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Another compilation? Really? Is this a necessity when Madness' back
catalogue has been raked over continuously and the bones picked pretty
damn clean over the years? Even in terms of box sets Madness fans have
been pretty well blessed. There was The Lot a few years ago, which
provided a handy receptacle in which to house their albums from One
Step Beyond to Mad Not Mad. Then there was The Business which compiled
all their singles but infuriatingly crashed the intros and outros with
interviews that whilst interesting first time around rather lost their
appeal over the course of a few listens.
Last year saw the release of Total Madness, yet another compilation
that included more of the band's recent work as well as the obvious
hits and a DVD of those videos that set the bar back in the day. So
it would appear that on the face of it, A Guided Tour Of Madness is
one step too far (or beyond some might suggest), particularly when the
only new material to be found is in the shape of Le Grand Pantalon, a
slowed down re-working of Baggy Trousers that currently graces an
advert for some lager or other. It's not exactly a gold plated carrot
with which to entice the casual punter or completist fans.
Yet there's much to be said for this collection, and it stands head
and shoulders above what's preceded it. The old classics are in place
as you would expect, and how could they not be? However, sat alongside
singles like Our House, Baggy Trousers and House Of Fun are some
choice cuts swiped from their albums which add to the sonic palette of
the Madness experience, which for many is undoubtedly limited to a
five minute stomp at a disco (school, pub, wedding – all the likely
candidates).
Madness quite simply write perfect pop songs, and like those of The Beatles
before them, their melodies seem to have been in existence for all
eternity. Even if it's the first time you've heard one of their
songs, they seem immediately familiar, which might go some way to
explaining why Madness were the one of the most successful bands of
the '80s.
The other similarity Madness has with The Beatles is sense
of place (and to some degree, time). It's no surprise to find the
words "We Are London" adorning the booklet that accompanies the
box set. In many ways this new set is an exercise in psychogeography;
when you put on a Madness album you're invariably transported to a
London that exists in the minds of the band. It's a London that is
populated by an array of fascinating characters and situations, and
each and every one of them is coloured by the world view and experiences
of Madness. There are underwear thieves, families at war over
interracial relationships, headmasters breaking all the rules, school
kids in ill fitting trousers, parents being let down by the NHS,
embarrassed teenagers attempting to buy contraception, Johnny The
Horse getting kicked to death, and the alluring charm of the
terminally ill Drip Fed Fred. Take a trip to Camden, drive your car
through Muswell Hill, or head up to the peak of Primrose Hill, and
inevitably without the songs of Madness to contextualise the area,
it's all a bit of a disappointment.
Despite London being the setting of many of Madness' songs (indeed
they include an A-Z map in the booklet pointing out the important
landmarks around Camden and NW5) it's the fact that many of the experiences
they write about can happen anywhere and to anyone that gives them a
wider appeal. Everyone knows the emotional turmoil of relationships
that pull in different directions so articulately described in My
Girl; Baggy Trousers could be written about school days in any school
anywhere in the country; Grey Day speaks of a malaise that
exists in everyone, particularly at the start of another weary day.
Lyrically, there is no doubting that the appeal of many of their songs
is universal.
Musically, Madness has evolved considerably over the years. The
two-tone ska found in their early days on songs like The Prince or One
Step Beyond began to fuse with English Musichall to create a heady mix
that positively dripped with pop nous. The driving backbeats and
basslines practically insist that dancing isn't an option, it is a
necessity. Mike Barson's hammered piano lines keep the hooks and
melodies in place, providing the axis around which the band operates
so well. It's the collision of Madness' pop sensibility and their
tendency to write songs that have a emotional resonance that flies in
the face of the "nutty boys" image that so many paint them with. Away
from the wacky videos, the funny noses, and Lee Thompson's tendency to
become airbourne, there's a gravitas to much of the band's work. Yet
because heavy subject matter often comes wrapped in purified pop, the
pill is often sweetened. The impending demise of a parent, the horror
of the Falklands conflict, and the death of a salesman are all covered
in songs that not only require an emotional response but the movement
of feet as well.
As the band matured, the ska influence began to drop away and they
explored more pop tinged avenues. This led to what was arguably their
finest moment with the album The Rise And Fall Of Madness, but
eventually decline seemed almost inevitable. There are some who insist
that the Keep Moving era Madness is an uncovered gem in their history
or that the likes of Yesterday's Men and I'll Compete constitute the
band's best work, but by this time keyboardist Mike Barson was
contemplating his departure and eventually left. The result was the
sound of a band under stress, without one of its key operators
functioning fully, and as such Madness seemed to suffer considerably
before finally calling it a day in 1986 (the less said about The
Madness the better).
Fast forward to the early '90s and the band rose, phoenix-like, from
the ashes with Madstock (the DVD is included here), a celebratory
festival of the band that came about thanks to the success of another
compilation, Divine Madness. Following their reformation the band
began to work on new material again for 1999's Wonderful, and
rediscovered their magic touch. Lovestruck is a pop classic with a
chorus to die for, while Drip Fed Fred finds Ian Dury
collaborating with the band for one last razor sharp hurrah. Meanwhile
Johnny The Horse sees them in familiar territory with a heartbreaking
story set against an immaculate upbeat pop backdrop.
Skipping over the folly of The Dangermen sessions (which remains
curiously endearing in places) and on to the excerpts from their most
recent album The Liberty Of Norton Folgate, it's clear that Madness
have finally rediscovered their touch. The heartfelt balladry of NW5
is up there with It Must Be Love, Forever Young's ska is an exercise
in pitch perfect nostalgia, and That Close is a wonderful swinging
knees up shot through with sepia tones and pathos. This return to form
is covered on the third disc of A Guided Tour, and makes the
compilation worth picking up on the strength of this material alone.
It is heartening to find the band working together as a unit and
making music that is as affecting and vital as the songs they fired
out in their youth.
So is another compilation really necessary? Perhaps not, but with
this being the most comprehensive snapshot of Madness' career so far
it is certainly the most vital. If nothing else, this collection is a
fine reminder that Madness is a band that deserves respect and
critical acclaim. Their portrayal as nutty boys is wildly inaccurate
and does the band a disservice. Madness wrote, and continue to write,
songs that are familiar to millions, that condense the experience of
everyday life and offer a sense of hope and belonging to those who
choose to ride the nutty train. As Suggs points out in his liner notes,
"every single person you meet is having a hard time" and it's this
awareness that permeates Madness' songs and makes them so affecting.
Their lyrics speak of everyday life, whilst their music insists that
sometimes, all you can do is dance the pain away. A Guided Tour Of
Madness is, in many ways, a guided tour around your own life and
experiences, and it's the most interesting journey you'll ever take. As
a soundtrack, you could do a lot worse than have Madness as the house
band.
A Guided Tour Of Madness is out on 19th September 2011 through Salvo.
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