While leafing through the TV magazines here at work, I notice that nearly
EVERY SINGLE ONE has Wednesday's Young Guns documentary on Madness as their
Pick of the Day. Here's just a small selection of comments:
'A long-overdue look at the career of one of the most enduring homegrown
bands of all time. With their deft, daft mixture of silliness, style and
suss, these seven Camden Town boys hit the charts hard with a mixture of
Ska'd up musical hall vignettes, such as Baggy Trousers, and thinly-veiled
social comment, like the underrated Waiting For The Ghost Train. Here Suggs,
Chas Smash, Bedders and the boys tell their teenage tales of hanging out in
launderettes ('it was warm'), playing in each other's front rooms and what
it means to be Mad Not Mad after the age of 40.'
(The Guardian)
'All seven original members recall how they were drawn together by their
love of Jamaican Ska music and skinhead style. Here they talk about their
run-ins with the National Front as well as their hits including The Prince,
One Step Beyond, Baggy Trousers and House of Fun. The band split in 1986
when the hits dried up and despite reforming 17 months later, they failed to
repeat their previous success. However, the band's popularity is so enduring
that their reunion concert in 1992 in Finsbury Park caused an 'earthquake'
in London measuring five on the Richter Scale'
(Daily Mirror)
'Led by musical mirth maker Suggs, Madness were simply seven mates from
Camden whose music was like no other of the 80s and remains one of the most
influential to this day. The unique and hugely successful Madness sound
developed as they added their brand of humour. But all good things comes to
an end and in 1986 Madness hung up their Doc Martens until they toured last
year. Suggs recalls the moment when he realised their madcap music stopped
being funny. He says: 'I knew then it was really over'.'
(Daily Record)
'Madness, the kings of Camden Town, North London, belong to an honourable
tradition of truly vernacular British popular music that includes Ray Davies
of The Kinks and the late, great Ian Dury. This coherent, comprehensive and
yet still entertaining film allows all seven members time and space to
reflect on a story that is not yet over, although the group has petered out
and stuttered back into life a few times.'
(The Times)
'Tonight's featured 80s combo is Madness, a band who combined the likeliest
bedfellows of Jamaican Ska and cockney patois to great effect. Suggs
remembers how they brought a breath of fresh air to the po-faced 80s'
(The Scotsman)
'My, haven't they done well? The original champions of Jamaican ska/pop,
''the nutty sound'', Madness are spotted lolling around some very chic
abodes in this penultimate show of an amiable series, enjoying a lifestyle
far removed from those early days around Camden Town 20 years ago. The late
Ian Dury pops his head in as they run through the recording contracts, the
hits, the hassles - and their momumental rebirth in 1992; a seismologist
recalls the Finsbury Park 'earthquake' reunoin concert measuring five on the
Richter Scale. And they're still at it.'
(The Telegraph)
'Just over 20 years ago, Madness were the most successful hit-making machine
in Britain. The self-styled Nutty Boys from Camden Town became the Bash
Street Kids of British pop, enjoying 20 Top Ten hits in just five years.
Their music hall humour and catchy melodies were perfectly suited to the
emerging medium of video and they attracted love from all quarters;
youngsters and parents, punks, music lovers and skinheads. In 1992 Madness
became the first band in the world to officially register as an earthquake,
as this affectionate look back at their heady career recalls.'
(Daily Mail)
'Madness dominated the charts in the early Eighties and Suggs and the rest
recall their glory days, why they split up, and why they keep coming back
together.'
(Daily Express)
Makes you kinda proud doesn't it?
IainM
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