One Step Beyond…

Of all the 2 Tone ska revival bands, Madness had the greatest commercial success (the Beat probably came in a close second). This was almost certainly due in part to the band’s willingness to depart from the stylistic strictures of ska, as is obvious on “Our House,” their biggest hit in the US. On their debut album, however, the mode is straight-up ska, with lashings of vaudevillesque humor. The iconic instrumental (mostly) “One Step Beyond” and their signature tune “Madness” (a Prince Buster cover) are the distilled essence of the early Madness sound.