Customer Reviews

One Step Beyond

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a timeless album ! There are several 'Greatest Hits' CDs available from 'Madness' but this, their debut CD, is the real deal. There is not a dull moment, from the very first note of the title track to the final (goofy) track 'Chipmunks are go'. Their first single 'One Step Beyond' hit the music scene like a rocket back in 1979 and is still their concert opener. 'My Girl' shows the true musical skills of the band and is followed by 'Night Boat to Cairo', which is a fantastic, fun little SKA piece. But things are still getting better: 'Believe me' and 'Land of Hope and Glory' build up to my all time favorite Madness (and even SKA) song 'The Prince'. And 'Madness' are able to keep this high level all the way to the end of the album. This is a must have CD - whether you are a SKA fan or you just enjoy great music played by a truly great band.

Madness did it best the first time around. Their first album has, so far, outdone any "best of" collection. "One Step Beyond," simply put, will keep the lamest party awake and hopping. Starting with the instrumental title tune, even the slowest paced tunes (My Girl, Razor Blade Alley), is a Ska-Based jolt of pep.

What I enjoy about Madness above most other Ska bands is that their early music is sheer fun spirited song & dance, written in an era where it was becoming much cooler to throw a lot of social commentary into the lyrics. My favorite examples are a little 60s pop-culture with "Tarzan's Nuts" (one of the TV Tarzan theme songs), "Rockin' In A Flat" (if you have trouble waking up in the morning, spin this tune first thing after you creak out of bed); and "Night Boat To Cairo."

"One Step Beyond" is worth the extra money spent over their various compilations. A very good second place is their second album "Absolutely," but their debut CD rocks above them all!

I bought this album (maybe my Dad paid for it as I was only 9!!!) soon after its release. I saw them do One Step Beyond on Top Of The Pops and immediately began contemplating starting my serious music collection. The only other records I had at the time were Gary Glitter (wahha hahahahah hahahaha hahahahahahaha) and Elvis Costello's Oliver's Army 7" single.

This band really started it off for me as far as following bands was concerned. I later graduated to The Police then U2 and REM and havent really followed a band so closely since.

This band made me get a crew cut!!!

The sad thing is, the only album I have ever bought on CD is Absolutely which was my all time favourite. The vinyls are gathering dust somewhere. I saw them play at the Manchester Apollo sometime in the early 80's and they were amazing.

Classic memories...

If you dig the second wave of ska and don't have this, or haven't even of heard of it, then it's time to introduce yourself to a milestone of the forementioned era! It has the classic pieces : One Step Beyond, Night Boat To Cairo...and one truely "classical piece" : Swan-Lake which is a great rendition of Tchaikowski's master piece. This is the record which shows the nutty-boys being more about ska than they get credited for. Some of the later records still rule, but the're a bit more about pop and a bit less about ska. This is THE article!

This album is one of my five favorites since I first bought it in 1982. These guys can really play! (Imagine real musicians with real instruments in the 80'S)Every song is great in its own way--some for pure energy, others for off-the-wall lyrics. The album is all about having a good time, burning some energy, and again: TRUE MUSICIANSHIP. The clearly British and stylish vocals don't hurt it a bit either. This is one of the best-ever ska albums along with "I Just Can't Stop It" by the English Beat.

The Specials may have been a "better" band, but Madness was definitely funner. And not just the obvious, exuberant tracks that everybody knows (One Step Beyond, Night Boat to Cairo), but also the impassioned ska rendition of Swan Lake, the faux-Music Hall In the Middle of the Night, and the unusual Razor Blade Alley (which appears to be about soliciting a prostitute, in stark contrast to the band's g-rated image). A great album that anyone at all interested in the genre should own. Whether it's the band's best is questionable--The Rise and Fall is also pretty great--but it's certainly up there.

I am 53 years old and just the past few months started listening to SKA. Maybe out of my love for Sublime and because my 19 year old son loved SKA so much before he was taken from me. Anyway, this CD is great. I plan to purchase another one or two. The beat is always uplifting, but not annoying like some. You can turn it up or down, it is just good.

What a record this is. What fun it generates. To be a young kid when this came out was to know pure, unadulterated, danceable bliss...

I danced to it in '80 when my little brother first brought it home.

I danced to it non-stop with Lynne in the summer of '87.

My daughter and I danced our hearts out to it last night.

This record is joyous. It's nutty. It's Madness.

One of the holy trinity of British ska albums (along with The Specials debut and Just Can't Stop It by the English Beat). Still sounds vital today. This release includes the great hidden track "Madness".

Outside of The Specials debut and The Beat's "I Just Can't Stop It", the finest British ska from the Two-Tone period. This disc is full of classics: the Madness anthem "One Step Beyond", "The Prince"(a tribute to Jamaican ska artist Prince Buster), "Land of Hope and Glory", "Night Boat To Cairo".... The list goes on and on! Upbeat, laidback, smart and solid. Anyone who loves ska should already be aware of these guys but if not, listen and learn! A must!