Forever Young: The Ska Collection

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Forever Young: The Ska Collection
Madness Forever-Young-The-Ska-Collection.jpg
Compilation album by
Released2 April 2012
Recorded1979–2009
Genre
Length78:28
Label Salvo/Union Square
Producer
Madness chronology
A Guided Tour of Madness
(2011)
Forever Young: The Ska Collection
(2012)
Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da
(2012)

Forever Young: The Ska Collection is a compilation album by English band Madness, released in 2012 by Salvo/Union Square Music as part of their re-issues of the Madness back catalogue. The album consists of a selection of the band's ska sounding songs, including singles, b-sides and album tracks. In addition to the classic Madness tracks, the album contains two previously unreleased covers: Jimmy Cliff's "Vietnam" and Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King". Both of these bonus tracks were originally recorded for the 2005 Madness album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 . [1] [2] The album includes a fold-out poster booklet with liner notes by Record Collector's Ian McCann, including new interviews with guitarist Chris Foreman and saxophonist Lee Thompson. Foreman said of the album: "It was our take on ska, and the songs on this album have ska as their basis. Not all are full-on; I wanted it to be called The Ska and Reggae Collection, but The Ska Collection it is." [1]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

AllMusic wrote, "While they were never strictly a ska band, Madness had more than their share of skanky moments, many of which can be found on this 24-track compilation." AllMusic felt that while longtime fans will appreciate the collection's "quirky" set list, listeners looking for "something with "Our House" on it" would be better off with a greatest hits album. [3]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Original releaseLength
1."One Step Beyond" Cecil Campbell One Step Beyond... , 19792:19
2."Forever Young" Graham McPherson The Liberty of Norton Folgate , 20094:35
3."My Girl" Mike Barson One Step Beyond...2:41
4."Baggy Trousers"McPherson, Chris Foreman Absolutely , 19802:28
5."House of Fun" Lee Thompson, Barson Complete Madness , 19822:47
6."Grey Day"Barson 7 , 19813:38
7."Tarzan's Nuts" Chas Smash, BarsonOne Step Beyond...2:25
8."Don't Quote Me on That"Barson, Mark Bedford, Foreman, McPherson, Cathal Smyth, Thompson, Daniel Woodgate [n 1] Work Rest and Play EP, 19804:33
9."Take It or Leave It"Thompson, BarsonAbsolutely3:19
10."Victoria Gardens"Smyth, Barson Keep Moving , 19844:33
11."The Prince"ThompsonOne Step Beyond...3:19
12."Day on the Town"McPherson, Foreman73:22
13."Dust Devil"Thompson, WoodgateThe Liberty of Norton Folgate3:44
14."In the Rain"McPherson, MadnessAbsolutely2:46
15."Not Home Today"McPherson, BedfordAbsolutely2:44
16."Prospects"Smyth, McPhersonKeep Moving4:13
17."In the City'"McPherson, Barson, Smyth, Foreman, Bill Crutchfield, Daisuke InoueB-side of "Cardiac Arrest" single, 19822:58
18."Madness"CampbellOne Step Beyond...2:38
19."Mistakes"John Hasler, BarsonB-side of "One Step Beyond" single2:54
20."The Communicator"McPherson, Smyth Wonderful , 19993:21
21."Swan Lake"
One Step Beyond...3:28
22."Night Boat to Cairo"McPherson, BarsonOne Step Beyond...3:25
23."Vietnam" Jimmy Cliff Previously unreleased4:15
24."In the Hall of the Mountain King"
Previously unreleased2:39
Total length:78:28

Charts

Chart (2009)Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC) [5] 99

Personnel

See individual albums for full personnel credits.

Madness
Technical

Notes

  1. Credited on the Work Rest and Play EP to: Peter Tosh, Chas Smash. Guitarist Chris Foreman said in 2010, "There was some confusion over the writer of the tune we had been "inspired" by [ripped off] for the music and someone thought Peter Tosh had written the original version, which was a long way from the truth, he had nothing to do with it."

[6]

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References

  1. 1 2 McCann, Ian (16 April 2012). "The House of Fun Never Closes". Record Collector . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  2. "2012". SevenRaggedMen.com. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 Monger, James Christopher. "Forever Young: The Ska Collection". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  4. Bell, Max (17 April 2012). "Forever Young: The Ska Collection". Record Collector . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  5. "Madness | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  6. "Don't quote me on that". Madness.co.uk. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2021.