I continue my journey through the discography of Madness as a newly appointed fan. I'm honestly to the point where I may do something a bit rare and actually go back and track down their 1979 debut. So far, this has been some really good stuff.
Despite their massive popularity in the UK, Madness had only managed to garner one hit in the USA with their 1981 single, It Must Be Love. Because of this, when it came time to release their 1982 studio album, The Rise & Fall, much like previous albums, this too never saw a release in North America.
The album spawned multiple hits, which included their international hit, Our House. This single would reach number five in the UK and reach number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The song, along with other Madness hits, would be compiled on the self-titled compilation in 1983, which would become the first album released in the US.
With me rushing into my third Madness album back-to-back in one day, I think a bit of fatigue started to set in. Though I got some good tracks from it, Rise And Fall, Tomorrow's Just Another Day, Blue Skinned Beast, Our House, Tiptoes, and Calling Cards, I was really only partially listening to it at this point. If things caught my ear, I would zone back in from working on my ever changing CD collection list.
At the end of it, I still walked away pleased. Though I also feel like I may have missed some things from the other albums I'd heard. I will say that one of the most noticeable aspects of The Rise & Fall was that it leaned more so into pop than ska. This too, perhaps, deterred my attention away, as it sounded more commercial mainstream, losing some of that charm initially found in prior records.
Overall, not a bad listening session, just not one I paid as much attention to as I kind of wish I had. I may take a break from Madness for a day or two before swinging back around to their remaining 80's releases.
While Madness were at the peak of their success, chart wise, sales had been steadily declining for the boys since their third album, 7. While their first two releases were met with platinum status, 7 and The Rise & Fall would see certifications of only gold. This trend would continue with their 1985 and 1987 albums, Keep Moving, and Mad Not Mad, which would only reach silver. While the latter was technically their last album before the group disbanded, Madness lived on for bit as a second iteration. However, before we can talk about that, we first have to get through those other two records.
Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
 |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS November 12, 1983 |
 |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS November 12, 1988 |
No comments:
Post a Comment