release date: Jun. 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK
Compilation album by Madness containing 23 tracks is basically a repackage of Divine Madness from 1992 with the addition of one track, "Sweetest Girl" (track #22) - the track order is identical with the extra track taken from the Mad Not Mad '85 album (informed on the back of the inlay: "Previously available as Divine Madness [except Sweetest girl]". This is in essence a compilation of all the band's singles from 1979 to 1986. The album was issued as Virgin began re-issuing new remastered and expanded editions of the band's back catalog after Madness had been reunited and had made legal contract with Virgin to record new songs for a comeback album.
The Heavy Heavy Hits is a mighty fine compilation, I think. The tracks have been ordered accordingly to release date, and the inlay info is accompanied by info about every track's chart position as a single release. However; if you already know Divine Madness this is (nearly) completely obsolete (and just another commercial stunt) - but if you haven't got the '92 compilation, this is the one to get.
Highly recommendable.
