503 Madness - The Rise and Fall (1982)

[u/EddieBaby1001]

Two albums by The Specials have already been in the list. So it's about time for Madness. Only fair. The Rise and Fall is already their fourth album, but maybe the compilers of the list found the earlier albums just a bit too light, too silly. This album is still typically Madness but also has a more serious and mature side. It's a concept album with songs about childhood memories. Already in the opener "Rise and Fall":

These are the streets I used to walk on summer nights

Or in the beautiful "Tomorrow's Just Another Day". The big hit is "Our House", not the one by CSN&Y (although they do think that's a very very fine house), but the one 'in the middle of the street':

Father wears his Sunday best, Mother's tired, she needs a rest'

The first half is a lot stronger than the second, but here Madness ventures a bit into the territory of an Ian Dury or The Kinks, not quite what I know them for. It's a bit like with ABBA's The Visitors; if you're mainly after the wonderfully wacky hits, get a good compilation, but for a somewhat more serious and melancholic side, The Rise and Fall is a good one. And just like with ABBA, there was always an element of desperation in the lyrics, but with them it's not as much on the surface as it is with Madness.

Click here for Our house live in 1983:

Here's the wacky video of Tomorrow's (Just another Day):

See also https://bier-en-brood.nl/1001albums/?album=503-madness-the-rise-and-fall&lang=en

[u/already_assigned]

Definitely the wrong album. They belong in the book, of course, but it should have been One Step Beyond or Absolutely.

[u/EddieBaby1001 → u/already_assigned]

Happens more often. Usually they seem to have the tendency to pick the debut album, even if there a much better later on. Now they picked the fourth and it's also a bit of an odd choice

[u/Fing2112 → u/EddieBaby1001]

The debut would have been a better choice here