Mad Not Mad
	Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley
	Released on October 1985
	UK CHART POSITION #16
	Find it at GEMM
M5G 24079 cover

D ead men singing, or a headless zombie of Madness still stalking the airwaves. Sadly, the band’s career ended no better than Split Enz, recording a halfhearted album (Conflicting Emotions) that signalled their mortality and a finale (The Madness, See Ya Round) that signalled their end. Keep Moving was a pretty good record, but subtract Mike Barson’s contributions (“The Sun And The Rain,” “Victoria Gardens,” etc.) and maybe not so good. The band doesn’t pick up the slack, nor shake off the sleeping suspicion that their better days are behind them. Many of the ten songs (yes, only ten) allude to the band’s waning desire to mount the charts: “I’ll Compete,” “Uncle Sam,” “Mad Not Mad,” “Time.” You could add to that group “Yesterday’s Men,” but since it’s the best thing on here it deserves better company. A cover of Scritti Politti’s “Sweetest Girl” isn’t half bad, while “Time” and “White Heat” are quality contributions. I found as much to like on Conflicting Emotions, and in both cases I’ve listened really hard to find every scrap of precious melody. Underscoring the band’s limp aspirations is the overproduction of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who inject Afrodiziak and horns into every available crevice. Elvis Costello fans might find this cruel world familiar, especially given the presence of Steve Nieve on keyboards (replacing the grand Barson). As with Goodbye Cruel World, Conflicting Emotions and Difford & Tilbrook, this is a place where fans should tread. The uninitiated should run screaming in the opposite direction: Absolutely, Seven, there that’s better.

TRACK LISTING

1. I'LL COMPETE
2. YESTERDAY'S MEN
3. UNCLE SAM
4. WHITE HEAT
5. MAD NOT MAD
6. SWEETEST GIRL
7. BURNING THE BOATS
8. TEARS YOU CAN'T HIDE
9. TIME
10. COLDEST DAY

CREDITS

M.W. BEDFORD --
C.J. FOREMAN --
G.S. McPHERSON --
C.J.P. SMYTH --
L.J. THOMPSON -- horn section
D.M. WOODGATE -- programmed Lynn drum and keyboard sequences, triggered AMS's and played drums
Afrodiziak -- female backing vocals
Gary Barnacle -- horn section
MD David Beford -- strings
Roy Davies -- piano
Trevor Ford -- fixer
Rusen Gunes, Rupert Bawden -- violas
Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Thomas and Jimmy Chambers -- male backing vocals
Luis Jardim -- percussion
Judd Lander -- harmonica
Adrian Levin, Belinda Blunt, Bill Benham, Basil Smart -- violins
Mr. Tom Morley -- computer supervision
Steve Nieve -- keyboards
Anton Corbijn -- cover photograph
Ian Wright -- sleeve illustration
Simon Halfon -- sleeve design

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