Warning, audiophile rant incoming! Given Madness' huge commercial success, I was surprised to hear that some of the songs are very poorly recorded. It isn't a big deal, given the bands wacky "cartoon" style, but nonetheless some songs feature weak sounding drums, woofly and powerless bass guitar, a mess of instruments competing for the middle register and tinny cymbals.
Anyway, on to the music... their "innocent scallywag ska" has some great moments. Night Boat to Cairo is probably the most wacky example, although it is a bit simplistic and awkwardly composed. Baggy Trousers and House of Fun are other classic examples of their harmless naughtiness. Of their other hits, Driving in My Car and Our House are too reliant on the vocal narrative, in my humble opinion.
Back to the ska, The Prince is a great combination of a rocksteady groove overlaid with a lighthearted ska feel. Grey Day reminds me of The Specials' Ghost Town, with it's "moody ska" sound. Similarly, My Girl combines a lighthearted feel (with a chorus similar to "It Must Be Love") with depressing lyrics. Strangely, the contrast works quite well. Speaking of It Must Be Love, even years of ads for Huggies nappies have not dulled the appeal of this song for me. The transitions are a bit abrupt, but I don't care!
Saving the best till last in this review: One Step Beyond. I love this song. From the first syllable of that classic intro to the final sax note, it's pure enjoyment for me. The brilliant groove from the bass and keyboard, combined with the infectious melody of the poor sax being manhandled are pure brilliance.
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