Madness - Mad Not Mad - 1985

Last of the four awesome posts in a row, here's a little Madness to start your weekend.

Not much to say today, other than I'm posting early because I'm headed back out of town this weekend to work on my rental property for the new tenants.

Madness have always been a favorite of mine ever since I saw them as a kid on the Young Ones.  This one doesn't have a whole lot of hits, but their sound had started to change and I found it unique to the others.  I have all the b-sides, so you should enjoy.  I also have the full-length version of Dracstein Castle.  What a funny funny piece of shit!

Anyway, enjoy, and I'll be back Sunday night!

Madness - Mad Not Mad - 1985

Madness - The Rise And Fall - 1982

If 7 is their best album, then The Rise and Fall is their second best.  Look at the track listing!  Five singles and every b-side!  It rides smooth and fun the entire way.  But, when I added the b-sides at the end, it seems a little herky-jerky.  But, hey...You got the b-sides, right?

At their prime, Madness pops out another stellar album with their well known song Our House.  I wish I had a little anecdotal story to tell about this album...  but I don't.  Just love listening to it.

Honestly, though, I am a little preoccupied tonight.  The US Political system is in shambles, the general population is divided into two polarized camps with no middle ground.  We have a side-show act as candidates for President.  We have people losing their minds over a gorilla getting shot, but nothing gets said about the 60 shootings that took place in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend.  And, to top it all off, a drunk guy in Cincinnati decides he want's to go into a Kroger's grocery store and strip down naked, and then take a shit on the self-checkout scanner.

You can't make this stuff up.

SO, plug in a little Madness (sic) and escape to a world of joviality.

Madness - The Rise And Fall - 1982

Madness - Seven - 1981

First time I heard these guys, it was Our House, the only song of theirs that I remember hearing on the radio.  Loved it.  Next, I saw them on the Young Ones...  Eh?  What the hell was that?  House of Fun?  Sounded like crap at the time.  It was then that I decided that I hated Ska and Dub.  What a stupid stupid fool I was.

I didn't start listening to Madness until f--king 2003.  WTF.  And, it wasn't just Madness, I started listening to English Beat, Selector, the Specials, and almost anything 2-Tone.  Good for me.  It was about time.  I fell in love with the sound, fell in love with the singles, found the joy of holding a 45rpm with only two songs.  Fun stuff.

Obviously, one of their best albums, but not my favorite.  You have a lot of good songs on here.  I got the album, the singles, the b-sides, the non-album tracks.  All a pile of mish mash.  It was the arrangement that I liked best.  Hope it works for you.

As for the cover, I have always absolutely loved this cover.  As a comic book fan, the artwork is fascinating, along with the poor layout and design.  When I was making this cover, I wanted to make sure that I left the Made In the UK sticker on there, along with as many creases, ridges, wrinkles and reflections as I could, as it totally adds to the character of the album.

Lots of fun, this one.  Listen to it daily.

Madness - Seven - 1981