release date: Nov. 1, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,94]
producer: Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Lovestruck" - 3. "The Communicator" - 5. "The Wizard" - 6. "Drip Fed Fred" - 9. "Saturday Night Sunday Morning"
8th studio album by Madness is the band's first studio album in 11 years, and once again it features the producer-duo Langer-Winstanley. More importantly the album is the band's first in its classic septet line-up since its 5th album Keep Moving from 1984, which means Suggs, Chas Smash, Foreman, Bedford, Barson, Woodgate and Thompson are united as Madness.
The new set of songs has been written like in the 'old days' with all members contributing on various tracks and an attempt has been made to reconsolidate the band's image as a group playing ska revival instead of the more polished pop / rock as heard on The Madness from 1988. Ian Dury features with "guest vocals" on track #6 - a decent attempt to add some of the familiar humor.
The album is not the great comeback album many had hoped it would be, but it's clearly bettering the band's previous two attempts without coming close to former heydays. Langer-Winstanley have produced a nicely sounding album, and my guess is (from listening to the songs) that the band aimed for something that would follow in the footsteps of Keep Moving. Yes, they incorporate elements from ska revival but it's very much mere associations of that style where the dominating style clearly is pop / rock - and a sound that was wide-spread in the mid-80s. In essence, the album sounds as if released in '86 and not '99.
All in all, it's no near great. Just above average and an album that really doesn't add songs to a new best of album.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]
