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Wonderful (Madness album)

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Wonderful
Studio album by
Released1 November 1999 (UK)
Recorded1999
StudioWestside Studios, London
Genre
Length41:54
LabelVirgin
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]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
BBC Newsfavourable[4]
NME[5]
Record Collector[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

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lovestruck"Lee Thompson, Mike Barson3:50
2."Johnny the Horse"Cathal Smyth3:20
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 Woodgate3:52
9."Saturday Night Sunday Morning"McPherson4:14
10."If I Didn't Care"Jack Lawrence4:25
11."No Money"Thompson, D. Woodgate, Nick Woodgate3:14
Total length:41:54

2010 reissue

[edit]
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 ForemanB-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, ForemanOur House: The Original Songs, 2002 
12."Sarah's Song"Thompson, BarsonOur House: The Original Songs 
13."It Must Be Love" (2002 mix)Labi SiffreOur House: The Original Songs 
14."My Old Man"Ian Dury, Steve NugentBrand New Boots and Panties, 2001 

Chart performance

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

Personnel

[edit]
Madness
Additional personnel
  • Jason Bruer – saxophone
  • Terry Edwards – saxophone, brass arrangements
  • Michael Kearsey – trombone
  • Jason McDermid – trumpet
  • Pablo Cook – percussion
  • The London Session Orchestra – strings
  • Gavyn Wright – orchestral and strings leader
  • Simon Hale – string arrangements, conductor
  • Ian Dury – guest vocals on track 6
  • Steve Donnelley – dobro guitar on track 5
  • Mitch – backing vocals on track 4
  • Sarah Cracknell – backing vocals on track 8
Technical
  • Clive Langer – production
  • Alan Winstanley – production
  • Mark Bishop – assistant engineer
  • Martin Parr – front cover photography
  • Mark Bedford – design
  • Robert Stimpson – design
  • Dani Golfieri – design assistant
  • Neil Evans – design assistant
2010 reissue
  • Tim Turan – remastering
  • Martin "Cally" Callomon – art direction, design
  • Nik Rose – artwork ("re-jigging and fettling")
  • Robert Elms – liner notes

Notes

[edit]
  • "4 am" is a re-recorded version of the song that appeared on Suggs' solo album The Lone Ranger in 1995.
  • "If I Didn't Care" is a cover of a song originally recorded by the Ink Spots.
  • Providing the vocals to "Drip Fed Fred" would be Ian Dury's last chart single release and final TV appearance on The National Lottery Show before his death in March 2000.
  • Despite being the title of the album, "You're Wonderful" only made it as a b-side on one of the editions of the "Johnny the Horse" single. However, it is included on the Japanese version of the album, along with another song which was a b-side in the UK: "Round and Round".

References

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  1. ^ "Madness Previewing Album Online". MTV. 28 October 1999. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Brand New Beat". sevenraggedmen.com. 1999. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b Allmusic review
  4. ^ a b BBC News | NEW MUSIC RELEASES | CD Review: Madness
  5. ^ "Wonderful review". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b 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.
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