Madness "The Dangermen Sessions, Vol.1" 2005****

By now, almost every band that's been around for a while has recorded a cover album. These are rarely received with enthusiasm from fans or reviewers, so why bother? critics cite a lack of inspiration, but I think it's mostly a desire to return to the roots: every musician starts off as a fan, covering their favorite music, and finding joy in playing with like-minded comrades. By going back to the beginning, bands try to rekindle the original spark and have fun playing with each other. Whether the fans have fun listening to the result, is another matter. And yet another, whether they'll feel the urge to listen to the album repeatedly. I, for example, enjoyed listening to Deep Purple's Turning To Crime: classic tunes played with gusto by virtuoso musicians, what's not to like? But I haven't re-listened to the album since I reviewed it for this blog, and I probably won't for a long time. On the contrary, The Dangermen Sessions, vol.1 takes a trip to the (home or car) stereo rather often. Maybe because Madness bring their inherent exuberance to everything they do, and all they need is a bunch of good tunes, which in this case is a given. Most of these have been in the band's repertory from the early days when they were still known as the Invaders. Βefore recording this album they got together and performed a few secret gigs under the alias the Dangermen; the liner notes continue the charade: supposedly the (fictional) Dangermen formed in Havana in the 1960s, and have reformed after 35 years to record this album. Each member also gets a fictional identity and backstory - possibly the original idea was for the CD to be released under the Dangermen moniker but that was considered to be too uncommercial, so instead it became the 9th official LP by Madness. Although the original songs covered belong to a variety of styles, they are all performed in a rocksteady/reggae/ska beat. Because some of them, including The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On" and The Kinks' "Lola", had been reggaefied before, the band based their versions on previous covers rather than the originals. Barbara Lynn's 1962 R&B hit "You'll Lose a Good Thing" and José Feliciano ballad "Rain" also sound good in their reggae-ish arrangements, but it's the classic ska tunes that entertain the most. Some, like Max Romeo's "I Chase the Devil" or Desmond Dekker's "Israelites" are overtly familiar in their original versions; while Madness don't add a new dimension to them, their spirited performances maintain the fun factor. Then there are those old Jamaican tunes that were new to me: Prince Buster's "Girl Why Don't You?", Lord Tanamo's "Taller Than You Are", Rudy Mills's "John Jones" and Edwin Astley instrumental "Dangerman". These also stick close to the originals, and Madness do a great job of introducing them to us. Undoubtfully the most entertaining song here is Lord Melody's calypso classic "Shame & Scandal". It cracks me up every time I listen to it, and I heard it here first. Since then, I've heard countless other covers, including one in Dutch and a very bad Greek one - it's not the fault of 70's pop singer Dakis, it's just that the lyrics sound really daft translated in Greek. The album closes with a faithful roots reggae take on Bob Marley's "So Much Trouble in the World"; I guess Madness rightfully thought that a collection of (mostly) Jamaican tunes wouldn't be complete without a Marley tribute, but subject-wise it's somewhat of a downer. Not the perfect closure to a CD that's really fun to listen to. By now it's been 20 years since the release The Dangermen Sessions, Vol.1 and there hasn't been any talk of a Volume 2 follow-up. Maybe we have to wait until their inspiration dries up again (Dangermen bridged a 10-year gap between albums of original material). Lord knows, there are enough tunes that are just crying for the Madness treatment. Thinking back to all the bands that have released cover albums, it's hard to say that any of them are standouts of their respective discographies, and the same is true for this one. It nevertheless makes for a quite pleasurable listening experience, even more so than many of Madness' regular LPs. In two words: satisfaction guaranteed.

**** for Shame & Scandal, I Chase the Devil, Israelites, Rain

*** for This Is Where/ Girl Why Don't You?, Taller Than You Are, You Keep Me Hanging On, Dangerman (aka High Wire), John Jones, Lola, You'll Lose a Good Thing, So Much Trouble in the World

Madness "The Rise And Fall" 1982****

Last week I was at AFAS Live in Amsterdam for a Madness concert. I believe it's been 3 years since I bought my ticket for this event, but it got constantly postponed because of COVID. The time came at last, and I must say it was worth the wait. The band may not be their hyperkinetic former selves, but they certainly still know how to throw a party. I got to cross another classic act out of my list, too - and, as I did that,I realized I wasn't born too late after all. Sure, I never got to see Hendrix or Joplin live, but that's their fault for dying too young. I did get to see most of rock's pantheon up close, even those who started the whole thing: Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee, Bo Diddley - all R.I.P. now. I remember when I first saw Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, or The Rolling Stones, 20-30 year ago. I thought at the time "this is great, but imagine seeing them in their prime". Now I'm thinking what a privilege it's been to catch them live at all. Those legends are still touring, incidentally, and you should not miss your chance. Only a few years before they (or Roger Waters, or Robert Plant, or The Who) retire, and the last link to rock's golden age is severed. Don't kid yourself, we aren't about to see their likes again. The well is drying up; Sure, the punk/new wave generation produced its share of iconic figures, but few of them worthy of the "legend" tag. The 80's? Even less. The 90's? Kurt Cobain, at best half a dozen more. Anyway... Madness: what a band, and what an arsenal of hits they have amassed in the last 45 years! Legendary, or what?

The Rise And Fall isn't my favorite Madness LP in my collection; that distinction would go to their debut One Step Beyond... I mean that album's opening triplet is "One Step Beyond...", "My Girl" and "Night Boat To Cairo". Hard to beat or what? Also, in last week's concert, the band played 6 songs from One Step... and only 1 from Rise & Fall. Why then is the latter the one included in all the lists (e.g. 1001 albums you must listen before you die)? I get it, really: Where the debut was a collection of irresistible ska/pop singles, this is a much more ambitious affair: A sort-of-concept album, about childhood memories and growing up in England. I believe that each members contributes at least a song; this results to their first political song (anti-Falkland War "Blue Skinned Beast") as well as some of their trademark nutty moments like "Calling Card" and the cod-Indian voices at the end of "New Delhi" - one could interpret these, or the turbaned blackface snake charmer of the cover, as racist, but that's just The Madness' zany sense of humor: when they played set closer "Night Boat To Cairo" in the concert, Thompson donned a fez, and Suggs fashioned a towel into an Arab-style kerchief. Irreverent, maybe, but well-intended I'm sure. Musically, there's so much more than their usual reggae and ska: jazz, pop, music hall, rock and oriental music get thrown in the mix, and the outcome is more complex and diverse than ever before. A bit of English whimsy reminiscent of The Kinks and The Beatles circa 1967-68, too. In keeping with the nostalgic character of the lyrics, the tempo is mid-paced to fast, but never as frenetic as with some of their earlier works. The record doesn't contain any weak songs, but neither are there many stand-out tracks, other than the two singles: "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" and -above all- their biggest international hit, nostalgic feel-good evergreen "Our House". A classic album featuring solid songwriting, for sure, but newcomers should be directed to a greatest hits package, or the pinnacle of their nutty ska days, One Step Beyond.

***** for Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), Our House

**** for Rise and Fall, Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word), Sunday Morning, Tiptoes, That Face

*** for Blue Skinned Beast, Primrose Hill, New Delhi, Calling Cards, Are You Coming (With Me), Madness (Is All in the Mind)