Madness - Oui, Oui, Si, Si, Ja, Ja, Da, Da
Rich C
During my initial listens to this, the 10th album of new material by Madness in 33 years, I allowed myself to have some nasty, evil thoughts. They were along the lines of “hey Madness…been doing this forever…they can just knock a bunch of new songs out without really trying…just plug the main ingredients into the Madness computer…and off they go…”
During my initial listens to this, the 10th album of new material by Madness in 33 years, I allowed myself to have some nasty, evil thoughts. They were along the lines of “hey Madness…been doing this forever…they can just knock a bunch of new songs out without really trying…just plug the main ingredients into the Madness computer…and off they go…”
Clearly I hadn’t taken into account one of the golden
rules of pop that states “Madness are great. End of”.
And the fact is, they are still great and more
importantly they are still developing. The last album, The Liberty Of Norton
Folgate, was more than just another Madness album. It was, by some distance,
the best album they have ever made. Because what we maybe need to remind
ourselves is that back in their pop heyday from 1979 to 1984, whilst they
became the biggest selling British singles act of the 1980’s, they were a
pretty average albums band. One Step Beyond, Absolutely, The Rise And Fall etc,
whilst all containing some non-single delights, all contained some distinctly “filler”
material.
Folgate, however, was a complete piece of work, dare
I say a concept album, about a uniquely individual time and place in their
beloved East London. It was a quite
perfectly executed piece of London pop, up there with All Mod Cons and the best
of Ray Davies’ work.
Oui, Oui, Si,
Si, Ja, Ja , Da, Da therefore has a lot to live up to, and in the main it
handles the pressure very well. Starting with My Girl 2, Mike Barson’s sequel
to his classic errr 1, it is the N Boys at their infectious best. A top 5 hit
single if we had like proper charts and that.
The quality pop music follows with Never Knew Your
Name, my favourite track, with nostalgia the prevalent feeling both lyrically (about
a lost opportunity in a discotheque, but with the same pulling at the
heartstrings sadness of One Better Day) and musically (pinching the stop/start technique
of Embarrassment along with part of its chord sequence).
In fact for the first part of the album, nostalgia is pretty much where it's at. It provides both an easy way in to the album and
a mild case of annoyance that we might have heard this all before. The
Latinesque La Luna, the raunchy Kitchen Floor (sounding a tad like an Amy
Winehouse arrangement), the pure ska of Misery are all good but offer no
surprises, lyrically or musically. Added to that there is one below par song in
How Can I Tell You? which really is Madness-by-numbers and has some very lazy
lyrics.
Madness raise their game, however, in the 2nd
half and thus don’t fall into the football metaphor trap of La Luna – “So many
clear cut chances/I put over the bar”.
Leon sees them at their storytelling best about
someone stuck in a routine that they are bored rigid with (a teacher/a pupil?),
and musically is as claustrophobic as Cardiac Arrest was back in the day. Small
World is a classic, a paean for their beloved London, seemingly written in the
wake of the London riots. Death Of A Rude Boy follows up on this theme, mourning
the demise of someone who “stood up for their rights”. Whether this is about South
London knife gangs or something more symbolic about the loss of innocence doesn’t
really matter as the band produce their musical highlight, paraphrasing The
Specials’ Ghost Town to quite stunning effect.
Finishing off with the delightful hangover ballad
Powder Blue and the bouncing, infectious tale of a survivor that is Black And
Blue, it gives great pleasure to report that after all these years Madness
still have what it takes.
75/100
Dave C
“Madness, madness ,
it must be madness”
The words from the song by their hero Prince Buster
that gave the band their name, and probably the thoughts of Danny Boyle when
deciding that the Olympic ceremony required a band from the 70s/80s that are
typically British (despite the roots of their music) and have not simply
endured, but are approaching national treasure status.
Yet back in the late 70s and early 80s you wouldn’t
really have picked them from their contemporaries as the band most likely to
achieve such a position. A non-too serious ska band whose singer has a limited
musical and emotional range? How did that happen?
Well, it happened by them knowing what they do, what
their range is and doing it damn well with wit, charm and chutzpah. By the singer having a voice that suggests
openness and sincerity (hence the numerous adverts you’ll be hearing him on in
the coming weeks) and who (in common with Neil Tennant) can present the
necessary emotions (wistful nostalgia, humour, ruefulness rather than anything
extreme) with small changes of tone and inflection. By them having several songwriters in the
band, and by them crafting immaculate song arrangements.
In fact, the arrangements are so good that you don’t
really notice them, there’s no showing off and no instruments fighting for
dominance (I couldn’t possibly think of a favourite guitar, drum or keyboard
bit from a Madness song). The sum of the song is greater than its parts.
“Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da” finds them in confident
form. With the down tempo reggae of “Kitchen Floor” and “Death Of A Rude Boy”;
the straight ahead ska of “So Alive” and “Black & Blue”, and mad dancehall
of ‘Misery’, bluebeat rhythms remain at the heart of what they do but we also
get the soul of My Girl 2 (which brought Big Den Hegarty and Darts to my mind),
disco guitar and bass in “Never Knew Your Name” , up tempo rock/pop in Leon and
Circus Freaks and a gentle late night slowly in Powder Blue.
Irrespective of rhythm the tracks are generally
overlaid with pop sensibilities, a rich sound, and (something I’d never
appreciated about the band) some tracks feature really strong support vocals.
You also get the typical Madness ‘things not quite as you expect’ mucking
around. Chris Smyth wrote “So Alive” after having a marriage proposal turned
down, but it’s a jaunty appreciation of his “intended” rather than a self-indulgent
wallow. And, of course on a Madness album, a song entitled Misery will be the
most upbeat which on first hearing can be dismissed as a bit Chas n Dave. But
on further listening you realise that the tightly circling horns and vocal
phrasing of the verses are true to the dancehall style. And, despite the
clumsiest of vocal lead ins, the chorus is a soaringly daft, but splendidly
performed suggestion of ways to divert misery. It’s the Madness way.
It’s not all jolly mind, drummer Daniel Woodgate
contributes the downbeat nostalgia of “Small World” and the honest assessment
of his standing in a mismatched relationship in “Kitchen Floor”, both of which
are slightly plodding but build subtly. He also wrote Leon detailing a
teacher’s frustration at feeling boxed in which is much more up tempo and one
of the strongest songs on the album. My actual favourite and most powerful song
is the Lee Thompson/Mike Barson composition “Circus Freaks” which addresses the
double edged nature of fame. It is nicely counterpointed by the gently tender
and sentimental “Powder Blue” in which Suggs shares his feelings for his wife
in the afterglow of a pop star party.
So overall, not an album to change your life our
particularly gain them a whole new audience. But a bunch of well-conceived and
constructed songs with sufficient shades of light and dark, and variety of
styles to be worth a place in most people’s collection.
Music for pleasure.
78/100
78/100
Ian F
Madness are the peoples band. Britain loves Suggs and the boys. They are a veritable Treasure: good boys with
a slight edge; they wear nice suits, they don’t cause offence, and aren’t the
kind of pop industry characters who embarrass us in tabloid scandals. More importantly they have always… and that
is ALWAYS … made good records.
The original Nutty Boys moon-stomped out of the late
70’s Ska revival but always kept to the poppier, happier, side of what contemporaries like The Specials, the
Selecter and others were doing. They
were a great pop band. Beginning with ‘The Prince’ can anyone think of a band
that has had a better, or longer run, of credible chart singles? However, their long players didn’t always
grab people’s attention in the same way.
That changed with their last album. I hadn’t taken much notice of Madness since
their reformation, through the Madstock Festivals, and their Our House musical
but I investigated ‘The Liberty Of Norton
Folgate’ after hearing a couple of tracks on Radio 2. I have an aversion to groups reforming and
the whole old guys trying to recapture their success and status but that album
proved to be much, much, better than I expected. From a personal point of view it by far the
best Madness album.
I tell you this because ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate’ has definitely influenced the way I
approached this release. ‘Norton Folgate’ took nearly 4 years to
put together. It was released in
2009. Therefore, presumably, ‘Oui
Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da’ took approximately the same period of time to
put together. In comparison it is a
disappointment.
‘Norton
Folgate’ was a brilliant collection of songs that worked as
either stand alone, stand out, tracks or as an inter-related flowing
whole. It contained genuine classics
tracks such as ‘Forever Young’, ‘Out On The
Town’ and the 10 minute title track.
The latest Madness record only works as a collection of separate pop
tunes and it offers up, arguably only one classic.
I am perhaps being a little harsh. It is certainly almost impossible not to
enjoy the catchy, sing-along, tracks on ‘Oui
Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da’ but none of them hold your attention, or make you
want to put the album on repeat. These
tracks are for the moment. They work as
an excellent party disc or as a happy intermission.
The nearest the latest Madness long player gets to
the sort of kitchen sink pathos they’ve always been capable of, and achieved
admirably on ‘TLONF’ with ‘On The Town’ and others, is with ‘Never knew Your Name’ which is a well-crafted
songs which tells its melancholy story as the soundtrack builds from a piano,
sax, and vocal start into a full on disco beat with orchestra and 80’s scratch
funk guitar. It’s a bit like Barry White
covering Ian Dury and is the best four minutes on the album.
If only the other tracks were as good. Unfortunately, whereas the previous record
sounded like a new, mature Madness, this album sounds like the group trying to
regain the vigour and happy exuberance of their former youthful selves while
all the time filching bits from their favourite pop-stock masters most notably
Motown (My Girl2), La Luna (Kirsty McColl), Squeeze (Kitchen Floor) and… er… Chas and Dave
(Misery). This is no bad thing but when
put together with easy, cheesy, rhymes instead of the usual Madness ability to
deliver clever story telling lyrics leaves this as a good but ephemeral
album.
Again, trying to be fair, I would have to say it
would be difficult to dismiss any album that has Suggs singing on it. His charismatic vocals are surely only behind
Sinatra in terms of phrasing and certainly up their with Dean Martin and Mark E
Smith for clever and distinctive cadence.
The former Graham McPherson can even make trite list lyrics such as ‘one chocolate in the box, a pair of
mittens and some cotton socks’ sound interesting.
There are, obviously, therefore, many reasons to
like this album not least that it is enjoyable to listen to and it will have
many people tapping a foot, or singing-a-long, to many of its’ tracks. I actually do think that none of these songs
would be out of place, or fail to ignite, the crowd, if performed on the roof
of Buckingham Palace next time Boris Town holds a national event but,
personally, I’m still left disappointed.
I know I’m being harsh because I’m criticising this album on the basis that
it doesn’t come close to their last exceptional effort. I also know that a lot of people will love
this album.
However, this has been my review.
However, this has been my review.
71/100
Tony D
It's
a mouthful is the title, and it only means" yes" albeit in French,
Spanish, German, and Russian. May be an assault on the European market for our
very quintessentially English nutty boys.
I
was looking forward to this album as I thoroughly enjoyed the last offering
"The Liberty of Norton Folgate".
It's
an album that reminds me of classic madness that we have all come to love. I'd
be pretty surprised to find anyone that doesn't like at least one madness song.
Anyway on to the album itself.
On
first listening this sounds like a lovely jolly album, but after several plays
and a better grasp of the lyrics there are some dark goings on in some of these
songs. Maybe it's just my twisted mind, but let me explain.......
I
have indeed had this album constantly on my iPod over the last few weeks and I
have to say, it's good. From the opener "my girl 2" to the closer
"my girl 2" (which is a slightly slower version of the opener) it
keeps you gripped. There are some real quality lines too that make you go ahh
yes and produce a wry smile and also provoke thought.
My
Girl 2 gets the album rolling. It's an upbeat start that has more than a hint
of Motown and a bit of Fine Young Cannibals (Good Thing) mixed into it. A
fairly happy song about ones admiration for your lady.
Then
track 2- Never knew your name.
Well,
the story changes and a slightly down beat tune enters the fray. The story of a
night of lost chances, regrets and what could have beens. We have all been
there I think, wishing we had asked THAT question (phone number and can we meet
again?). The line "stupid pride and idiot shame" probably sums it up
well.
On
the face of it "La Luna" Is a jolly little tune that breezes in and
then out again. It captures the thoughts and memories of our narrator. There
are things in his life that could have been achieved but weren't. The immortal
'if only' if ever I heard it.
Next,
to my personal favourite. "How
can I tell you?". When I eventually figured out what the song was about
(after 6 or so plays) I had a lump in my throat. The song still has that effect
on me and takes me away to another place, bringing back so many memories.
At
first I thought it was a love song about man and woman before realising in was
about a child and dad. There are so many classic lines in this one you can
relate to as a dad. A masterpiece lyrically and the upbeat tempo compliments
such great one liners as....."you're gunna have to swim with the
molecules" and "the time I stuck an ice cream in your face". A
feel good song if ever I heard one.
"Kitchen
floor" seems to be about another
failed relationship or at least one that isn't quite right. Typically quirky madness.
"misery"
, mmm what a happy jolly sounding song about being miserable. Genius. It
trundles along , maybe even skips along.
Good advice though from the nutty ones "don't keep misery as your company
or you might as well be dead".
"Leon
" a chap who obviously is an outcast who dare not come out and mingle with
everyone. Things going on inside his head. Could he have been a paedophile? Or
am I reading too much into this, maybe he was just a down trodden school
caretaker.
Circus
freaks is a jolly ditty which covers the living in public life and the hiding away from the papers and
public. The fact that everything has to be done in secret.
"So
alive" kicks in with that jolly madness sound a breath of fresh air, happy
words and positive outlook with an everlasting love. You want to sing and hum
along.
"Small
world"-A great bass back beat starts this grim tale. knock me down with a left hook if this song is not
about the London riots of last year.
"I've soon lost count of all the cars, that burn so bright outside
the bars, deserted streets, and burning shells, familiar shops I know so
well". Our narrator is separated
from his loved one. Could be miles apart
forever...... This really does conjure up visions of those August nights of
riots.
"Death
of a rude boy". Love this song. The
mood is a massive compliment to the lyrics. Obviously a big hard mate of the
boys but can relate it to some of the old boys that follow hull city. I tell
you what, though it has a feel of "ghost town" by the specials. Love
the cha cha cha cha bit too.
"
powder blue" I think tells of the
story of madness and their demise and how they were in limbo for so many years
a strange sound too.
"black
and blue" a story of a relationship breakup where you get battered in the
process of the split up.
Then
back to "my girl 2" again.
Look,
I know I've dissected every song on this album but I felt I could not review
the album without doing this. Every song is a story in itself so could not be
all bunched together. This is a classic madness album. Upbeat , jolly and sad.
Musically it's great, it keeps you captivated all the way through. It's a foot
tapper, a hummer and sing a long.
I
love it.
90
out of 100
Andy D
Here’s a test for you: try to think about Madness
without smiling.
That makes reviewing a Madness
album somewhat tricky. Being pre-disposed towards liking someone makes judging
them impartially close to impossible. So let’s not even bother trying. Everyone
likes Madness, so why fight it?
Everyone should like this album,
too. Mostly. My Girl 2 not only starts the album off effectively, you
sense it’d be a great song to begin a live show with. That jaunty, catchy
opening is pleasingly contrasted by the second song, and personal favourite on the
album, Never Knew Your Name, a deceptively effective lament on the
anxieties of teenaged coupling up – and especially memorable for the use of the
archaic word “discotheque”, which very cleverly takes you back 25 years in an
instant, the obvious point of a song designed to recall long-past
embarrassments.
It goes downhill a little from
there. How Can I Tell You has a simply awful opening line –
“communication is a skill you must acquire”? Dear me. And “swimming with the
molecules”…? Hm. A pretty lousy track.
All is not lost. Circus Freaks
was a much more convincing song just when you fear it’s going to be all filler.
Death of a Rude Boy was the most interesting song on the album. I hated
it at first but couldn’t explain why; after a few listens I liked it, but still
couldn’t see why. There’s not much after that, though Black and Blue is
a very Madnessy way to end.
And that feels about right. It’s
obviously, recognisably the same Madness whose 1980s exploits we all adore. Is
it a bad thing that they still sound similar to three decades ago? Not if you
liked how that sounded, I guess. It sounded good, even great in patches. Just a
pity about some of the lyrics.
In a nostalgic way I was keen for the new album to
be a hit because in the early eighties as a favourite band of mine, this was
the ska band who knocked out hits for fun and I was fortunate to see them twice
live at the Spa when they were at their peak.
When they returned last year to the ice arena an ageing
Suggs appeared to lack energy and in my opinion the concert was a bit of a let
down
So would this be an album too far for Madness ?
I enjoyed track 1 (My Girl 2) more than I enjoyed
the first version and bounced along in the car with the volume at a high
setting.
Moving along to track 3 the sax and lyrics
stood out in a well put together track.
For their individuality Kitchen Floor, Misery and
Leon described vocal life telling situations as life is now for the
middle aged band and these tracks gave me a wry smile.
The only track I did not enjoy was Death Of A Rude boy which in my opinion appeared to be stating that Ska is dead.
Not quite true as this album to me proves that there
is some life left from this infamous era.
In my summing up I was pleasantly surprised by the
variation of the tracks and although Madness tracks will always in general sound the same I
thought there was a twist in each track that kept me aroused and wanting
to listen to the album over and over again.
80/100
Well…after entering that somewhat broad range of
scores into the TTID compewter – we get an average score of 78 (in a rounded up
sort of way).
Next month’s album selected by Dave C is…Tracey
Thorn’s Tinsel And Lights. Reviews will be posted in the Christmas edition
then. Have a great December.
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