Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Decent (at least what I was able to cobble together from Spotify). 3/5
It’s okay!
OUR HOUSE
Not bad
Good 80s British pop.
Bri'ish But ye its alright I guess. Some decent tracks but also I was bored 7 songs in
Not really my jam but the Maxwell House Jingle gets it 3 stars
Mad House. Un poco igual todo el rato.
Our House is a classic (even if the lyrics are a bit naff); the rest is a curate's egg.
I probably need to give this more of a listen. Our house has always been a massive favourite. "The kids are playing up downstairs" is for me a perfect lyric. But I found the rest of the album lacked some of that poetry.
Wel leuk, maar niet de Ska die ik van Madness gewend ben en leuk vind. Our House is natuurlijk prachtig, maar de rest vond ik minder leuk dan verwacht, ook omdat het dus gewoon heel anders was dan verwacht. Ik twijfel tussen 3 en 4, dus dan gaan we maar weer aan de hogere kant zitten.
cor blimey, come and have a gander at my trombone. i'm a cockney, i'm a cockney, i'm a cockney.
Absolute scenes
Fun and full of energy. I love the Madness hits bit a whole album is a bit much!
Was entertained that there was an 'I Like Riding on My Bike' song then realised I was far into the bonus tracks so don't know what was actually the album. It all sounded how I would expect Madness to sound. Jaunty fun.
Our House still a quality song, some ups some downs an ok album I would say but not astounding.
Cool album actually. Wasn’t looking forward to it but it was good
Decent 80s brit rock
Sad that this wasn't fully available on spotify. Had to use YouTube and it forced ad's on me. Album isn't for me, but it's not bad.
Tried to pay attention but it got boring quite quickly
Never could get into this band. Our House is nice, I guess. 2.5/5
Good, fun, pop album.
What happened to you Madness? You used to be fun.
Only a bit familiar with Our House, and had no idea what the rest of their songs would be like. The album was pretty much what I expected. 3.25/5
When I was young you literally couldn't get away from Madness, they were always on TV with a new hit and video. Only two hits on this album, but I remember them well. I always liked the fact that "Our House" seems to have multiple levels, with something incredibly sad lurking just beneath the surface. Many of the songs were similar, someone doing start-stop half-speaking vocals with a sax in the background. They sound like a very well-polished band that might do weddings or small nightclubs for middle-aged adults. I got a bit tired of this by the end, but it wasn't as awful as I was expecting, so I'm giving it 3-stars.
Album 134 of 1001 Madness - The Rise & Fall Rating : 3/ 5 Favorite Track : Our House This is the album Our House is on.
I ended up listening to this through a Youtube Playlist that someone made, as this wasn't available on Apple Music or Youtube Music. I thought this album was fun and lively. I might poke around what's available on Apple Music because I could see listening to this when I'm in the mood for new wave. Blackface on the album cover sucks, though. Ugh.
Un disco que parece con una tonalidad cirsense, esa especie de sonido menor pero en un contexto de felicidad da tal sensación. El álbum no es malo, pero tampoco destaca y cansa en varios momentos con ideas que no cierran y con sonidos que resultan repetitivos. La inclusion del piano llega un punto que no aporta nada, además de ellos apostando porque sea un diferencial. A pesar de esto, quieren ser conceptuales y en cierto aspecto lo logran, se muestran matices en el tracklist y en las canciones. Siento que es una especie de banda inspirada por bowie que quizo incursionar en el new wave y formar su propio sonido, pero la busqueda no está terminada en este proyecto. Muestran sensaciones interesantes pero solamente quedan en eso... 6/10
It’s madness, I’ll come back in 10 years when I’m a 40 year old dad and see if I like it then
Hey - turns out these dudes are more than just "Our House" - I actually really liked this one. It had a fun energy.
Some different sounds as well as some classic on here - I enjoyed!
3.6 - “Our House” is a favorite radio hit. The rest is a carnivalesque swirl of bouncy brass fills, unexpected chord structures and general British goofiness, tempered with nostalgia.
Good for a madness album.
Quintessential English pop by everyone's second favourite band. If you grew up in the eighties. Its difficult to not like Madness, they are fun, release great singles and appeal to a wide range of music fans. If you've ever seen them live, which I have, then you will know it ain't easy to keep still. However, over a whole album I lose the love and its the same with this. Great singles band, a bit like Queen.
Yea this was on, hoped for more
First time hearing more than Our House. I had to listen to a best of as this wasn’t on my streaming services.
Another one of those “Oh hey! It’s that one song!” albums. The rest of it is kinda fun too tho. 6/10
Not the best madness album, seems to lack some of their trademark energy. The two singles of this are 2 of their better songs however. Also definitely loses points for the brownface on the album cover. Blegh
As an album, The Rise & Fall is a bit of bouncy and boppy new wave pop, yet distinctly British. Madness have a recognisable sound and whilst I have never listened to the album, they sounded familiar, and wasn't until it got to "Our House" where it all clicked. Best: Our House Worst: New Dehli Note: Deluxe album is only available on Spotify, I listened to the original 13 tracks only.
There were only a couple of songs on Spotify and I couldn't be bothered to find the rest. With over 750 days of this grumpiness is setting in.
Admittedly Our House is a great song but the rest of the album is very repetitive. I prefer their earlier material that had a harder ska edge TBH
Our House is the only song I was familiar with and of course it’s a classic. Otherwise I think my opinion on the album varied based on the song. I think all in all it was a good album but some songs were strange? I would say 7/10.
Always enjoy a little Madness, though not big on Ska overall. Another one here where Google Music failed me, maybe because it never had a U.S. release? These digital rights issues perpetually baffle me.
One of the most overplayed songs in the British radio! It's still a great track, but listening to it at least twice a day is unbearable. But it's a nice experience to witness the full album that the song is coming from. The everlasting tune I'm talking about is of course "Our House". In smaller doses, a great track for every type of mood. Some of the album fits the same mould. Two songs to start "The Rise & Fall" are pretty comparable, with a high energy, ska-like funk and good vocal. Afterwards, we are greeted by 10 songs that are trying too much. Very polyrythmic beats, broken in few places to make it more interesting, probably, but making it really hard to listen. There is no more flow, and even the vocal stagnates, like the whole band just stopped caring all of a sudden. In general, it's a very average album with few great exceptions, and it helped me make a decision, that Madness is probably not a band I would like to listen to in the future.
det har nåt, det har det. men kanske inte man behöver ha på vinyl
A stylistically varied semi-concept album about childhood memory (and one random song about New Delhi). A good chunk of this is great, but a little inconsistent overall. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Our House Date listened: 30/04/23
Cool. Enjoyed
Highlights: Rise and Fall, Our House 3,5/5
Bardzo zróżnicowany album, tytuł dobrze odzwierciedla przebieg słuchania kolejnych utworów. Our house to klasyczek, że hej.
Despite the track, 'Our House,' the album was okay.
Listen
Couldn’t hear the whole album but I liked what was avail
A cool find! I have to say, this puts the 80s classic “Our House” into a whole context. Hearing it here, it’s so much darker, stranger, madder. And it is mad! More circus music than ska, practically. But the Rise and Fall—a pseudo concept album on nostalgia, memory, and childhood in the modern age (in a way that’s reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s “Suburbs” and a lot of what Blur did in the following decade)—might best be described as a Ska Odyssey. Which I love. Honestly. There’s a lot going on musically. A very unique record. Surprised this came out as early in the decade as it did. I really enjoyed this listen. Feel like there’s even more to sink my teeth into than I did with it today, but not sure I’m quite ready for whatever jelly lies within. Today I found it a pleasant-enough listen even while it seemed to hide deeper, darker truths. I think this will grow on me. It is an enigma, a maze. Surprised it was never released in the US of A and that it remains a sort of buried treasure by a band assumed to be a one-hit wonder. Not so! If I ever see this in a used CD bin at a record store I will surely buy it and dig deeper into whatever madness Madness had on its mind.
Admittedly, I've heard only their big hit in the US, "Our House", which I did like when it had a lot of airplay here. I never pursued the band or listened to anything else they did, so I'm glad to hear this album and to get to know them a little better. One of the many great things about this project is the way it lets me learn about bands, musical and cultural movements, and so much more. When I do read up on an album and a band, almost always the background stories and contexts are interesting and help me to connect what I'm hearing with the time, place, and circumstances of an album and, more importantly (at least to me), the people who made it. What I've picked up from listening to this album for the first time is this band is quite talented and fuses together a few styles very well for this record. Because of when "Our House" was a hit in the US, it's funny to me that I think of this band as more advanced in time than they really were -- they formed in 1976 and this is a 1982 album. Time warps, especially over, well, time. Musically, I like that although they are characterized as a ska band, they are more varied than that and don't sound like people imitating a style outright from another culture, which at times can be uncomfortable. Instead, they sound like themselves and I appreciate that. Some of the songs have interesting and sophisticated elements to them, including some jazz and other styles, yet the tracks remain mostly pop-ish and accessible. This is some really good stuff. Thanks, 1001 Albums Project!
Who needs a Madness album? Surely the best Madness album is The Greatest Hits of Madness? well, yes and no. Because this is good stuff, fun and quite experimental, but the best songs are the singles, esp Our House which remains irresistible
I’d say I’m fairly familiar with Madness. There are some songs I love, and some songs I really don’t get at all (Driving In My Car is super weird, but apparently well loved). Still, I haven’t heard an album in full so I’m excited to listen today! Songs I already knew: Our House Favourites: Our House, Madness (Is All In The Mind) I didn’t expect such a variety of sounds on this album. There are elements of jazz that creep in at times, and I’d never have expected that from Madness. There are some songs that sound like they were made for a musical - I know Our House did go on to become one, but there are songs that sound specifically made for theatre. Maybe that’s just me though. Overall, a fun album if a little cheesy at times.
Pretty good, couple of songs that take me back here.
Good fun.
Lata 80, Wielka Brytania, Dęciaki - gitówa. Znałam wcześniej tylko Our House, które bardzo lubię. Zastanawiam się między 3 a 4. Super klimat, fun album, ale z drugiej strony są też trochę męczący i monotonni, nie ma wytchnienia na tej płycie. Myślę, że będę wracać do dwóch piosenek z tej płyty, ale nie wiem czy do większej ilości. Chociaż może.
- only a few of the songs were available on Spotify - didn’t hear enough to judge
It's wild that this album was never released in the US even though it had our house on it. I don't know why they didn't have faith in it because it's a good 80s brit rock album that doesn't have anything crazy on it but isn't bad. Also only gets a high 3 instead of a 4 because most of it isn't on spotify.
Going by the cover, this is definitely from the UK. Look at that goofy shit. I'm also gonna say 80s pub rock a la Pogues? Not quite Pogues, although it does have a similar big band feel. Wiki says ska but I'm not hearing that (thankfully). Not awful, and there ya go that's where our house comes from. Whole album isn't awful but I'll never listen again. Guess I'll give it a 3/5.
Rise and fall - tasty sax Blue skinned beast - tempo changes? interesting Mr. Speaker - started off really boring but ends super good Sunday Morning - cool concept but super repetitive and annoying after a while New Delhi - big yikes
Madness is one of those many British bands that had moderate success in England, but didn't enjoy as much of a fan base in America. The music is fine, the band explores a wider range of musical styles beyond ska, which for the most part works, but I feel they're a bit generic and not memorable. I enjoyed it, I just can't understand how this made the essential list.
Why is this album so hard to find? Oh sure, you can find the essential track "Our House" anywhere and everywhere, which is nice since Our House is a solid 5. But the full version of this album isn't on ANY streaming service, and I love Madness, but I'm not paying twenty bucks for an import copy of this CD on Amazon. Who do we blame for this? Certainly not the band. I've loved Madness ever since I saw the video to "One Step Beyond" and heard the aforementioned "Our House". Do we blame society? A little bit, yeah.
Haven't ever listened to this before. They have a lot of sound, but for the most part, its cohesive and enjoyable.
I like a lot of Madness' quirkiness and ska mix of pop, however, other the songs here other than Our House and Tomorrow's Just Another Day feel a bit more like half-thoughts of songs than a fully fleshed out idea. Its unusual and interesting, but this album doesn't have me coming back for repeat listens.
Solid
Our house. Primrose Hill. Rise and fall. Couple other good tunes. Madness are also very good live! But album 3.5, tails off at the end. Listen to 1st half again tho
I did not expect to hear Our House from this album, that came as a happy surprise! Decent overall, although as someone who is totally unfamiliar with Madness the music seemed only fine. Outside of Our House, that song is catchy and upbeat and great. A 3.5 overall as the rest of the album was good but forgettable for me.
Listened on YouTube. It’s pretty silly overall. Our House is not quite enough to get this over a 3 but it’s not bad. Pretty sure there’s blackface on the album cover.
Some weird riffs, with very rich instrumentation. ska-based, but some influences from musicals and some prog. Very interesting, and Our House is in this album!
I prefer the patois and meandering pace of Jamaican reggae, but this is aight.
Spotify gave me four songs worth about 15 mins., that was plenty. By no fault of their own, this gets high marks. By fault of their own, this album sucks.
Midness
I was into Madness' singles when I was younger but never had much inclination to listen to a full album. I've no idea if this is their best one but I like it; there's not as much filler as I expected. I've read suggestions that this is a kind of spiritual predecessor to Blur's defiantly English Britpop output and that's a reasonable shout, actually. Not as good though. 3.5
Couldn’t access all the songs :(
Unique style, but some songs did blend. The lyrics were somewhat odd but I think it gives the album its charm. Also interesting instrumentals. Fave track(s): Primrose Hill, Are You Coming With Me
Difficile apres une écoute de donner une note a cette album. Je n'écouterai quand meme pas une deuxième fois. C'est vraiment pas si mal. Les chansons son accrocheuse. J'ai eu Our house qui est la chansonq ui a le plus joué dans mon coin et que j'ai souvent entendu sans savoir qui ce bvand était. C'est certainement plus que cette chanson mais pas comme la découverte du siecle. Pas trop mon genre. 3.25
"Our House" is such a fun funky poppy rocky legendary track. For some reason I thought that song was released in like 1990, and I was surprised to see it was in 1982. It's a lovely song to hear on good speakers. Growing up this song was ubiquitous but always heard on subpar car speakers or stereos and never through a good pair of headphones or studio monitors. Listening now on studio monitors there are so many more elements to appreciate- the guitar tone in the solo around 1:45 and the contrasting sax line to it. The vocals are SO clean, along with the drums. Overall the mix is impressively tight. "Don't Look Back" is a very fun funky song. More great production and performances. I found it interesting that most of the songs on this album were removed from Spotify. This hasn't been the case too often and it's always been easy to find a way to listen to them but it makes me wonder why? Cool album cover. Love the snake charmer!
lindos temas pero ya cuando te ponen la versión del disco con 80 versiones distintas de cada tema zzz. igual banqué eh 7.5/10
Ventures into pastiche a few times too often to be great. The ska-pop synthesis is incomplete, but compelling enough to elevate Our House in context. I'm not sure who's more true, but the balance of cynicism to sincerity isn't as perfect as that of the Kinks, whom Madness follow.
Good for 1982.
Methinks the only reason this album is on the list is because of it's monster hit 'Our House', which is enough to scratch the authors 80s / 90s BritPop / PostPunk itch. 3.5 / 5.
19th January 2023 Listened in the day while working from home. Steak and scan in the evening. Love the naughty school boy sense you get from this record but make no mistake they are serious musicians.
Fun but one and done.
first listen typical 80s artsy fartsy
The quality follows the same trajectory as the title - with a rise at the end as the last track is a goodun.
Madness pay tribute to their English roots with a dizzying mix of music hall, jazz and ska. Would probably be a 4 if not for the incredibly racist “New Delhi.”
Lots of fun sounds, but unfortunately none of the songs were that memorable for me.
Our House is not good enough to be stuck in your head so much
An interesting piece of music history. 2tone, early ska, and their roots. The music is good for the most part. There is a definite British bias in this list, but this album deserves to be on here due to it's unique place in British music and culture.
Baggy trousers and baggy eyes listening to this
Ska? Hmmmmm, not one of my favorite genres to be honest, but I'm curious to hear all this experimentation mentioned on the Wiki page... Update: OH SHIT, OUR HOUSE!!! IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STREET!!! This isn't ska, this is like actual good music! This record really rocked, lots of fun instrumentation and tempo changes.
Fun listen
Some surprisingly tender moments here from a band I'd always thought of as a bit of a joke and Suggs' lyrics are often poignant and insightful as they celebrate working class life and culture. Our House remains a bold and infectious pop track. But blimey, boys, the black face on the cover and the Indian accents on New Delhi is pretty lousy, even accounting for the times.
Not a good or memorable as their other albums, but also no as Ska
Favourite track(s): Tomorrow's (Just Another Day); Our House I do like the creativity in the instrumentals, in particular the use of piano and brass instruments. I don't really like the "exotic" style in some songs, but that seems to be what the genre is about. Cannot recall most of the lyrics with the vocals being kind of forgettable in general. Not my favourite album but also not my least favourite, for sure.
I'm a fan of the hits, haven't listened to their full albums much. There is some filler I think
C'est bon mais sans plus
Dang whatever happened to to those Maxwell House coffee commercials
Honestly I was playing video games while listening to this and I barely remember anything about it. Our House is a good song though. Album Cover: Not terrible not great 3/5
Entretenido
Didn’t get much time with this one, which is a pity as I like Madness (greatest hits anyway) but was surprised by how “different” many of these tracks were. Hard to say whether I’d warm more to the less poppy songs if I gave them more time.
I’ve never heard this album before, but, being a big Costello fan, I picked up the 12” single of Tomorrow’s Just Another Day at the time, because it included a version with Elvis on lead vocals. Great track, as were the other tracks on that record - Blue Beast and Madness(Is All In The Mind). As was the single Our House. But having now listened to the other nine tracks, I have to say they sound a bit samey. They were a good band but they weren’t The Specials.
I'm a bigger fan of the group's earlier ska-focused material but this is an interesting, fun album. Almost like a 2-Tone Sgt Peppers. Our House is still a classic.
Weird, experimental, had some good vibes, not at all what I expected. STILL BETTER THAN Arcade Fire.
This album isn't available on Spotify so I listened to it on YouTube. This is such fun era of English ska and the musicianship is excellent. Lively, fun, and upbeat. I'm not likely to be drawn back to it again bc that era of my music obsession has passed but I would have loved this in the 90s!
I didn't think I knew the band Madness until I heard the song Our House. There is some serious experimentation and mashups of instruments throughout, including a constant baseline of ska, with piano/synth/horn overtones, and constant tempo changes. Overall, not a terrible listen. Favourite songs: Our House, Sunday Morning, Mr. Speaker (Gets The Word), Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), Blue Skinned Beast, Madness (Is All In The Mind) Least favourite songs: New Delhi (used sitar music to set the scene of India, but it just ended up being annoying), That Face 3/5
Somehow not as good or fresh or original-seeming as it once was, without being in any way bad.
3.5 Easy 4 stars based on the first 4 tracks or so. I did love the wacky ragtime piano in multiple tracks, and feel bad now for basing my whole idea of Madness on a Maxwell House commercial September 20, 2022- finally listened to this on YouTube
Fun Ska Revival album from a talented band.
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Our House (7) 2 - Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) (2) 3 - Madness (Is All In The Mind) (13)
Entiendo la influencia, pero en momentos no entendí por qué está en esta lista. :(
I forgot how much I liked Madness
Awesome cover art. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Quirky british new wave 80s music; reminds me of XTC.
Don't know whether The Rise & Fall is here for the blend of British ska and pop, music that's an 80s timecapsule, or if its solely because the author wanted Our House in the book. Aside from those three things, this album is pretty quirky, which isn't a bad thing. It has plenty of personality and zaininess, but it's not well rounded. 4 of the songs could be chucked in a dumpster fire. I could also imagine the brass could be quite annoying if you're not in the right mood. Still, songs like Our House, the title track, Tomorrow and House of Fun (a bonus track) make it worth a listen.
Our house in the middle of our street, great song. Everything else was alright. Lots of horns, strings, interesting overall
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that "Our House" was the only song by Madness that I was familiar with before listening to this album. Given that small sample size, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't a concept album. Artistically speaking, it's an interesting album. I love the horns, the piano has an old-timey saloon feel to it that I appreciate, and the influence of reggae and ska is readily apparent (especially in "Tiptoes"). What's striking me as I listen to it is the change in tone that begins with "Our House." Before it, the album has a kind of "Sgt. Pepper's" meets "The Wall" weirdness to it, and it's got an almost dystopian vibe. The "Our House" pops in and blows that up. There's still a dark undercurrent to the album after that, but the sound is noticeably lighter. As far as listenability is concerned, it's obvious why "Our House" was the song that got everyone's attention. It's the best song on the album, and the only one that makes sense outside of the context of the album, with the possible exception of the jazzy "Madness (Is All in the Mind)." Unsurprisingly, those are the only two singles released from the album. "The Rise & Fall" was an interesting journey, and I'm glad I got a chance to listen to it, but I won't be adding any of these songs into my regular rotation. "Our House" will suffice for my Madness needs.
Madness somehow remind me of the Kinks in terms of scope and theme, while at the same time defining the British ska sound of the 80s alongside The Specials. Apart from the hit 'Our House', most of the songs are good, albeit not immediately memorable. Great band, ok album, good songs.
"Our House" is mini-masterpiece, and I enjoy the sheer Englishness of it all, but the rest of the album is just okay. And perhaps it's simply because "Our House" outshines everything else by so much that it comes across this way?
Beyond their choice of living locations, it’s okay.
I love the song “our house” it gets played very regularly at work and it’s catchy. I have to listen to the whole album on YouTube because it’s available for streaming on Spotify
You know, from the handful of songs I'd heard from Madness over the years, I never would have expected that they had this type of album in them. But this was a really surprising and interesting album. Musically and lyrically, the album is smart, charming, catchy and well crafted. It has a certain quaintness and North London-ness about it that definitely calls to mind something like the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society, in the best way. "Our House" stands as one the best pop songs of its era, one that holds up nicely all these years later. "New Delhi" has not held up quite so well, for obvious reasons (that album cover doesn't help). That's a shame, because it's one of the band's more musically creative songs. Album was not available on Spotify, but can be found on YouTube. Fave Songs: Our House, Primrose Hill, Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), Rise and Fall, Blue Skinned Beast
Interesting post-punk / new age album with a hit like "Our house". I liked it.
This was somewhere between ska and new wave? I think? Is that a thing? I wasn't familiar with Madness for anything other than Our House, but I found this album to be a good example of why they're named Madness: every song is a little bit zany and off-the-wall. This album wasn't a favorite, but the intrigue was definitely there and this album kept me interested. Madness is all in the mind!
The bad part about this album is you have to listen to it on YouTube as it is not on Apple Music or Spotify, at least I think because I am not a premium member. From looking at the wiki for the album it looks like this album was never released in the US but tracks made it on to best of compilations. The good part is that, well, the album is good. Going into it I didn't think I ever even heard of them, buy the track "Our House" was an 80s classic and I never realized that was Madness! In looking at the comments on the tracks, a lot of people feel this is their best album, but since I have nothing to compare to I am only giving it 3 stars, but I will at some point listen to another album or two.
Have never though of Madness as an album band. Rightly so it turns out. Bit samey, but the homespun Landun lyrics are a treat.
Party music, boring without endorphins
Above-average pop album. Enjoyable... 3/5
Around the time this album came out, Madness was my favourite band in the whole world. Some of it was to do with its brand of reggae, some to do with their brilliant (and ground breaking, for the time) music videos. Looking back, I can now tell that The Rise & Fall, as good an album as it is, represented the point when Madness was clearly past its peak. Perhaps the best indicator is the fact that there is only one truly brilliant track in the entire album (Our House)... Nowadays, I find Madness is best experience through compilations.
Good musicianship.
This is more like a 3.5, it's a fun listen, but not quite a great one.
The british response to Men At Work's Business As Usual. Nothing that will make you go home and rethink your life, but quite enjoyable compositions. Our House is definitely the over heard hit of the album, it made me clench my fists, but the other ones were a nice discovery for me.
A lot of similar sounding songs but still pretty fun.
Nothing remarkable. Nothing bad.
nostalgic but okay
Holy shit our house is a annoying as fuck song.
An enjoyable standard Britpop outing, a bit more listenable than its brethren as each track displays individuality while maintaining the core sound of the band. A few songs here and there drag on, but most have catchy enough hooks to sustain interest. Excellent production as well, everything on here is clear as day.
Quite pleasant.
Good fun, but very samey. Nicely north London-centric. Madness always have one or two knockout pop gems amongst their Madness generic album tracks - here it's Our House with brilliant Suggs wordplay (\"the kids were playing up downstairs\").
Its grand as they say. Not a classic. Cover art: 2/5
This is an entertaining album. It's very open and it changes a lot throughout the album. There is not just one style they have stuck to. Not a bad listen, and of course 'our house' is a great track.
I like Madness and Our House is a classic, but the rest of the songs didn't stand out to me.
ehhhh, middling dót, nennti líka ekki að hlusta á nánast 2 tíma af þessu, allt of langt (á spotify allavega, veit ekki hvort það sé eitthvað lengra)
I didn't like this as much as I thought I would.
This album wasn't bad. Very eclectic mix of songs, but nothing that felt unmissable other than "Our House".
Can't really rate. Most of the songs aren't available on spotify. Due to region lock I guess? Our House is a good nostalgia song
Probably actually a 2 but I am giving the benefit of the doubt because I didnt really give the album a chance
-I'e definitely heard "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" and "Our House" before -I like the bit in "Our House" where they sing faster -"Blue Skinned Beast" is quite catchy -Generally solid rock album. Doesn't get too intense, but nice nonetheless. Would be 4 stars, but 1 star penalty for not being on Spotify and making me assemble half the album from Greatest Hits records and single releases and other random stuff. That's rude
Always a singles band. If other greatest hits have been included on this list, their greatest hits should have just been included instead. As English as a fish and chips in newspaper wrapping. Best Tracks: Tomorrow's (Just Another Day); Blue Skinned Beast; Our House
Okay, but HOW did their house get in the middle of the goddamn street? I kinda liked this, kinda didn't. It's plucky in places. Songs are all over the map stylistically and melodically (hi there "New Delhi"), but it all still has that '80s stank on it. Like a lot of pop music from this era, some of it just does not hold up, in my opinion. BUT when it does there's something special about it that makes it feel like it will hold up forever. Like, I genuinely got excited when I heard the opening of "Our House." Something to be said for that.
6/10
Catchy, full album not on Spotify, but enjoyed the four tracks that were.
I was hoping to find a hidden gem. I like their sound overall and the rest of the album sits nicely with Our House. Just barely a 3.
Gives me too many flashbacks of middle aged men jogging around the dance floor at family do's.
The overall sound of Madness doesn't actually sound that much like a novelty act when in the context of a full album (for the most part) and actually has a few moments of musical brilliance.
It's bleaker than I expected. Unmistakably Madness, but with bleak subject matter. It's possibly this depth that made them so popular for so long. Rise and Fall is great and wistful, and Tomorrow's Just Another Day is fun but with an undercurrent of sadness. Blue Skinned Beast is the weakest track so far but is pleasingly odd, just a verse too long. Our House is of course an undeniable classic. This album is really good... But it could have done with maybe a slow one or a Nutty Boys stomper - as it is, every song sits around a very similar tempo and it gets very easy to tune out. The variety of subject matter in the songs is sublime though
Schon irgendwie coole Musik, aber irgendwie nichts für mich
Oh Our House sounds very familiar. Probably have heard it somewhere before. Not within my range but do not mind the music either. Sort of like the last track Madness lol
Oooh what a good album. This is 80's rock. There's gotta be some vocals and instruments that are just a little off, otherwise this is close to a five. Ok at least half the songs by now just didn't intrique me very much. Bumping down to a 3. The first two songs are 5s then it just kinda loses momentum after that. "Our House" was never very good, it just has a way of absolutely etching itself into your brain for the rest of the day.
Being Kiwi myself, I often make the mistake that Madness are a Kiwi band. I guess they sound similar to Split Enz and Crowded House at times because of the new wave vibes. It's about what I was expecting from Madness, having only heard their top hits before, but the sound was a bit too close to ska at times for my taste. Of course my top pick is 'Our House'.
This was kind of all over the place. Folksy, upbeat, new wave, big band, vaudevillian and even at times Springsteen/Costello. It’s a multi-genre kaleidoscope. Seems almost like an 80s precursor to King Gizzard. When I finally hit “Our House” I was like, “ohhh, this why this is relevant.” Not bad, but also a little too all over the place for me. In what context would you listen to this? 3.
It is what it is.
Oh, god. I didn't think we'd see it but it's here. We have Ska on the list. To give it credit, Ska is not all bad. And it also isn't the kind of Ska you'd clown on these days. No, we're looking at 2 Tone! A "second wave" of the genre from England during the 80's alongside New Wave. Madness, as it turns out, is a pretty good example of 2 Tone. It's sounds a lot more New Wave than Ska at times, but the influence here is undeniable. And for what it's worth, it's pretty good! Catchy, fun stuff with lots of unique sounds to carry the melodies that would otherwise be unremarkable. It also has Our House (in the middle of our street), which is undeniably a classic. An album that's hard to dislike, good times all around! Oh, and there's a guy doing blackface on the cover.
Nothing spectacular here… sounded like you’d imagine a madness album to sound!
Clearly a classic album, but not my favourite
Long af
considering I only know one song by madness, this wasn't too bad. This definitely represents ska music, but does this need to be on this list?
Quite listenable, some nice fun songs
Quite enjoyed it!
A little bit of ska and a whole lot of wacky, vaudevillian carnival vibe (think "Being for the Benefit of Mister Kite"). Then, that song from the coffee commercial in the 80's.
Leuk voor een keer, maar niet mijn muziek
Lekker pretentieloos en opgewekt plaatje.
One really well known song. The rest were a little eccentric.
It's okay. Not really my thing, but I can understand why people like it.
''THIS IS MADNESS'' ''Madness?? THIS. IS. SPARTA!'' - Our House, Madness
Unfortunately could not listen to the full album, but I enjoyed "Our House"
Really pleasant album with some tracks that stood out.
Liked it. Thought I'd like it more tbh.
You know it's iconic when there are 4 versions of the same song, it's a good song thought.
moppy alt rock, kinda like the smiths
Very 80's. Suits party with oldish folks
Ok I guess
Wonky in a People Are Strange type of way
I couldn't listen to the whole album on Spotify, but I liked what I heard.
What a nice house.
Only 3 tracks were available on Spotify, one being our house. This album gets a 3 for that song alone. The other two tracks were pretty good, one sounded a lot like the Specials.
2nd half a bit boring but some real bangers
A decent '80s pop rock album with some 2-tone influence. 7.5/10 Best Track: "Our House"
Love these guys, this album is fantastic.
Not available on Spotify....Sad face. Listened to other albums by Madness. I think I would have enjoyed this. Update...my kids were super dissappointed that I wasn't smarter(common problem). Told me to listen to it on youtube. 80s sound with creative tweaks. Nice change of pace.
Nice but very same-ish
Enjoyable and interesting - I had no idea about the British ska scene. The horns bring something interesting here. They are all over the place in terms of genre. I'm hearing Ska, lounge crooning, rock, blues, and of course pub songs. I can see how this would be hard to crack into the USA top 40, but I can see how influential they could be to musicians.
Only 4 songs available
Not on Spotify, couldn’t listen
I don't love this, but it's not bad. Not a band that ever got big in the US. Their biggest hit is Our House, which is the only song I recognize.
Bijzonder
Shows the band has range beyond the ska ties they are pegged to.
catchy tunes but all of the arrangements were just so busy and overcomplicated. also I had to listen to it on a YouTube playlist. 6/10
Our House is classic but some of the later songs were a bit much. Liked it less than some recent ones, so 6?
Just ok, nothing spectacular
I mean fun enough I feel
I expected much more from this album. Just ok!
Mad House. Un poco igual todo el rato.
It's fine. Doesn't overstay it's welcome but I probably won't listen to it again. 6
I mean, Madness are fine. I'm starting to wonder if me and the person who chose these 1001 albums have the same outlook on life. I have to hear THIS album before I die? What is with the brownface on cover and fake Indian accents in songs?
Es curioso como un álbum que califican como "experimental" en wikipedia no me lo haya parecido tanto. Interesante para disfrutar de la banda que mejor aprovechó comercialmente la música Ska. Canciones buenas como Blue Skinned Beast, Primrose Hill, Are You Coming (with Me) o Madness (Is All In the Mind). Piano, percusiones, saxo, bastante entretenido musicalmente. Y por supuesto la mítica Our House.
Nice to hear some of their other tracks
Generally a very fun album, and obvs enjoyed hearing the classics. BUT a few that just irritated me a bit. Great music but not all for me
apparently our house is in this album :D but in general it was just a fine album. did not like all the remixes.
De entrada esperaba un album de ska totalmente estándar. Inició y tanto el ritmo más asincopado, el piano entrometido en muchos lados, los saltos y cambios de ritmo en paso a coros, el contraste entre letras llenas de desesperanza y una música que a ratos quiere ser alegre y levanta pero no la dejan. Iba muy encaminado a ser muy muy bueno. Y después empezaron baches y canciones mas mensas (Sunday Morning), pretensiosas musicalmente sin llegar a ser buenas (New Delhi) o que tratan líricamente de seguir el concepto de nostalgia y depresión de las otras canciones pero con una letra muchísimo más forzada y trillada (That Face). Las dos canciones que son claramente políticas (Mr. Speaker y Blue Skinned Beast) aunque no sean super mordaces si tienen cierta chispa en su letra y musicalmente ambas muy agradables. Rise and Fall, Tomorrow's, Madness y en especial Primrose Hill valen muchísimo la pena. Sería un enorme disco si le pudiera cortar unas 4-5 canciones.
I enjoyed this, although I had to listen to most of it via youtube as spotify only had a couple of songs. Very listenable. 3 stars.
Spotify only has partial album. Oh this is the “Our house “ guys. Love that song
Pretty nice, would listen again
De este grupo sóo conocía la canción de "One Step Beyond" (que supongo no le sorprenderá a nadie), y bueno, este álbum no se parece nada a esa canción; es un estilo totalmente diferente. Igual que con otros álbumes, not my cup of tea, pero tampoco me desagradó. La canción que más me gustó fue Don't Look Back.
Otro disco que es clara influencia a lo que oímos en Latinoamérica unos años después, aunque al escucharlo tan cerca del disco de Dexy's, creo que este me gusta menos. No es que sea malo, al contrario, me gustan mucho los arreglos de los metales, pero sí lo encuentro un poco repetitivo. De rolas, me gusta la obvia, Our House, y también la de político con piel azul.
Has some interesting and peculiar moments, but doesn't really grab me. I feel I would need to listen a few more times before I really get it. Feels like it owes a lot to Ray Davies.
Our House is a banger, as is Tomorrow's just another day. However feel like the only great madness album is the greatest hits, they have a lot of shit
Spotify link only has 2 songs. Found full playlist on YouTube page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPjcc9Vi-9s&list=PLwTsihu-EGpB-o1DIUfRUq0O2b1VSinBY
3.5 stars
good album
Just fine, not something I'll want to listen to again. I feel like this was only added because it has one hit... seems to be a recurrence.
closer to a 3.5
Best leuk, 3
This wasn’t good. At all
Our house carries hard
It's madness. It's not too bad, they can write a good tune. They are more than a bit annoying across the course of a whole album.
'Our House' is super catchy and fun but most of the other songs just reminded me of the theme song to 'Thomas the Tank Engine'
Man what a disappointment. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I am very fond of Madness live, but this album was just very boring. I don't know what could have made it better but this just wasn't it. 2/5
it's fine. would rather listen to The Specials
In contrast to popular internet opinion, I quite enjoy ska. My ska taste goes towards the ska punk and it is shame to say but I had not really heard about Madness before. From this album I knew the song Our House but I would not have known who is it by. Album is quite cool and definitely sounds like a concept album (mentioned in the wikipedia). Based on my harsh criteria, only two stars but I did enjoy this one.
4/10
I occasionally found myself moving to the beat but not much else.
This was actually pretty annoying
Annoyingly, this album is not on Apple Music (my streamer of choice) and I am guessing that it not being released in the US (according to the Wikipedia entry) is the culprit. When I have encountered this issue in the past, I have always been able to find some version of the full album on YouTube, but NOT THIS TIME! Fortunately a couple of people have created Playlists on YouTube, sequencing individual tracks together to Frankenstein the album. This is more effort than I usually like to start my 1001 Albums week with... I only know the Madness songs I remember from MTV - "Our House," of course, and "House of Fun" - but always felt like I had a pretty good grasp on what the rest of their music sounded like based on those two songs. This album is the proof I was right. I guess I was slightly surprised at how few of the songs had "House" in their titles. But otherwise this sounded like I imagined. The last track, "Madness (Is All in the Mind)," reminded me a lot of the Peggy Lee song "Fever" that Pee Wee Herman used to dance to. I googled them together and was not able to find any connection between them. This was fine. It's ska. It's not really my cup of tea.
The start of the album was enjoyable but by the end it was sounding like children's tv show themes, so two it is
As my kids would say - Goofy
Not fun or interesting enough to commit an hour and a half to this. RYM: N Saved a song: N
Nothing like a certified banger in the middle of an album to emphasize how meandering everything else feels
nah really not for me
This was not good. But unlike Mariah Carey’s bullshit, I would not leave it in the middle of our street.
The fact that I slept badly probably did not contribute to my feelings about this turd. I may have given it a three on another day.
big 2
The band name checks out as this album literally drives you mad, listening to the same refrain over and over and over again.
Last track Madness a blatant rip-off of fever which is the kind of dreams this album inspires. Toronto band The Dishes did this genre better.
Ska sucks, can’t believe it’s a genre people genuinely enjoy, but Our House is a banger so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
This hits the boundary between fun and obnoxious and I think it’s over the obnoxious line. Our house is a classic of course, the rest not worth revisiting.
Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Alright - I enjoy Madness' big hits but have never listened to an album. I don't know if it's just the London accents but I can't help but be reminded of The Jam when listening to this. Obviously it's quite different musically. Bouncy and jaunty with a slightly uneasy, seasick undertone. I really enjoy the chorus of Blue Skinned Beast. Sunday Morning is good as well. Our House is the clear standout, a fantastic tune. Decent album.
I don’t see the draw to this album. I’m familiar with Madness but this sounds like background music. Nothing is standing out in any way. Finally got to “our house”. Unless the rest of the songs shift as well, this song feels very out of place here. So there has been a shift but only for a song. Other than our house I don’t get why anyone cares about this album.
The Rise and Fall — It’s alright but wow getting to listen to this album was a freaking H.A. ssle! Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) — It’s also alright. The sound of these songs are quite off from what I’d expect from these titles and album names. Blue Skinned Beast — It’s the 80’s so it’s not really electronically bombastic and loud. Primrose Hill — Out of the songs so far this one seems the most promising. Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word) — The piano really helps the song, it’s got a really good vibe. Both charming and quite menacing? Sunday Morning — This one was also pretty good. B-SIDE Our House — OH MY GOD THIS IS A FUCKING SONG I KNOW???? OR ATLEAST I’VE HEARD THAT CHORUS “our house, in the middle of our streets” OMGGG Tiptoes — probably forgettable New Delhi — why so dastardly o-O That Face — Idk how to describe it bc it kind of stretches in a lot of ways but not very far in any direction. Calling Cards — oh i didnt notice it was playing but it is another breed of dastardly, but more suave villainous than council villainous Are You Coming (With Me) — okay maybe this is just their vibe and i misread them before. Madness (Is All in the Mind) — Great opening already.. and it’s also one of the better songs.
The internet tells me this is a ska band. Had it not told me, I likely would not have arrived at that conclusion on my own. I don't really like ska. I wish this was more ska than whatever it was.
Was okay. Not a big slayer fan.
Jaunty pub rock constantly threatening to break into a singalong. It's like guys doing a kitschy ironic vaudeville show desperate for laughs for just winking aggressively.The brass brings a lot of energy and the overall sound is bouncy and kinetic. Our House is great, the rest is pretty boring.
the band can play, and there are a couple good songs. but most of the album is such a drag
Growing up in the UK in the 80s and 90s, Madness felt like a ubiquitous presence, but I don't think I've ever checked a full album. It's a lot more varied than I expected, and reminds me of The Kinks a lot. Our House is an amazing piece of work, total classic, and a lot of the other tunes are pretty decent, but not too much that totally grabs me. The motifs and accents used in New Delhi are pretty racist, and the use of brownface on the cover is appalling.
не стал дослушивать, неприятно.
Chemist Warehouse reference!!?
Primrose Hill - 4.5/5 Our House - 4/5 House of Fun - 4.5/5 Don't Look Back - 3/5 Driving In My Car - 2.5/5 Animal Farm - 3.5/5 Riding on My Bike - 3/5 The National Anthem - 2.5/5
This one just landed way too close to ELO (two albums ago, which I am still processing). All my tolerance for upbeat happy happy joy joy chipper music has gone. It made me want to jump out of the first floor window and mildly graze my knee.
Didn’t really enjoy any of this. Pretty much found everything, even the one big hit, kind of annoying.
Interesting vibe, I like the horns. Makes everything very uppity. Wouldn’t listen again but not terrible.
As someone mention it sounds like a villains theme. everything sounds way too cartoony and silly. which also make the British accent more annoying. The only redeeming track is "Our House" and for me "house of fun" only because it was featured in a British sit-com. They seems to have a cultural influence during their time and a big part of the ska movement (Not the cool reggae one but the annoying british/american )… so even though I don't really enjoy this because it got boring and annoying very fast, it still deserve a spot I guess.
An odd collection of songs - it sports a few terrific pop hits in "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" and "Our House") but at the other end of the spectrum tracks like "Blue-Skinned Beast" and "Sunday Morning" are disjointed hodgepodges of ill-fitting parts, songs that feel like they got dressed in the dark. As for the rest of this, the sheer sound of this record may be great (due to the sharp playing of the band and the sympathetic production by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley) but many of the numbers (especially "Calling Cards") sound overly familiar, as though the band members are retracing their older, better songs.
It was pretty decent for British ska at first, but the second half was very weak.
Our house
God. Our House is like a fucking jumpscare on this album.
Resten af pladen lyder overraskende lidt som Our House. Ret fed, lidt irriterende, sådan en plade som nok virkelig kommer an på mit humør.
Did not enjoy this circus music. Ska just doesn't work for white people... Best song: Our House
Sounds ok, but nothing resonates with me.
I grew up in a house that didn’t like Madness but I still tried to approach this with an open mind. Opener Rise and Fall was enjoyable, and I started wondering if my parents might have been wrong about them. Alas. The rest of the album was wildly inconsistent and I realised my parents were right. If I want 2 Tone I’ll stick to The Specials.
Avec The Rise & Fall, Madness pousse son excentricité britannique jusqu'à l'indigestion. Là où l'on espérait trouver des lignes pop claires et harmonieuses, l'album s'égare dans un labyrinthe sonore profondément dénué de mélodie. L'omniprésence d'arrangements chaotiques et de cuivres criards – qui s'apparentent par moments à d'intempestifs bruits de klaxon – transforme l'écoute en une expérience urbaine agressive. Le groupe donne ici un sens littéral à son nom : c'est la folie traduite en musique. Mais loin de toute élégance avant-gardiste, l'œuvre s'embourbe dans un brouhaha théâtral et désordonné qui finit par épuiser l'auditeur, prouvant que la frontière entre l'audace conceptuelle et la pure nuisance sonore est parfois dangereusement mince.
I considered myself a fan until I heard this, what a bloody mess
This album was insanely annoying to me, but in a lot of different and inventive ways.
Didn't care for it
only giving it two stars for Our House. the rest of this was incomprehensible.
A solid meh
Not a fan. Too many novelty songs.
Did not enjoy this
It’s decent, but I can’t take this seriously—sounds like the circus Beatles. Never liked Our House either. I’m officially a hater.
Opening tracks were great but it then descends into early 80s shite.
I guess it’s an alright 80’s album. Sub genre was listed as Ska, but this was no fucking Mustard Plug. 2.5⭐️
Kinda boring to me....was wondering if "Our House" was gonna pop up on this album. That's still a jam, but won't push it up to 3.
2.2/5 I've heard Our House thousands of time due to it being the intro to a tv program back in the day and honestly every song that came on I was waiting for that chorus to play because that song is imprinted in my mind and I couldn't shake it. So this album was very samey for me. Not many stand outs.
No es mi rollo, así que no he conectado mucho, pero es un buen álbum de base.
New Wave adequadamente pastelão, mas com os traços esperados e necessários, como uma dose saudável de sintetizadores e uma canção ou outra com um saxofone gemendo no seu ouvido. Não sabia exatamente o que esperar da tag de Ska dada à este disco. O que recebi foi sem dúvida um aglomerado de estilos e estéticas que geram um resultado confuso. Algumas canções são simplesmente cartunescas, enquanto outras soam bem agradáveis. Eu gosto da voz do vocalista, como regra geral, mas não gosto das canções que parecem temas de vilões de desenho animado. Difícil descrever, é um disco muito confuso que raramente prende sua atenção. Mas devo dizer, a estranheza têm sim seu charme. É um disco charmoso, mesmo que seja uma escuta bem desafiadora. Infelizmente, acho que ele não me pegou em um bom dia. Não me conquistou totalmente, apesar de tudo. 2/5
The only two songs I knew from this group were Our House and One Step Beyond and both songs are comical. Even the videos gave off a jokey vibe. After listening to this entire album I can confidently say this is not a band to be taken seriously. I know they had more than one hit in the UK, but I’m not sure how that is possible.
It was fine - I’m still not a huge 2 Tone fan.
This sounds like a soundtrack to a Tim Burton movie that I haven't seen yet, but am intrigued by.
er det blackface?? // jeg liker teatralsk musikk. Ikke 1001 verdig. skjønte ikke at dette var ska haha. hah ooour house. in the middle of the street. ooour house. høydepunkt: Rise and Fall, Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word)
"Our House" is one of those songs that i've heard so often involuntarily, i don't even have an opinion anymore. might as well ask what i think about trees in general. the rest of the album: not enough depth
Just ok. Our House, obviously a terrific song. The rest of it? What am I even listening to. 0 songs added to playlist
Our House in the Middle of Our Street is an unforgettable chorus but the rest of the album was low-mid forgettable.
Comically off putting
There are some really good songs but there are some really bad ones as well. Add in the blatant racism on the cover and one of the songs and it drops a point
Only the hit. The rest not so much
Our House is solid. Don’t care for the rest.
Not my favorite. Our House is definitely a banger, but there were a lot of songs that drifted to far into campy / silly without the musicality to back them up. Overall- not bad. 2.5/5
Ne