Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Didn’t know they sung Our Houseb
I think the only Madness album I'd listened to before was a greatest hits, and I couldn't get quite get into the Ska-iness of it. This was quite refreshing however, seemed to go a bit deeper than their main hits. Definitely one to give another listen to
Why this album by Madness, there are far better
Always fun when the one famous song you know from an album is not even close to the most interesting one. Best track: Primrose Hill
MADNESS
The guys sound like Beatles sometimes, but it's 1986. Tomorrow's (Just another day) is the coolest.
Vermakelijk album, vette sound.
I've always loved Madness for their singles but have never listened to an album. They never really struck me as an albums band but this is a beautiful work musically and lyrically. A real gem.
Great Album from GB's best-known SKA-Band. Not pure SKA anymore, but...well: have a listen!
Really fun album! Clever instrumentation, and a lot of great songs. Will be coming back to this one, too bad I could only find it on YouTube.
Love it… (well, love most of Madness albums actually). Fresh and lyrics with a twist
Really cool album. Never heard of these guys and had no idea who the artist of Our House even was. Can't get enough of these artsy British pop bands.
Lots of fun songs.
Dansen, dansen! Maar net iets minder dan hun albums die wat meer ska zijn
Shame that the full album isn’t on Spotify.
This is super British 80's pop and I kinda liked it, especially their big hit, "Our House". 6/10.
What, Spotify doesn’t have this album?!? Very annoying. But the good thing is I’m already quite familiar with Madness. They bring consistently fun and dynamic 80s ska to the table and you have a good time listening. Lots of danceable grooves, so they made brunch fun this morning. Our House is an all-time classic fave. Love these guys!
Definitely my vibe. Very good. Didn't know I knew so many songs by these guys. Great album, on my vinyl collection wishlist.
Only knew "Our House" which is catchy but the rest was pretty good too! Nice horn parts. Low 4.
Good album, but i don’t like the remixes
great ska album, also nice its a concept album thats kind of unique in being positive and human
good album,enjoyed it. Very eclectic.
Un album muy fresco, más que algunos modernos a pesar de acusar sus 40 años. Con un clásico escondido dentro de yapa. Buena experiencia!
Puro ska
"The Rise & Fall" is the fourth studio album by the English Ska band Madness. It is known as their most experimental album by also incorporating a range f other styles - jazz, English musical hall and Eastern influences. Within those, I mostly heard the musical hall category. I would say that this is also kind of in the pop category...great choruses and happier-sounding, upbeat music. It was originally conceived to be a concept album about child nstalgia. According to lead singer, Suggs, each band member was to write songs about their childhood, but not everyone did that. The album has been compared to The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society" and Blurs' "Parklife." I see the "Parklife" comparison. For some reason, this album was not released in the US. I'm not sure why; "Our House" was a huge song. I enjoyed pretty much every song. There is a lot going on in almost every song with these band members. "Rise and Fall" starts things off in grand fashion with sax, piano, keyboards and quickly changes to a quicker more ska-pace tempo. It then slows back down and speeds up. Nice sax solo. "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" was the second single and has a more melancholy-pop feel. Defintely music hall influenced. Cool harmonica. Great vocals and chorus repeating the song title. The third song "Blue Skinned Beast" takes a swing at Margaret Thatcher and her Falkland's War handling. Quick and changing tempo, more in the Ska style. Great sax. Not much to say about "Our House." Love the start, the way each instrument is incorporated and especially the vocals and lyrics. "Brother got a date tonight, we cant hang around" The last song. "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" is also worth a listen, more in the jazz style. Madness was a big band in the UK and Europe overall. Not so much in the US, besides "Our House." This was my first dive into them and two thumbs up. Not a bad song and a good listen just to appeciate the activity of the band overall.
I'd only ever heard "Our House" before but the rest of the album was pretty good too. Very 80s
I like ittt
What a delightful display of Britishness. Got that great bank holiday feel, like Blur's Parklife, and some tantalizing carnivalesque moments.
You could say it was Madness that I had never listened to the full album. Listener note, Spotify wasn't showing a lot of the tracks so I listened on youtube instead.
An album of Proustian moments.
an album that grabbed my attention! i had known "our house" initially and only vaguely at that. madness kept me on my tiptoes the whole album. some jazz sounds, some reggae sounds! i came away impressed that madness didn't confine themselves to anything, really. i mean, "new delhi" brings some beautiful indian sounds and instruments to this album. the piano, the saxophone, it was all very enjoyable.
Massa o som, diferenciado
Was good not spectacular
Eclectic but great stuff.
Experimental, groundbreaking
New wave. Un megahit. Entretenido.
Pop
1982. Our House, Tomorrow's( Just Another Day), Rise and Fall
our house ken ik (wie niet) maar de rest vond ik ook goed ! misschien net iets te lang. maak het korter, cut the crap en je had mss een 5. mr speaker was top
Ooh wel van genoten
Two-tone was a cool movement, genuinely integrated and responsible for great bands like the Specials, The Selecter and Madness. Previously on this app I stated that I didn't care for polite AC/DC, and to a degree I think the same applies to Madness. Nothing here hits the zany heights of 'One Step Beyond', 'House Of Fun' or 'Night Boat to Cairo'...but as a collection, this is really solid. I don't think a band should be penalised for spreading their wings, and here they try on a few different hats, including cocktail jazz and music hall. There are some quality tracks here too! 'Our House' is a deserved commercial behemoth, but less heralded tunes like 'Tiptoes' and 'Mr Speaker' are ace too. I feel like on this album, Madness were edging into the same territory as Squeeze - and doing it fairly successfully. Bonus points also awarded due to the fact that Suggs' speaking and singing voices are exactly the same.
Buena retahíla de canciones con ritmos ska y sosegados. Agradable de escuchar y con ritmos divertidos que incitan a moverse. Más de una canción bastante conocida
Skabulous
Like the Madness!
Brilliant side A. Side B tails off a little after Our House. Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) possibly their most underrated single.
Great blending of genres that isn’t forced and truly comes off authentic and original, maintained from beginning to end. Great production as well.
What a wonderfully weird album, A side is more rock, B side is more pop but always with a special psychodelic/mad edge
Kolejny pik wyspiarski, ale tym razem bardziej tradycyjny i pasujacy do listy, bo plyta z 82, grupy ktora po statach spotifajowych mozna okreslic jako bande jednego przeboju, chociaz mnie samemu zarowno nazwa zespolu, jak i albumu nic nie mowila przed odsluchem, dopiero trak numer 7 uswiadomil mi, ze gdzies juz to slyszalem, bo kto nie zna tak brytyjskiego kawalka jak our house, ale jestem zdziwiony, ze plyta sluchala sie tak dobrze, a tylko jeden czy dwa traki sa z niej sluchane na lastfmie czy spotifaju i grupa wydaje sie dosc zapomiana muzycznie w porownaniu do takich specialsow, ktory tworzyli w podobym czasie i calkiem podobny gatunkowo material, chociaz ciezko tutaj o jakakolwiek klasyfikacje, bo discog mowi o popowym krazku w stylu ska, to juz bardziej 2 tone pasuje jak w na drugim albumie specialsow, ale jednak calosciowo ta plyta o wiele bardziej przypadla mi do gustu, bo ma ona na siebie jakis pomysl, tym pomyslem bedzie motyw poczatkow i koncow jak wskazuje tytul, za czym ida motywy dziecinstwa, przemijania, dekadencji, wiec nie obylo sie takze od disu na thatcherowa, pojawia sie takze motyw pajeeta znikac na traku new delhi, wiec takie niezbyt popowe motywy, za to od strony instrumentalnej jest o wiele bardziej zachowawczno, bo siedmioosobowa banda jak przystalo na okolo skawowe klimaty uzywa mocno instrumentow detych, wiec trabki i saksy sa mocno slyszalne, do tego wykorzystanie zarowno kontrabasu jak i standardowej giaty basowej jest odczuwalne, wielkim plusem jak dla mnie jest brak synthowego brzmienia, a zamiast tego piano, prawie cala plyta jest spiewana przez jednego wokaliste, to jest pana Suggsa, ktory pomimo tego, ze brzmi jak prawdziwy wyspiarz, to jednak artykuluje sie wystarczajaco czysto aby wokale byly zrozumiale o co ciezko na niektorych brytyjksich pikach, jedynie ostatni trak madness (is all in the mind) jest wykonywany przez wokal wspierajacy albumu trebacza bandy mistera Smytha, nie spodziewalem sie, ze tak mi podejdzie ten 43 minutowy krazek z gatunku 2 tonowych, na plejke wrzucam robotniczy kawalek tomorrow (just another day), wspomiany juz wczesniej madness i najpopularniejszy song zespolu, czyli our house
Surprised how varied it was
J'ai passé un très bon moment en compagnie d'Inspecteur Gadget, même si j'ai trouvé la structure des pistes un peu redondante: Gogo rise and fall, gogo tomorrow's, gogo blueskinned beast. Vous l'aurez compris cet album présentait des sonorités très intéressantes.
Eindelijk weer iets vrolijks! Daar was ik aan toe. Brings back memories van roodharige middelbare-school-klasgenoot yvo op wie ik een oogje had en die me z’n madness-cd’s leende.
És el disc de sublimació del pop més elegant de la banda, sense perdre encara els tocs ska dels començaments. Més tard arribarien els discos de maduresa, que tendien massa a l'ensopiment. Aquí encara conserven la flama, embolcada de lletres sobre l'Anglaterra de la seva infantesa
I haven't listened to a lot of early British ska, so this was a pleasant surprise. The music fades into the background a bit while I'm listening to it, but it's consistently good. 4/5
Not on Spotify, so I found it on the YouTube and had to watch it with M&M ads every 3 minutes. That kinda sucked but the album doesn’t. It definitely shows a growth away from the 2tone ish sound of their 1rst album One Step Beyond and bands like The Specials. Really enjoyed the arrangements of horns, especially on Primrose Hill, and the strings in other parts of the album. Of course Our House is the standout standout, but their are plenty of other good songs on here too. They still follow that jaunty and off kilter giddiness of Madness- just this time a bit more formal and “pop sensible”. I still think that “One Step Beyond” is more grabbing and probably a better album, but this one gets brownie points for straying away from the traditional ska formula.
Hoppa! Weer zo'n band die ik nog een keer live wil zien. Heerlijke Britse popmuziek met bekende nummers. Dit album begint met een eentonig titelnummer, waarna het echter los gaat. Goed gespeelde muziek en melodieuze zang, wat wil je nog meer? Topper is natuurlijk "Our House", maar er staat nog veel meer leuks op zoals o.a. "Tomorrow's Just Another Day", het western-piano'tje van "Mr Speaker", "Tiptoes" en het jazz-achtig nummer "Maddness' zelf. Helaas wordt het meer up-tempo ska-sfeertje van "One Step Beyond" niet gehaald. Dit is een serieuzer album en ik mis juist dat extra beetje madness. Daarom geen volledige score voor mij. Luister dus gewoon ook even de "greatest hits" als je toch bezig bent, er is zoveel leuks van de mannen van Madness :-) ****
Very enjoyable.
Punk overtones and vocals interlaced with brass band, Old time piano, harmonica vibrato. Very madhouse/Tim burton/haunted mansion feel. Fun and interesting listen. Rise and fall, mr speaker, tomorrow’s just another day.
I'm very familiar with Madness's singles, but I've never given their albums a listen. I really should have, because this was fun! Beyond the hit singles "Our House" and "Tomorrow's Just Another Day", highlights include "Primrose Hill" and "New Delhi".
Awesome album
Buen sonido
Очень понравилось. Очередной закрытый пробел. Не знал Madness вообще, пускай и слышал Our House.
O álbum parece ambientar se numa diligência no velho oeste, alguém teria de trazer o plano atrás, ou num saloon da época. O álbum têm músicas bastante boas mas outras assim indiferentes, no geral só por ser algo tão único vale a pena. Nota: 7/10
Pretty good listen! Our House is on this album, was not expecting that, but that sound is consistent throughout the album.
7/10. Some good songs, some weird songs, nothing that really calls me back to it.
Creative! Some catchy songs. Mr Speaker
I really liked this album. I’m a big ska fan so was familiar with Madness prior to listening, but I had never listened to a whole album. Very fun and Our House is such a good pop song!
this album shows the versatility of Madness, and it's criminal people don't know more of their songs except "Our House" and "One Step Beyond". my favorite songs were definitely "Mr. Speaker", "Blue Skinned Beast", and "Madness". would definitely listen to again.
Good. Good not great.
It's like if Avenged Sevenfold was an 80s british rock band and wrote The Wall. 4 stars.
I listened to this a bunch in highschool. Two catchy.
Nostalgia trip. Reminded me of being 40
Love this band. Not my fav album of theirs but has some of their best songs for sure.
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
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
Good album, no real fillers. Hit singles and quality song writing. A 3/4
I am fed up with this new wave crap
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 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.
Mu largo
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
Was just looking at photos the Go-Go’s posted of being on tour with Madness. Fun times.
I actually liked this a lot. Fun and interesting.
80’s english pop/rock/jazz, sgt pepper
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)
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’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)
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
First song and our house were great. The rest was a haunted carnival
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.
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
I think it’s pretty cool. Our House is great. I’ll admit I was only half paying attention.
This is a classic British band. Some great songs like Our House but a lot of it was weird.
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”.
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.
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.
Very samey but very fun
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 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.
“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.
sin mássss im sorreyyy
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
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)"
..
Not available on Youtube Music :(
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'
Couple of classic songs
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.
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
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
Correcto
Pretty good
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.
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.
Tiene temas piolas, me gusto, no me mató, 3 estrellas
Äldre betingad synthpop nästan?
Fine.
This marks the first assigned album almost wholly unavailable on my regular music streamers. It forced me to seek out a YouTube playlist, which enabled YouTube to merrily implement it's advertising policy, peppering ads after every single song throughout my listening experience. Obviously, I would never blame the band Madness or the album Madness Presents The Rise & Fall for this sorry state of affairs, but I kind of do.
Not my favourite Madness record. It's quirky and odd, which I suppose is better than cranking out the same old same old punky ska.
3.8
When the wiki summary said ska, I was like oh god, I can't stand ska. But I guess in the early 80s ska meant something different than in the 90s. But ya still, this was just ok, 80s pop with some variety. I knew Our House before this.
not a big madness fan a lot of the tunes sound the same
It was okay. Didn't grab me as much as the other album I had of theirs a while back. A couple of famous songs.
Another in the range of "not objectionable but also not my jam." Bonus star for "Our House," which is still great after 40 years.
Sumt af þessu er hresst og bandið er vel spilandi, en mér finnst ska leiðigjarnt til lengdar og lögin eru mjög misskemmtileg. Fæ mig samt ekki til að gefa þessu tvist svo þetta endar í ca. 2,7.
'ar 'ouse
Minder om Dexy’s Midnight Runners: overraskende interessant lyd fra et band der egentlig er et one hit wonder, forsanger med en ok anstrengende stemme, bedre end jeg regnede med. Stor 3’er
Could only listen to two songs on this album.
Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? ✅ Would buy on Vinyl? ✅
Sympa le mec derrière le serpent Musicalement c'est au point cependant, même si je trouve que certaines musiques vont trop loin et sonnent très comédie musicale, donc raconte plus que fait de la musique même si le début de l'album était très convaincant et que Our House est un banger Je comprends qu'ils aillent au bout de leur idée sur l'album mais ça fait un peu trop pour moi
liked more than anticipated! going 3 but a very high 3! very fun!
i remember pirating this album from the library when i got randomly into ska for a hot sec i think it might be a rule that any song called our house has to b straight heat i like how silly this album is but if we’re being truly real apart from our house it’s eh
I know about madness and have listened to them before I thought the album contained a few good songs and songs that I’d listen to multiple times however there are some songs that I didn’t like and others that were bland so middle of the road for me
the Nutty Boys were famous for crafting catchy, clever pop singles. This album, is a bit of a mini concept album, and allows them to try something slightly different. Not vey different, but it's OK. No great desire to listen again. 3.5 stars.
Madness has always felt more like a greatest‑hits band to me, and this album doesn’t fully change that. Still, The Rise & Fall has its moments, with a few tracks that really land.
This was okay. Nothing crazy besides Our House.
It's an okay album. I like Madness, but much prefer their more Ska sounding records. This one was much more jazz inspired, reminded me of the Stray Cats.
Mr Speaker (Gets The Word) was cool, very catchy Could've been a 4, but there were a few meh songs
I did listen all the way through, and for that they get a 3, I did find it bit dull and maybe a bit cheesy, sorry Madness
Brilliant and tedious, mainly tedious.
This one makes me feel torn. On one hand I like it cause it’s so wierd and bright and wonderful, but on the other it’s so strange and disconcerting. The singles were big in Australia so there’s some nostalgia too. Crazy band, gotta respect it but a little monotonous by the end
Highlights: Rise and Fall, Our House, Madness (Is All In the Mind). Fun, poppy and as whimsical as 80s British music can get. A mix of two tone, new wave and a little music hall. If we didn't have Madness, we wouldn't get Blur's Parklife. Dive into their singles too, specifically House of Fun. Overall: 5/10
Oh, it’s that song!
This was not fully available on spotify so I need to relisten. I've been meaning to listen to Madness bur for now I'm leaving at 3 stars.
I wasn't a huge fan of the vocal style, but I thought the instrumentation was very fun. Shame about the album cover and New Delhi. My general experience of this album was that I still really enjoyed the songs I already knew, and the rest I probably wouldn't listen to again. Fav song: Our House Least fav: New Delhi
Blackface (and accents on a few of the songs) obviously take away from it. Our house is good but some of the others just feel like generic madness songs that don’t really do a lot for me. Specific rating - 3.4 Fav song - our house Least fav - New Delhi
Think them each dressing as one of the songs on the album for the cover is a really lovely idea (I enjoyed figuring out who was who)- but there were 13 songs on the original release, there's absolutely no reason New Delhi needed to be represented on the cover... The New Delhi outtro and that feature of the album cover lose this album a star for me. Otherwise I did really enjoy the album, nice anti-tory song, our House is a classic, lots of fun songs. Favourite song: Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) Least: New Delhi
Poppy and new wave rather than ska. Wholesome melodic album.
Catchy tracks. Some are cringe inducing and aged poorly.
Interesting choice. It's the polished, watered-down version of Madness (3/5). One Step Beyond.... is a better choice, a solid 4/5, maybe 5/5.
Always sort of accepted Madness as a bit of a zany, novelty singles band so I own a greatest hits, and always assumed that would suffice. I found this pretty enjoyable without really digging into the lyrics but it's also not challenged that initial assumption. I like a lot of the basslines though.
Man, the beginning was good but after that I zoned out. Also it's way too long. Nevertheless, it was entertaining for a while ig. Fave tracks: rise and fall, mr speaker. Would I revisit this: nah
Like it 3/5
Favourite tracks: Our House, Mr. Speaker (Gets The Word), Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) 3/5
Spotify only played be like 8 of the 30 songs? Didn't know "Our House" was from this record! Wacky and fun, a decent listen.
Some nice pop songs but very samey by the end.
What a weird thing to not be available in the US.
Fine.
They do some kooky style flair and instrument additions, but ultimately this is a Brit ska band, so how good could it be (2.5)
Good music! Good album. Very unique sounding Horn section. I have 'Our House' on 45 but never listened to anything else. That was a mistake I've been missing out.
I enjoyed "Our House" when it came out as a single, but don't remember much about Madness as a band. It is a shame because the rest of the album is solid. Glad to revisit them and learn that they were more than their biggest hit.
I wanted there to be a hidden hit I had missed. There were just the two I already knew (our house, house of fun). Alas
Musique intéressante, je connaissais "Our House" d'oreille, mais je suis sceptique sur "New Delhi", remarque dans un second temps la black face en cover puis découvre sur Wikipédia la récupération par le FNB. Du coup, mitigé...
Gave this one a second listen to fully get it. A concept album about childhood, it’s great to hear Madness songs away from their greatest hits. New Delhi has not aged well, but then again we do have Our House which is an all time great.
This was better than I expected. Madness are the reverse of the Eagles for me, in that I find their album tracks a lot better and less annoying than their singles.
Our house is an idea
Our house
House of Fun, Our House, and Baggy Trousers are the three songs that spring to mind when I think of Madness, and two of them are on this album. There's a seriousness and melancholy that weaves through the other tracks which makes it stand out from their other albums, but while different I don't know if I enjoyed it any more. And there's only so much ska I can listen to in a sitting.
Honestly, I went into this one with pretty low expectations and already annoyed because I had to track it down on YouTube since it wasn't streaming on any of my services, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised! It wasn't like the greatest album ever, but it was a pretty fun listen. I can definitely see how this likely influenced later Brit-Pop bands. "Our House" just reminds me of my high school French class where we used to jokingly translate the lyrics into French and sing them at each other. I don't know why we did it with that particular song and never any others, but it's stuck with me! Notre maison, au milieu de la rue!
Bizar album, beetje te random voor mij. Al zitten er wel pareltjes in zoals my house en tiptoes.
Alright album
Couple of hits on there but otherwise a forgettable album
I think I like it? Maybe? It’s giving old movie soundtrack vibes
This is not available streaming anywhere I can find. I tried to piece it together by listening to individual songs, but this was a challenge so I’m only gonna give it three stars.
Yeah ok
Madness moving on from their ska roots. Influenced by music hall, Saturday night TV variety shows, Spike Milligan, and 60s artists such as The Kinks. I approve! Even so, the very definition of a Singles Band. Always at their best on the 45s.
Madness are fun! (is fun?) Ska, music hall, pop, probably a jumble of other genres banging off each other in an upbeat jam. They don’t take it too seriously and the songs are pretty short , which keeps the energy up. I went down a rabbit hole after this one spun out, and played another album’s worth of their best tracks. Two steps beyond…?!
Didn't get to hear the whole album, but it was mostly as expected. Entertaining, but not something I'd listen to all the time. Did not know they sand Our House, but now that will be seared into my brain.
Pretty fun listen but kind of meh overall. Negative points for racism.
Our House är såklart en klassiker och jag gillar ska-influenserna (även om de inte hördes så mycket på det här albumet) men den här typen av lite gimmick-aktiga band kan nog aldrig nå jättehöga höjder för mig.
On the phone to Edward Saïd after hearing New Dehli
Pretty typical of what I'd expect from Madness. The whole album embodied their eccentric, jovial spirit; of course Our House was the standout due to familiarity. I liked it.
It's fun. "New Delhi" is pretty cringetastic.
It was just ok
Not entirely available on Spotify, but I liked what was there. 3/5
Vähän kaksijakoista meininkiä. Mulla on vinyylillä yksi Madnessin myöhäisempi levy, ja siinä on ihan sama vika kun tässäkin. Kaikki vaaran tuntu puuttuu. Periaatteessa biisit on semmosia että paremmalla tuotannolla ne olisi ihan weltklassea, mutta nyt jää jotenkin tosi laiskaksi ja tylsäksi. Kaksi isointa hittiä entuudestaan oli tästä tuttuja (jo Young Ones - tv-sarjasta tutut Our House ja House of Fun) ja nehän on ihan helvetin kovia biisejä molemmat. Pidän kyllä lähtökohtaisesti Madnessista paljonkin. Vähän semmoinen Kinksin henkinen perillinen. Tosi paljon tulee tälläkin levyllä useammastakin biisistä mieleen myöhäisempi Kinksin tuotanto. Harmi vaan että on tosiaan jotenkin tosi ontoksi jäänyt soundit.
Fourth great album in a row. Random in 2026 is crazy. Love it. Maybe ‘cause I’m a mad man and this album is by Madness. Maybe it’s because of the name — “The Rise & Fall”. Like Ziggy Stardust, you know. Well, this album is so good and so long that it brings me a little more madness, that's the truth. That’s why I like it. It’s old and… not gold, but really good ska music. Sometimes boring and too similar and it’s okay. What I like about the album is how it blends reflective, melancholic themes with nonsense and catchy hooks. The National Anthem is a sick song, it’s art in the flesh. Remember, tomorrow's just another day. Great song. 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) — Our House — Tiptoes — Madness (Is All In the Mind) — Walking with Mr.Wheeze
Hearing the Our House song was a light jumpscare. A very respectable album that doesn’t fit well in any genre, though I can’t say I loved it. Best song: Madness (Is All in the Mind)
I knew Madness as a singles band but never listened to an album. Turns out i still think they are a singles band, but i was impressed by this. Their cheeky boy, culturally diverse london schtick is fun and holds up well. But it never really has much depth.
7/10 zvuci kao 5 minuta crtaca gde zlikovac dobije svoju montazu malo cirkus atmosfera, sve je ono sarkazam/ komentarisanje zivota normalnog coveka i teskoca koje s tim dolaze da mi zvuci bolje mozda bi se vise uneo ali jbg
Why does so much English music have that hellish circus music quality to it?
This was the exact definition of zainy. It was a trip to the circus.
What a goofy and fun album. Didn't know Our House was by them! I enjoyed it - probably wouldn't listen to it all the way through again but maybe some specific songs. If I could give it a 3.5 I would.
I couldn't listen to it properly here in the US but was able to find most of the tracks. I didn't have strong feelings about it overall. It reminded me of being in high school and buying a CD based on a track I'd heard on the radio... oftentimes those bands seemed perfectly nice, even clever, but there's no mistaking the feeling of "oh, so there's no magic here." I liked a few moments along the way, but as soon as it was done I put on a mix of new wave stuff I enjoy a lot more.
Fine. Our House is still a pretty catchy song. I listened to the compilation that had some of these songs but not the original album. I know the whole album is on YouTube but nope.
Not bad, a little annoying that I had to stream it on YouTube but I enjoyed it fine. It’s between a 3 and a 4.
Fine. I’m not sure it needed to be on the list.
I don’t really get why this one catches so many negative reviews. It’s not bad at all. It’s catchy, quirky, and easy to listen to, even if it’s a little uneven. Our House alone does a lot of the heavy lifting here. That song is a straight up classic in my book and still holds up really well. Not an album I’d spin constantly, but it’s way better than the reviews make it out to be.
Feels like a lot of madness, too much madness?
My dad’s gonna hate me for not rating it higher… sorry Steve
The only decent songs on this album are about houses... Would be a 2, but the house songs are quite good.
Favorite Track: Our House
brassy sound, crazy clown party. But they really only have the one banger.
Not too shabby.
pretty good, couple of big hits and i really liked the one towards the end called madness
So Madness made a jazzy concept album huh, not bad, not bad
mid 3 nice one for giving it a go, its alright. but theres something forced about it
Not bad, sounds kinda like what I thought Madness would sound based on what I knew about them. I can see why they didn't hit it big in America though.
3.5/5 pretty not bad. The 2nd half of the album is way better than the first!
2.5
A couple of hits, too many remixes, and mostly forgettable if not crappy songs. 6/10
I am not quite sure why I listened to the full 1.5 hour version of this. A lot of the songs repeated, but overall this was fun. Felt like the beginnings of ska. Not my absolute favorite, but not bad. "Our House" is an absolute classic. Liked Songs: "The Rise And Fall" , "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" , "Mr. Speaker (Gets The Word)" , "Our House" , "Tiptoes" , "Madness (Is All In The Mind)" , "House of Fun" , "Walking with Mr. Wheeze"
Oddball, kind of peppy music. 3/5
Some bangers, didn’t listen to it all
Not really a fan. But album had more depth than expected.
Our House is a banger, but the rest is just pretty average and sometimes a bit sus (New Delhi)
Pues me dejo un poco el culo torcido, me parecio tan peculiar que no se ni que decir. Me parecio tan maravilloso que de repente se pusieran a cantar con acento hindú. A veces se pone rara la melodia, me hacia sentir incomoda.
I looooved “Our House” in the peak MTV era of 1983 at my peak MTV target age of 13. The rest of the album runs a little too circus-y for my taste. It’s fine.
Pretty unique and fun album. Playful and quirky in a good way. Technical listed as pop rock and new wave, but although I find both of these genres to be generic, there was none of that here. There’s a lot of variety, different instruments, and influences used across this album, so there wasn’t really anything I don’t like about these genres. I enjoyed it, but nothing stood out as particularly exciting. Yes, there was a lot of interesting track, but I felt like none of them went all in and reached their full potential. 7/10
Aside from the pop hit Our House, this record just rambles from one song to the next without much focus or anything interesting happening.
Not too bad
Not something I'll spend a lot of time with, but it's a pretty fun listen; a lot of the songs have interesting, quirky movement to them.
This sounds like a ska band trying to expand beyond the confines of the form, which is cool, but it all has a kind of British sitcom soundtrack quality and doesn't really grab me. I hear occasional flourishes of Lee Jay Thompson's saxophone — I am semi-obsessed lately with the use of sax in rock music, which is another story — that leave me wanting more (I'm thinking of its central melodic role in the earlier Madness track "One Step Beyond"). "Our House" is a great song, but I struggled to find reference points elsewhere.
An all around solid album that captures the feel of life in 1980s Britain. The album marks a shift from the bands previously ska-heavy sound, moving into more melancholy pop-laden sounds.
Pretty fun Standout track: Our House high 3/5
These songs seem to b telling me a story but I don't have enough context to understand the story.
I have only really ever heard their biggest hits, but I have always heard about how they were HUGE across the pond, never got around to listening to them until now. Obviously "Our House" is a big time hit. I absolutely get their appeal, but I'm not the biggest fan of New Wave, at least this iteration. 3/5
Fun record, just tough to get a real vibe on YouTube with adds. Also a little disappointed that “Our House” is so far and away the best track here. I’ll revisit later.
I never got into Madness. Our House is ok, I guess. I can’t get psyched on listening to this one. I gave it the ol college try. Still not into it. Plus, the Spotify link seems to lead to a playlist rather than the actual album. I’ll give this an unenthusiastic 3-star rating because there’s nothing egregiously bad about it, but I don’t really enjoy it either. 2.5/5 -rounded up
Quite dull, which is unexpected, given the famous and entertaining hits
Don't try to listen to this on Spotify. It's not there - go to YouTube. It's fun and whimsical, but it wears out its welcome. I liked the first few songs, especially Tomorrow's Just Another Day. But by the time I got to New Delhi, I was ready for it to be done.
Fun little album. A bit more variety in tempo and style and I would give it four stars but It’s not quite there for me.
Please recommend albums that can be listened to in all countries. I listened to the 1983 US album “Madness” that has some of the same tracks.
Seek out the album on YouTube, what they have on Spotify sounds like Zappa doing Weird Al doing clown music besides Our House & Primrose Hill. Which are the only two songs on the actual album. The album itself is pretty good when they don't devolve into clown music, it happens quite a bit. Our House seems like it's from another planet compared to rest. This is not your modern Ska though. It's closer to Badfish than Less Than Jake. It has a good sound with horns, guitar, piano/organ & whatnot. I also hear some They Might Be Giants in there. Also New Delhi is um incredibly dated.(is a nice way of putting it)
More fun than great, but listenable and influential!
This was a good poppy, new wave, with a bit of jazzy elements. Our House was the standout track, but a couple others were pretty good too on second half of album.
British fun house music. It’s what I’d expect to hear walking into a haunted ride at the Wessex county fair. Our House was a childhood staple on MTV.
Not as bad as I was expecting
Couldn’t find the whole album on my streaming service but what I heard was find. Interesting to hear more than just “Our House.”
yeah decent will go back at some point
Good
This was pretty cool
Those guys behind this list just keep making it more and more obvious that they're British, don't they? Here we have The Rise & Fall by the British ska band Madness. Here in the US, this band is really only known for one of this album's singles, "Our House." I do happen to enjoy that song quite a bit, though I can't help but think about the game grumps edit where it just says "Our house in the middle of our house" over and over again. Peak youtube right there. The other songs are good too. This album does have a bit of a different vibe from the other ska and ska-adjacent albums on the list. I think this songs are in like different musical keys or something. They've got a vibe that's... not ominous but, like, not as poppy as the Specials or something. This is still poppy, don't get me wrong. "Our House" was a big pop hit for a reason. But the energy here is different in a way that's hard to put into words. I do like it, but I can't say I love it. The production certainly feels like an early 80s affair. The writing is on the more relatable side, at least to the UK audience. I certainly can't call this boring, but it's not really for me. Still, I do have some level of appreciation for this album, and I can't exactly call it "obscure british nonsense only included for the sake of padding out the list" like I can for other albums. I get why others like it, because I like it. I just don't like it as much as other do. Good stuff. 3/5.
I already had low expectations given that this is the group responsible for "Our House," but the unrepenting brown-face on the cover sinks the bar all the lower. Mr Speaker is pretty cool actually. I rather like the use of horn. And I actually like Sunday Morning too -- there is a slight progginess about this (or maybe that's just new wave idk) that reminds me of some UM tracks. Ya know for all that stage setting of the intro, this really wasn't too bad. Certainly not something I would go out of my way for, but solid and down the middle of the street; just like Our House. On that note, I'll close out with a fizzle. 3 / 5.
Fastball down the middle. Our House was funny. Thought I got a commercial somehow.
Lots of fun with a couple of songs you might recognise.
This was really good!
This album seemed to mark the change from being a singles band to a album one even though Our House was as big hit which stands the test of time. Quite a mix of music on this record some of which is a bit downbeat. Was never a fan of the band but this album was worth a listen or two.
3.5
Enjoyed the singles. The rest all blurred into one but enjoyable enough
40 mins of Our House? Sure, good, enjoyable
Hey There, Banthony Craptano here, the internets crappiest music nerd and todaaaaayy, we’ve got The Rise and Fall by Madness. The whole thing is available on YouTube for those interested. This record truly is a rise and fall. It had all the elements of something I should like. Esoteric arrangements, a fervent horn section and the sound of a band doing whatever the hell they want. It felt like a dish cooking on the stove with many great ingredients and yet, when I taste the stew, there’s so much happening at once, it becomes overbearing. There were moments throughout each song I enjoyed but overall, the front of the album plays out like a fever dream. An intoxi-faded night out on the town that keeps escalating. “Did I just talk to that random stranger about my 3rd grade pot collection?” You can’t quite remember what just happened as the brownout begins. Just when you think you’re maintaining, “Blue Skin Beast” clambers around the corner and flips your perception of time signatures upside down. We keep ascending up “Primrose Hill”. A song with some kind of haunted reminiscence of The Benefit of Mr. Kite if it was written for a Tim Burton Movie. The bender continues well into “Sunday Morning” (literally and figuratively). Just when you feel like you’re about to go completely mad, you stumble on ‘Our House’, the equivalent of finding a glowing neon Waffle House sign in the depths of your depravity. As soon the verse kicks in, it’s the audible sigh of relief. Smothered Hash browns are ordered, the coffee has arrived and the chain smoking 56 year old waitress calls you honey as she slides it over. Everything is going to be okay. New Delhi was the only one I skipped about 3/4’s of the way through. That was hot trash. For whatever reason, this album didn’t resonate with me but that’s okay. I mean, if I’m complaining that the band named Madness was too free form/experimental, who’s the real jackass here? It’s got remnants of Ian Dury, Sparks, The Beatles and the ska sound that Madness was founded on. It’s definitely worth a listen, albeit a fucking bizarre one. 3/5
For some odd reason, I could not find this record on Apple Music listed as 'The Rise and Fall'. I guess this is the same situation as with 'Aftermath'. This record was not released in the States, but there is a compilation album called 'Madness' that has a few tracks from this record that was so I can't review it the way I would like to. What is up with Apple's library? It opens with "Our House" and wow, what a catchy song, for better or worse. I have heard it my whole life but thought it was just some silly little song. It is actually very musically complex. I am a sucker for ska because I am a sucker for a horn section ALWAYS. "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" is another cool track sonically. It has a psychobilly swing to it like "Stray Cat Strut" that came out like a year prior, if I am not mistaken. This is just a more animated version of that, sonically. "Primrose Hill" is also a very interesting track because it feels very 80s and very late 60s at the exact same time. If The Beatles released this like 15 years prior, I'd be like "yeah, I see that". But I do love the driving piano part and then the horn section solo about a minute and a half in. It feels sinister but in like a "twirly mustached supervillain" kind of way.
A charming album off major streaming but worth your time to explore and dive deep.
Inoffensive to the ears, even if that one song gets played to death on 80s radio stations while the rest of the album gets ignored. Still white guy ska, though. You're never going to find me listening to this on purpose.
Tive uma experiência bem única com esse aqui, no começo estava achando um pouco esquisito, mas um esquisito bom. A música: "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" é muito bafonica com uma pegada meio jazz, minha favorita do álbum. Por fim, gostei bastante dos instrumentos de sopro e da vibe de nostalgia que todas as músicas me causaram. Nota 3.5/10
7/10 There are probably better Madness picks. This one has some bangers but also quite a few duds. Highlights: Our House Tomorrow's Rise And Fall Blue Skinned Beast
Our House is good but the bike and car song sounded like the same song
An album of nostalgic longing and wistfulness. Listened to from a position of nostalgic longing and wistfulness, some 40-something years on. Very disconcerting parallax effect, bestowing depth and (perhaps artificial) meaning to the randomness of (my) youth.
good
liked it at first but then it became boring, too long too repetitive
Liked the Our House song
Admittedly, I had a hard time finding the full album. But I was able to piece together enough to understand it. It’s fun and poppy with some working class takes. It’s a pretty locked in time sound of 80s Brit ska, but I don’t mind it. And of course we have all been inundated by “our house” over the years, for better or for worse.
This is pure, unadulterated, blistering, utter music Calling Cards is an awesome song tbh... good instrumentation throughout this album but that and Our House stand out particularly
3.5
"Our House" is a banger! So many memories of my Dad playing that one growing up. Just kinda ok outside of that one.
I can't believe people are mad about Apu when this exists
The overall sound that the had going on here wasn't my cup of tea. There were parts that sounded really good, but not enough popped up throughout the album.
I didn’t know Our House was theirs, completely caught me by surprise. I have a weird experience with that song. I distinctly remember listening to it as a kid in a pep rally and for whatever reason grappling with the concept of time never ending in Heaven for the first time. Such a funny juxtaposition between the fun environment/song and the internal turmoil going on in little me’s head. Anyways I’ve never been that big of a fan of the Ska revival but this one I was enjoying decently throughout. It is a bit gimmicky but still varied enough to hold the attention. Rating: 3.4
If this came out when I was in high school, this probably would have been my personality. It's totally fine. I'll never listen to it again though.
General thoughts: The sound is kinda spooky, I like it. Their style is very distinctive, and the songs are always catchy. In general, their arrangements were very good. I wouldn't define it as Ska though, or at least not what I use to call Ska. Quick wiki search says there have been 3 large ska movements since the 70s, I’m probably more used to the newer ones (? The album is very consistent but falls apart in the last third. Couldn’t get the hang of the lyrics Outstanding song(s): Our house Weakest song(s): Are you coming (With me) Cover: Very cool. Seems to reference some of the songs Real rating: 3.46
# 566 : The Rise & Fall The Rise & Fall – Madness, But Not the Good Kind The confidence of “Our House” is immediate and convincing—it’s the hit, the anthem, the reason this album exists. The rest? Fine. Thoughtful. A little fun. But let’s be honest: the best Madness album is The Best of Madness. You don’t often think of Madness album tracks, and this one doesn’t change that. This might be the most British album ever recorded—tea, rain, and mild existential dread in musical form. “House of Fun” is the best of the bunch, but everything else feels like a polite shrug wrapped in synths and ska-lite. Verdict: Three stars for charm. File under “albums that peaked at track one.” If you have to listen to this, look out for: House Of Fun Listened: 11/09/2025
V/rv
Couldn’t listen to the whole thing because it’s not on streaming. They sing with too strong British accents for it to be available in America, I guess. But I liked what I heard.
First off, don’t click the link to Spotify because whatever album they have on Spotify it is not this album. It’s some kind of collection of singles that isn’t anywhere near as good as this album. In general, not a huge fan of madness, but I really like this record. It’s a nice mix of ska, new wave and classic British pop. Enjoyed this record a lot once I found the right one.