Madness “Absolutely” 1980. Today, January 13th, is Madness lead vocalist Suggs’ 60th birthday (b. Graham McPherson, 1961) so I’m spinning their second album which hit #2 on the UK charts (#146 US). And I guess this week I’m taking a little stroll down our London memory lane: the cover of Absolutely is in front of Camden’s Chalk Farm tube station where we met our Rock-n-Roll Camden tour guide (and now friend), Alison, a couple of summers ago. Among the many punk and pop historical spots in Camden, we made a stop (and then another a few nights later) at Suggs’ and Madness’ official/unofficial pub hangout The Dublin Castle where Madness first performed in January ‘79 and then became the house band for awhile.

Anyway! Absolutely is fun, “nutty” ska that bounces along with plenty of horns and silliness. Madness released three singles from the LP: “Baggy Trousers” which went to #3 in the UK, “Embarrassment” (#4 UK) and “The Return of the Los Palmas 7″ (#7 UK). I also really like “On the Beat Pete” with its funhouse sound in minor, a sound they would revisit again (including their later hit “Welcome to the House of Fun,” a single from ‘82 which I believe was the first time I heard Madness because MTV aired the video a lot that year) as well as the madcap saloon-style rockabilly-ska “Solid Gone.”