Madness Releases 13th Album, "Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie
- by Adam Bailey
- in Latest
Madness, one of the UK's cherished British bands, has recently revealed their highly anticipated 13th full-length album, "Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie," via BMG. This much-awaited release comes after a seven-year gap since their last record.
In a joint statement about the new LP, Madness shared, "Well, well, well, here we are… our 13th album (lucky for some). 'Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie' is ready for your ears. For us, recording it was the perfect antidote to the chaos of the past few years – we were all there, properly in the zone. It was just us, in an industrial unit in Cricklewood, playing together. We loved it!"
The lead single, "C'est La Vie," earned the title of "Record of the Week" on BBC Radio 2 and secured a spot on the A-list upon its release. The song, with its eerie space-ska feel, reflects on the perils of everyday life. Interestingly, Helen Mirren introduced "C’est La Vie" to the world by recording a self-tape performing her interpretation of the song before ever hearing it.
The guiding principle behind "Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie" is to "let Madness be Madness." The result is an album of typically timeless brilliance that also mirrors the wonky years of its creation. These 14 songs represent the cream of the bumper crop of tunes the group cooked up, whittled down to this punchy, focused set.
The album is available on double vinyl and CD, with a limited crystal-clear vinyl sold through HMV and indie stores. The official album store features an exclusive cassette and merchandise bundles.
Madness, famously emerging from the backstreets of Camden Town in the late '70s, recently released a three-part original docu-series with TV channel AMC about the beginnings of the band in the area. Titled "Before We Was We: Madness by Madness," the series chronicles the rise of one of the most loved bands in British culture.
Throughout their career, Madness has enjoyed 10 UK top ten albums, 15 top ten singles, and won a multitude of awards, including a prestigious Ivor Novello. Their enduring live shows, celebrated for embracing life’s ups, downs, and everything in between, continue to attract new generations of fans from across every walk of life.
TRACK LISTINGS
- Theatre Of The Absurd
- If I Go Mad
- Baby Burglar
- C'est La Vie
- What On Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
- Hour Of Need
- Round We Go
- Lockdown And Frack Off
- Beginners 101
- Is There Anybody Out There?
- The Law According to Dr. Kippah
- Run For Your Life
- Set Me Free (Let Me Be)
- In My Street
