessed with The Specials, Madness, The Beat and The Selecter. As a result Madness are one of those kind of bands who you grow up with. The “nutty sound” of the first couple of albums, the surprisingly sophisticated Kinks influenced pop tunes that increasingly followed, and then into the more middle aged and reflective post reformation years. The latter period, for me anyway, seems to be a bit more mixed-some great singles and occasional album tracks but a little more inconsistent. Still plenty to like though. Despite the loss of Cathal Smyth, dance man/trumpeter/singer a few years back they seem to have morphed into a having a kind of London version of Buena Vista Social Club, not in their music but in that they know each other inside out and still get a lot of pleasure out of making music together in their more mature years.
This new album then is a superb and thoroughly enjoyable piece of work. Strong songs and instantly memorable tunes abound and there are hooks a-plenty. It has a concept album feel to it, in that there are sections narrated in the style of an old actor (voiced by long term 2-Tone fan Martin Freeman) but don’t ask me what that concept is. Some of the lyrics do seem quite bleak, and occasionally even dark, but don’t let that put you off as Madness have always had their hidden depths. Another thing to add is how much this SOUNDS like Madness, the (self-produced) album having a similar style of production to One Step Beyond and Absolutely. The first half of the album in particular is a joy to listen to but it all hangs together really well and the band sound like they had a blast throughout.
In its review, The Guardian reckoned this album wasn’t quite as good as the undoubted triumph of “The Liberty of Norton Folgate” from 2009. With a similar feel, in that it has a loosely defined “concept” though, I think this new album is better.
Anyone else heard it yet?
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I have every Madness album but I wouldn’t declare my unconditional love for them. I thought the Dangerman Sessions was particularly limp.
Having said that, The Liberty of Norton Folgate was superb and so I ordered this one in advance. It arrived last weekend but, sadly, I spent last week with the ‘flu and this week so bunged up I can’t hear anything (and my voice is half croak/half cough).
So I’m waiting to hear this, but not just yet.
Another one here that has bought but not had chance to listen to thoroughly yet – the clips I have heard on YouTube have all be great though, so I have high hopes / expectations.
I still rank Liberty as there absolute masterpiece and despite them still being great with the loss of Cathal Smyth, I do think they would be better with him. His solo album from a few years ago is superb.
Yes, totally agree about Smyth’s solo album, it’s great. A very unexpected treat at the time and I really hope he does another at some point.
I liked the comment about the cover of that album. He looks like Michael Stipe shoplifting.
He’s actually in a food bank, which is pretty alarming for the Wings of a Dove hitmaker, but then he’d just been through a divorce so anything is possible.
I pre-ordered this on the basis that the Norton album was utterly superb. It’s been delivered by the dodgers to the village Post Office (which saves me 4 quid every time, and its only about 300 yards down the road) but I won’t pick it up until I potter along to pick up the Saturday Grauniad in the morning. Very much looking forward to giving it a blast!
Hence, that well-known phrase ‘to hit the Grauniad running’ (trans. ‘to get around to doing something after a leisurely period of pottering about and prevarication’). 🙂
Exactamundo.
PS – the Bailie/Hooley book is a delightful blast!
Very much likng the new platter and believing it confirms Madness in the “National Treasure” bracket
That was established thirty years ago at Madstock, shirley?
I returned to Mad Not Mad recently… a bleak, beautiful record. “Time” might just be the saddest pop song ever recorded. They hate it of course.
I think they are blinking excellent. A proper pop and rock crossover family band. There’s a little bit missing from any person who can’t see their merits. Another thumbs-up for “The Liberty of Norton Folgate”. But also fond memories of my pal, “pus” and his friends doing the Madness train-dance to “One Step Beyond” at the 6th form disco 44 years ago. Me and my mates must have been the only hippies at their Brighton Centre matinee gig in 1980.
I heard it on Spotify and liked it. Shades of Norton Folgate, which is a hard act to follow.
Their first number one album as of today, not counting compilations. I know they were primarily a singles band in the 80s, but that still came as a surprise to me.
I remember when Complete Madness was *the* album to show off in the playground, and everybody would talk about their latest video the day after it appeared on TOTP.
It’s great that they are still going and still producing interesting music. They always come across as a gang of mates/geezers who just happen to write top-notch songs, and they put on a good live show as well.
Looking at YouTube, it seems they have only about 160k subscribers. This is an outrage, and I think questions must be asked in Parliament. How can one of our greatest bands have such a relatively low profile?
Long may they run, or keep doing the train dance.
Another one for the ‘purchased but not listened to it’ team! Same with the illness/flu bug & want to get it on when I feel well enough to appreciate it.
I am very excited about a new offering as I think their sound has matured & it has unleased a whole new side of them which I love. Liberty was great (as mentioned above), but I thought Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da was superb too. Misery from this is the Madness track that usually starts me down the nutty wormhole*
*Eww – that sounds horrid. Apologies
Arf! And behalf of all those who buy and don’t listen yet, who else has a couple of shoeboxes full of “awaiting a long journey” listens. And side racks full of next up….?
If Mrs F is reading this, definitely not. If she isn’t, there are loads… I sometimes find CDs I’d forgotten I’d bought, let alone not listened to.
Thank Christ I’m not the only one.