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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Strong Compilation, January 19, 2000
Madness's first two albums didn't sell well in the US, and the band was dropped by Sire. Their third and fourth albums were never released in the US. However, when "Our House" was issued as a single, and hit the US Top Ten, Geffen rushed out this compilation to re-introduce the group to American listeners.Made up of tracks from the first, third, and fourth albums, plus two single tracks, this is a decent compilation. While not as definitive a one-disc overview as "Complete Madness", all the songs are good selections, and give you a good idea of this unique band's range and depth; and for American buyers, it's cheaper than the imports. A good place to start.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
America's reintroduction to nutty brilliance, January 14, 2007
Save for an underground movement of ska-loving kids, the U.S. was a bit slow to catch on to the two-tone explosion of the late seventies/early eighties. Sire initially released One Step Beyond and Absolutely, but as Madness failed to generate the big big numbers record companies crave, Sire scandalously ignored their 3rd and 4th albums, 7 and the Rise and Fall. That decision temporarily waylaid the spread of Madness in the U.S. In fact, if it hadn't been for my little brother bringing home Absolutely and an import copy of 7, I might have been one of many who had never heard of this band before 'Our House' hit the airwaves.
Because ska was still largely unknown to mainstream America in 1982, 'Our House' fell like the atomic bomb and sent people scrambling for anything Madness-related they could get their hands on. The success of this single cannot be overstated. Despite its pop-like qualities, it revitalized interest in ska overnight and Sire practically fell over themselves to release this eponymous recording, or as we affectionately called it, the 'eight ball album.'
In addition to tracks from their 1st, 3rd, and 4th records, this collection also contains the superb and hard to find 'House of Fun,' the brilliant cover of the sixties classic, 'It must be love,' and of course, 'Our House.'
I remember seeing the vespa riding/trenchcoat wearing skinheads during my first year of high school, failing to connect them to the music I had been listening to for the last couple years. Such is the life of a pre-teen, I suppose, but it also goes to show that music is just that, music, and more than a lifestyle. Even a nerdy kid like myself, one without any sense of the lifestyle two-tone represented, could enjoy Madness.
And I did. Immensely.
This record represents the American attempt to reintroduce music that should have been a hit from the beginning, and on that note it succeeds... in spades. It also shows how clueless record companies were to the breadth of music the eighties had to offer.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
hmmm..., October 24, 1998
By A Customer
"I remember way back when/everything was true and then/we would have such a very good time such a fine time/and I remember how we'd play/simply waste the day away/then we'd say/nothing could come between us/two dreamers". There you go. Seriously, this is an excellent introductory collection to Madness, but if you're really interested in the band, One Step Beyond, Absolutely, The Rise and Fall, and Keep Moving would give you a better idea. Still, this is the best place to get the brilliant House of Fun.
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