The Rise & Fall  by Madness

The fourth album by Madness started as a concept album related to nostalgia for the childhood of the band members. This was not fully adhered to, but one of the biggest hits of the album, as well as of their entire career, Our House, covers this theme. In fact, its creators wanted to generate a satirical and biting comment on what it was like growing up as a child and young person in Britain at that time. Their album titled The Rise & Fall was released in November 1982.

In The Rise & Fall, Madness experiment with various musical genres, which they successfully integrate into the compositions of the album. The album is filled with elements from jazz, music hall, and even melodies that come from the East (e.g., in Tiptoes or New Delhi). With all these elements dominating the album, ska and reggae, which were the dominant genres in their previous three albums, recede or even disappear. The producer duo Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley successfully guide the group of seven in this work as well. Another noteworthy feature of the album is the song Blue Skinned Beast, in which for the first time they take a political stance on Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's handling of the Falklands War. It was the first time any of their songs had a political tone.

In Britain, The Rise & Fall reached No.10, while in Sweden it reached No.1 (!)