Wonderful (Madness album)

Last updated

Wonderful
Wonderful Madness.jpg
Studio album by
Released1 November 1999 (UK)
Recorded1999
StudioWestside Studios, London
Genre
Length41:54
Label Virgin
Producer
Madness chronology
Universal Madness
(1999)
Wonderful
(1999)
Our House: The Original Songs
(2002)
Singles from Wonderful
  1. "Lovestruck"
    Released: 19 July 1999
  2. "Johnny the Horse"
    Released: October 1999
  3. "Drip Fed Fred"
    Released: January 2000

Wonderful is the seventh studio album by the British band Madness, released on 1 November 1999. It was the band's first studio album in fourteen years since Mad Not Mad in 1985, and also the first to feature their classic seven-piece line-up since 1984's Keep Moving . The album saw Madness reunite with their original production team, Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who had produced all of the band's previous work. [1] [2]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
BBC News favourable [4]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

The BBC's Chris Charles said "... Wonderful finds the boys in their best form since 1981's Madness 7 ." [4] Allmusic's Evan Cater gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and said "On the whole, it's a pretty successful return." [3] In a review of the 2010 re-release, Terry Staunton of Record Collector stated that although "All the essential components are in place...something doesn’t quite gel…". Staunton thought the opening single "Lovestruck" was well done but "elsewhere there’s a niggling feeling that the band are trying too hard to replicate the sound of yore, studiously ignoring the fact that times – and the players themselves – have changed." [6]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lovestruck" Lee Thompson, Mike Barson 3:50
2."Johnny the Horse" Cathal Smyth 3:20
3."The Communicator" Graham McPherson, Smyth3:20
4."4 am"McPherson, Barson3:50
5."The Wizard"Smyth3:27
6."Drip Fed Fred" (feat. Ian Dury)Thompson, Barson4:30
7."Going to the Top"Barson3:56
8."Elysium"Thompson, Daniel Woodgate 3:52
9."Saturday Night Sunday Morning"McPherson4:14
10."If I Didn't Care" Jack Lawrence 4:25
11."No Money"Thompson, D. Woodgate, Nick Woodgate3:14
Total length:41:54

2010 reissue

Disc 1 - the original album
  • Contains the full album plus three promo videos
The promo videos
  1. "Lovestruck"
  2. "Johnny the Horse"
  3. "Drip Fed Fred"
Disc 2 - the bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)OriginLength
1."You're Wonderful" (remix)SmythJapanese edition bonus track and B-side of "Johnny the Horse" 
2."Round and Round"Thompson, BarsonJapanese edition bonus track and B-side of "Lovestruck" 
3."We Are Love"SmythB-side of "Lovestruck" 
4."Johnny the Horse" (radio edit)Smyth"Johnny the Horse" promo single 
5."I Was the One"BarsonB-side of "Johnny the Horse" 
6."Dreaming Man"Smyth, Chris Foreman B-side of "Johnny the Horse" 
7."Light of the Way"SmythB-side of "Drip Fed Fred" 
8."We Want Freddie"Thompson, BarsonB-side of "Drip Fed Fred" 
9."Drip Fed Fred" (The Conspiracy Mix)Thompson, Barson"Drip Fed Fred" single version 
10."Maddley" (album sampler)McPherson, Smyth, Barson, Thompson, D. Woodgate, N. Woodgate, LawrenceB-side of "Lovestruck" 
11."Simple Equation"McPherson, Foreman Our House: The Original Songs , 2002 
12."Sarah's Song"Thompson, BarsonOur House: The Original Songs 
13."It Must Be Love" (2002 mix) Labi Siffre Our House: The Original Songs 
14."My Old Man" Ian Dury, Steve Nugent Brand New Boots and Panties, 2001 

Chart performance

Chart (1999)Peak
position
UK Albums Chart [7] 17

Personnel

Madness
Additional personnel
Technical
2010 reissue

Notes

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References

  1. "Madness Previewing Album Online". MTV . 28 October 1999. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  2. "Brand New Beat". sevenraggedmen.com. 1999. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 Allmusic review
  4. 1 2 BBC News | NEW MUSIC RELEASES | CD Review: Madness
  5. "Wonderful review". NME . 12 September 2005. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  6. 1 2 Staunton, Terry (18 December 2010). "Wonderful review". Record Collector . Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  7. "UK Singles & Albums Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 12 January 2012.