Two CDs that I have been putting in the player a lot this year are The Liberty of Norton Folgate by Madness and REM’s Live at The Olympia. Despite the fact that the former was released almost a full year ago and the latter about six months ago, here’s a few words on why I think you should hear them:
1: Madness – If you’re like me, your first exposure to Madness was in the early 80’s and that wildly annoying song Our House. I hated that obnoxious song almost as much as I would hate We Built This City by Starship a few years later. However, not so long after that – I was lucky enough to be turned on The 2 Tone Story 4 CD compilation which exposed me to essential bands of the late 70s English ska revival. Along with getting turned on to groups like The Specials (who were fantastic recently at Terminal Five, and The Selecter, I was forced to radically revise my opinion of Madness. They were, in fact, great.
Madness was rooted in ska but they had their own very distinctive pop style…they were masters of horn arrangements, they had a cockney sense of humor, and their hooks were so catchy that they spent more time on the British singles chart in the 80s than anybody! (Save UB40 who they’re tied with.)
The Liberty of Norton Folgate is their first album of new original material in a decade and its a very strong, melodic batch of songs. The title refers to a very small part of London that was independant from the rest of the country – like the Vatican in Rome but smaller. The song of the same name is the centerpiece of the album; a mad, impressive 10 minute epic. The rest of the songs are mostly tied together by London and the different immigrant groups in it. The sound is almost completely modern. The only relic being an 80ish keyboard sound but that’s not even necessary a bad thing and with horns this snappy, the rest is by the way.
This is a surprising ass comeback! These are the original members; an accomplished band who have put together – end to end – the best thing they’ve ever done. They are touring in Europe this summer but no U.S. dates have been announced.
2: REM – A CD equally good for someone who has never heard of REM before and someone who owns every recording they’ve ever made. These are the songs that defined them plus songs that the band thinks are cool that maybe never got played on your local radio station. It feels complete – like a box set – as we get a juxtaposition of early & late work and a good gauge on their entire career.
Don’t expect Peter Buck to pull out a violin bow for a twenty minute detour like Pagey on The Song Remains The Same. The songs are generally faithful to the original albums with one improvement – you can now understand what the hell Stipe is talking about! There are some great lyrics to be discovered here. Ones that were buried in the mix or slurred out of comprehension on Murmur or Fables are suddenly accessible which give these tunes a whole other dimension.
Beyond that, Live at The Olympia recasts Michael Stipe as a funny, polite, personable front man. When i saw REM about 100 years ago (on the Green tour, 1989) he barely said anything and what he did say wasn’t engaging. Here he is effusive – generous with anecdotes and insights into the songs whether they be a reference to his sister’s metalsmith boyfriend or his maternal grandfather.
Producer Jacknife Lee deserves credit for preserving the excitement of the performance and not sweating imperfections. Mike Mills’ bass and backing vocals as well as the contributions of touring members Bill Rieflin on drums and Scott McCaughey on keys and guitar can also be easily appreciated.
