I wouldn't normally host a Retro Spin based on a compilation album, but today's listen gets an exception.
Madness were formed in 1976, and would be predominant in the revival of ska music throughout the 70's and 80's. Their most popular time, 1980 - 1986, saw them on the UK charts for a cumulative 214 weeks. In total, they've had fifteen top hits, which is nothing to shrug at for a group contending with likes of new wave and pop.
Though the group focused primarily on ska from 1979 - 1981, and found great success with debut, One Step Beyond... (1979) , and Absolutely (1980), it was the every changing styles with the times that helped to keep them relevant. When they went to work on their third album, 7 (1981), the group noticeably adopted a more pop friendly sound. Guitarist, Chris Foreman, would go on to say that the music of Madness would move with the times.
They would finally crack US borders in 1982 with their album, The Rise & Fall. Specifically, with their top ten hit, Our House, which peaked at number seven. However, up until this time, Madness had not released an album in North America, resulting in nothing being available for people to buy.
Enter the 1983 self titled compilation. For Americans, this was their debut. A twelve track, forty minute record, packed with hit after hit, carefully selected from the bands current discography of albums and singles. It's because we US fans consider this their debut that the technically greatest hits album gets a spot on today's Retro Spins.
Madness, the album, feels finely crafted, and this is a result of the benefit from being curated from already tried and true popular songs from their already extensive discography. For me, the front half is definitely more enticing than the second. I felt like it was a combination of the overall sound and feel the record that ultimately did me in. I just got tired of it.
However, this is not to say that I heard anything I would label, "bad". In fact, I may wait a bit, and play the last six tracks again to give them another chance.
In hindsight, I can also see why Madness's popularity waned seemingly fast for American fans. When you cull a regional debut from varying sources, it grants you the opportunity to pull only the best. As such, when you follow that up with a regular album afterwards, in this case, 1984's Keep Moving, yes you get a boost in sales, but lose people in the process because it's not able to stand up to the greatness of it predecessor. Whereas Madness, the compilation album has eight popular singles, Keep Moving only produced two mild ones.
The groups overall popularity began to drop significantly between 1983 and 1986, and ultimately led to them disbanding shortly after 1985's Mad Not Mad. A few members spun off into the short lived The Madness, and released a self titled album in 1988. Despite the name change, many fans associate them as the same act.
Madness made a bit of a comeback in the early 90's, releasing the number one hit compilation album, Divine Madness. The band would also continue to reunite periodically for annual holiday and specialty tours. This would eventually lead to all seven members reuniting for 1999's Wonderful. They would release two additional albums, 2005's The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1, and 2009's The Liberty of Norton Folgate.
After a series of tours, Mark Bedford would once again depart the group, leaving the six remaining members to continue on. Since then, the remaining members have released a couple more albums, and continue to tour periodically, keeping Madness alive for new generations.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS February 25, 1984 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS February 25, 1989 |
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