TODAY’S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF THE ’80s (by Madness in quotes) 1 The Rise & Fall - Madness 2 7 - Madness 3 The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths 4 In The Studio - The Special AKA 5 Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexys Midnight Runners 6 Special Beat Service - The Beat 7 London 0 Hull 4 - The Housemartins 8 Black Sea - XTC 9 The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses 10 Positive Touch - The Undertones ‘I chose The Rise & Fall simply because it’s an absolute masterpiece,’ says Madness in quotes. ‘My beloved Madness have been labelled many things in their illustrious career - nutty, whacky, ska, pop, a jolly good knees-up band and in some corners, a novelty act (how dare they)! But this album sets the record straight – this is their Sgt Pepper. Songs of war, depression, suicide, decay, tragedy, ageing, childhood, hope... sprinkled with that trademark Madness wit and humour. ‘Just like many classic records, this is a grower. I remember my first listen back in 1982 and I must confess, I was left scratching my head. This came out hot on the heels of the hugely successful compilation Complete Madness. So, when they released this LP, fans were expecting more of the same... how wrong we were. This is where they evolved.’ Check out the excellent Madness in quotes Facebook page - https://facebook/MadnessInQuotes Done your Top Ten yet? Message, don’t post, your selection and if you could mention why you chose your No. 1 that would be great. If you want to promote anything – record, book, film, gig etc. – send the details at the same time. We guarantee to post every one we receive. Also, if you’d like to nominate a friend or friends to do the Top Ten challenge, please be our guests. The aim is to produce the Ultimate Flexipop! Top 40 Albums Of The 80s Chart so please put your choices in order. The Rise & Fall was the fourth studio album by Madness, released 8th October 1982. It peaked at No. 10 in the UK and reached No. 1 in Sweden. It was never released in the US despite the fact that Our House was the band’s only Top Ten US hit. The Rise & Fall was initially conceived as a concept album about nostalgia for childhood and although that concept was later dropped, the theme is still evident. ‘All the band members were told to write about their childhood memories for the Rise & Fall,’ Suggs later said, ‘although Barson got the wrong idea and went off and wrote about New Delhi!’ The album saw Madness at their most experimental, exhibiting a range of musical styles including jazz, English music hall, and Eastern influences. NME described it as, ‘the best Madness record.’ Allmusic hailed the album as a ‘pop masterpiece’. Here’s their full review: ‘There’s a certain grandness to the title of Madness Presents the Rise & Fall, the group’s fourth album and undeniable pop masterpiece – it’s clear that the band has ambitions, to go several steps beyond ska, to craft nothing less than a Village Green Preservation Society for the 80s. ‘The Kinks figure heavily in Madness design for The Rise & Fall, both in individual tunes and the overall arc of the concept album, but so does Ian Dury’s celebration of the riffraff of London, the latter giving Madness an earthiness that Ray Davies crew lacked during their time on the Village Green. ‘While Madness forefathers are evident, The Rise & Fall is recognizably Madness in sound and sensibility; faint echoes of their breakneck nutty beginnings can be heard on Blue Skinned Beast and Mr Speaker Gets the Word, the melodies are outgrowths of such early masterpieces as My Girl, there’s a charming, open-hearted humour and carnivalesque swirl that ties everything together. ‘All this comes to a head on Our House, as divine a pop single as there ever was -- so undeniable that this very British anthem actually crossed over into the American Top Ten in 1983 -- but that’s merely the splashiest evidence of Madness popcraft on The Rise & Fall. The rest of the record contains the same wit, effervescence, and joy, capturing what British pop life was all about in 1982 , just as Village Green Preservation Society did in 1968 or Blur’s Parklife would do in 1994.’ Track List: 1. Rise and Fall 2. Tomorrows (Just Another Day) 3. Blue Skinned Beast 4. Primrose Hill 5. Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word) 6. Sunday Morning 7. Our House 8. Tiptoes 9. New Delhi 10.That Face 11.Calling Cards Are You Coming (With Me) 12.Madness (Is All in the Mind) Our House was released as a single a month after the album came out. It peaked at No. 5 in the UK and No. 7 in the US and won Best Song at the 1983 Ivor Novello awards. A musical called Our House, featuring Madness songs, ran in Londons West End between October 2002 and August 2003. At the 2012 Olympic Games Madness performed Our House on the roof of Buckingham Palace in the closing Olympic ceremonies during an elaborate light show. Read Woody’s revealing Testament Of Youth on the Flexipop! website. flexipop/testofyouth08.html Also watch him answer 20 questions about the ‘80s on Flexipop! TV https://youtube/watch?v=fzMeKXrbUns The video depicted the band acting out the songs lyrics in an old Victorian terraced house near Willesden Junction. ‘I remember way back then when everything was true and when we would have such a very good time…’
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:32:50 +0000
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