Reviews (page 2 of 8)
I’m sad by how much better Our House is than the rest of this album.
Every Madness song sounds absolutely like Madness. Blue Skinny Beast and Sunday Morning were particularly highlights
I hadn't really given Madness a proper go until now. I gotta say, I enjoyed it. The album is light and fun. It is poppy more than ska, Our House is the highlight.
Let's start a band where we sing like Bill Sikes
Regular usual experience
5/10 Madness are one of those bands whose singles I've always enjoyed to a decent extent but I've never really felt the need to dig deeper. They were massive in the early 80s with their quirky two-tone based pop, which had a light hearted and up beat tone. Strangely, this album isn't really like that at all. The general tone of the record is much darker than I expected, and the wacky edge of their hits leans further towards the madness that their name suggests. Music with an edge, or even a healthy dose of insanity tends to work well for me, but in this case, it kind of felt like it didn't fully commit in that direction. It also didn't offer enough in their more poppy direction either, bar Our House, the big single. It's a strange one really, because a lot of this album deals in minor keys and modal compositions that in no way offer the pop music or ska styles for which the band is most famous. There are flickers here and there, but it's a much thicker tonal blend with a density to the production that gives it a bit too much weight to my ears. There was stuff in there to enjoy though and the elements of art pop and richer orchestrations were at least interesting. But there were also times when I found it to be quite plodding and rhythmically repetitive. In all honesty, I couldn't really work out what to make of it. It feels like a record that lives between two worlds and doesn't really satisfy either, which is a shame because the ambition of the intention is to be applauded. But despite the bits of quality, it doesn't really hit the mark. Rise And Fall - It’s a pretty slow-paced start with a more downtrodden tone and more synthesiser work than I was expecting. They do lift things up in the chorus and through the sax solo, which adds a bit more zip and interest, but the rest of the track is quite plodding and lacking in dynamism. There are some good elements in here, but for me, it just doesn’t really have either the nuance or excitement to really hook me in. Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) - They start adding a bit more depth and nuance to things now and it does lift things up a bit. I do find it quite rhythmically repetitive, but when considering the more interesting approach to their chord structures and how they combine with the melody, it’s at least a bit more musically interesting, and there’s a slightly dark and weird edge to the tonality, but I’m still not completely sold. Blue Skinned Beast - Now we’re getting a bit more range between the verse and chorus and a bit more variety to the rhythms. It sprawls musically, but pulls things back in really nicely. The pre-chorus is fleeting, but really good, and then the chorus is delightfully weird with a dark edge and some great textural choices. Maybe I’m warming to this a little more now. Primrose Hill - Again, there’s pretty good range here and it maintains the slightly erratic and dark edge to it that feels pretty suitable given the band’s name. We get sections that lean towards marching band territory. It’s actually quite an odd song in that it changes forms quite a lot as it progresses, and as with some of the earlier tracks there are aspects that I like, but I still can’t quite fully connect with it. Mr Speaker (Gets The Word) - This is better again. It feels like there’s a bit more of a consistent thread that runs through it, while maintaining that slightly dark edged madness (nudge, nudge). Stylistically, it lands somewhere between two-tone and art-pop. The rhythms are very good fun and the edge of discordance that they drip through some of the parts make for really interesting listening. I still don’t really know what to make of it, but I enjoyed this a lot more. Sunday Morning - I think the slightly meandering sequences they write are part of why this isn’t completely sticking with me. It’s quite stop/start too. But as with much of the album, there’s quality in there, but I just can’t quite find something to fully cling on to. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a bit weird, but not fully off at the deep end, while also not having enough on the more poppy side to satisfy either. Honestly, I just feel a touch confused. Our House - As if to answer my question on the poppy side of things, here’s a flat-out pop classic. It’s more musically complicated than it probably gets credit for, particularly the way it modulates through different keys. It still retains a slight touch of weirdness to it, but commits pretty strongly to some great hooks and a consistent approach to melody and, let’s face it, fun. It’s a proper banger. Tiptoes - Now this manages to the thread the needle far better. It’s got weirdness and darkness to it, but holds on to a more consistent thread through its centre. It does drift away here and there, but never strays too far. The sound blend is very well balanced, and there’s decent range, from starker, more snappy sections to fuller and smoother ones. The instrumental section at the end is really good to, with the interwoven lines and falling synth tone. New Delhi - Ok, so now we get a weird departure about a trip to Delhi. It’s quite funny and absurdist in its own way, with some interesting orchestration, particularly with the string parts and the sitar. There’s a depth and darkness to the production, as well as a slight insanity and overwhelming busyness to it that does feel a bit like the sensory overload you get when travelling through Delhi in a taxi. That Face - The rhythmic choices here are good and the way the parts pass focus around between them is a cool compositional technique. There’s a bit more of a central thread to this, but it’s another that I’m struggling to get a complete connection with. I appreciate what they’re doing, but it doesn’t really float my boat. Calling Cards - And now they’re almost verging on deranged fairground music. I should really like this, but I don’t. Are You Coming (With Me) - I think there’s been too many slightly too slow tracks on this album, and this is another one. It’s got quite a dark and sombre tonal approach, but by this point on the record, I’m just a bit tired of it. Production-wise it’s great. Musically it’s interesting. I even appreciate the edge of lunacy and dark humour to it. But I’m just not feeling it. Madness (Is All In The Mind) - Now we’re back on stronger footing. It’s got a jazzy bent to it and the edge of craziness is still there, but there’s a more upbeat centre. The darkness of the production persists and works really well with the compositional choices. It’s pretty good stuff.
Soms word ik echt ongelofelijk boos van een plaat en dit is daar een van
Halverwege de tweede track al helemaal klaar mee, dus alleen nog ff Our House aangeknalt en heb het daarbij gelaten. Muziek voor oude witte mannen die voor brexit hebben gestemd. Our House voorkomt de 1 ster.
Seems like I was totally unaware of anything Madness put out aside from the chorus of Our House. It really was a cool album to listen to; I enjoyed the odd and quirky nature of the songs but felt they were still pretty accessible.
Some of this is fun, some of it is not. Our House stands above the rest by leaps and bounds.
I've listened to a lot of music in my life, I think. Trust me when I say Our House is the best track here and that song is strictly OK.
Incredible
I was born at the end of the 70s so although I would have been heard some of the Madness hits growing up I was a bit too young when they were at their peak. Lots of people on here are commenting on how Madness embodies British-ness but they actually don't really speak to a lot of Britain. They are thoroughly London, with lots of references to places and life in the metropolis. I grew up in the countryside and it was probably the end of the decade before I had even visited London, so again many of the details in the songs don't resonate for me either. That said I liked Our House and they did have a great run of pop singles in the early 80s but as an album this doesn't hold together all that well and seems like they were a lot more pop than ska by this point. Light 3.
Not available in the US (and thus on Apple Music!).
Second wave ska
Bien
Okay
Oh! It’s the our house guys!
BRO ANOTHER ONE THATS NOT ON STREAMING UGH It’s a real shame it’s not on streaming cause I’m really liking it so far especially primrose hill. I enjoyed this! I loved all the instrumentals, the horns, strings and energetic pianos. My only qualm really was the singer’s monotonous voice. It felt like there was very little emotion behind it and it kind of stayed in the same tone throughout the entire record. Other than that I would listen again, though bc it’s not on streaming I would have to go out of my way to do it which will probably deter me. 4.16/5
4/10 over half of the album isn't available on spotify so I ranked what I was able to hear
A great album. I’m not sure why it wasn’t released in the US (forcing me to endure ads on YouTube to listen to it), but it was worth the inconvenience and annoyance. Some of their hits that went mainstream, but also just some nice ska tunes. Very expressive bass, which I love.
Sunday, 6 September, 2026 Eh. At best. “Our House” is a good track. There are a decent number of these British one hit wonder bands on the list. I don’t mind the hits, but they are not worth an album. I’d rather listen to one of Phil Collins’ solo albums from this era. Or *Invisible Touch*. None of which are on the list.
Our house is a banger but the rest of the album is a bit all over the place
It was ok, one big hit and the rest just ok.
I think I'll stick to the greatest hits
What genre is this? There’s ska, new wave, synthpop, minstrel pop…I’m so confused
Minus that one song, this feels like I fell into UK alice in wonderland
Everyone loves Madness. Many tracks that still have impact today and are culturally significant. Some filler tracks but nothing bad
the full album was not available
Bright pop songs that feel both simple and extravagant. Simple because structurally they're pretty straightforward, but extravagant because of all the piano and saxophone in them. The most notable thing about the horns on this is how much it makes some of the songs sound like an old action cartoon; "Mr Speaker (Gets the Word)" practically sounds straight out of Batman. Others, like the hit "Our House," are more traditional new wave songs, and while those are less interesting they may be a bit better because they're less busy. Ultimately none of this is is incredible, as much at it achieves a sound not quite like anything else. Even though the sound is cool, I wish the songs were stronger.
Indie vibes. Fantastic all around.
first of all apparently this was never released in the us so to youtube with banking and mayonnaise ads it is. i jest because those were the ads i got the first time i had to listen to an album on youtube but also i literally got double ads for usbank and kraft mayonnaise before blue skinned beast so this is unfortunately reality. that aside... eh? i guess i prefer my brassy cacophonies to be in yiddish. they don't hit the same when i can understand them also the modes of british music are foreign to me. yah that was madness. technical prowess merits a 4/5 but personal taste is ... a surprise tomorrow. (2/5)
Nah man
I can understand how this wouldn’t be some people’s cup of tea, but I found myself surprisingly enjoying the album. 4/5
Inoffensive, I thought with it being ska that it's gonna be worse. Enjoyed it fairly well.
It's Our House and a sea of bland, indistinguishable, mildly-fun Ska-Pop music tracks, it's fine for hearing but it's not particularly special
Floored when it got to Our House. This was a fun listen overall. 3.5
oh, hated this. which is a shame, because "our X, in the middle of our Y" is a huge vocal stim for me
Enjoyable despite having to listen on Youtube
Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house Our house in the middle of our house
Well-could not find it on Apple, link not good, and I refuse to chase albums down. I listened to their album "Madness" that was the same year (1982), which I found fun and hoppin'. especially with hit "Our House". So it gets a MOR rating of 3, with - points for inconvenience
JL : 2, Madness (Is All In The Mind)
No es mi estilo, no me gustó.
Sehän oli kamalaa. Rallattelua ja pimputtelua joka ei miellyttänyt millään tavalla.
OUR HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STREET, OUR HOUSE! Säikähdin genreä ska, mutta ei tää mikään ska-levy ollu onneks. Torvia löyty himo kasa, ihan varteenotettavaa musiikkia. Ei mee omille soittolistoille, mutta Our House on bängeri.
A few great songs and a few repetitive clunkers.
the only good ska song is Haillie Sellasse, Up Your Ass
Feel a little bit hard on this because it sounds so English in a way I often don’t like. But it’s good man. I like it. Cool band.
At first I was very skeptical but in the end it was very pleasurable. These pianos and guitars all sound really good
So first of all, where can I find the whole record? Tried a couple of Spotify “playlists” but the track order and listing wasn’t consistent with the official track listing. And YouTube is a pain in the ass to listen to in the car. I digress. I kinda cobbled it together from playlists and other recordings. Madness is fun. Ska is fun. Our House is fun. It’s good… a really fun listen when you’re in the mood.
Mr speaker er ret sjov. Næsten keisers orcester over det. Klaver bokser, og et drys umpa. - 1 lyt ufokuseret i 4 bider - 4 ufokuserede gennemlyt senere.. Jeg vender tilbage, men der skal intet til for at flå mine tanker over på noget andet. Så det ender lidt i noget uforløst. 3, med pil op.
Jeg var ret glad for Our House som barn. Og det vanvittige er da stadig meget sjovt. Men når jeg sammenligner med gårsdagens B-52 album holder Madness ikke lige så godt til et helt album.
Not my favorite Madness record, but still it is a Madness record.
I wasn't sure anymore if I still knew the album in its entirety. But as soon as the first notes played, the whole album came back to me. I've been a fan of the band since "One Step Beyond." And this album has been in my collection for a long time, too. “Our House” was played a little too often on my local radio station and now feels a bit overplayed. But since I’ve been streaming more these days, I hear the song less often and I’m starting to like it again. It’s a shame that this is the band’s only album on the list. 5/5
I quite enjoyed this. Some very good songs. I like their style.
Strays over the fine line between catchy and annoying too often
this is a fun album i thought had enough character for me to enjoy it, but maybe not to the point a song stood out or like i'm revisiting it anytime soon.
First listen. Album is not on Apple Music. I listened to the 1983 “Madness” release in place. It shares some of the same tracks.
Highlights: Rise and Fall, Our House. 2.8
I always wanted to like Madness more than I actually did. I know they are huge influence on modern ska but this album is mostly just meh to me. Nothing that really wins me over. I do like their first album but even that doesn't really hit for me. This album is a lot less ska which is even less exciting. Also the brown face on the cover, it's wild that was considered okay in 1982. I dunno this album sucks, couldn't make it through. Almost every song sound the same and it started to grate on me. Ooof the bad accents at the end of New Delhi really were the last nail in the coffin for me.
I was never a big fan (too mannered, I felt), but I am warming to their approach--Blue Skinned Beast a phenomenon deserving endless attention. This is crafty, creative, Kinks-level social awareness/satire.
They're pretty orderly for a band called Madness.
I was unable to listen to this exact album, so I did my best with compilations and such. Overall, it's okay. Our House is clearly a standout and It Must Be Love is cute. The rest were fine, though nothing really grabbed me. I like their detached perspective.
I think MTV put Madness’s Our House on constant rotation for at least two years. They really ruined it for me. It’s all good pop reggae from across the pond, so it’s too bad we only got one song from them here in the USA. It’s more fun than it has any right to, but it’s not really a serious record musically speaking. 3 stars
Albumet har massor låtar som dubletter? Gillade viben ett tag men blev tjatigt efter ett tag.
our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of our house, our house in the middle of ...
Not very mad, is it?
This was fine but nothing really to write home about. I grew up in the 90s ska wave and it is a bit funny to hear the 80s ska wave I wasn't fully aware of
1. hill - 0 2. houze - 2 3. tomorrouu - 0 4. cardz - 0 5. coming - 1 6. fun - 0 7. look - 2 8. car - 0 9. farm - 2 10. bike - 0 11. anthem - 0
A bit goofy and dumb, but not as fun to listen to as you'd reckon. I've always been a bit on the fence about Madness and this doesn't change anything.
Ska would have to be in the top 10 of the worst genres to ever exist
Not my thing
While I was familiar with some of Madness' other music (besides Our House), I had never heard The Rise and Fall. While there is a taste of Two Tone here, there is also some jazz, Indian, and pop. Not bad.
Nen eigenes Haus ist schön, aber mitten auf der Straße? Das' doch nich praktisch
okay
Our house was the only song I knew. Some 80s pop was fun and upbeat.
The song “Our House”, an absolute banger. The rest of this album, is frankly an incoherent mess. I was ready to give this album a 2, but after looking closer at the album cover and the black/brown face one of the members is doing, this is a 1 out of 5. Absolutely trash human being and band for allowing it. BTW when I went to confirm what I was seeing via google, a reddit thread for this challenge’s subreddit popped up… Hoo boy, the amount of people who have taken this challenge that insulted the OP over their concerns, or defended the blackface was gross. Definitely helps confirm what I already expected about so many black and brown artists with amazing albums on this challenge having ridiculously low album ratings.
This was more melancholy than I expected.
I apologize but I couldn't find the album on Spotify and instead listened to a playlist of it but it seemed to have some changes. So if I missed something revolutionary I apologize but tbh this seems like a one song album, "Our House" which is a decent but not great cheesy 80's hit. Don't think we needed a whole album for it. 4/10
Gli do 3 perché Our House è un grande pezzo, però il resto mi sembra troppo spooky scary skeleton
Our House is fun, but this isn’t my vibe. 1.5
A lot of Madness' biggest songs being on here makes it hard to not enjoy it
Interesting. Bold sound
Considering how much I like Our House, I was disappointed that there wasn't a ton beyond that song I liked.
Rating this based on about half the album, which was all that was readily available on Spotify. But I enjoyed that. Our House is still fun and appropriately enough triggers nostalgic feelings for me.
2/5 - Our House is awesome. The rest of this is madness.
3/5
"ska sucks ska revival isn't cool you stupid.... FUCK the bands are only in it for the bucks and if you don't believe me, you're a shmuck but the trend will die out with any luck" - Propagandhi, from their song "Ska Sucks" This isn't ska, though. This is just good
Twas alright
“I hope Mike hurries back with the cure.” “Nope. It’s Madness this week.” The welcome recollection of the Young Ones and the presence of, “Our House,” are the only things saving this from a 2* rating. Absolutely nothing outstanding on any other track, although “Madness (Is All in the Mind)” was a good closing.
I can’t believe apple music is missing this album. Maybe not as good as their previous album but still solid (with a couple of their greatest hits).
This was fine. Another one in the pile for "not bad but is this really one of the 1001 albums I *have* to hear before I die?" I think I may have a bit more muted of a reaction due to this album taking extra effort to find in the US and not being amazing enough to really justify the extra time spent hunting. The praise for this album seems to largely come from what a striking evolution it is for Madness to go from a silly, fun-time ska band (I gather from reading up on them that they were something like an 80s version of the Aquabats) to more serious and mature arrangements with broader instrumentation. But not having any direct knowledge of that context (I've never heard this band before), the album doesn't seem particularly impressive or daring on its own. On its own, it just feels like a competent album with some slightly more ambitious instrumentation and semi-off-kilter energy. I will say the lyrics are pretty witty though.
Like Madness, but way too long
Long even though its Madness
This one of the lamest albums on this list. It is just soooooo British and sounds like circus music. This whole thing is just so painfully average at best. In a vacuum I think I would have given this a low 3, but I was super not in the mood for this today, and this is like their only album not on spotify, so I had to hear liberty mutual ads in between each song. Low 2.
One of the best things of 1982. Excellent Ska with forays into so many musical genres that hadn't previously been used in Ska prior to this. It really showed how broad the reach of the music could be. This is why so many bands fell by the wayside but Madness is still on tour. A sublime morning listen.
This album cover really paints the 2-tone movement in a terrible light & unfortunately left a bad taste in my mouth from the jump... I really wanted to like this one, but I actually found it quite boring. Everything beyond "Our House" was pretty flat & forgettable (and I only remember that one because I've been hearing it my whole life). I can see why this song is the only one that caught on in the U.S. It wasn't quite as peppy as I expected from a ska band, and I was left feeling disappointed. 2.5/5 Favorite track: Our House
A lot of nostalgia for Madness as their greatest hits was one of the first albums I bought. Listening again after all this years was a bit of a struggle to be honest. Suggs vocals are pretty irritating and whilst they do have some catchy tunes (like our house) - it all feels a bit moronic and music for people who don't really like music. A very low 3
I like Madness. They've had a lot of good hits. Not sure picking a concept album with only 1.5 hits is the best choice. Not aged well with the casual racism of New Delhi Indian accent voice over and the blackface on the album cover.
I had only heard "Our House" before listening to this and wow this band is so much more than their biggest hit. Every song brings something unique to the table. Don't like a song? That's okay the next one will sound completely different. Great energy, really fun listening. Favorite Track - Our House Least Favorite Track - Primrose Hill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great in every way
To me, Madness peaked with their debut, and had a hurrah with their second album, but The Rise and Fall sees them try a more poppier approach instead of the 2 Tone that made them fun. Our House is the standout, and that's only because our third-grade English teacher made us listen to it and discuss it in class. Ah, the good old days of elementary school...
Not bad
Though never released in America, The Rise & Fall became the catalyst for worldwide Madness popularity thanks to the smash single, Our House. It was a breakthrough hit on MTV, eventually bringing it to western shores in 1983 via a Madness compilation. Sadly this gem of a record it came from still hasn't seen an official North American release, even all these years later. It's a shame because it definitely shows a creative band that's far more talented than they get credit for. Madness may be known for their influence on the 90s ska scene, but The Rise & Fall is the product of a band so much bigger and better than that pigeonhole.
Not really the ska I was expecting, but it was very British.
Our House! I had no idea this is who sang that song. I really liked this album, kind of reminded me of Squeeze a bit.
1.5 - This isn't bad per se. Parts of the songs, just feel out of place and make me feel uncomfortable. I'm sure that they're doing this on purpose for some complicated musical reason, but it's not for me. I'm also annoyed that this album wasn't on Apple Music.
my dads fav band, been listening to them since i was a young kid lol. i hate to admit it but he has great taste.
Album n.10 The album has some theater like sounds to it which I do like a lot. That being said other songs where kind of boring. New Delhi gave off bad vibes and the guy on the cover is in brown face- ew, gross. Standout tracks: primrose Hill, Mr. Speaker, tiptoes, calling cards. On the edge with this one... I give it 3.35
#59 Our House is doing the heavy lifting here. Everything else is scattered and forgettable.
There wasn't anything particularly bad here and I kind of appreciated the unique sound of the band. It just got a little too silly to the point of having actual carnival music in there. I wouldn't put this on my own must-listen list. I've heard 'Our House' so many damn times in my life already anyway.
Ska influenced pop rock. If it weren't a band I'd strip the rock bit, it's so commercial. Saturated with cookie cutter compositions that sound ok. This is a tolerable album with an occasional Jamaican detail. Horns here, quick guitar chords there. If this is modern ska, I can see why the genre died. 2.1/5
English band I never heard of. Regular occurrence on this list. Spotify doesn’t seem to have the original album in its original order so going to listen to what I find on here. I recognized Our House. It’s all just 80s pop music to me. Hear the more horn heavy sound in some of it. Not sure if this is a fair representation of the album because it’s missing the bulk of the original album. Not sure how to fairly ratethis a number but would’ve probably been a 2.
Unfortunately this album and some songs aren't on Spotify. Others can be found are on compilation albums. The album is more experimental new wave and pop than 2 tone. It has relatively complex arrangements with a Syd Barret, "carnivalesque", Danny Elfman vibe from the keyboards and horns. After listening to the album a few times I found I really like it. There are a few weaker songs but there are others that are better than Our House such as Mr. Speaker and Sunday Morning.
This album is so frustrating to me. First off I appreciate that they really pushed outside the ska bubble and blended in some really original sounding genres. However that has its own problems. For example the moment where this album had me the MOST interested was also the moment near the end of the song where I was the MOST disappointed. So there’s a song on the album called “New Delhi” and it immediately grabbed my attention and I loved the Indian musical influence on the song but then I got to end of the song. And there’s no way to sugarcoat this, they start doing racist stereotypical Indian voices and it totally ruined the song for me. It made the whole song feel gross and in bad taste. Which is embarrassing cause I didn’t even notice the blatant brown face on the cover which is also “a product of its time”. It just really undermines the whole project for me. Which is a real bummer cause it had promise with the way they also brought in jazz to the party. But at the end of the day “our house” is a fucking banger! That song is totally timeless. I just wish I could say the same for any of the rest of the album. And I really thought about what could they do to address this. And to be fair it’s a 40yr old album so I don’t think it’s really that important to anybody. They literally became a one hit wonder. But if they did want to fix this and rerelease the album for like a repressing, all they would have to do is end New Delhi before the racism, and just make a new album cover of the band on tour or just a nice piece of artwork from a talented artist would be fine. But I’m sure they won’t go through all that trouble so that some guy MIGHT buy a copy. That being said, our house is so good that it stops this album from being a 1.
A very boring album! 3 songs I knew here which were very good. Shame the rest of the album were not like those 3 ⭐️
Perfect! "Our House" is a masterpiece. "Tiptoes" is perfect.
no lo he escuchado lo siento estaba viendo a españa ser campeona del mundo
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I grew up with Madness. They have some great songs but are more of a singles band than an album band. And I don’t think this is their best album. Alright, though!
Nutty boys done good.
A: Jag lovar att dom har hattar på sig. Rätt mängd av brass-instrument och ojämna takter och rytmer. Skulle ha kunnat ge en del av sin whimsy åt "Triangle"... Helt bra helt solid förutom den dip som skedde vid "Our house" och några låtar framåt. "New Delhi" kändes som cultural appropriation. 3,5/5 (B eller C tier) D: Milennialcore till den grad att jag svär att Our House e gjord 2010. Liksom genuint otänkbart att det skulle vara något annat. Sen igen är det brittiskt så det förklarar en hel del. Gillade Mr Speaker Gets the Word. Överlag var den nog tillräckligt intressant och whimsy. 4/5
A typical Madness album with great singles accompanied by forgettable filler. Ironic that as they got better at playing, composing and arranging they became less interesting. An extra star for Our House though, which is utterly superb.
I couldn’t find this album on my streaming service since it was a UK only release. Instead, I listened to the 1983 US release “Madness” which includes 6 of the same tracks. It was a fun listen for sure!
Rise and fall - 4 Tomorrow's (just another day) - 3 Blue skinned beast - 3 Primrose hill - 3 Mr speaker (gets the word) - 4 Sunday morning - 4 Our house - 5 Tiptoes - 3 New delhi - 3 That face - 3 Calling cards - 3 Are you coming (with me) - 3 Madness (is all in the mind) - 3
Outside the controversies of the album cover and a couple songs, I really enjoyed listening to this. There’s a few bangers like the obvious Our House, but I quite liked the experimental style throughout. A good listen
Ein großer Hit. Der Rest geht so.
Good fun as expected, was never going to blow me away but enjoyed it
A nice step into the past.
Never heard such a classic song come from such a shit album. I mean seriously, I like riding in my car with a I like riding on my bike remix… I like turning this shit the fuck off.
It's nice to finally know who sang "Our House" because I've heard it before and never thought to look up who it was by. Outside that song, this album didn't really give me much to look back fondly on. Although I will say I appreciated the group's desire to make a fun record, albeit this probably would've been more fun and enjoyable listening to this in when it came out.
Slightly strange album. Has a bit of rag-time piano influence throughout the thing. Most of the songs are pretty fun and I’ve never heard them, aside from “Our House”, which I was super surprised to hear in the middle of this otherwise very different album. 3.4/5.0
this list has a lot of full albums that just contain like one one-hit-wonder song. this is one of them. I don't hate the rest of the album but I can't imagine that this is the best the 80s had to offer
I'm not fond of ska so no surprise I didn't think much of this. Much like with The Specials sounding like Sainsbury's advert music, for me Madness are like novelty music, alternating between something you would hear in Chucklevision and Pinky and the Brain or something. Our House definitely, House of Fun and Driving in my Car doesn't help go against that I just can't imagine sitting listening to this for actual enjoyment 2.5 Highlights: That Face
This just makes me happy. Great ska and with other influences too. But it's really well done too, musically.
Well when I saw this I said “oh no another British old rock album, my queue is full of them!”, but for some reason I already had the most streamed song of the album Our House in my playlist, even though I did not recognise it. And even more, I liked other tracks more like Mr Speaker, Madness, Tiptoes, Are You Coming, even the least streamed one Tomorrow’s, and of course Driving in my car. That is one consistent album. And it also taught me after checking what new wave and what bands are classified here, and after having The Smiths and Tears for Fears each with one 5 star album, that I must like this new wave rock thing
Not much going on here that I found interesting. Of course, ‘Our House’ is a cute little song, but not enough to save the album. Feels like a pale imitation of Squeeze or maybe brushes against XTC every now and then, but no where near the depth of either of those. Bland. I was surprised to have 2 in a row unavailable on the major streaming platforms. Frankly, a little annoyed to have to use YouTube to listen to music.
I'm convinced some albums made it on this list because of one hit song, which I feel ruins the spirit of this exercise. One point for Our House (which sounds nothing like the rest of the album), one point in general for the talent of the musicians, not the songs themselves.
There's a reason the only song I heard out of this album was Our House, and it will likely be the only one I hear again. Everything here feels very cartoonish Favorite Songs: Blue Skinned Beast, Our House
Only 2 of the songs on the original album are on Spotify. BUT one of them slaps
A proper British album from my youth. There is some absolute gold on this album but there is also a bit of filler. Good though and I have to admit that I didn’t expect to see the Nutty Boys on this list. Pleasant surprise!
Our House is a good track, the rest is listenable
~ INCOMPLETE ~ streaming not avail at time, will circle back later
Ok but not great.
I loved the song Our House as a little kid (and used to think the house was literally in the middle of the street - where cars drive). I came in with high hopes for the album, but the rest was just OK.
There's a distinctive sound and artistic approach.
A couple of good songs, but quite a few that are only mediocre.
Fav song: Our House
Fun, little quirky record. Kinda circus blues pop. Doesn't really do much for me as it has a lot of manic moments and creates more anxiety for me than anything. It's boppy and not terrible. Oh, and they do that "Our house" song -- cool.
Výborný album od nich. Mám ich dva predchádzajúce albumy a neviem sa rozhodnúť, ktorý z nich je najlepší. Prídu mi všetky rovnako dobré.
What's the first sign of madness? That's right, it's the heavy heavy monster sound. Quite ambivalent towards Madness. Moments of greatness mixed with plenty of midrange ska silliness.
I suppose it makes sense them picking this one for Madness. It seems more important because of it being a bit conceptual and having more complex arrangements. Really you could have any of the Barson ones from their original run.
This was a great listen. Really enjoyed it. They've got a dark wacky vibe. Very unique
I'd only heard "Our House" from this and was kind of surprised. It's smart pop music with intricate arrangements, great playing and production, and interesting songs in an autobiographical style. Points off for the guy in Brownface on the album cover and for the racist overtones of "New Delhi." Otherwise, I really enjoyed this and it was good to hear this group beyond their ska beginnings.
Didn't realise these guys did Our House. Prefer the CSNY variety but pretty good song, the rest here was alright but kind of came and went without anything remarkable. Maybe I'm being unfair and it deserves another listen but wasn't super impressed
This wasn’t good. At all
Our house carries hard
not their best
I like a bit of Madness, but always found them to be a singles band.
Some cracking tunes here but loses a point for the blackface on the cover
Interesting, but not enjoyable
More britpop that I mildly enjoyed
bauhaus in the middle of baustreet
I like this one
It's madness. It's not too bad, they can write a good tune. They are more than a bit annoying across the course of a whole album.
Loved this. It's impressive how they have so much energy and humour without ever becoming just novelty songs. Shocking that a two-tone band couldn't see that the casual racism of 'New Delhi' and having someone in brownface on the cover was a problem though.
Great tunes, set off by nostalgia of remembering it coming out when I was in primary school ha
Great vibes, good tracks, sometimes a bit too whimsical.
Good album, no real fillers. Hit singles and quality song writing. A 3/4
I am fed up with this new wave crap
There’s a pretty good hit single on The Rise & Fall—one that just about everybody knows—but beyond that, I’m struggling to understand what these English dudes were doing. I know Madness is British. I know this came out in the ’80s. I know their whole thing is supposed to be quirky, theatrical, and a little goofy. But a lot of this album sounds less like clever pop and more like children’s music performed by grown men wearing funny hats. There are moments where the band’s personality is undeniable, and the big single is strong enough to keep the album from being a total loss. Still, the rest feels overly silly, scattered, and difficult to take seriously. Maybe the humor and cultural references land better if you grew up in Britain, but from where I’m sitting, it often sounds like a bunch of talented musicians messing around instead of making a cohesive album. The hit is a classic. The rest? You gotta do better.
Our House is the strongest song on here. The rest of the album is fine, but the rest don't quite rise to the level of greatness of Our House.
This is mad house music. Like music they play in the looney bin. 6/10
I love Madness and this definitely their best album. There are some of their finest tracks here “Tomorrow”, my favourite “Our House” and if you select the reissue “Drive my car” and “House of fun” (how was that their only number 1). You just cant beat that bass at the beginning of “Our House” The album tracks are all strong and enjoyable, capturing the Nutty Boys at their peak. They genuinely feel unique in UK music as they blend ska snd pop so well, with the piano and horns making things instantly recognisable as Madness. Part of me wants to give this a big fat five but think it falls just short
I expected to like this more than I did, but it seems like Madness will be one of those bands that I only like their singles. Obviously “Our House” is a classic, and is my favourite Madness song. However, were it not for the fact I listened to the reissued track-list, which had “House of Fun” and “Driving in my Car” on it, this would have disappointed me a lot more than it did. I liked it more than yesterday’s, which scraped a 3* mark by virtue of there not being half mark options. But this isn’t strong enough overall for a 4* for me.
There's some absolute classics on this record and I love ska, so you'd expect this to be a guaranteed 5⭐ from me... But I enjoyed this less than I expected. Its all relative obviously - I liked it far better than 90% of what I've been subjected to by this generator. I couldn't tell you why either. Maybe I need another listen, when I'm in a better mood. But for the moment, its a 3.5 rounded down: 3/5
Madness was one of the first albums I ever bought... on tape! While my love for them has waned... I still enjoyed this.
МЫ БУДЕМ ТРАХАТЬСЯ ПОД СКА
Mu largo
'Our House' is super catchy and fun but most of the other songs just reminded me of the theme song to 'Thomas the Tank Engine'
Man what a disappointment. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I am very fond of Madness live, but this album was just very boring. I don't know what could have made it better but this just wasn't it. 2/5
Always liked Madness, and this is one of their better albums. "Tomorrow's Just Another Day", "Blue Skinned Beast", and of course "Our House." Might be a bit on the long side with some filler in there, but overall a good one.
I feel like this is one of those you had to be there to understand. I have heard Our House so many times and have never heard any of the other tracks from this album. I feel like when one song is so iconic and we'll known by everyone, the rest of the music on this album just doesn't even sound like its the same band. Did these guys know that was going to be the hit at the time. Did it stand out from the rest of the album at the time. This I will never know, as I was only in the 2nd grade, and my only memory is Our House on the radio all the time.
5/10
british ska revival pop music. if you've heard that repeated 80s hit song on the radio that goes "our house. in the middle of our street, our house. in the middle of our street, our house. in the middle-" this is the album where this single calls home. new-wave... ish... pop music, basically. if there's one thing i can praise about this album right off the bat? its cleanliness and consistency. like seriously, especially with other artists in this genre sphere... these recordings are really sharp and measured, and i can't help but admire that. some of the tracks are more straightforward, some are a little more playful. if there's one thing that i don't like as much about this album, it's how homogeneous it sounds. like i would love it so much if these guys could make their tracks a liiiiiittle more different from one another. even if it's tiny. i really cannot complain too much though considering the songs are still... they're good songs! would love to learn how to write songs like these.
Was just looking at photos the Go-Go’s posted of being on tour with Madness. Fun times.
You know the album is important when its not even on your major streaming app. Ive never heard this Madness album, which is a surprise because where I come from Our House is their biggest hit It was better than I expected. 3.5 but rounding up
I actually liked this a lot. Fun and interesting.
Not for me man
Ahhhh - Madness. Their actual Magnum Opus (The Liberty of Norton Folgate - not a dud on even the two-disc version of that album) isn't on this list. Instead, we just get this, the album with their biggest hit. Which is... okay. But can't touch Norton Folgate. Anyway, Madness (almost) always get the joyful melancholia mix just right, which just resonates right with me. Very well-produced, especially for the 80s, and just a very tight outfit.
80’s english pop/rock/jazz, sgt pepper
not on apple music. lot of bad ones.
it's fine. would rather listen to The Specials
A good album with some songs I actually knew.
01) Rise and Fall - 7,0 02) Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) - 7,5 03) Blue Skinned Beast - 7,0 04) Primrose Hill - 7,0 05) Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word) - 7,0 06) Sunday Morning - 7,0 07) Our House - 10,0 08) Tiptoes - 7,0 09) New Delhi - 7,0 10) That Face - 7,0 11) Calling Cards - 7,0 12) Are You Coming (With Me) - 7,0 13) Madness (Is All in the Mind) - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,31 (73/100)
Gibts bei Amazon nicht
In contrast to popular internet opinion, I quite enjoy ska. My ska taste goes towards the ska punk and it is shame to say but I had not really heard about Madness before. From this album I knew the song Our House but I would not have known who is it by. Album is quite cool and definitely sounds like a concept album (mentioned in the wikipedia). Based on my harsh criteria, only two stars but I did enjoy this one.
Longest 43 minutes of my life
A very solid pop rock album.
The band name is good but I fear this is just pure 80’s sounding junk. It’s not crap, take note. It’s junk. It’s what the 80’s represented. A lack of complexity ran rampant in that decade. It works for when it was made, I’ll say that.
I just like it a lot❤️Thx
I’ll be honest, I had a prejudged opinion on Madness and wasn’t really looking forward to this. Few bangers on it and was pleasantly surprised
Decent 80’ album with some of their big hits on there, most of the tracks I hadn’t heard of but was probably in keeping with what I would expect to be ‘their style. Solid 3/5
Too bright to be post punk, too dark to be new wave... I don't know how to feel about this one but it wasn't bad
It's always strange when I'm forced to realize that I had never even considered who made a very famous song that I hear frequently. Now I know. This album was fine. Got a little grating towards the end.
++: Rise and Fall, Primrose Hill, Our House, Madness (Is All in the Mind) +: Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), Blue Skinned Beast, Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word), Sunday Morning, Calling Cards, Are You Coming (With Me) +-: Tiptoes, New Delhi, That Face 6,7/10
This album made me think about why a song becomes popular. It has on it one of Madness's most well known songs "Our house". This song will be played forever more as an 80s hit. However songs like "Primrose hill" that are in exactly the same vain won't. I enjoyed this album, but I was surprised that it just didn't feel as up tempo or lighthearted as I expected. And didn't have the high energy as ska or two tone bands like The Specials or The Selecter. "New Dehli" is a very much from a different time and not really alright anymore. (3.4000)
Very hit or miss
Meni su oni dosta slatki, čak i beyond hita Our House. Ali ono što me dosta iznenadilo je kategorizacija kao ska bend, meni tu ništa ne zvuči kao ska. Bilo bi mi čudno da mi se sviđa ska bend, pa sam samo eto ostala zbunjena ovim iskustvom. 🤣 Ima par pjesama koje su mi baš pasale, a hit je hitčina. 3/5, 6/10
Never really been a fan of Madness listening to their singles or their innumerable festival appearances, but I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would...
First song and our house were great. The rest was a haunted carnival
4/10
Includes the iconic "Our House" - fun 80s Brit Rock.
Il faut relever que cet album contient l'un des meilleurs titres des années 80, qui a bercé toute mon enfance, et dont Damidot a toujours l'air en tête à ce jour, aucun doute à ce sujet. Empreint d'une couleur propre à Madness, très reconnaissable tout au long de l'album, il est plein de sonorités qui sortent de l'ordinaire, toutes plus surprenantes les unes que les autres. Malgré ce début de paragraphe qui semble très favorable, l'album ne marque pas plus que ça, étonnant quand on repense à ce jingle banger. Seuls certains titres cracheront leurs sonorités dans les hauts-parleurs de notre maison, à commencer par (et principalement) ce chef-d'œuvre-ci.
One star for "Our House" and absolutely nothing for the rest of it.
I occasionally found myself moving to the beat but not much else.
Very interesting album. If I didn't know the release date going in, then I genuinely wouldnt be able to tell you what era this album is from. There's so many influences and blended styles that are all over the place yet used in a very cohesive way that nails down Maddness' style. There's psychedelic 60's brittish invasion, with 40's jazz brass, and 80's synth beats. It's so eclectic but formed together in such a skillful way. My favorite track was "Primrose Hill."
Has a cool vibe I like Will I listen to again: 50%
A lot of this rating is riding on the song Our House
This was alright, but nothing more. One of the more dubious album covers I’ve seen so far.
hmm, very 'dad' music, but some undeniable bangers on here. can sometimes hear some BCNR in some of the instrumentation
Great album taking ska into a more popular field of music which made it "easy" to listen to. Still, a good album with great songs.
This was actually pretty annoying
Annoyingly, this album is not on Apple Music (my streamer of choice) and I am guessing that it not being released in the US (according to the Wikipedia entry) is the culprit. When I have encountered this issue in the past, I have always been able to find some version of the full album on YouTube, but NOT THIS TIME! Fortunately a couple of people have created Playlists on YouTube, sequencing individual tracks together to Frankenstein the album. This is more effort than I usually like to start my 1001 Albums week with... I only know the Madness songs I remember from MTV - "Our House," of course, and "House of Fun" - but always felt like I had a pretty good grasp on what the rest of their music sounded like based on those two songs. This album is the proof I was right. I guess I was slightly surprised at how few of the songs had "House" in their titles. But otherwise this sounded like I imagined. The last track, "Madness (Is All in the Mind)," reminded me a lot of the Peggy Lee song "Fever" that Pee Wee Herman used to dance to. I googled them together and was not able to find any connection between them. This was fine. It's ska. It's not really my cup of tea.
I think it’s pretty cool. Our House is great. I’ll admit I was only half paying attention.
If The Kinks were a ska band in 1982, I reckon they would like this album. Pretty good stuff!
This is a classic British band. Some great songs like Our House but a lot of it was weird.
The start of the album was enjoyable but by the end it was sounding like children's tv show themes, so two it is
Pop, new wave, 2 tone.
One of my favourite bands
Madness certainly has a distinctive sound with the horns and Suggs talky, Ian Dury style vocals. They have some good songs over the course of their runs although I think of them as more of a singles band than an albums band. Listening to this supported that preconception. It's fine but not many highlights
The Spotify album doesn’t seem to have the same track order as the original release. That's disappointing, I wish I knew before hitting play so I could have adjusted the playlist. Reading the Wikipedia while listening to the first track, I was pretty surprised to see them called a ska band. I do hear the ska in later tracks, but good for them for pulling from some other influences and doing what none of the ska bands in the 90s could seem to do (not be obnoxious). Everything was going well until “Driving In My Car”, which was a real vibe killer. What a terrible thing to put on a 7”.
nice Ska Album
**Madness – *The Rise & Fall* (1982)** Released in October 1982, *The Rise & Fall* is widely regarded as Madness’s first true “album” rather than merely a collection of singles. It marked a creative turning point where the band deliberately moved beyond their nutty ska-pop persona to craft a loosely conceptual record about childhood, London life, and the passage of time. Band members themselves have referred to it as their *Sgt. Pepper*—a statement of artistic ambition that, while not without flaws, remains their most coherent and critically celebrated studio work. --- ### **Overview & Concept** The original idea was to write about growing up in London, chronicling the band’s shared childhood experiences. While the concept loosened as writing progressed, the thematic thread of nostalgia, working-class life, and the bittersweet passage of time remains strong. As Suggs later noted, “It was the first album we made that was an album, not just a collection of songs.” The result is a record that feels like a musical stroll through 1970s and early-1980s Britain—part kitchen-sink drama, part music-hall variety show. --- ### **Musical Style & Production** **Production:** Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who had produced Madness’s previous records, returned for this album, but their approach shifted. Rather than pulling “all the stops” only for obvious singles, the band focused on making every track album-worthy. The production is clean, spacious, and surprisingly sophisticated for 1982, recorded at George Martin’s Air Studios in London. **Musical Range:** This is Madness at their most experimental. While their ska and reggae roots remain audible, the album incorporates: - **British music hall** (piano-driven numbers like *Primrose Hill* and *Calling Cards*) - **Jazz** (*Madness (Is All in the Mind)*, *Sunday Morning*) - **New Wave** (*Sunday Morning*’s jagged guitar interruptions) - **Eastern/Indian influences** (*New Delhi*) - **Orchestral pop** (brass and string arrangements by David Bedford) The arrangements are dense and layered—horns, keyboards, glockenspiel, multiple vocal lines, and Mark Bedford’s melodic bass all compete for space, yet the mix rarely feels cluttered. As one reviewer noted, the album “defies convention and will remind you of everything from the Cat Empire to Queen and Zappa.” --- ### **Lyrical Themes & Song-by-Song Highlights** **Childhood & Nostalgia:** - **“Rise and Fall”** – The title track sets the album’s nostalgic tone, with Suggs reminiscing about “forgotten moments” before and after an unspecified disaster. It’s mid-paced, grand, and establishes the album’s reflective mood. - **“Our House”** – The album’s centerpiece and biggest hit. A flawless pop song about working-class family life, it won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Pop Song in 1983. Its influence persists through countless covers, adverts, and even football chants. **Working-Class Monotony & Escapism:** - **“Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day)”** – A top-10 single about the grind of daily life, contrasting downbeat verses with an upbeat chorus. Elvis Costello guested on a slower version for the 12” release. - **“Primrose Hill”** – A character study of an older man nostalgic for lost possibilities, driven by jaunty piano and brass. **Political Commentary:** - **“Blue-Skinned Beast”** – Rare political territory for Madness. Written by saxophonist Lee Thompson, it addresses the Falklands War, with the title referencing the blue body bags used to transport fallen soldiers home. It’s one of the album’s most musically jarring tracks, with abrupt shifts between major and minor keys. **Mental Health & Alienation:** - **“Mr Speaker (Gets the Word)”** – A character study of an escaped patient from Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum (a real London institution later renamed Friern Hospital). It’s darkly humorous yet sympathetic, typical of the album’s tonal complexity. - **“Tiptoes”** – A claustrophobic, panicked track about a man seemingly driven to suicide by nightmares. Suggs’ lyrics are deliberately opaque, leaving the narrator’s ultimate fate ambiguous. **Social Observation & Character Studies:** - **“Calling Cards”** – Suggs plays a minor criminal on the Old Kent Road planning a sorting-office robbery. It’s more *Ladykillers* than *Krays*—knockabout comedy propelled by a mighty Mike Barson piano solo. - **“That Face”** – A bridge between early Madness and their later melancholic phase. Suggs confronts aging and abandonment, with Barson’s piano and Bedford’s bass creating tension and airiness in the gaps. **Experimental Departures:** - **“New Delhi”** – Mike Barson’s solo composition about traveling in India. Musically closer to Blancmange than typical Madness, it’s the track most detached from the album’s London concept. - **“Sunday Morning”** – A hangover song that starts like New Wave, settles into smooth contemplation, then lets jagged riffs stab back in. It’s “wonderfully unsettling” and evokes the disorientation of the morning after. - **“Are You Coming (With Me)”** – A somber, mature album track about worrying for a friend wasting their life. It feels like the “real” ending before the poppier epilogue of *Madness (Is All in the Mind)*. --- ### **Critical Reception & Influence** *The Rise & Fall* was included in the book *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*, cementing its status as a classic. AllMusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine compared it to The Kinks’ *Village Green Preservation Society* and Blur’s *Parklife*—albums that capture a specific moment of British pop life with wit and effervescence. He noted that despite the evident influence of The Kinks and Ian Dury, the album remains “recognizably Madness in sound and sensibility.” The album’s influence extends to later British pop. Its blend of music-hall nostalgia, social observation, and genre-hopping anticipated the Britpop era, particularly bands like Blur and Pulp. Cardiacs guitarist Kavus Torabi has cited it as one of his favorite albums. --- ### **Pros** 1. **Cohesive Vision:** Unlike their sometimes-patchy earlier albums, *The Rise & Fall* holds together as a unified listening experience. The concept, while loose, gives the record narrative momentum. 2. **Musical Ambition:** The band pushes far beyond ska into jazz, music hall, and orchestral pop without losing their identity. The arrangements are inventive and richly detailed. 3. **Lyrical Maturity:** Suggs and the band tackle politics, mental health, aging, and working-class life with humor and pathos. The character studies are sharply observed. 4. **“Our House”:** Simply one of the greatest pop songs ever written about family life—timeless, universal, and perfectly constructed. 5. **Production Quality:** Langer and Winstanley achieve a clean, spacious sound that has aged remarkably well. The instrumentation is clear and dynamic. 6. **Standout Deep Cuts:** Tracks like *That Face*, *Are You Coming (With Me)*, and *Mr Speaker* reward repeated listening and demonstrate the band’s range beyond singles. --- ### **Cons** 1. **Inconsistent Quality Control:** While the highs are very high, not every experiment succeeds. *New Delhi* is widely considered a weak point—an unfocused departure that breaks the album’s London concept and verges on cultural appropriation with its fake Indian accents in the outro. 2. **Filler Accusations:** Despite the band’s intention to make every track count, songs like *New Delhi* and, for some listeners, *Calling Cards* or *Blue-Skinned Beast* feel like lesser efforts compared to the album’s peaks. 3. **Suggs’ Vocal Limitations:** Suggs’ distinctive but limited voice can become wearing over a full album. The band compensates with backing vocals and instrumental variety, but it remains a constraint. 4. **Aged Elements:** The album cover features a band member in brownface (as a “nutty professor” character), which has aged extremely poorly and has been criticized as racist. Some streaming services have obscured the cover, and it remains a stain on the album’s legacy. 5. **Concept Drift:** The original childhood-in-London concept was abandoned partway through writing, leaving some tracks (*New Delhi* especially) feeling disconnected from the album’s thematic core. 6. **Not Their Biggest US Success:** Despite *Our House* becoming their biggest American hit, the album itself was not even released in the US in its original form—Geffen Records instead compiled a different tracklist for American listeners, suggesting label uncertainty about its commercial viability as a whole. --- ### **Verdict** *The Rise & Fall* is Madness’s most accomplished studio album—a record that captures a band transitioning from singles merchants to serious album artists without sacrificing their essential charm. It is flawed, certainly; the concept unravels in places, a few tracks miss the mark, and the album cover controversy is impossible to ignore. Yet when it works, as it does on *Our House*, *Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day)*, *That Face*, and the title track, it achieves a rare blend of wit, melancholy, and musical inventiveness that places it alongside the great British concept albums. For anyone seeking to understand Madness beyond the hits, or British pop beyond the obvious canon, it is essential listening.
Like Mr. Bungle if Mr. bungle lacked conviction, hard drugs, and severe, debilitating mental illness.
Our House is the only memorable track on the album. The rest falls into being forgettable 80's music.
As my kids would say - Goofy
Our House sounds as good as ever. The album is fun & short.
Not so bad, Our House is catchy. If you had to pick like 1-2 of these for the list this could be one of them, sure. Too much of this sort of thing on the list though.
Not a bad sound for an album from the 1980s This list has made me so jaded to British music of the 1980s, but this is fine. Our House is of course a catchy tune. I'll round up to a 3.
Best Track - "Our House"
Our House is a good song. The rest is somewhat mid.
Not fun or interesting enough to commit an hour and a half to this. RYM: N Saved a song: N
NEM TERMINEI AINDA MAS CHATO PRA CARALHO PQP
Very samey but very fun
I miss the old Kanye
Nothing like a certified banger in the middle of an album to emphasize how meandering everything else feels
nah really not for me
Kind of strange how much better "Our House" is than everything else. Not to say the rest is bad, just kind of messy and uncatchy.
It's like if Mr. Bungle's 1st album was boring.
This was not good. But unlike Mariah Carey’s bullshit, I would not leave it in the middle of our street.
Amazing, almost a 5. “Our house” gets glazed imo. Fav track: “Rise and fall”
I was bought the cassette of 'Complete Madness' for my 12th birthday which featured 'House of fun' as the new single. Add to this 'Driving in my car', 'Our house' and 'Tomorrow's just another day' and you have evidence this was one of the best singles acts of the era, period. I was wondering where 'Cardiac arrest' was, to be honest. I was thinking this album could be worth five stars after the title track and a few other early ones, and I'm sure that this album may well have been the inspiration for the 'Our House' musical. One can tell that this is a more piano dominated album than ska based and it is the production of Langer and Winstanley that stands out - I think this may be a concept album about their growing up, but 1982 was not the year for that type of record.
Experimental album that has a bit of a Tim Burton / Danny Elfman vibe. Lots of unexpected chord progressions and rhythms that made it really interesting to listen to. Our House is a great song and the change-ups in the chorus are a fun gimmick. Not sure if this will be a mainstay but I do want to listen again. A shame it's not on Tidal because I would have picked a few songs for the playlist.
This is considered ska? This is like Depeche Mode, Dire Straits, and the Beatles wrapped into one.
Lovely. Practically a concept album both in tone and theme. Mature meaningful songwriting, but still sharp witty and fun.
The fact that I slept badly probably did not contribute to my feelings about this turd. I may have given it a three on another day.
big 2
“Our House” was such a commonly sung tune in my home growing up whenever we moved so that was fun!! Otherwise uhhhh it was fine
Never particularly been a fan of Madness but I don't mind the majority of their singles I've heard. Too much of this didn't land though and I'm thinking a best ofis about the limit of what I want from them.
The band name checks out as this album literally drives you mad, listening to the same refrain over and over and over again.
Last track Madness a blatant rip-off of fever which is the kind of dreams this album inspires. Toronto band The Dishes did this genre better.
Ska sucks, can’t believe it’s a genre people genuinely enjoy, but Our House is a banger so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
sin mássss im sorreyyy
This hits the boundary between fun and obnoxious and I think it’s over the obnoxious line. Our house is a classic of course, the rest not worth revisiting.
Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Alright - I enjoy Madness' big hits but have never listened to an album. I don't know if it's just the London accents but I can't help but be reminded of The Jam when listening to this. Obviously it's quite different musically. Bouncy and jaunty with a slightly uneasy, seasick undertone. I really enjoy the chorus of Blue Skinned Beast. Sunday Morning is good as well. Our House is the clear standout, a fantastic tune. Decent album.
this is one of those albums on the list where you left wondering why its on here until you get to the one song popular song on the album and then you sort of understand why its here but not really at all
I don’t see the draw to this album. I’m familiar with Madness but this sounds like background music. Nothing is standing out in any way. Finally got to “our house”. Unless the rest of the songs shift as well, this song feels very out of place here. So there has been a shift but only for a song. Other than our house I don’t get why anyone cares about this album.
This was allllright I suppose. The instrumentation is quite diverse and very rich and colourful, sounds quite cabaret in parts. The singer sounds a lot like Paul Weller (from The Jam.) And of course this has the iconic song "Our House" which has left quite a mark on me. It seems like that I'll be always hearing that chorus in my head with it going over and over again and never managing to end; it's like my life-long punishment for a crime that I'm not sure what I did to deserve it. Probably wouldn't give it another listen - it's not the best - but I know one thing for sure is that "Our House" will be stuck rent-free in my head, and will be forcing unwanted listens forever. So this album technically won't be fully going away for me. Highlight Song/s: "Mr Speaker (Gets the Word)"
..
racist drek. between the cover and "new delhi", it is an insult to even consider debating this album on the merits as if any merit is equivalent to something so gross. you'd think a ska revival act would maybe be a little more racially conscious given whose musical cultural they are taking. thankfully there aren't any merits here anyway so arguably it's both taking and butchering because this was just miserable. the only song that at least halfway has anything going for it is "our house", but even then, it's not worth suffering the rest of the album. the way the vocalist sings this on top of everything else is genuinely nails on chalkboard tier.
If I can draw your attention to the cover art here, you'll notice an elephant in the room. One that's gonna make rating this positively quite hard. I wonderf if they themselves are aware of this because its also the only album quite hard to find on streaming services in any official form, it's on the Madness Youtube but seemingly only in the past year and due to being uploaded by an independent music company. I feel like Madness has one reaaaally good albums worth of songs spread across numerous albums and singles releases. The rest is somewhere between okay and pretty good. Our House is the star here with Madness (Is All in The Mind) a not-so-close runner up. Madness' own youtube playlist has House of Fun in it despite not actually being on the album, which is unfortunate because I really love that song. It's probably between a 3 and 4 for me based on ALL the song... but it gets 2 points off for brownface and the very racist 'New Delhi' song fuck it.
Not available on Youtube Music :(
The Rise and Fall — It’s alright but wow getting to listen to this album was a freaking H.A. ssle! Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) — It’s also alright. The sound of these songs are quite off from what I’d expect from these titles and album names. Blue Skinned Beast — It’s the 80’s so it’s not really electronically bombastic and loud. Primrose Hill — Out of the songs so far this one seems the most promising. Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word) — The piano really helps the song, it’s got a really good vibe. Both charming and quite menacing? Sunday Morning — This one was also pretty good. B-SIDE Our House — OH MY GOD THIS IS A FUCKING SONG I KNOW???? OR ATLEAST I’VE HEARD THAT CHORUS “our house, in the middle of our streets” OMGGG Tiptoes — probably forgettable New Delhi — why so dastardly o-O That Face — Idk how to describe it bc it kind of stretches in a lot of ways but not very far in any direction. Calling Cards — oh i didnt notice it was playing but it is another breed of dastardly, but more suave villainous than council villainous Are You Coming (With Me) — okay maybe this is just their vibe and i misread them before. Madness (Is All in the Mind) — Great opening already.. and it’s also one of the better songs.
An interesting listen. I started it wondering how you could bring yourself to hate Madness, given how upbeat their sound is. I finished it realising that their singles are well known for a reason, and the rest of it is not, also for a reason. 'Our House' and 'Madness (Is All In The Mind)' are great tunes and the rest is decidedly average. Falls in to the category of 'certain songs only'
Much better than I was expecting. I thought of Madness - based on only having heard Our House - as almost a novelty band. This was a nice surprise, very consistent and enjoyable listen
Couple of classic songs
The internet tells me this is a ska band. Had it not told me, I likely would not have arrived at that conclusion on my own. I don't really like ska. I wish this was more ska than whatever it was.
Best Song: Our House Our mouse, in the middle of the street. Our mouse, got ran over by a jeep. I still remember that when I was 7 in 1982. I remember that more than I will remember this lifeless and relatively benign album. 3/5.
Was okay. Not a big slayer fan.
So the theme is 'childhood memories', and that is largely where Madness reside for me. I still think they were more of a singles band than an albums band
Jaunty pub rock constantly threatening to break into a singalong. It's like guys doing a kitschy ironic vaudeville show desperate for laughs for just winking aggressively.The brass brings a lot of energy and the overall sound is bouncy and kinetic. Our House is great, the rest is pretty boring.
i mean it's alright like... points for "our house" being on the album but i wasn't necessarily impressed. i like their accents though! also i'm sad that most of the album isn't on spotify lol.
Do I like Our House because I already know it or because its the stand out song? Do I know it because its the stand out song or just because its been in commercials? These are the questions this project has you asking on 3/5 albums like this. Maybe it should be 500 albums and 500 singles... Tiptoes was cool too
the band can play, and there are a couple good songs. but most of the album is such a drag
Correcto
Growing up in the UK in the 80s and 90s, Madness felt like a ubiquitous presence, but I don't think I've ever checked a full album. It's a lot more varied than I expected, and reminds me of The Kinks a lot. Our House is an amazing piece of work, total classic, and a lot of the other tunes are pretty decent, but not too much that totally grabs me. The motifs and accents used in New Delhi are pretty racist, and the use of brownface on the cover is appalling.
Technically this was a DNF but I had like one and a half songs left. I was admittedly in a bit of a sour mood this morning when I listened to The Rise and Fall on my morning commute. On the one hand, I can take that fact and cut Madness some slack, but on the other hand I can consider that listening to this album did nothing to alleviate / transport me from my grumpiness and instead made me more irritable. I'm always more inclined to say "this just wasn't for me" when I don't like something, and this really wasn't for me. I felt like someone tried to make an entire album of worse versions of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite". My apologies to the band Madness and to their fans.
Pretty good
Don't love the brownface album cover but do enjoy the music.
не стал дослушивать, неприятно.
Listened Before: N I don't usually go out of my way to listen to albums that aren't on Spotify. I made an exception here because I know the band and I know I like their music. I'm glad I went out there and listened to it. Very good album, and a unique sound. Everyone knows "Our House" but there are several other gems here. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Our House
😴
I don't like marking down music from my youth. And Madness was a big part of my formative years. Their hits were all over the place, every radio station, every school disco, every student nightclub. And I love the hits on this album, Our House and Tomorrow's Just Another Day. And the rest of it is fine too. But it's all very "Madness". Similar tinkly piano. Similar sax and similar arrangements. It's not at all a bad album but I didn't love it and I really wanted to.
Chemist Warehouse reference!!?
6/10 Best songs: Our House Warning: what is listed on Spotify is NOT the actual album. Search on YouTube for the full album. (Ask me how long it took me to figure this out...) Interesting album. I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw it described (in reviews) as "ska," but it's much more rock/new wave than anything else, with a bent towards the experimental. There's nothing too offensively unpleasant here, but also not a lot of standouts either. The album goes a bit long and the final few tracks weren't needed, but overall... not bad.
NA
i dont need ska
Tiene temas piolas, me gusto, no me mató, 3 estrellas
Äldre betingad synthpop nästan?