Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Nothing about this album is really connecting for me. It has “Our House!” Which is better than we all remember. Theres plenty of inventiveness in the arrangements, in some of the chords. A little off-kilter! I like some of the stranger stuff with the sitar record, the very strange rhythms.
Aika hajuton ja mauton, taustamusaa.
Vänkää kamaa, mut parilla biisillä ois pärjänny
Oh hey Our House
Could only listen to a few songs and didn't really care for it.
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 quite like the chaotic ska side to madness (house of fun, one step beyond) but this album was a bit dour, reminded me of chas and Dave in parts which isn't a good sign. I know our house was a big song but seems like an odd album choice to include.
Our House is good, nostalgic, but I couldn't get behind the rest of the album. Not a massive Suggs fan.
I had not listened to a whole album of The Madness previously, just their big hits. I occasionally enjoy a bit of Ska but this wasn't that good, sounded quite boring. Highlights: Rise and Fall Tomorrows Just Another Day Our House
Found this a slog to get through...way too long. I assume the remixes weren't on the original release, which would be for the best as they're all shit. I'm a fan of trumpets and ska generally but did not enjoy this. Tomorrow's is the best track imo... House of fun and our house are good too I guess but so overplayed. The rest was not great. Lyrically uninteresting and a bit all over the place too. All a bit silly Sorry Suggs, the fact you were the first tape I ever bought couldn't redeem this
Me gustó mucho. El álbum es bastante experimental, y eso hace que me guste aún más, hace que se sienta único y con personalidad. Incluso si a veces es un poco extraño, casi siempre es un extraño bueno. Me saca un poco de onda que tenga tantas canciones, pues, en realidad, es como si el álbum estuviera repetido 3 veces, como si fuera una versión Deluxe o algo por el estilo. No entiendo muy bien el por qué de esto y, personalmente, prefiero que en el álbum solo estén las versiones originales y cualquier cosa extra se ponga en otro, pero tampoco es mayor problema. Finalmente, algo que me pareció raro es que muchas veces le vi el potencial de ser todavía más, pero siempre se quedaba al margen. No es algo tan malo, pues parecía que lo hacía a propósito, como si eso no fuera lo que el álbum buscara ser. A pesar de esto, las 4 estrellas las tiene bien merecidas y definitivamente lo seguiré escuchando.
Skiddly-skiddly doobie don't. Hip-hip skiddly doobie nope.
I am reviewing this album with a very big asterisk -- as it was never released in North America, I only have access to 6/13 songs. Those six songs, though, are pretty great. It's a shame that Madness was essentially a one-hit wonder on this side of the pond, thanks to this album's "Our House". A catchy number, to be sure, but they're so much more than that. The six songs sampled here are near pop perfection. I'm surprised to hear that they're considered a two-tone/ska band, as that vibe is minimal here, and seems to be just one of many sounds explored on this record. It's very instrumentally dense, but I guess that's a result of having seven guys in the band. I'd definitely be down to check out more Madness in the future.
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.
Not really my style, but good.
This was SO DAMN CLOSE to being the first enjoyable Ska album I've come across. But by some cruel ironic twist of fate, that one album has black face on the cover. And oh man, the cartoonish appropriation of Indian culture on the song New Dehli... God damn early eighties casual British racism. It also gets more and more obnoxious to listen to as it goes on, so I don't really have any qualms giving it one star at this point. Get your shit together, Ska.
Das ist Our House drauf. Sonst nicht so viel spannendes.
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.
Una poronga para racistas
First 10 seconds and you know who is playing... it's definitely Madness.
Oof with the exception if the one good song this album is just awful. Very definition of one hit wonder.
- 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.
Very basic
Alright. Kind of see where "concept album" comes into it. Not a huge fan overall, but listenable.
Didn’t know they sung Our Houseb
I think the only Madness album I'd listened to before was a greatest hits, and I couldn't get quite get into the Ska-iness of it. This was quite refreshing however, seemed to go a bit deeper than their main hits. Definitely one to give another listen to
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.
Why this album by Madness, there are far better
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
1.5/5
I somewhat remember these guys from the early MTV days and seem to think I liked then at the time. I'm not sure why. What seemed to fun early, the horns and piano, got old real quick. I felt like I was listening to the background music at at circus. You know, the circus should be banned worldwide. The abuse and living conditions of the animals are terrible. We should make the circus about humans that don't deserve to walk the earth. Make then do all kinds of phucked up shit then choose members of the audience who can take the shot, whenever they're ready. Saves some money for the taxpayers and provides some cheap entertainment for those who would enjoy taking out the world's trash. Because the wasn't on Spotify, I had to listen on Youtube. At one point, I thought holy shit, they're about to cover Jimi! And I got all excited only to find it was an ad. And that was the most fun part of the album for me. Too much cheesy horns and piano made me think of the old Vaudeville theater shows with the dudes in the red/white striped hats and matching striped outfits and the quick piano banging, like in the Family Guy cut aways. Was hard to take this album serious. Did not enjoy and found to be annoying. Only listened once, but they made their point. 1
It's crazy how many full albums by one hit wonders are on this list. Our House is fine. It was the Maxwell House theme. idk
1.5 These f***ers really never got around releasing this bad boy in America, forcing me to listen to a YouTube rip… and then didn’t even make it good. There’s just way too much going on on this album. While it’s admittedly diverse in sound and style, they manage to overdo it on almost every track, resulting in the whole thing feeling overcrowded musically. In particular, things started off on a really jarring note with the title track. I had to rewind and check I loaded in on the right spot - there was just no introductory element to the track, making it feel more like something mid-listen than the opener. Part of me wonders if maybe it was an afterthought to put it first once the name of the album was decided upon. Things don’t get much better from there - The only song I found to be enjoyable or even really listenable was the album’s hit, Our House. Songs like Mr. Speaker, Sunday Morning, and New Delhi stood out to me as particularly grating, but to be honest I found most of this album annoying. Probably wouldn’t listen again. Supposedly this is considered ska music, and if that’s the case, I gotta say America’s approach to the genre in the 90s was much better than this.
Always fun when the one famous song you know from an album is not even close to the most interesting one. Best track: Primrose Hill
Madness 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.
Another lame 80s UK group. It’s ska, but not done well. Overproduced. Could’ve died without hearing this.
Solid
MADNESS
Nope
The guys sound like Beatles sometimes, but it's 1986. Tomorrow's (Just another day) is the coolest.
Some interesting sounds and a few good songs but overall the album feel pretty generic and repetitive. Too dissonant for my taste, I wanted out by the fifth song.
Weird album didn't like it
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.
Vermakelijk album, vette sound.
I've always loved Madness for their singles but have never listened to an album. They never really struck me as an albums band but this is a beautiful work musically and lyrically. A real gem.
Through half this album I kept thinking, what is this boring, Beatles influenced 80s schlock. Then it got to Our House and it was like, ok, I get why this is on here, it's a great song and a classic. But the rest...? Nah. And the white dude in black face on the album cover.. Ouch
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!
This album was...fine? Our House is obviously a classic track, and the overall 'sound' of a swing-y version of new wave with horns was cool but not super inspiring to me.
I prefer the patois and meandering pace of Jamaican reggae, but this is aight.
I guess I'm a hipster since I much prefer the earlier Madness albums.
Ska is not my thing.
Great Album from GB's best-known SKA-Band. Not pure SKA anymore, but...well: have a listen!
Our House is a classic and I really enjoyed It Must Be Love, but there were also songs on her that sounded like circus tunes. On one I heard “I’m a big boy now” so not sure how high a rating I can give on this one.
I know Madness, of course, for "Our House." A fantastic song that thankfully is on this album. The album is not on Apple Music however, apparently it was never released in the US at all. Still, I pieced together as many tracks as I could on Apple Music and decided if I liked enough to investigate the rest of the album, I would. Turns out, "Our House" is the only song that struck a chord with me. Nothing else stood out or stuck around, so I didn't get into the 5-6 songs that I couldn't access. Maybe it's residual fatigue from all the other British new wave type bands we've listened to, but these poor lads didn't move the needle. If they've got devoted fans, surely those fans would call me blasphemous for declaring Madness a one hit wonder. But that's how I'm feeling. Favorite tracks: Our House. Album art: Assortment of odd blokes, including a guy doing snake charmer brownface, a la Dana Carvey in Master of Disguise. I hope this cover haunts him like the painting of Dorian Gray. 2.5/5
Realy realy mediocre!! Should never ever be in this list! It isn't even the best Madness album! Mayby their 3rd best album and even their best one, One Step Beyong should never ever be on this list!!
Just ok. Our House, obviously a terrific song. The rest of it? What am I even listening to. Just okay.
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.
It's not all bad, but "The Rise & Fall" loses a star just for never being released in the US, rendering it impossible to even listen to the whole thing. I found some bits and pieces of it out of order on the "Madness" compilation, but it's just ok. Even "Our House," while fondly remembered, isn't my jam.
Full on JBZ with this b!
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
Similar to the Sparks album we had a few weeks ago, I think it's safe to say the members of Madness are brilliant. These are complex songs with a lot of layers and surprising turns. But complexity is rarely the friend of pop music. I can appreciate the band’s craft from a distance but the songs were too busy and complicated for me to get into, at least on a first listen. I'm sure repeated listens would open up the album more. I usually like this kind of Kinks-y British pop but I didn’t connect to this album. "Our House" is a jam though! I know it from the Maxwell House coffee ads 😂: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKuOQSQj9OI Last track was good too - a nice, straightforward jazzy number.
"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!
I expected to like this a lot more than I did. Our House is fun and the whole album bounces along with some neat nostalgic lyrics. But somehow it never really turned into anything much more.
Look, ‘our house’ is a good song, but I kinda find the rest of the album pretty boring
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.
Really fun album! Clever instrumentation, and a lot of great songs. Will be coming back to this one, too bad I could only find it on YouTube.
Love it… (well, love most of Madness albums actually). Fresh and lyrics with a twist
Really cool album. Never heard of these guys and had no idea who the artist of Our House even was. Can't get enough of these artsy British pop bands.
I didn't realize that I knew Our House. It is pretty decent, not something I would personally return to. Also, blackface is never cool.
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.
Limp 80's cheesiness.
Only got to listen to a compilation because the album isn’t available to me. I love their two hits but the rest sounds like carnival music.
Saber via wikipedia que era uma banda de ska criou uma expectativa que não se confirmou. Reconheci apenas o hit Our House como presentante do ska que eu esperava.
Lots of fun songs.
Dansen, dansen! Maar net iets minder dan hun albums die wat meer ska zijn
Fun but one and done.
Not my type
Shame that the full album isn’t on Spotify.
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.”
Couldn’t listen
Lots of fun sounds, but unfortunately none of the songs were that memorable for me.
This is super British 80's pop and I kinda liked it, especially their big hit, "Our House". 6/10.
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.
What, Spotify doesn’t have this album?!? Very annoying. But the good thing is I’m already quite familiar with Madness. They bring consistently fun and dynamic 80s ska to the table and you have a good time listening. Lots of danceable grooves, so they made brunch fun this morning. Our House is an all-time classic fave. Love these guys!
Fun listen
I mean I quite like "Our House" but it's like a novelty record. Don't get on with their regular stuff at all.
Definitely my vibe. Very good. Didn't know I knew so many songs by these guys. Great album, on my vinyl collection wishlist.
Only knew "Our House" which is catchy but the rest was pretty good too! Nice horn parts. Low 4.
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.
Good album, but i don’t like the remixes
Not much to like
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.
One good track, the rest is not really for me, and even the one good track isn't great.
Madness have been surpassed by so many bands since
I'm a fan of the hits, haven't listened to their full albums much. There is some filler I think
great ska album, also nice its a concept album thats kind of unique in being positive and human
Pretty lame album by this band. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t available on Apple or Spotify. Either way this album wasn’t that good and our house was the only song worth revisiting. Some older British music was pretty bad in the 70s. 3.5/10
C'est bon mais sans plus
I never really liked them. But this album is listenable.
One of my favorites
Concept albums: sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. This is a don’t. At least there is one gem in there, 80’s classic, Our House. The rest very forgettable.
Dang whatever happened to to those Maxwell House coffee commercials
very British very background our house is on this album 2.5
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.
'Our House' is one of the greatest pop songs of all time. Love it. Nothing else on the album rose to nearly the same level for me. The production was a little stilted which meant most of the record doesn't quite have the rambunctious energy of the earlier Madness albums, which I missed. Really, Madness were always a stellar singles band. Any one of their many singles compilations is a fantastic listen, and their albums are a little patchy, in my opinion.
good album,enjoyed it. Very eclectic.
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.
Catchy, but a little too silly for me.
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!
Un album muy fresco, más que algunos modernos a pesar de acusar sus 40 años. Con un clásico escondido dentro de yapa. Buena experiencia!
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. :(
Puro ska
I forgot how much I liked Madness
"The Rise & Fall" is the fourth studio album by the English Ska band Madness. It is known as their most experimental album by also incorporating a range f other styles - jazz, English musical hall and Eastern influences. Within those, I mostly heard the musical hall category. I would say that this is also kind of in the pop category...great choruses and happier-sounding, upbeat music. It was originally conceived to be a concept album about child nstalgia. According to lead singer, Suggs, each band member was to write songs about their childhood, but not everyone did that. The album has been compared to The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society" and Blurs' "Parklife." I see the "Parklife" comparison. For some reason, this album was not released in the US. I'm not sure why; "Our House" was a huge song. I enjoyed pretty much every song. There is a lot going on in almost every song with these band members. "Rise and Fall" starts things off in grand fashion with sax, piano, keyboards and quickly changes to a quicker more ska-pace tempo. It then slows back down and speeds up. Nice sax solo. "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" was the second single and has a more melancholy-pop feel. Defintely music hall influenced. Cool harmonica. Great vocals and chorus repeating the song title. The third song "Blue Skinned Beast" takes a swing at Margaret Thatcher and her Falkland's War handling. Quick and changing tempo, more in the Ska style. Great sax. Not much to say about "Our House." Love the start, the way each instrument is incorporated and especially the vocals and lyrics. "Brother got a date tonight, we cant hang around" The last song. "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" is also worth a listen, more in the jazz style. Madness was a big band in the UK and Europe overall. Not so much in the US, besides "Our House." This was my first dive into them and two thumbs up. Not a bad song and a good listen just to appeciate the activity of the band overall.
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.
Such an underrated band. I've been listening to Madness more this year than any other year. I love their playfulness mixed with serious punk-ska beats. This is one of the bands I wish I were old enough to see live. Thankfully, YouTube exists & I can watch their videos & live performances there. Excellent album.
Madness is such a great band. This album has some love time favourites, and I've definitely picked up several new favourites.
I'd only ever heard "Our House" before but the rest of the album was pretty good too. Very 80s
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.
I like ittt
What a delightful display of Britishness. Got that great bank holiday feel, like Blur's Parklife, and some tantalizing carnivalesque moments.
"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.
You could say it was Madness that I had never listened to the full album. Listener note, Spotify wasn't showing a lot of the tracks so I listened on youtube instead.
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.
An album of Proustian moments.
an album that grabbed my attention! i had known "our house" initially and only vaguely at that. madness kept me on my tiptoes the whole album. some jazz sounds, some reggae sounds! i came away impressed that madness didn't confine themselves to anything, really. i mean, "new delhi" brings some beautiful indian sounds and instruments to this album. the piano, the saxophone, it was all very enjoyable.
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.
Massa o som, diferenciado
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.
Didn't do much for me. Our house is a classic, but other than that nothing really caught my ear. Not a big ska fan
The 80s were a strange time for music, and I'm loving every second of it. Nothing but praise from me for the pioneers of modern ska.
Good musicianship.
This is more like a 3.5, it's a fun listen, but not quite a great one.
Great album. The music is rich, and the songs are fun.
Just love Suggs and the Nutty Boys, their cheeky cockney music hall inspired Ska is just typically English,(Small Faces/Kinks/Blurlike) not taking themselves too seriously whilst producing some great music. Not sure this would be my choice of a Madness album for this list (I prefer their debut for it's rawness) but some great tunes on here. "Tomorrows (Just Another Day)" "Our House" "Blue Skinned Beast" and "Primrose Hill" my favourites on this one.
Our House and 12 Other Boring Songs
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.
My friend say it all : "Our House and 12 Other Boring Songs"
There's nothing absolutely atrocious about this record, it all fits together, but it never becomes engaging or good. It's even rather boring.
Was good not spectacular
A lot of similar sounding songs but still pretty fun.
I'd like to go higher than a 2 but it's novelty ska really isn't it? A whole album was a bit much
Nothing remarkable. Nothing bad.
Eclectic but great stuff.
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\").
Experimental, groundbreaking
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 really wish the full thing was on Spotify.
A few bops
I like Madness and Our House is a classic, but the rest of the songs didn't stand out to me.
New wave. Un megahit. Entretenido.
I've never been a big fan of White-Men-Do-Ska Madness, and this did little to challenge that, but wasn't as cringeworthy and grating as I normally find them. Our House is of course a standout classic. There are some definite moments when you wince, particularly at the "accents" used at the end of New Delhi, mirrored by the brownface on the cover... A product of its time, I suppose.
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.
Beautiful
2,5; Our House is a classic but the rest of the album is just very mid
Pop
This album wasn't bad. Very eclectic mix of songs, but nothing that felt unmissable other than "Our House".
I was very surprised when Our House started playing. This was too far out for me and just seemed jumbled
2.1 - fun sound, but nothing in the entire album really stood out to me.
Not a fan of the sound, to my ear it’s the same generic uninspiring synth pop vocals that plague the 80s. Music is somewhat simple and slow, with very anti-melodic, darker vibes. Tbh I didn’t understand why this even made the list until I heard….”OUR HOUSE”. Ah, now I get it. Two stars because they immortalized at least one song in coffee commercials, and because they use some interesting instrumentation, are obviously *somewhat* compositionally unique….but all in all, I hate it.
1982. Our House, Tomorrow's( Just Another Day), Rise and Fall
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ABSOLUTE SKA-POP PSYCHOSIS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE I put on The Rise & Fall by Madness expecting “fun little British ska record.” What I got instead was a 40-minute identity crisis, a street parade, a pub argument, a nervous breakdown, and a warm hug from a man in a pork pie hat — sometimes all in the same song. This album does not “start,” it kicks your door in yelling about unemployment, class struggle, and being slightly unwell in the head, then immediately apologizes with a kazoo-level bounce. “Our House” feels like your childhood memories were thrown down a staircase and somehow landed perfectly upright. “Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day)” sounds like existential dread learned how to skank. I should not be able to dance this hard to songs about societal decay, yet here I am, fully out of breath, questioning capitalism. The sequencing is unhinged. One minute I’m laughing, the next I’m staring at the wall like I just remembered an embarrassing thing from 2007. Madness somehow weaponizes cheerfulness. The horns are joyful. The lyrics are NOT. This is sonic emotional whiplash and I love it. By the end, I felt like I had lived an entire British life: born in a terraced house, yelled at by my dad, drank too early, laughed too loud, worried about the future, and still showed up to dance anyway. That’s not an album — that’s a cultural speedrun. Five stars. Ten stars. A thousand stars. This record made me want to put on suspenders, cry about the state of the world, and then politely ask if anyone fancies a pint.
our house ken ik (wie niet) maar de rest vond ik ook goed ! misschien net iets te lang. maak het korter, cut the crap en je had mss een 5. mr speaker was top
Ooh wel van genoten
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
El ska es slgo inconcluso, esta bien pero....
The UK band Madness created a more experimental sounding album for this one - their fourth album. The album can be categorized as pop or new wave, but the music includes some jazz and Eastern influences. This concept album has gained more popularity over time, especially in America where it was never originally released. The music is upbeat and the songs flow well from one to the next. A perfect album to capture the British pop era of the 1980s.
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
Two-tone was a cool movement, genuinely integrated and responsible for great bands like the Specials, The Selecter and Madness. Previously on this app I stated that I didn't care for polite AC/DC, and to a degree I think the same applies to Madness. Nothing here hits the zany heights of 'One Step Beyond', 'House Of Fun' or 'Night Boat to Cairo'...but as a collection, this is really solid. I don't think a band should be penalised for spreading their wings, and here they try on a few different hats, including cocktail jazz and music hall. There are some quality tracks here too! 'Our House' is a deserved commercial behemoth, but less heralded tunes like 'Tiptoes' and 'Mr Speaker' are ace too. I feel like on this album, Madness were edging into the same territory as Squeeze - and doing it fairly successfully. Bonus points also awarded due to the fact that Suggs' speaking and singing voices are exactly the same.
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
Buena retahíla de canciones con ritmos ska y sosegados. Agradable de escuchar y con ritmos divertidos que incitan a moverse. Más de una canción bastante conocida
Catchy, full album not on Spotify, but enjoyed the four tracks that were.
Skabulous
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
Noch schlimmer als blur
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'.
Couple good songs but not loving this one. Sounds a bit too much like a circus.
This is ska then, huh? Yeah, tsaight
Like the Madness!
Just a happy crew of English kooks playing second wave ska. I don't think I found the correct album, but tried the compilation "Madness" because it seemed to have most of the right tracks. Our House is great fun. Feels like the rest try to catch a groove but can't. The ska is pretty stiff, but still a good time. 1 star each for helping pave the way for the American third wave of Reel Big Fish and MM Bosstones C+
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.
Looking past the brownface on the album cover, and the fact the album isn't fully available on Spotify, I still give it a 2. It's a little too precious, a little too out there. Maybe if I put in the effort to seek out the full album it could earn more stars, but here we are.
Like the sound and has some undeniable classics but it became quite repetitive
It is what it is.
Brilliant side A. Side B tails off a little after Our House. Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) possibly their most underrated single.
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!
Great blending of genres that isn’t forced and truly comes off authentic and original, maintained from beginning to end. Great production as well.
What a wonderfully weird album, A side is more rock, B side is more pop but always with a special psychodelic/mad edge
I was waiting and hoping for my crazy Rocksteady crew. Not disappointed.
Clearly a classic album, but not my favourite
Long af
Kolejny pik wyspiarski, ale tym razem bardziej tradycyjny i pasujacy do listy, bo plyta z 82, grupy ktora po statach spotifajowych mozna okreslic jako bande jednego przeboju, chociaz mnie samemu zarowno nazwa zespolu, jak i albumu nic nie mowila przed odsluchem, dopiero trak numer 7 uswiadomil mi, ze gdzies juz to slyszalem, bo kto nie zna tak brytyjskiego kawalka jak our house, ale jestem zdziwiony, ze plyta sluchala sie tak dobrze, a tylko jeden czy dwa traki sa z niej sluchane na lastfmie czy spotifaju i grupa wydaje sie dosc zapomiana muzycznie w porownaniu do takich specialsow, ktory tworzyli w podobym czasie i calkiem podobny gatunkowo material, chociaz ciezko tutaj o jakakolwiek klasyfikacje, bo discog mowi o popowym krazku w stylu ska, to juz bardziej 2 tone pasuje jak w na drugim albumie specialsow, ale jednak calosciowo ta plyta o wiele bardziej przypadla mi do gustu, bo ma ona na siebie jakis pomysl, tym pomyslem bedzie motyw poczatkow i koncow jak wskazuje tytul, za czym ida motywy dziecinstwa, przemijania, dekadencji, wiec nie obylo sie takze od disu na thatcherowa, pojawia sie takze motyw pajeeta znikac na traku new delhi, wiec takie niezbyt popowe motywy, za to od strony instrumentalnej jest o wiele bardziej zachowawczno, bo siedmioosobowa banda jak przystalo na okolo skawowe klimaty uzywa mocno instrumentow detych, wiec trabki i saksy sa mocno slyszalne, do tego wykorzystanie zarowno kontrabasu jak i standardowej giaty basowej jest odczuwalne, wielkim plusem jak dla mnie jest brak synthowego brzmienia, a zamiast tego piano, prawie cala plyta jest spiewana przez jednego wokaliste, to jest pana Suggsa, ktory pomimo tego, ze brzmi jak prawdziwy wyspiarz, to jednak artykuluje sie wystarczajaco czysto aby wokale byly zrozumiale o co ciezko na niektorych brytyjksich pikach, jedynie ostatni trak madness (is all in the mind) jest wykonywany przez wokal wspierajacy albumu trebacza bandy mistera Smytha, nie spodziewalem sie, ze tak mi podejdzie ten 43 minutowy krazek z gatunku 2 tonowych, na plejke wrzucam robotniczy kawalek tomorrow (just another day), wspomiany juz wczesniej madness i najpopularniejszy song zespolu, czyli our house
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?
Surprised how varied it was
Fun and funky
1.5 hot wonder
Quite listenable, some nice fun songs
Quite enjoyed it!
Tout le monde parlera bien sûr d'Our House, mais le tube de cet album est bien sûr Mr. Speaker, qui sera utilisé comme générique de l'animé Inspecteur Gadget. Gadget au chapeau, Gadget au point, Elastico-gadget... tout y passe. Madness réussit avec ce titre son enregistrement le plus iconique.
J'ai passé un très bon moment en compagnie d'Inspecteur Gadget, même si j'ai trouvé la structure des pistes un peu redondante: Gogo rise and fall, gogo tomorrow's, gogo blueskinned beast. Vous l'aurez compris cet album présentait des sonorités très intéressantes.
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.
Typisch Madness, dat dan weer wel
Ik haat Madness echt zo erg! Die vrolijke kutmuziek met die pseudo-gezellige deuntjes... De gehakt molen in met die toeters ook. Wat een kutband.
Leuk voor een keer, maar niet mijn muziek
Lekker pretentieloos en opgewekt plaatje.
Eindelijk weer iets vrolijks! Daar was ik aan toe. Brings back memories van roodharige middelbare-school-klasgenoot yvo op wie ik een oogje had en die me z’n madness-cd’s leende.
És el disc de sublimació del pop més elegant de la banda, sense perdre encara els tocs ska dels començaments. Més tard arribarien els discos de maduresa, que tendien massa a l'ensopiment. Aquí encara conserven la flama, embolcada de lletres sobre l'Anglaterra de la seva infantesa
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.
I haven't listened to a lot of early British ska, so this was a pleasant surprise. The music fades into the background a bit while I'm listening to it, but it's consistently good. 4/5
Not on Spotify, so I found it on the YouTube and had to watch it with M&M ads every 3 minutes. That kinda sucked but the album doesn’t. It definitely shows a growth away from the 2tone ish sound of their 1rst album One Step Beyond and bands like The Specials. Really enjoyed the arrangements of horns, especially on Primrose Hill, and the strings in other parts of the album. Of course Our House is the standout standout, but their are plenty of other good songs on here too. They still follow that jaunty and off kilter giddiness of Madness- just this time a bit more formal and “pop sensible”. I still think that “One Step Beyond” is more grabbing and probably a better album, but this one gets brownie points for straying away from the traditional ska formula.
Shitty noise
''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.
I knew Madness from the songs Baggy Trousers and One Step Beyond. This album is quite different, and I genuinely didn't know they had made Our House too. The rest of the album is ok music wise, but wtf is up with the brown face on the cover? That's a nope from me, dawg.
Hoppa! Weer zo'n band die ik nog een keer live wil zien. Heerlijke Britse popmuziek met bekende nummers. Dit album begint met een eentonig titelnummer, waarna het echter los gaat. Goed gespeelde muziek en melodieuze zang, wat wil je nog meer? Topper is natuurlijk "Our House", maar er staat nog veel meer leuks op zoals o.a. "Tomorrow's Just Another Day", het western-piano'tje van "Mr Speaker", "Tiptoes" en het jazz-achtig nummer "Maddness' zelf. Helaas wordt het meer up-tempo ska-sfeertje van "One Step Beyond" niet gehaald. Dit is een serieuzer album en ik mis juist dat extra beetje madness. Daarom geen volledige score voor mij. Luister dus gewoon ook even de "greatest hits" als je toch bezig bent, er is zoveel leuks van de mannen van Madness :-) ****
Sorry. Nee.
Very enjoyable.
Liked it. Thought I'd like it more tbh.
More depth than the singles but ,while sort of interesting , just doesn't stack up against the house of fun.
You know it's iconic when there are 4 versions of the same song, it's a good song thought.
REALLY COOL
wtf this was so fun
its a good album! although its not my music style/taste, its a fun and cool album!
moppy alt rock, kinda like the smiths
it's not good
Very 80's. Suits party with oldish folks
heard it and it isn't worthy of making a 1001 album list
I would say I am not in a unique position to be aware of Madness through their lead single "Our House", but unaware of the existence of any other song on this record (House of Fun is the other exception). Halfway through this album, I am struggling to continue. I find most tracks sung boringly with unengaging lyrics, soft instrumentals and weird effects. A 1 is too harsh, but more than a 2 is not being fair.
okay so there’s some bops WHY IS TGETE BLACKFACE ON THE ALBUM COVER that is not okay why would anyone think that was a good idea this was made in 1982 not 1882 Now I get why this isn’t on Apple Music Wait it’s brow face?? This is not okay This gets zero stars for being racist and perpetuating racial stereotypes
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.
Punk overtones and vocals interlaced with brass band, Old time piano, harmonica vibrato. Very madhouse/Tim burton/haunted mansion feel. Fun and interesting listen. Rise and fall, mr speaker, tomorrow’s just another day.
Its not a 1 only because Our 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.
I'm very familiar with Madness's singles, but I've never given their albums a listen. I really should have, because this was fun! Beyond the hit singles "Our House" and "Tomorrow's Just Another Day", highlights include "Primrose Hill" and "New Delhi".
can't even play the album on spotify...
2nd half a bit boring but some real bangers
Solid album with few good songs. Personally sounds similar to other albums on this list, nothing spectacular.
Awesome album