Emily: Madness is perhaps best known for a little song called Our House. Start humming a few bars, and the upbeat tune will be instantly recognizable from dozens of commercials and TV shows. What most people don’t know, however, is that Madness had a lot more to say. Although never released in the US, The Rise and Fall was one of Madness’ most successful and acclaimed albums overseas. They take two-tone ska beats and mix them with different styles and influences, from jazz to the sounds of India. Throw in a bit of politicizing over the bouncy beats, and what do you get? A thoroughly enjoyable album that is more than just a one-hit (one-house?) wonder.
Favorite Tracks: Mr. Speaker Gets the Word; Calling Cards; Our House
Zack: Our House is such a big song that not having heard of it is pure, well, madness. After that point, my knowledge of the band was somewhat limited. I knew that they walked a fine line between pop and ska, and that was enough to peak my curiosity. When it actually came to listening to the album, I felt that this ska-pop description wasn't nearly accurate enough. For one thing, they tended more towards pop than anything else. Furthermore, the "ska" description was a bit misleading. They infuse their pop sound with multiple genres, one of which is ska. That makes them about as much a ska band as any musician who ever went "I think this song needs more cowbell. And maybe a little trumpet too." As far as pop albums go, though, this extra complexity added a pleasant depth that I really appreciated. I think more pop artists should introduce bangin' sax solos intro their songs. Maybe "bangin'" wasn't the right adjective there, but I'm sticking with it. Anyways, I wish more of the music that makes its way onto radio sounded like Madness. Here's hoping that 30 years of trends suddenly reverse themselves!
Favorite Tracks: Madness (Is All in the Mind); Our House; Calling Cards
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