A Little Madness to Be Free

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A Little Madness to Be Free
Alittlemadness.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 1984
RecordedA Studio Sydney, Australia. Additional recording at Richmond Recorders Melbourne, Australia. Mixed at Alberts Studio Sydney, Australia [1]
Genre
Label Lost (France)
RCA (Australian 1984)
Mushroom Records (Australian 1989 Reissue)
Producer Lurax Debris (Chris Bailey)
The Saints chronology
Casablanca
(1982)
A Little Madness to Be Free
(1984)
All Fools Day
(1986)
Singles from A Little Madness to Be Free
  1. "Ghost Ships"
    Released: 1984
  2. "Imagination"
    Released: 1984
  3. "Angels (Remix)"
    Released: 1984

A Little Madness to Be Free is the sixth album by Australian band The Saints. This time around, frontman Chris Bailey persuaded original members, Kim Bradshaw (bass) and Ivor Hay (drums), to rejoin the band. On the album tour, the bass player was Tracy Pew, formerly of The Birthday Party. The title of the album is a reference to the quote "A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free," by Kazantzakis. [2] The album saw the Bailey moving further towards more ambitious arrangements including horns and strings. Bailey stated in a retrospective interview about this approach that he wanted to "make strings as powerful as Les Pauls and Marshalls". [3]

Contents

Reception

Retrospectively, All Music gave the album a positive review writing "By this point in his career, Bailey had come into his own as an arranger and it really shows. Certainly one of their most obscure discs, but ultimately as rewarding as their classics I'm Stranded, Eternally Yours and All Fools Day.". [4] The Guardian cited "Ghost Ships" in their The Saints: Their Five Greatest Moments retrospective. [5]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg link

Track listing

All tracks composed by Chris Bailey

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Ghost Ships"3:41
2."Some One to Tell Me"2:48
3."Down the Drain"2:28
4."It's Only Time"3:26
5."Imagination"3:00
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Wrapped Up and Blue"3:35
2."Walk Away"3:00
3."Photograph"3:56
4."The Hour"5:43
5."Angel"3:34

The New Rose version

The French label New Rose released an alternate track listing included an extra track "Heavy Metal" and an omitting "Wrapped Up and Blue".

New Rose release
No.TitleLength
1."Down the Drain"2:28
2."Walk Away"3:00
3."Photograph"3:56
4."The Hour"5:43
5."Angel"3:34
6."Imagination"3:00
7."It's Only Time"3:26
8."Some One to Tell Me"2:48
9."Heavy Metal"2:57
10."Ghost Ships"3:41

Personnel

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References

  1. 1 2 "A Little Madness To Be Free". The Saints Directory - The Saints Official Homepage. SCANDO BABES INC...!. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  2. Chang, Larry (2006). Wisdom for the soul : five millennia of prescriptions for spiritual healing (1st ed.). Gnosophia Publishers. p. 412. ISBN   978-0977339105.
  3. "Foster Child Fanzine Interview". Foster Child. February 1998. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. Ginsberg, Geoff. "A Little Madness to Be Free - The Saints | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  5. Street, Andrew P. (27 November 2013). "The Saints: their five greatest moments". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2019.