Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie

Last updated

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie
Madness - Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie.png
Studio album by
Madness
Released17 November 2023 (2023-11-17)
Recorded2023
Genre
Length56:46 (standard edition)
101:45 (enhanced edition)
Label BMG
Producer
Madness chronology
Can't Touch Us Now
(2016)		Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie
(2023)
Singles from Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie
  1. "C'est la Vie (radio release)"
    Released: 28 September 2023
  2. "Baby Burglar"
    Released: 27 October 2023
  3. "Round We Go (radio release)"
    Released: 16 February 2024
  4. "No Reason"
    Released: 25 April 2024
  5. "Hour Of Need (radio release)"
    Released: 17 May 2024

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie is the twelfth studio album by British band Madness. It was released on 17 November 2023 through BMG Rights Management. The album marks their first studio release in seven years, following Can't Touch Us Now (2016).

Contents

It would become Madness' first ever number one studio album in the UK. [1]

Background

Madness recorded the album in Cricklewood in early 2023. Matt Glasbey is credited with producing and mixing all tracks, except "In My Street", which was produced by the long-time Madness production team of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. [2] The creation of the record was spurred by the principle "Let Madness be Madness". [3] In a statement, Madness described the recording process as "the perfect antidote to the chaos of the past few years" and referred to their current form as "properly in the zone". [4] The result was understood as "their most harmonious recording experience to date". [5] The band announced the album on 27 September 2023 and premiered the lead single "C'est la Vie" on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show . [6] Accompanying the announcement, the band let British actress Helen Mirren give a "dramatic reading" of some of the lyrics. [3]

It would become Madness' first ever number one studio album in the UK. [7] The album also made the album charts in Ireland, Germany [8] and The Netherlands. [9]

On 11 December a full version of the "C'est La Vie" video was released. Follow by "Baby Burglar" on 23 January 2024.

In February it was announced that "Round We Go" would be released as the official new single. A full video was released on 6 February, followed by a single edit on 16 February. On 23 February the song was added to BBC Radio 2's New Music Playlist. [10]

In April 2024 the enhanced version of Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C'est La Vie was announced, featuring 5 new songs and 7 unreleased live songs from the December tour, including the band's version of The Specials' "Friday Night Saturday Morning". "No Reason" - written by Suggs - was made available directly. [11]

On 17 May - just before the band would go on their first US tour in 12 years - "Hour Of Need" was released as a single and went straight to the BBC Radio 2 playlist. [10] The release was accompanied by the announcement of the 'Hour Of Need' Award, for which fans could honour an unsung hero in their lives. [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 81/100 [13]
Review scores
SourceRating
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [13] Mojo 's Ian Harrison called it "floridly titled, slow burning" and wrote that "on record alone, there's plenty to intrigue. [...] Madness have made an album that is among their absolute best." [15] Phil Mongredien of The Observer described the album as "a fairly sedate mix of uplift and melancholy" and felt that "it doesn't quite match the standard of late-career high point The Liberty of Norton Folgate (2009), but the album is not without its moments". [16] Classic Rock wrote that "the roaring 20s has finally arrived", [14] and Peter Watts of Uncut remarked that while "the songs are written from multiple perspectives, they share a common mood – essentially life and its general absurdity". Watts additionally found that "the most distinctive Madness traits are all present" and the "biggest spiritual influence is the Kinks, another band adept at exploring London's darker undercurrents". [17]

Track listing

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Arranger(s)Length
1."Prologue: "Mr Beckett Sir...""  0:11
2."Theatre of the Absurd" Graham McPherson
4:13
3."If I Go Mad"McPhersonKearsey4:36
4."Baby Burglar"
  • Barson
  • Kearsey
4:05
5."Act One: "Surrounded on All Sides..""  0:10
6."C'est la Vie"Barson
  • Barson
  • Kearsey
3:10
7."What on Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)"
 3:07
8."Hour of Need"Barson
  • Barson
  • Jacobs-Lim
  • Kearsey
4:07
9."Act Two "The Damsel in Distress..""  0:12
10."Round We Go" Daniel Woodgate Kearsey4:18
11."Act Three: "The Situation Deteriorates..""  0:20
12."Lockdown and Frack Off"Foreman
  • Foreman
  • Kearsey
3:12
13."Beginners 101"Barson
  • Barson
  • Will Gardner
4:21
14."Is There Anybody Out There?"
  • Foreman
  • Thompson
  • Foreman
  • Kearsey
3:22
15."The Law According to Dr. Kippah"
  • Barson
  • Thompson
Barson5:35
16."Epilogue: "And So Ladies and Gentlemen..""  0:17
17."Run for Your Life"ForemanKearsey4:00
18."Set Me Free (Let Me Be)"Foreman 3:39
19."In My Street"McPherson
3:38
20."Fin.: "Ladies and Gentlemen..""  0:13
Total length:56:46
Enhanced edition – bonus tracks
No.TitleWritten byLength
21."I'd Do Anything (If I Could)"Foreman3:53
22."No Reason"McPherson3:09
23."Hello Sun"Woodgate3:21
24."Long Goodbye"Woodgate3:23
25."Culture Vulture"
  • Barson
  • Thompson
3:36
26."Theatre of the Absurd" (live)McPherson3:49
27."C'est la Vie" (live)Barson3:12
28."Hour of Need" (live)Barson4:19
29."Round We Go" (live)Woodgate4:31
30."Run for Your Life" (live)Foreman4:08
31."In My Street" (live)McPherson3:51
32."Friday Night, Saturday Morning" (live) Terry Hall 3:48
Total length:44:59

Personnel

Madness

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [18] 172
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [19] 151
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [20] 88
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [21] 40
Irish Albums (IRMA) [22] 73
Scottish Albums (OCC) [23] 1
UK Albums (OCC) [24] 1
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [25] 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madness (band)</span> British ska band

Madness are an English ska and pop band from Camden Town, north west London, who formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s two-tone ska revival, they continue to perform with six of the seven members of their original line-up. Madness's most successful period was from 1980 to 1986, when the band's songs spent a total of 214 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, holding the record along with English reggae group UB40 for most weeks spent by a group in the UK singles chart during the 1980s.

<i>L.A. (Light Album)</i> 1979 album by the Beach Boys

L.A. is the 23rd studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on March 16, 1979, and their first issued through CBS Records. Recorded during a period of acrimony between the band members, it was a critical and commercial failure, peaking at number 100 in the U.S. and number 32 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Lynda</span> 1979 single by the Beach Boys

"Lady Lynda" is a song written by vocalist/guitarist Al Jardine and touring keyboardist Ron Altbach for American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released on the band's 1979 album L.A. . Its melody is based on "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J. S. Bach.

<i>Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III</i> 2004 studio album by Rod Stewart

Stardust... the Great American Songbook, Volume III is the third studio album of pop standards by British musician Rod Stewart, released on 19 October 2004 by J Records, and his 22nd album overall. The album was dedicated to the Tartan Army.

<i>Vitamin C</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the debut studio album by pop singer Vitamin C, released in 1999. Initially failing to chart, the album later became a success, climbing the Billboard 200 to number 29. It was certified as gold and later certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Overloaded: The Singles Collection</i> 2006 greatest hits album by Sugababes

Overloaded: The Singles Collection is the first greatest hits album of British girl group Sugababes. It was released on 10 November 2006—almost one year following the departure of founding member Mutya Buena and the introduction of her replacement, Amelle Berrabah. Overloaded features twelve of the group's singles, four of which reached number one in the UK; "Freak like Me", "Round Round", "Hole in the Head", and "Push the Button". The Sugababes collaborated with members from Orson to produce two new tracks for the album, "Easy" and "Good to Be Gone". Overloaded received positive reviews from critics, who generally praised it as a reflection of the group's success.

<i>Version</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Mark Ronson

Version is the second studio album by British producer Mark Ronson, first released on 16 April 2007 through Allido and Columbia Records. It is an album of cover versions with a retro-inspired sound that Ronson considers to be reminiscent of Motown and Stax releases. The album cost more than £870,000 to launch. Version reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and has sold 105,584 copies as of January 2015.

<i>Destiny</i> (Gloria Estefan album) 1996 studio album by Gloria Estefan

Destiny is the seventh studio solo album released by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan, but is the nineteenth of her career overall. It shipped 1.6 million copies worldwide in its first month of release.

<i>Deuces Wild</i> (B. B. King album) 1997 studio album by B.B. King

Deuces Wild is the thirty-fifth studio album by B.B. King released on November 4, 1997. Every song on the album features a second famous musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madness discography</span>

The discography of Madness, a British pop/ska band, comprises 13 studio albums, 16 compilation albums, four live albums, two soundtrack albums, three extended plays, four box sets, 43 singles and 37 music videos.

<i>Worship & Faith</i> 2003 studio album by Randy Travis

Worship & Faith is the fifteenth studio album by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released on November 11, 2003 by Word Records. The album is composed of twenty covers of traditional gospel tunes. It was recorded live in concert at the Orlando Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida, in July 2003. Worship & Faith is certified gold by the RIAA, although its only single, "Above All", failed to chart.

<i>Turn It Up</i> (Pixie Lott album) 2009 studio album by Pixie Lott

Turn It Up is the debut studio album by English singer Pixie Lott, released on 11 September 2009 by Mercury Records. The album's first two singles, "Mama Do " and "Boys and Girls", both topped the UK Singles Chart, while subsequent singles "Cry Me Out", "Gravity" and "Turn It Up" all reached the top 20. Turn It Up peaked at number six on the UK Albums Chart and was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, with sales in excess of 900,000 copies.

<i>Damn Country Music</i> 2015 studio album by Tim McGraw

Damn Country Music is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on November 6, 2015 by Big Machine Records. It was produced by McGraw and Byron Gallimore. Its lead single, "Top of the World" was released on August 4, 2015. The title track, "Damn Country Music", was released on October 9, 2015 as part of the album pre-order.

<i>Beautiful Lies</i> (Birdy album) 2016 studio album by Birdy

Beautiful Lies is the third studio album by British musician Birdy, released on 25 March 2016 by Atlantic Records. The album includes the singles "Keeping Your Head Up", "Wild Horses", "Words", and "Hear You Calling".

<i>Cant Touch Us Now</i> 2016 studio album by Madness

Can't Touch Us Now is the eleventh studio album by the British band Madness, released on their Lucky 7 Records label through Universal Music Catalogue (UMC) on 28 October 2016. The album marked the return of founder member Mark Bedford but the departure of Cathal Smyth.

<i>Only Human</i> (Calum Scott album) 2018 studio album by Calum Scott

Only Human is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Calum Scott, released on 9 March 2018 through Capitol Records. The album was re-released in November 2018 as the "special edition" featuring four additional tracks.

<i>Guardian of the Light</i> 1983 studio album by George Duke

Guardian of the Light is the sixteenth studio album by American keyboardist and record producer George Duke. It was released in 1983 through Epic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in Los Angeles at The Complex, Le Gonks West, and Ocean Way Recording. Duke used a variety of keyboard instruments, such as Rhodes electric piano, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, Korg Polysix, ARP Odyssey, Clavitar Solo, Minimoog, melodeon, melodica, and also Sennheiser and Roland vocoders, and LinnDrum machine. The album features contributions from various musicians, including vocalists Jeffrey Osborne and Lynn Davis, guitarists Michael Sembello and Charles Fearing, bassists Louis Johnson and Byron Miller, drummers John Robinson and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, percussionist Paulinho da Costa, trumpeters Gary Grant and Jerry Hey, trombonist Lew McCreary, conductor George Del Barrio with a musical ensemble of string instrument players.

<i>Brightest Blue</i> 2020 studio album by Ellie Goulding

Brightest Blue is the fourth studio album by English singer Ellie Goulding, released on 17 July 2020 by Polydor Records. Originally scheduled for 5 June 2020, the album's release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album was preceded by three singles: "Worry About Me", "Power" and "Slow Grenade", and features guest vocals from Blackbear, Diplo, Juice Wrld, Lauv, serpentwithfeet and Swae Lee. It is Goulding's first album since Delirium (2015). Brightest Blue received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album was also a commercial success. It became Goulding's third album to peak at number one on the UK Albums Chart and fourth album to debut inside the top three on the chart. The album also peaked inside the top ten in several other countries. To promote the album, Goulding was set to embark on the Brightest Blue Tour on 28 April 2021, but it was pushed back to 5 October 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom.

<i>Love Goes</i> 2020 studio album by Sam Smith

Love Goes is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Sam Smith. It was released on 30 October 2020 through Capitol Records. The album serves as a follow-up to Smith's second studio album The Thrill of It All (2017). Originally planned to be titled To Die For and was due for release on 1 May 2020 but was delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the album was promoted by the singles "My Oasis", "Diamonds" and "Kids Again".

<i>=</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Ed Sheeran

= ("Equals") is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 29 October 2021 through Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album was supported by five singles: "Bad Habits", "Shivers", "Overpass Graffiti", "The Joker and the Queen", and "2step". The song "Visiting Hours" was released as a promotional single.

References

  1. ↑ "Madness earn first Number 1 studio album with Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie". Official Charts. 24 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Fu, Eddie (28 September 2023). "Madness Announce New Album Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'Est La Vie, Share Three Songs: Stream". Consequence . Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 Levine, Nick (28 September 2023). "Madness announce new album Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "Madness announce new album Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C'Est La Vie". Classic Pop . 28 September 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Skinner, Tom (28 September 2023). "Madness announce new album Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C'Est La Vie". NME . Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Major, Michael (28 September 2023). "Madness Announce Brand New Album Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C'est La Vie". BroadwayWorld . Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Madness earn first Number 1 studio album with Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie". Official Charts .
  8. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts".
  9. ↑ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl".
  10. 1 2 "BBC - Radio 2 New Music Playlist".
  11. ↑ "Madness / Theatre of the Absurd presents C'est la Vie deluxe reissue – SuperDeluxeEdition". 30 April 2024.
  12. ↑ "Madness launch 'Hour of Need' award to honour "an unsung hero in your life"". NME . 16 May 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie by Madness Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie". Classic Rock . December 2023. p. 79.
  15. 1 2 Harrison, Ian (17 November 2023). "Madness Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie Review: Nutty boys enter the prog music hall of existential despair on 13th LP". Mojo . Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  16. 1 2 Mongredien, Phil (20 November 2023). "Madness: Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie review – the Nutty Boys and Martin Freeman's music hall act". The Observer . Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  17. 1 2 Watts, Peter (15 November 2023). "Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie". Uncut . Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  22. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Madness". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  23. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  24. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  25. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.