2017 collection from the British merry music makers. Madness continue to cement their position as the UK's favorite band, with their House Of Common and House Of Fun events becoming annual fixtures in every fan's calendar. Madness are national treasures, with a huge following. Their shows consistently sell out and sales of their current album confirm that, after nearly 40 years, they are still as relevant as they ever were. The last Madness best-of, Total Madness, was released in 2012 and comprised 23 singles. Since then the band have released two more studio albums: Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da and their current record, Can't Touch Us Now, each spawning three or four singles. Full House is a best-of and then some, featuring 42 of the band's very best songs, including the hit singles from all of their records (including the above), plus a few of the band's favorite album tracks. It is a joy to listen to; in mostly chronological order, the set charts the highlights of their career, from 1979's 'The Prince' to 2017's 'Another Version Of Me', with smash hit singles like 'Our House' and 'It Must Be Love' nestling in between.
Roy Orbison wasn't among the great rockabilly cats, as his voice was a little too rich and his performances a little too mannered to truly rock with abandon. Nevertheless, he did cut a pair of terrific rockabilly singles for Sun with "Ooby Dooby" and "Domino." He never quite reached those heights again while on Sun, as Bear Family's single-disc collection The Sun Years 1956-58 illustrates. Containing every track he recorded for the label, including alternate takes and undubbed mixes, the collection suffers from too much similar-sounding material.
A new box set, collecting four albums released between 1983 and 1986, is a fascinating look at the early stages of an underrated UK post-punk act.