Total Madness - Very Best of Madness

Madness | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 1997)
• Original Release Date: September 9, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000000OWW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,079 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > Alternative Rock > British Alternative > British Ska

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars If you really want to get the best of Madness..., October 7, 1999

By 

G. Sarafin (Cranbury, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Total Madness - Very Best of Madness (Audio CD)

Get "Madness the business", a 3 CD box set of their singles. Not only do you get to hear the band mature from its Swiss Cottage "bad boy" beginnings to its sophisticated nutty pop sound of the early 90s, but you get to hear fun commentary about the mega-band between tracks. I hear the band has recently returned to the studio. We'll see...

If you're not British, you may only have a vague recollection of Madness. I consider myself to be among the music literati, and I assure you that you've missed one of the great bands of all time. Alas, like all things, the world moves on, and the "sound" that was so exciting and different back then is a bit thin and dated today. None-the-less, "Madness the business" is a must-have if you are a true collector of great music.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For the casual fan., October 8, 2001

By 

J. Carroll "Jack" (Island Heights,NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Total Madness - Very Best of Madness (Audio CD)

If you are only familiar with Madness' few U.S. hits ("One Step Beyond" "Our House") this is probably the collection for you. The CD captures the basics of the sound this group put out and the influences they have had on many other bands, (Mighty Mighty Boaatones, No Doubt, Smashmouth) is evident even on this limited set. As you can read in the other reviews, this was a band that deserves a much more complete compilation. Hopefully, this CD will make you want more Madness. If not, this is a good addition for anyone who might want to broaden their musical taste to include one of the best ska bands ever.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best british bands ever, July 8, 2000

By 

oliver kalkofe (germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Total Madness - Very Best of Madness (Audio CD)

Okay, let's be honest: it is not a great compilation. Lots of their best bits are definitely missing. You will have much more fun in buying DIVINE MADNESS (Digitally Remastered) where you really find nearly all of their fantastic hits in great quality. Or you get a copy of their latest album WONDERFUL which really shows the lads at their best. But buying TOTAL MADNESS is still better than not buying any Madness-record at all. A fair chance to get in first touch with a splendid band!