MaDnEsS.Utter Madness i tell you ! (Divine Madness - Madness)

Member Name: thegarleon

Product:	Divine Madness - Madness
Date:	23/11/05 (108 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 24 tracks.

Disadvantages: Couple of dodgy numbers

Remember the days of two tone? How about SKA? hmm? Still not with me? Ok how about singing Baggy trousers at a school disco? Or how many times have you muttered " I like driving in my car" while driving in your car? Madness were a phenomenon for a vast part of the 1980's. Young guys were doing that stiff head and neck dance at every opportunity and even more were getting crew cuts and wearing cheap black sunglasses.....or was that just at my school?


Suggs and his 6 mates took the best of the classic reggae and two tone material and put their own pop twist on it. The result was happy music, by a happy band and riotous videos with men on wires flying through the air! Ahh the memories. You see that's what this album is to me. One long string of memories flashing before me as each song plays. The band were formerly known as the Dangermen and have recently reverted to that alias for a tour and re-release of some old material.

-----Track listing-----

1. The Prince
2. One Step Beyond
3. My Girl
4. Night Boat To Cairo
5. Baggy Trousers
6. Embarrassment
7. Return Of The Los Palmas 7
8. Grey Day
9. Shut Up
10. It Must Be Love
11. Cardiac Arrest
12. House Of Fun
13. Driving In My Car
14. Our House
15. Tomorrow's Just Another Day
16. Wings Of A Dove
17. The Sun And The Rain
18. Michael Caine
19. One Better Day
20. Yesterday's Men
21. Uncle Sam
22. Waiting For The Ghost Train
23. Lovestruck
24. Johnny The Horse

-----Who are madness?-----
Suggs (Graham McPherson),Bedders (Mark Bedford), Woody (Daniel Woodgate), Lee Thompson, Chris Foreman, Chas (Cathal Smyth) and Mike Barson.

Incidentally Woody went off to join the Voice Of THe Beehive, while Lee Thompson and Chris Foreman created their own less well known band called "The Nutty Boys". Nope I haven't heard any of their hits either. Suggs has had the most success. A couple of solo hits ;

I'm only sleeping and Cecilia. Which i clearly remember being introduced by Chris Eubank on top of the pops "at number 6 it's Suggs with Cecilia" (how unfortunate for a man with a lisp)


----So is it any good?-----
Value for money and the number of hit tracks on it are great. 24, That's TWENTY FOUR tracks, wow. Great value for money. In the days of music downloads costing on average 10p to 50p that is great value for money. I picked it up at the supermarket as part of a 3 for £10. The mood of the album is very upbeat. Ideal for listening to in the car on a long journey. Good variety of material. Remember that this version has two extra tracks on it compared to the first release. Lovestruck and Johnny The Horse are not on my Brother's old disc which he bought about 10 years ago.(Incidentally the cover price then was £16.99 from HMV, oh how the times have changed ).

Summary: Suggs and the boys best hits.