94
Madness - Absoulutely
1980
Ska pop/2 Tone
Best tracks: On the Beat Pete, Disappear, Baggy Trousers, Embarrassment, E.R.N.I.E.
"The essential singles band" they call 'em. Bollocks to that. I've always seen that as a hacks way of saying a particular group has never produced a quality album, lest they upset the sacred cows. Madness did release a lot of great, memorable singles, but no Madness hits collection holds a candle to
One Step Beyond or the follow up
Absolutely. The ska-tinged stuff is what they thrived at and the later, 'not mad' sombre stuff lacked the personality and likeability of the earlier hits.
Absolutely is up there with
The Clash, Boy In Da Corner, Up The Bracket and
Black London Blues in terms of possessing the SPIRIT OF LONDON.
Absolutely is that dishevelled old geezer at the end of the bar in the Ship, Anchor, Hope and Henry IV Albert Arms, his eyes darting every which way, marked by the occasional flash of violence. His skin of old leather creases around a cheeky, perverted grin as he relives his past of vespa's, petty crime, daddy - done - left - me angst, tits and current buns. Then pearly hints of loss fill each eye as the wistful 'Disappear' blasts through the pub jukebox;
Organ tinkling organ
Marriage planning, children
Spinning round and round
Rusty swings and roundabouts
Disco's full of layabouts
Nowhere to be found
A stab in the back, the smoke and the black
As it smoulders to its grave
Disappear with the fun and the fear
Another chance to misbehave.
The city was once alive and full of colour - its decaying beauty and graffiti ("Walls signed with autographs, ceilings full of echoed laughs") and the aimless energy of youth ("Let's go to the local ash tray, let's see if we can be happy"), all gone and replaced with a mortgage and a beer gut. 'Disappear' may be Madness's most underrated and beautiful moment.
We go from dodgy Camden boozers to smoky jazz bars ('Overdone'), bingo halls and betting shops ('E.R.N.I.E') the school playground ('Baggy Trousers') and tacky sea side towns ('Return Of Los Palmas 7') on a cheap bumpy ride around Blighty. But yeah, mainly it's a London thing. The albums best moment, 'On The Beat Pete', is a garbled rush of finger snapping cockney joy. 'Baggy Trousers' and the three minute sigh, 'Embarrassment' ("YOU'RE an embarrassment". . . .
DUN DUNNNN.) bring the hits, the weird time signature of 'Take it Or Leave It' brings awkward dancing and there's even time for a bit of the ol' existential despair with 'Shadow Of Fear'.
Their fun loving, wacky videos were great but ensured that people often overlook what great musicians they were and are. Here they play an array of styles - ska, motown, rock n' roll, jazz, boogie, and whatever "Take It Or Leave It'' is - all with their boyish charm.
Singles band my pipe and drum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OccultHawk
Keep this up. Typing these names into Last.FM is turning me on to all kinds of stuff.
|
Good to hear. That's what it's all about.