Specials all day long.
Madness just throw away pop.

Madness are way better than throw away IMO.

Specials AKA pour moi 😀

Sometimes throw away pop is what you want though. Somedays I prefer The Specials somedays I prefer Madness. This morning I preferred The Beat.

Specials much more obviously “deep and meaningful”

Madness for me, every time. I am what I am….

Can I throw Secret Affair into the mix?

Don’t watch that….

Pinkster, hell yeah but you’ll have to beat The Chords!

Gogg,stop your messing around.

Too much politics with the Specials and they weren’t very nice to Jerry in the end…

Both for me depending on mood. Interview I heard with Mr Dammers was that on the reunion tour he wanted to do songs in a modern jazz styley. No thanks Jerry and spat his dummy out as no one else would play.

Specials are a better band, imo.

And didn’t madness sell out when they done their tv show?

Toots and the Maytals

Jerry Dammers digging in the crates http://youtu.be/I_owFgQjXNU He is also a huge Sun Ra collector so for that reason only…

At the time, when I was 12: madness, bought loads of 7 inch singles.
Now I’m all growed up: specials. No contest.

specials without a doubt were better, but madness were still good.

and while we are talking about music, or Ska, Bad Manner played at the hop in wakefield last night.
i did not see them, got there a bit late.
i did however find my self sharing the pi5s trough with this bloke.

http://leeds.diarystar.co.uk/images/bad-manners.jpg

Both and The Selecter,The Beat 🙂

I’ll sit on the fence and Say both.. yes there are splinters in my bum!

I’m a Madness fan – always have been. BUT I do like The Specials – just not as much

always preferred the specials

Personally I always preferred Madness, being political, and having every song carrying a ‘message’ can just get a bit tiresome after a while.
Not all of Madness’ songs were chirpy, ‘My Girl’ is pretty down-beat.

Specials, no contest

The specials. But only because Suggs makes me feel violent.

I think the Specials made more memorable music. The stuff about the reunion tour is interesting, TBF I can’t blame the band of Dammers wanted to jazzify all the songs, maybe they could have been nicer about it though.

It’s probably rose tinted spectacles but I don’t think there’s been a time since then that the top 40 has had such good music.

Why do we have to choose? Do you have them at gunpoint or something?

They’re both ace, I love The Beat as well.

The idea that Madness were/are just “throwaway pop” is a mistake in perception.

Think about the subject matter of their songs – exposition on family life (Our House), adolescent anxiety (House of Fun), school days (Baggy Trousers), difficult relationships (My Girl’s Mad At Me) and so on.

Not to mention their journey into the horror of loss of control into the hands of a nightmare (Last Boat To Cairo).

All disguised behind that “Cheeky Chappie” Camden Town persona.

There is a depth and breadth here that NONE of the other Ska/Reggae bands of that era could ever hope to match.

I wouldn’t go that far Woppit.

I have a lot of respect for Suggs for heading the band into success at such a young age. They’ve milked it for all it’s worth since too!

They’ve milked it for all it’s worth since too!

Good for them. They’re not the *ahem* only ones… 😉

Let’s put it into perspective, turn on radio 1, give it an hour or so, then say that Madness are throw-away pop.

I grew up listening to Madness as I copied my aunts’ Divine Madness tape (guess I was around ten at the time), I didn’t know who any other bands of the era were back then but played that tape to death. When I got older, I wanted to find more music like Madness an discovered the plethora of first and second wave ska… Throw away pop doesn’t do that.

Whether they have sold out/tried to make a living off the back of it is a different question. I can’t blame them, being in a band probably beats being a desk jockey.

I stick by my throw away pop comment as when I listen to Gold or Absolute 70s they crop up with depressing regularity along with blondie and abba. Yesterday Gold played Rudie by The Specials and it was a treat to hear.
I’m not a fan of either but can appreciate the talent in The Specials.
No Specials no this …..
[video]http://youtu.be/Cxe-cNFTkjU[/video]

Aah, if by throw-away you mean still very popular and regularly played some 25-30 years later, then yeah they are very throw-away.

Out of the two, definitely Madness.
They’ve produced some beautifully crafted songs in their time – I’m thinking One Better Day, Yesterday’s Men, Never Knew Your Name etc.

As beer mats? That’s about it.
Specials: grumpy political cobblers.
Madness: Kiddy music. Black Lace in suits.