Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Not a huge fan of this, but there were some tracks on here that I liked, like Our House and New Delhi. 2.75/5
It is what it is; it bad at all and nothing to write home about. 3/ 5
Didn't know anything other than Our House coming in, and I was also expecting more of a 90s Ska sound. Wasn't a bad album at all, just not something I'd seek out to listen to again.
Wish I liked it more.
Why is our house in the middle of our street??
They have a distinctive sound but it's a bit one trick pony. Nothing about it makes me want to listen to it twice. Or even once really, except that I have to.
firstly, a very unfortunate album cover. Secondly, I thought this album was fine. It had a lot of catchy songs on it but the signature madness sound starts to get a little grating before the album has finished. I definitely was growing tired as the second half of the album played. 3/5
The "Our House" album by British ska band. That is a great pop track but the rest is kinda weird.
Some good some bad.
Its got my favourite Madness song on it, 'Our House', but so do their many best of complations. I've never listened to a Madness album all the way through until now, and it was pretty good in places. But I won't make the effort again.
I’ve only ever listened to a greatest hits of Madness, in this albums case I can see why. It did have a couple of bigger songs on but the album as a whole was a bit meh.
could i write poetry to this? n
I always thought of Madness as a Second-Wave Ska band, akin to The Specials and The Skatelites. Throughout this album, they proclaim themselves as Rocksteady, a style that bridged Ska and Reggae. Mostly what I heard was much closer to a Beatles-influenced Pop outfit with a few minor elements of Ska and Rocksteady. Madness' best-known singles lean hard on Jamaican roots, but the majority of this album doesn't follow. They come across as being closer to Mod acts like The Jam than proper two-tone Ska acts like The Beat. Speaking of The Beat (a.k.a. The English Beat), are we going to see them on this list? They were as essential, if not more so, than Madness, had way more hits, and influenced some very significant artists (Pete Townshend, The Police, etc.).
If I wanted to listen to Emerson lake and Palmer I would have listened to Emerson lake and Palmer but overall not bad. It made me feel like I was in a fun house of horror though
Enjoyed Madness in my high school days but as an album it’s getting a three some great hits, but lacks an abundance of good tunes to make it a good album
Some fun stuff
Tienen un sonido propio y un manejo del ritmo muy peculiar. Es interesante, aunque no son mi estilo preferido.
Me gusta pero medio que me agota ese sonido circense constante.
Cool
I believe I have heard of this band not sure if I have listened to their material. Cool stuff. Not my style. I respect the music though.
Cool post-ska I guess you'd call it? The first quarter is let down by too-slick production and leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Rise and Fall opens sounding more like a Beatles track before speeding up into the most deadpan ska I've ever heard. More like one tone than two tone (yuk yuk). It regularly goes into full horn section polyphony but also has a very 80s slickness to it. Tomorrow is a classic Madness music hall number and it goes fine but the 80s production kind of misses the point of it being a really bawdy angular genre (especially when Madness do it). Kind of vaguely interesting avalanches of percussion in Blue Skinned Beast but I'm already losing interest. Things turn with Primrose Hill another classic music hall, this time a lot more on point with everything lined up to the rythym track in full ska fashion. Mr Speaker is super fun with tonnes of horns and some clever rythyms and overdubs. Sunday Morning is full of surprising little meter changes, weird tenor sax bits and some absolutely deranged piano vamps. Our House does its bit for reconciliation by somehow combining disco verses with a britpop chorus. That Face finally hits the right balance between the 80s production and the jauntiness of ska, lots of random horn blares fading in and out and delays over the top of rubato. Very nearly a four, its just a little too clean. I feel like this approach was actually perfected by Mr. Bungle a decade later (criminally they don't have a spot on the list).
Tiene mucha onda y hay una que otra canción en serio genial, pero para mi gusto la cosa se pone muy rara, muy pronto.
Boas músicas no começo, senti que se perde do meio pra final
omg these are the peeps who made our house. pretty baller ska type beats across the album mmmm
Fastincating ska album with great hits, with Our House and House of Fun. Props to the drummer for being great and fun. Other than that, it's a mixture of great songs and not-so-great songs.
I’d only heard “our house” so this was fun. Sounds like Ska music. Fun to dance to.
I forget how huge Madness were back in the day. They’re a brilliant singles machine, but I didn’t get much more from listening to an album. Will always be a good time when Baggy Trousers comes on in the pub, but not sure I’d ever choose to listen to them in the house.
Our House is a certified banger, but otherwise I'm the album is okay Ska Band.
Overall: 6/10 I had pretty low expectations for this one but I was decently surprised. Still not a great album or anything but it certainly had it moments of instrumental creativity that kept it interesting. I was certainly never bored while listening to it. Fav Song: Mr. Speaker Least Fav Song: New Delhi
Madness went a little more pop here it seems. You hear it in what became their biggest hit in "Our House". I was selfishly hoping for one of their earlier, more ska-oriented albums though. The "other" tracks on this album just felt underwhelming and aren't the sounds that accurately capture Madness as a whole.
Amazon music didn’t have this particular album, so I listened to a “best of” album. Enjoyed their quirky style!
Super fun sound. Curious why it's not on spotify?
Much better than I expected! They genuinely have a creative, fun sound with interesting elements sprinkled on the new wave pop formula. With New Delhi I didn’t get the lyrics fully, but from what I got it left a weird impression. Favorite track: Sunday Morning 6.5-7/10
I liked this album. For some reason it was not on Spotify, so I had to search for the songs. Very British. I knew Our House going in.
Our House and Driving in My Car
Madness es uno de los grupos que siempre me pongo para animarme, sobre todo su primer disco. Este no lo tenía escuchado salvo por Our House, pero sigue en la misma tónica: humor típicamente inglés y diversión. Perfecto para un viernes. 3'5/5
Liked the style
Fun stuff. Especially enjoyed the use of saxophone
I get that its fun and jaunty throughout, bit it doesnt keep the quality of the benchmark Our House (and It Must Be Love to an extent), I'm not much of a Ska guy either, but I can appreciate the effort here. Love the horns!
Great record by Madness, it strays away from their Ska roots, but it brings a different sound and a good set of songs for it.
Ok album with one great song.
Groupe connu par quelques tubes entendus à l'époque de leur sortie ('Embarrassment', 'One Step Beyond', 'Night Boat to Cairo'), et que j'appréciais. J'ai reconnu dans cet album 'Our house', très sympathique. Les morceaux sont moins reggae que les tubes que je connaissais, ce qui est plutôt une bonne chose pour moi ! L'harmonie est souvent originale et variée, ce qui est aussi une bonne surprise. Par contre certains morceaux sont plutôt ratés (Mr. Speaker, musique de cirque ??), l'album ne rejoindra donc pas ma collection. =>3/5
This one is very definitively Britain in the 1980s, isn't it? Partially based on the concept of childhood memories, the music recalls both the transatlantic New Wave scene and the ska movement in England. The album has a lot of character, but "Our House" is the best track by a mile. Given the subject matter and style, it's maybe no wonder that they did well in the UK but were a mere one hit wonder in the US over the same time.
An amazing listening experience, the songs are diverse and relaxing to have them in the background Fav song - Madness 3/5
Upbeat (sometimes oh cool sometimes straining my patience), playful New Wave album.
The well-known hit "Our House" stands far out of the rest of the album.
Other than not being able to find this one on Spotify (YouTube Music ftw), this one is a pretty rewarding find. I knew Our House, but hadn't heard any of the rest. It does get the "ska" label, but if you want to label it that you have to consider how early in that genre this one was, so its ska-ness, if it is that, doesn't overwhelm. Plenty of quirkiness, and chock full of saxy songs, they don't all land for me, but there's enough to keep me interested.
Another album that was released during my formative years, and another album that contains several tracks I'm well-familiar with. As a complete album though it was not as good as I was hoping for. There seemed to be multiple tracks that just never really got going.
Standout Songs: Blue Skinned Beast Mr Speaker (Gets The Word) Our House Calling Cards Not a bad album, and a song I already knew. Just didn’t blow me away
This was a pleasant surprise. It's a good album but no more than that. It just doesn't have the impact or hold the attention like those first two albums. 3 stars overall. Would I listen again? No Would I buy this album? No Side One 1. "Rise and Fall" 3:16 - 3* 2. "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" 3:10 - Excellent tune. 4* 3. "Blue Skinned Beast" 3:22 - A little jarring musically. 3*. 4. "Primrose Hill" 3:36 - This has the 'Madness sound' and references. 4* 5. "Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word)" 2:59 - Quirky. 4* 6. "Sunday Morning" 4:01 - 3* 21/30 Side Two 7. "Our House" 3:23 - 5*. Classic song. A big hit. 8. "Tiptoes" 3:29 - Nice keyboards. Good song. 3* 9. "New Delhi" 3:40 - 3* 10. "That Face" 3:39 - 3* 11. "Calling Cards" 2:19 - 3* 12. "Are You Coming (With Me)" 3:17 - The piano is good on this. 3* 13. "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" 2:53 - One of the better tracks on the album. Jazzy. 4* 24/35
Ok overall
Ive had a run of awful albums so this was a nice change However id be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed with it. Our House stands out like a sore thumb, it's not only the best, but its the best by a mile. The rest is fine, but not as good as I was expecting Its a 3
Our House is played on the radio but don't think I've heard the rest of this.
Was expecting to love this but the singles are definitely the strongest on there! An interesting take on madness but their more mainstream sound is still my fav
Favorite Track: Our House
This one leans into a kind of whimsical silliness—like a collection of quirky little sing-song character stories. It’s not an album I’d reach for instinctively, but some of these tracks definitely float around in the cultural ether. I remember hearing a few growing up or catching them in the general zeitgeist. Not quite my usual vibe, but I get the charm, sort of.
Didn't know that this was considered ska; was bracing myself for something more annoying but just sounds like pleasant rock and roll. Nothing particularly hard hitting or memorable though.
Very fun, very catchy, very energetic New Wave record. I must say, I'm not a fan of Reggae or any of its derivatives (including Ska), but this album was pleasently surprising to me, though the Ska elements are significantly paired down. Cool. Key tracks: Rise and Fall Sunday Morning Our House
I listed to their self-titled album instead of this one, but I feel I got the jist of it. It's fine. Our House has stayed somewhat relevant and catchy.
um pré-indie circense, cheio de ideias, denso. gostaria que fosse mais dançante.
fun
Pretty good! Our house stuck out like a sore thumb a bit but many of the songs were interesting and generally well crafted. Just a tad boring now and again. 3/5
Madness are an all time great singles band which makes their best of the definitive album There’s a few of those classics on here (Our House, House of Fun, Driving In My Car) but quite a lot of filler as well
Cartoonist, carnival, and child like. kind of annoying, kind of fun.
had to listen to their most popular album becauser amazon did not have this one, it was fine
Second wave ska is always fun. Wish I could’ve heard more than three tracks. I’ll have to seek this out on CD
As up and down as its title suggests.
middle of the street
Not sure what to make of this. It's sounds quite experimental and almost a concept album. Obviously enjoyed the big hits, our house, another day etc... Some of the other tracks need more listening to. Not sure about accents on New Delhi
A decent record with solid production and a mix of quirky, upbeat tracks. The clear standout is “Our House,” which brings most of the album’s charm and energy. Outside of that, the rest of the record is fairly average.
I though that I would enjoy it more
It’s decent, Our House is a banger tho
It’s a very unique sound and I can be there for that but god damn does this list have to stop with every band that could foreseeably be in a Tim Burton soundtrack.
It’s a fairly decent ska album. The back half dropped off a bit.
Liked the first half of this more than I expected. Couldn’t really get over rNew Delhi tho. What a yikes!
Hressilega heimskulegt en skemmtilegt. Ansi nálægt menningarnámi og jaðrar við að vera fordómafullt. Aðrir tímar, 3,5.
They’ve got a unique sound, but that might be their best hook. Overall it’s okay but not special.
Overall it's pretty good. Apart from the all-time classic "Our House" it lacks any other big hits. However, the music is very well done, and fits that new wave aesthetic. I'm glad to have heard the rest of this album. "Calling Cards", was just a fun little romp that had me smiling. "Our House" of course will make the 1001 playlist, and overall I rank the album at just above average. ~ 2.8 stars
Okay. Bad not updating the cover.
Was surprised when Our House played. Was not aware it was on this album. The rest of the album stayed interesting throughout. 3⭐️
What a weird album. Feels really experimental, and kinda all over the place genre wise, but manages to stay consistent in tone/sound throughout. When Our House came up I was shocked since I was not expecting to recognize anything on this. And honestly, the fact that anything on this album broke through and became a hit is insane to me considering how much this album just does not care whether it's accessible or not. Overally, enjoyed the album for what it was, but it was kinda silly a lot of the time and generally sits in a style that I find hard to take seriously I guess. A lot of dated sounding bass and instrumentals that while they don't sound dated in the context of the songs (In fact, they manage to make those sounds come off as really unique and fresh), it's tough for me to separate them out from other music I hear those sounds in and are extremely dated/cheesy themselves.
eh.. not bad has the song "our house" which has been an ear worm for generations. Well put together album just not for me.
That one song sounds like fever by Peggy lee
Cute
Why did we get two ska bands in a row? Seems statistically unlikely. Our House is great, the song after (Tiptoe I think ) was good. Had to listen on YouTube so it was hard to tell what track was what. This was a big shrug 🤷♀️
When I was a roadie, I took down the stage after a Madness gig. When the show ended, Madness walked passed us roadies waiting backstage. Chas gave us a wave and a thumbs up. He was the only musician who ever acknowledged the crew. Nice one, Chas. Mr Speaker is a jam. Some really good songs on here. Very British, very London.
Despite the title, The Rise & Fall sounds like Madness gelling into a new form, that they were more than what people thought of them as. A noble effort, even if it sounds nothing like the most enduring song here and it often feels as though it falls through the cracks. Favorites: Rise and Fall, Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), Blue Skinned Beast, Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word), Our House, New Delhi, That Face.
Ganz ok, ein paar gute Lieder und viele Instrumentale
Strong energy
Yeah, not my favourite Madness stuff however great story telling of a time in England I would say. Just prefer the more fun and Ska stuff
I really enjoyed the creepy undertones in the music
Know most of these songs because my dad is a huge fan. Not my favourite thing, but mostly good and Our House is really good.
I don’t mind them in small doses but a whole album is too much for me. It’s all variations on the same that grates on me after a while.
Some classics on this album. The rest is of a wide array musically, but still recognizable as Madness (pun might be intended). A bit too sober at times for my taste.
I respect it but I wouldn't listen to it
Genuinely better than I was expecting as I didn't think I liked Madness. This was solid.
Entertaining. Some songs I knew. Kind of too "weird" in a way to be in my must hear list. Also, I am not sure if this is the case because youtube sometimes does this, but I seriously did not need a thirty song marathon of an album. I did, frankly, get a bit sick of it after a while. That should not damage the band or its value, and I won't let it. It is entertaining and decent.
Meh.
Boring, but it may be because the sound quality on You Tube is shit.
our house ...lalala, auch sonst ganz nett
The album title describes the fluctuations within the album. Favorite Track: "Our House".
It's quite enjoyable. I'm glad I listened to it. But I don't feel the need to go out and buy it (I can't stream on Spotify, though I did find it on YouTube -- I see that this album was never released in the United States.) It's another "7 out of 10" that's good but that will get rounded down to 3 stars out of 5.
This album only had 3 songs available on Spotify. I found a compilation album called “Madness” that contained all 3 available songs among others. I did enjoy it but I doubt I’d listen again.
This seemed like pretty standard Madness. They are alright, not my favourite vibe though. Simpsons: No
Not an album and it's fine
7/10
I've never been big on Madness except for the odd song. It's a very poppy version of Ska. The album is okay, but not anything special. 3/5
very cheeky
Only 3 playable songs on this one, no good bit 3 stars on those
A goofy pop blend Saturated with brass horns And catchy lyrics
Shortest album ever??
Quick
It was fine but the best stuff is commonly played on the radio and the other stuff is noticeably less inspired
Fun but not really a relisten
Had to go to YouTube because for some reason Spotify only has a three song EP version of this? Get your shit together Spotify! And then practically every song was interrupted by ads? Get your shit together YouTube!! Solid album, though. Our House gets a five, but the entire package lands just shy of 4. 3.7
Didn’t know who tf this was but lot of famous songs I knew very well, crazy
Sort of fun but also quite mid and forgettable.
Its ok, parts are great, and others are not so. I like the range of instruments, but some of the piano parts are a bit bad. Favourite songs: Tomorrow's (just another day), primrose hill, our house, calling cards, house of fun. Overall around 6/10
Pretty cool pop album
Really fun listen. Ska is not in my top genres but this was a nice diversion while I was working.
3,5/5 synes det er rigtig fint album. Kan godt lide lyden. De er åbenbart lidt komiske i deres tekster og lyd (ska?) lyd som er inspireret af jazz, carribean og alt muligt andet.
Yeah this was fine, the hits hit and the others are listenable
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
Good band from the 80’s till now. Some good songs to remember them by.
Interesting, mostly fun, and worth a listen, but it doesn't have the craziness of One Step Beyond or the catchiness of Absolutely. Best: Our House (of course), Mr Speaker, Calling Cards. House of Fun comes up as a bonus track
The album itself is nice enough, but man what is this cover?
I didn’t mind this. It was kinda funky, but sometimes got circus-y and that was too much for me
Interesting album. I’m not very familiar with this group, but it sounds like they put out a very experimental effort, which I appreciate. It’s about a 3 for me. Deduct a star for the racism sprinkled throughout, but add a star for the banger that is Our House. So 3 stars it remains.
"Our House" ist ja recht bekannt. Der Rest: naja
The conditions were ripe for one to become a pretty big Madness fan. “House of Fun” had a big impact when one first experienced on MTV – the revelation was that music could be this free, fun and wacky and still be cool. But then “Our House” felt too tame and sentimental and much less cool. (Interestingly, it sounds pretty decent today) Today, this doesn’t do a bunch, while being perfectly fine overall – “Are You Coming with Me?” is solid, eg. There are subtleties of range – bit of ska, bit of music hall, some vaguely Roxy Music vibes (“Sunday Morning”) – but only subtleties, with a net effect of one-notedness. Simply hasn’t aged as well as one might’ve thought.
Always a fun listen
Unfortunatly on 3 songs from this album are avaiable on spotify.
Had a hell of a time finding this album, apparently it was never released in the US. Anyway YouTube came through. I had no idea that the 80’s classic “Our House” came from this, but there it was. That’s obviously the highlight, but the rest was actually quite enjoyable as well. It’s a good 80’s new wave, synth, horn/ska time.
I don't really have much criticism of this. I just find it a bit light and jokey. Almost too nice. Maybe I'm just a miserablist. 3
Ton of fun. The album isn't very diverse but it works pretty well, expecially lived the instrumentals mixing pop and some jazzy influences, very unique
i liked crazy ska madness a bit more. whats up with the racist stuff?
Not my thing
This was fine. Not great, not bad.... Just fine.
Whimsical pop, recognized Our House
Fantastic singles band, never made a great album, although One Step Beyond should be in ahead of this. Solid greatest hits.
Our House sounds as good as ever. The album is fun & short.
247/1001
i like madness because i have a soft spot for ska but they are definitely more of a singles band than an LP band. some great songs off this album though fav songs: house of fun, tiptoes, our house
Pretty good, catchy.
Slightly disappointed if I'm being honest, because I do really like Madness. I love their style and what they're about, and they have some great hits. This album is a bit hit and miss for me. It is interesting, and has a variety of different styles, but not all the tracks are landing for me. Our House is SUCH a tune and is definitely the stand out. Spotify actually randomly skipped it on the playthrough, so I was really confused about how I could have worked through it and not noticed. The rest of the album doesn't hold up to that track unfortunately.
It's a funny coincidence that this album was generated back-to-back with The Village Green Preservation Society. Blur's Parklife came up only a few weeks ago. I like The Rise & Fall but I don't think it's as good as either of those albums.
Fine, I guess. A little kooky, a little adventurous, a little varied in musical sounds, a little boring. For a ska band and album, they don't really push the boundaries as much as I expect for this genre. At least they got the only song from these guys I've ever heard of? (Our House) But I'm still not going back for more.
My reaction to each song - "this is ok." That pretty much sums up the album. A lot of tracks sounded almost like a soundtrack for Halloween (e.g., Tomorrow's Just Another Day and Mr. Speaker Gets the Word. Favorite tracks: Our House (mainly because I know it), Tomorrow's Just Another Day, Blue Skinned Beast.
AKA 'that album with the "Our House" song'. Some of these tracks are quite nutty, but overall it's a fun listen.
Our house and two other songs. Very brief album
кажется мелодичнее чем ожидаешь от ска, но нельзя сосредоточиться на 28/30трековом альбоме и что-то осознать, понимание тонет в 10 версиях одной и той же песни
Lots of spooky songs
The uttermost representative of Britishness in the 1980s. Not too high on ska-punk, but think it is done well here, and certainly enjoy quite a bit of this. 3.5 stars
3.5
No rising or falling, just a lot of ‘Midness’. House Of Fun is still a bop but really the only Madness record worth checking out is their Greatest Hits.
No way was I listening to a 1:45 hour compilation album, but I liked what I heard.
Was a time in my teenage years that I'd have counted Madness as one of my favourite bands. Those days are long, long past. They're excellent musicians, tight as a gnat's twat, and they did start to bring ska and two-tone to the UK. But their best works are straight up covers, and the "larf" attitude expressed in their music just doesn't quite feel right after all this time. I've met Suggs - twice - and he's a genuinely different from the stage persona, being more sober, less whimsical and actually a jolly decent seeming human. But I really can't listen to them anymore without thinking that I'd honestly prefer to be listening to either the British contemporaries like Bad Manners or The Specials - or even better, to Island acts like Prince Buster, the Skatellites. It's actually a bit of a shame because they're not a bad act - at all - it's just that I don't really dig them anymore.
this seems pretty good i was enjoying the swinging and melodic semi-theatrical style but i didnt actually take a good look at the album cover until i was in the second half or so of the record and i was like Is That Fucking Blackface and then i just lost my whole train of thought for the rest of the album oops!
Interesting
The album aged even worse than the cover art
Unavailable on Apple Music. Will revisit on YouTube.
Enjoyed this. Not an amazing album, but fun to listen to.
Our House was the only familiar song to me. Didn’t particularly like the album but it wasn’t awful.
Oh this is BRITISH British. Highlights: Blue Skinned Beast, Primrose Hill, Mr. Speaker, Madness (Is All In The Mind) Nadir: New Delhi
As a child growing up in Britain in the 80s, Madness were a part of the cultural wallpaper. As I grew older they became the staple of office Christmas parties, where 50 year old sales managers would try and recapture their distant youth by doing the nutty boy dance to One Step Beyond or Baggy Trousers. As such, this has been my total exposure to Madness. This album is better and more nuanced than I thought it would be. The singles Our House and Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) are good, but they are not alone on this album. There is a lot to enjoy here, it's far better than I expected.
Love the ska elements. Some tracks were kinda confusing with their tempo and didn't fit in but the album was pretty good! Highlights: Rise and Fall Our House Tiptoes
Short album. Liked our house. Good variety. 3.5
I almost want to give this a 4 but I really don’t think I will listen again it seems to favor theme over music a bit too much. Our House great song.
For some reason only four songs from this album were available on Spotify, two of which I was familiar with since they were huge singles from the 80’s. I was enjoying all four songs and I’ll give the full album a listen in the future but for now I’ll rate what I’ve heard as a 3.5.
The album was alright, the songs were enjoyable but not great or super interesting. 'Our House' stands out among the pack and is pretty well known around these parts. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't hit like that again. Maybe the lyrics are more interesting, but I somewhat forgot to listen to them because my attention wasn't held Standouts Rise and Fall Our House 3/5
It's a fun enough album. Not the best in the world. But it DOES have Our House, and then there's a few more fun songs. Just a tad above average, I think
3☆/5 09.26.2024
This was a pleasant surprise! I wish I could've used Spotify to hear the entire thing, but I'll keep an eye out and do another listen. 3.5/5
Why wasn't this ever released in US? We got a different album with same singles but different album tracks. This is better than that one, too. Madness is probably my #3 second wave ska band, behind Specials and English Beat. I bet they put on a helluva live show, but their albums don't have a lot of depth to them.
I enjoyed getting to listen to a band I've never really heard of before (although I definitely heard plenty of "Our House" on the radio), even if this isn't a particularly great or memorable album or band. Lots of effervescent pop sounds--I'm not sure why they're labeled ska, unless my understanding of "ska" is very flawed? ("Tiptoes" was the only track that seemed ska-like.) Outside of "Our house", I'm not sure there are many other tracks that were all that distinctive for me; maybe I'd call out "Tomorrow's (just another day)", "Mr Speaker gets the word", and the Talking-Heads-reminiscent "That face", plus the fun video for "Calling cards". (I really wanted to like "Blue skinned beast" given the political skewering of Thatcher, but the song got in the way of my enjoyment.) Although it's not nearly as cohesive or interesting, I can see why the "1001 Albums" editor likened this album to "The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society", as there's a sort of snapshot element to many of the songs. And I *will* say this was substantially more interesting to listen to than, say "Simply Red" or "Pet Shop Boys" (who I feel like have some affinity to Madness).
Not bad, but I can see why Our House is the only enduring song they had
Interesting hotchpotch of vaudeville, ska, jazz, cockney music hall. Tomorrow’s Just Another Day and Our House are the big hitters but the latter’s chorus irritates the hell out of me especially with those fake key changes. Stephen Thomas Erlewine compared it to The Kinks’ The Village Green Preservation Society (at least in concept) but that’s a real stretch. In truth it’s a little rambling and unfocused musically for me to be ranked in the top tier
Quirky original, and sometimes dark 80s new wave Brit pop that has big instrumentation and lots of clever writing.
I actually quite enjoyed this album. It was pretty unknown to me but I enjoyed this album as if I already knew them really well. My enjoyment obviously peaked at Our House which never fails to put me in a good mood.
Hey it's that our house song!
give me back my cigarettes and a stench of hate you can keep the furniture with the dust on the shelf three kids in the chimney and a spark in there as well car parked in the forest dont want anyone to stare burn down the whole hotel, release me release me
Love a good, short-album. This has fun and good hooks. Along with a massive 80s hit.
When I was a kid growing up in the 80s a new song (and video) from the ‘Nutty Boys’ was always a treat, but I’ve never listened to a whole album. On this, their fourth album, they find a different tone, delving into nostalgia for childhood and family life, and tackling darker topics like depression and the aftermath of the Falklands War. This was originally a concept album but it drifted slightly (and let’s not mention the misstep of New Delhi and the cover)
This is pretty OK; I like the atmosphere of the album, that is a mixture of joy (it's ska after all) and nostalgia/melancholy. It's pretty diverse too. But if I can see its qualities, I'm not really fond of the result and if the production is good, it sounds a bit dated nonetheless.
Our House still catchy as hell....but seems like this is a one-hit wonder band.
really like our house
Always thought I didn’t like madness due to the baggy trosuers song. This album was much better than I expected, worthy of this list.
Our house in the middle of the street and some other interesting sounds from eclectic styles actually
Bizarre. Their whole thing has become ‘yer uncle loves these guys live and has seen them 87 times’ but listening to this I can’t imagine anyone thinking it’d be a vibrant live experience, it comes across as very low energy as if Suggs is sitting on a stool knackered going through the motions. I was expecting it to be quite formulaic but some of the music is actually quite interesting in a ‘Jolly ironic haunting’ kind of way. Removing Suggs sluggish nature and this was really good
Like The Specials, Madness were popular with the big, scary boys so I never really got into them (I'm still a bit wary of "House of Fun"). This is pretty good, killer singles and diverse, tuneful other tracks, worth the effort it took to find online. I still don't love em, though, a bit samey and not as inventive as their Kinks forebears
The Rise and Fall has a few Madness classics that make some of the other tracks seem like filler. It's still a fun listen though.
Fun tunes, but a few songs is enough
It’s nice but I do realise there’s a reason I heard of them before but never really listened to them
Has some addicitive tunes, but did not impress me enough to get a higher score.
Huge hit in Our House. They added like 5 versions of this song to the album. The rest of the songs sound very similar. Okay listen but will not return. 3/5
Fun album, actually exciting in a way that the band members made it clear they love what they do; and are good at it. 3.4
Ok nothing special
Thank you fellow reviewers for making me notice the blackface on the cover, wtf. Kind of a fun album, said ska but not what I expected.
Unapologetically British, albeit sometimes painfully so. Fun shit. Madness is def one of the stranger groups in that late 70s/early 80s aka scene. Pretty playful and weird in a fun way. Feels like it would score an 80s comedy starring a Brit version of judge reinhold where he ends up randomly going in and out of an un-explained cartoon universe Fav tracks: Rise and fall and Primrose hill
Too short of an album
It was alright. I liked their sound. Our House is the obvious highlight.
3.4
Is there a more successful UK band in the UK outside of The Beatles? Go ahead, I'll wait. The record of Madness is amazing. 15 out of their first 17 singles went top 10 in the UK - 33 Top 40 hits all time. All but one of their 13 studio albums went Top 20 (9 Top 10's, 6 Top 5), and their latest release in 2023 was their first #1. WTF? This would be the 4th and last of what most would call their classic records with \"silly fun songs\". Some classic songs, but mixed in with a lot of songs that probably came from cranking out 4 albums in 4 years and initially trying a \"concept\" album. The boys grew up.
Sound good, but listened to it before the weekend, and two days later can't remember a thing from it, except singles
This had some good moments, even some jazzy parts, but overall it was too poppy for me…
One of those with one absolutely great song, and a lot of filler. Glad I listened to it but will not put this on regular rotation.
I've gotten a few Madness records on this list, and found their move from ska to ska-tinged pop (which, being honest, comes across more jazzy than anything) interesting. It's not music I enjoy, but it's not music I find offensive. The topics covered (and sounds) in this one even stretch this record to what someone might call an early brit-pop record, i.e. the monotony of suburban living. It's fine, nothing I'm over the moon about, however. Favorite tracks: "Tiptoes", "Calling Cards"
Madness er fjörug hljómsveit. Smá ska. Smá hressleiki. Ég hef hlustað af og til á eitt og eitt lag en aldrei heila plötu. Þetta var reyndar ekki heil plat heldur. Höfundaréttur kom í veg fyrir það. Það virðist samt vera á viðbótarlögum sérstakrar útgáfu frekar en sjálfri plötunni þannig að ég dreg ekki jafnmikið niður.
es goht afoch los ohni nüt irgendwie. afoch go. sie sind d our house boys und de song tönt au so. blöser, snare uf jede schlag wenn nöd achtel, parallel zweistimmig, trocheni chorus gitarre. tönt geil. tommorrows just another day au no geil. blue skinned beast chan au öppis, nostalgischer und denn weirde bridge teil? isch da de refrain? funny. saxophon chli frank vibes (aso afoch chli goofy) mit de ziit. primrose hill isch bitz zirkusmusig, aber sehr guet arrangierti blöser herr redber au wieder sehr goofy aber au dark? rieese arrangement? sundig morge funny rhythmus? ich ha chli s gfühl wennd nöd us england bisch cheggsch das album nöd ganz. our house absolut verdienterwiis sonen hit. riesig. sooo viel hooks. tiptoes wieder sehr goofy ass aber no herzig. diese gesicht wieder chli meh hooks aber sie sind weniger popsong struktur als ich denkt han. s klavier isch extreeem geil. calling cards nervt mi etz es bitz? find ihren sound uf ziit nld soo geil.
noaml kenni nur our house aber mal luege es seg eis vo ihrne experimentelkste albe? ok die erste 2 lieder sind na funny aber hauet mi jz nöd um hmm ich finds ah sich cool mite blöser und de taktwechsel hie und da aber hautmi nüt us de socke mr. speaker het ener gnervt iwie ischs komisch, es sind klar anderi lieder, aber das klavier tönt immer chli glich und es isch jz öppe ide hälfti chli langwilig aso ozr house isch halt eifach en riese bop aber de rest findi echt rechr langwilig leider puh ja es zieht sich chli are you coming with me isch na cool madness findi eig no en coole closener. joa ohni our house würds glaub es 2 geh, sorry drei
I don’t think the full album is on Spotify so I’m sorry that I didn’t seek out all of it. Kinda cool, I liked when our house came on because I didn’t know it was these guys, the rest a kinda Todd rundgren fun house? Not bad I’d say
mal so mal so
I've always thought that I don't like Madness, and I still don't really like Madness, but I didn't find this album annoying as I do some of their most famous hits. Speaking of which, Our House is a quite undeniable bop. Fave Tracks: Our House 2.7/5
Hard to believe a band with so many members results in such a thin sound. "Our house" bumped up the rating, if not for that it would have been probably a 1.
Our house in the middle of our street...3/5
It's Madness. does exactly what you'd expect. Some great tunes but mostly goes by without much to note.
Un toque de alegria y marcha muy refrescante.
Of the 80’s ska bands that made it, these guys probably hit the highest chart peak. Certainly weren’t the best in my opinion. Specials, The Beat, and The Selecter were all the real shit, while the “Our House” boys sold their precious souls for cash. Trite little tunes of 80’s joy. No harm, no foul. Just a bit boring. Go spin Too Much Pressure. Boom!
Good time for sure. There is some interesting stuff and Our House is an 80s standard.
One of the better albums of that Genre.
pleasant enough. not sure if this is groundbreaking or unique in any way...decent but forgettable.
Our house goes hard but the rest pretty mid 3.5 leaning 3
Solid þristur. Our house er meistaraverk en það er slatti af filler efni þarna. Hljóðið varð smá áreiti eftir því sem leið á seinni hluta. Ekki alinn upp við the madness sound.
Fínt að fá smá Madness, alltaf léttir og skemmtilegir. Fullt af góðum lögum, tomorrows just another day alltaf í miklu uppháldi hjámér. Slappari kaflar inn á milli.
the rise and fall tomorrow's just another day
Me gustó mucho en su generalidad, aunque tiene taaanto temas (como 30) que también tiene mucha porquería. Es un ska lento medio jazzero.
I love Our House, but the rest of the album didn't interest me much.
Blije new wave uit begin jaren tachtig, in die tijd misschien maar de beste trend om te volgen als je muzikant was in Engeland. Beter dan al die van de pot gerukte punk. Het resultaat is energiek plaatje, weinig pretenties, maar wel zowaar een hitje.
I was not ready for this. Parts of it are just too exhausting to listen to.
Good record, but even though those were different times, I can't look at the cover and be ok with the dude with the blackface, so I will give it 3 stars instead of 4. But a good album overall.
This album was difficult to find so I listened to other music by this band. Worthy of a 3.
Especially enjoyed Mr Speaker
Pretty good though a bit uneven in quality. 1/2 quality songs on this album. Low 3.
Not on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube, not ideal. Upon first listen, it's alright - nothing is as good as the one song everyone knows, Our House. I could listen to it again...or not.
Was okay
No time for a real review. Some good songs (first two + Our House, and a couple more), more boring songs, An ok album, I prefer the rawness of their earlier releases.
Definitely can tell it is from 80s, which isn't a bad thing at all. Overall I liked it enough to give it 3 stars
It's a really strange collection of songs. On the one hand, there's definite musical prowess and understanding of texturing, keeping the listener's interest, and knowledge of several genres (including blues, jazz, funk, and ska). On the other hand, it genuinely seems like Madness was trying to alienate the listener during some tracks. Take Sunday Morning, a theoretically strong track. It tries to go for almost math-rock levels of auditory annoyance with its frequent, unorthodox pauses, off-kilter horn hits, and so on. The song That Face, later in the album, is similar. Separately: New Delhi (the track) is so caricatured that it's hard to enjoy. Also, the main vocalist has a pretty monotone British-conversational voice, reminiscent of punk. Not a big fan. But when the album hits, it really hits. Our House, the international hit single, is really good. The eclectic nature of the band is relegated mostly to the haphazard chord changes, which honestly sound pretty great in this instance. Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), Rise and Fall, and Tiptoes are all just great jazzy/brassy tunes. The four promo video tracks, which weren't included on the original album, are some of my favourites. (Seriously – they should've been on the original! A travesty.) Unfortunately, there's the blackface guy on the album cover. What's up with that? 3/5 Key tracks: Tiptoes, Our House, Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), Rise and Fall
I only knew a couple of these songs. Classic 80s. Karen of course knew of the band again. Dance dance dance.
Had to listen on YouTube.
Short funky fun album.
I had never heard of Madness, though I am obviously familiar with the hit "Our House." Reading about this band, I was expecting a more straight up 2 Tone Second Wave Ska sound, but this album is clearly a bit of a departure from that. It's a lot more interesting than I was expecting. This band has a bit more to them than just an 80s ska band, and I'm surprised that they are still together and putting out music to this day. The blackface on the album cover I'm sure is certainly regrettable.
Swäg
Nuts that this was never released in the US, it’s easily at least as good as One Step Beyond…, the only other album by Madness I’ve heard. Most of this album gets more experimental and veers away from the 2 tone/ska of their earlier work. That influence is still there, but there’s more pop, punk, and new wave here. “Our House” is quintessentially new wave, and it’s easy to see why that’s Madness’s biggest hit.
Unavailable so I listened to five tracks from it on the U.S. comp Madness. Liked what I heard…
It was ok. I'll giver it another go because sometimes records are growers.
Better than expected! Always had them down as a ‘best of’ band - no point listening to the albums. As per usually, I was generally right. Some great tracks though. 3.2
It's a nice album. Lots of different pop stylings all done with a light touch. However, give the Madness from One Step Beyond; the non-stop dance floor assault that keeps your body in a state of perpetual movement. 3 stars
This sounds like a record made by British people for British people. Mostly goofy sounding songs led by a honky piano, with cheeky lyrics sung in an English accent. There’s some pretty cool horn work on this album, and drumming and bass parts are surprisingly dynamic and tight. An interesting album, but like beans on toast, it doesn’t appeal to my American pallet. Stand out tracks include “Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day)”, “Primrose Hill”, “Our House”, and “That Face”.
Didn't hate but didn't really like it a charitable 3
I remember that song.
I’m such sucker for horns and music that feels like a small orchestra is playing it. I had a lot of fun listening to this. Weirdly it’s hard to find streaming. So I had to suffer through a bunch of ads while listening on YouTube. The first two thirds are pretty great and then it loses a bit of its lustre. 3.5/5
fun. but maybe a lil tew much
I love a bit of Madness, but let's face it - they are a singles band. I can't in all conscience give this more than a three. I would probably put their debut on the list before this.
Three stars, in the middle of our scale.
I’m surprised people hate this as much as they do, but I’m also surprised some people love it. My takeaway is that it was fun to listen to and catchy, but not really much more than that. In summary, if you’ve heard Our House (let’s be honest, who hasn’t?) you’ve heard the album.
Wasn't sure what to expect, but it was fun. And then when it got to "Our House" I went "Oh, yeah, I HAVE heard these guys!"
Bummer it's not available, but what I heard was good.
“Our House” is a classic song and the rest of the album is decent enough.
2024-03-31...
It's actually alright, but it may have benefited from my very low expectations of what a "ska" album could be.
Short but entertaining
I do love madness but they seem to be very much a singles band. I don’t really hear much about the albums and probably rightfully so. I think the genre had so much potential and I really love a lot of bands especially Madness and The Specials. But it has always been songs or compilations. I just feel the album was kind of a nice start that just smoothed out, then bam here is our house listen to this amazing song we can make, back to just smooth music. It isn’t bad it is just nothing special so I think it sits pretty much in the middle. I still love the sound I think it’s super cool and I would listen to it I just wish they went all out on some of the songs. 3/5 is still very good. And even though it is 3/5 there was only 2 songs that really stuck out. Stand Out Songs: Tomorrows (Just another day) Our House
3/19/24. Fun album, always been a fan of the track "Our House." Just feel good music with a great horn section and upbeat, although it loses a little steam toward the end.
Okay not great. Some appeal but mostly an 80's brit pop albo.
Our House in the Middle of the Street band. That song's the only thing you've heard from them for a reason, the rest is whatever
Not a huge fan of this one, liked a few tracks like Our House.
Enjoyable but not peak Madness, maybe we’ll see another entry here…
Another surprise. I hadn't realised that Madness had any depth. This album contains wit, musical maturity (with references/allusions to many styles) and accomplished songwriting. What lets it down for me is the singing. I find it extremely hard to get past Sugg's boring sing-by-numbers style. It really does destroy the album.
Lyssnat lite på madness som liten. Det var ok. Mest hitsen. Denna skiva når inte jättehögt dock.
This was fun, I didn't love every song but I can see why it's on this list.
A surprisingly varied album with some darker songs than expected, as well as a great opener and of course the classic House of Fun to kick off the second half. Unfortunately the second half was a bit weaker (the less said about New Delhi the better) and it didn’t quite stick the landing. 3/5 for the album, yikes/5 for the album cover
Our house is good, the rest is ok, but a bit to random for my taste
Well mooded guys. I enjoyed getting in the same mood with them.
this seemed promising but became very tiring by the end i never liked our house either so eh, it ok
Not bad. "Our house" is a classic earworm.
SAIN ARE 'OUSE?
Not all of the album was available on Spotify, but knew some of the songs that were. Def an exercise in madness.
Not the album I wanted or needed now. It's strange, interesting and sometimes an easy listen. But too experimental for me at the moment which made it a hard listen. A 3 for its clear artistic qualities.
lot of songs not available on spotify but i like what i did hear 3.5
This was not ska? Also, for the 3rd day in a row the album wasn't on Spotify. Not relevant but odd. Still pretty good
3.5
Sannarlega þeirra besta plata. Nokkrir bangerar og nokkur vanmetin.
Lots of really fun earworms here. “Mr. Speaker” is especially tasty. Madness should’ve been a bigger band in America than they were.
I knew "Our House". I also liked "Rise and Fall" and "Tomorrow's Just Another Day". The rest of the album is fine. So that puts me somewhere between a 3 and a 4.
Surprisingly good. I only think of Our House and One Step Beyond. I did not realize how eclectic they were. Very enjoyable. My view of ska has expanded. 3.5 stars.
Wasn’t able to listen to the whole thing, but I enjoyed what I heard. Our House is just a great song!
OK but not doing it for me.
good vibe, cool jams. 3
This album was not available on specify but I listened to the compilation that contained a chunk of the album songs and enjoyed it. It was fun.
Not bad, nice background music.
Can’t listen
Nawet fajowe. takie 3/5 delikaty pop rock i te sprawy
#89. Another one hit wonder band. But this one is different because I didn't even know that it was a one hit wonder, I thought that was a Talking Heads song the whole time. The album was pretty good though, I dig it. 3/5: yeah
Some tracks were great, others were ok, a few were not good.
English ska band! Décrit comme un concept album. Des beaux sons, belle découverte.
never knew who sung "our house", decent album of proto-ska 3.3/5
Not my favourite band but the album tracks were interesting
Fairly ambitious endeavor. Large brass and instrumental made it enjoyable
Aikamoista kruisailua eri meininkien välillä. Ei tämä häirinnyt, muttei purassutkaan. Olisin ehk kaivannut selkeyttä tai jotain. Ska on vähän vaikee genre jotenkin. 3/5