Total Madness: The Very Best of Madness

Madness

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.com Sales Rank: #97,607 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Alternative Rock > British Alternative > British Ska

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Excuse us for caring, but there are a few things shamefully wrong about this long overdue salute to the immortal Nutty Boys. For starters, any self-respecting Madness package should open with "One Step Beyond," not end with it. And a meager 12 tracks (43 minutes) from the hugely prolific ska/pop kings of the early '80s is a tad miserly. To justify the title, Geffen could have made stronger efforts to license gems like "Baggy Trousers," "Night Train to Cairo," and "Embarrassment" from Sire. The liner note ode by Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones is small compensation. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 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	"gsarafin" (Cranbury, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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

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!