Mad Not Mad is the sixth studio album by Madness. Originally released in September 1985, it marked a departure from the band’s original line-up, with keyboard player Mike Barson taking a break from the group after an astonishingly successful run of five hit albums in as many years. Style-wise Mad Not Mad presented a more polished side of Madness and contains some of their most sophisticated and political song-writing. The first single, ‘Yesterday’s Men’ finds the band in a smooth, reflective mood, dealing with the dispossessed characters in and around Camden Town, and ’Sweetest Girl’ is a cover of the iconic Scritti Politti track, while ‘Uncle Sam’ is a classic Madness romp relayed through the narrative of a soldier’s experiences during World War II.

By the mid-80s the erstwhile 'nutty boys', seeing themselves as five years closer to that mythical pension scheme, turned, perhaps prematurely, to more serious matters. The thoughtful side of Madness comes under the spotlight again with this 2022 reissue. Now may be a more appropriate time to take stock but, don't worry, there are hits aplenty with 'Yesterday's Men' and 'Sweetest Girl' striding one step beyond the usual chart fodder of the time.

FFO: The Specials, Squeeze, The Blockheads, The Selecter.

By Martha