CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

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Suited and Booted: Essential Mod & Ska

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date June 06, 2005
I have to don my "hmmmmm" face for this review I'm afraid.

So, I suppose it's possible to have a "Mod Music" album without the Who or the Small Faces or The Faces, after all this is one such! But when you also leave out the Lambrettas, The Jam, Rod Stewart and Manfred Mann as well, you do start to wonder. The whole thing plays somewhat like a Madness/UB40/The Beat benefit in fact.

The inclusion of sixties rarities like "Rudi's in Love" by the Locomotive and "Seven Days Too Long" by Chuck Wood (incorrectly credited in the plural "Woods" on this one!) - a straight reggae pop song and a 70s Northern Soul classic respectively - just reinforce the idea that this collection was more about what the compiler could get, rather ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

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The Best Album Tracks... Ever

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date May 09, 2005
When I read the title, I thought; 'What a good concept, pick choice cuts from well-loved albums.' and then I saw a list of the artists involved, I was already compiling my own tracklisting. And then I saw the album and. . . Well, it's just another ragbag selection of tracks, compiled with no real care. Far from these being only album tracks, the majority would also come under the heading 'singles' and it seems to the compilers at least, all an album track has to do to qualify is beloing to an album, well that disqualifies songs like 'Whatever' by Oasis or 'Paperback Writer' by the Beatles which were stand-alone singles but let's face it, what songs don't appear on albums these days? The choices include the blindingly obvious; 'Bittersweet Symphony' ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

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NME Classics: 61 Classics Tracks from the History of NME

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date March 10, 2008
I am amazed that the reviewers who gave this such a slating bought it considering the contents are clearly displayed and that these contents do not fulfill their particular agenda, if indeed they did. A review should be given following the purchase of an item and with a sense of fairness, or appreciation for the intention of the people behind its release. To accuse the makers of blatantly selling out is as valid as saying Wild Man Fisher did it for the money.

I bought this knowing that the tracks contained therin bascally sum up listening to John Peel and Dave Fanning(RTE Radio) over the years and as such let me get some stuff on cd that I would not be willing to buy the full albums for, or to replace aged cassette recordings made at the time. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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Best Pub Jukebox...Ever

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date October 11, 2004
I am amazed that the reviewers who gave this such a slating bought it considering the contents are clearly displayed and that these contents do not fulfill their particular agenda, if indeed they did. A review should be given following the purchase of an item and with a sense of fairness, or appreciation for the intention of the people behind its release. To accuse the makers of blatantly selling out is as valid as saying Wild Man Fisher did it for the money.

I bought this knowing that the tracks contained therin bascally sum up listening to John Peel and Dave Fanning(RTE Radio) over the years and as such let me get some stuff on cd that I would not be willing to buy the full albums for, or to replace aged cassette recordings made at the time. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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I Love 70's

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date May 21, 2001
I am amazed that the reviewers who gave this such a slating bought it considering the contents are clearly displayed and that these contents do not fulfill their particular agenda, if indeed they did. A review should be given following the purchase of an item and with a sense of fairness, or appreciation for the intention of the people behind its release. To accuse the makers of blatantly selling out is as valid as saying Wild Man Fisher did it for the money.

I bought this knowing that the tracks contained therin bascally sum up listening to John Peel and Dave Fanning(RTE Radio) over the years and as such let me get some stuff on cd that I would not be willing to buy the full albums for, or to replace aged cassette recordings made at the time. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

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Party Party Party

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date December 06, 2004
I am amazed that the reviewers who gave this such a slating bought it considering the contents are clearly displayed and that these contents do not fulfill their particular agenda, if indeed they did. A review should be given following the purchase of an item and with a sense of fairness, or appreciation for the intention of the people behind its release. To accuse the makers of blatantly selling out is as valid as saying Wild Man Fisher did it for the money.

I bought this knowing that the tracks contained therin bascally sum up listening to John Peel and Dave Fanning(RTE Radio) over the years and as such let me get some stuff on cd that I would not be willing to buy the full albums for, or to replace aged cassette recordings made at the time. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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The Big Stiff Box Set

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date September 24, 2007
Stiff set up to show the corporates how it was done and survived more on luck than good management.I just watched the TV documentary though it ended with the Pogues and no mention of the fact the label was revived recently because it had been acquired by Warner Brothers! Yes one of the corporates who would never have signed shambolic stuff like Wreckless Eric or plain Godawful crap like the Plasmatics.
I mean Warner Brothers had the Sire label and all the Indie stuff came from their Why Fi imprint-then went bankrupt after the Virginia Astley hit so returned to Sire.
Looking at it today you ask yourself "would YOU have signed some of these acts?".You just have to be thankful they DID as Elvis Costello may have struggled with EMI.
However having ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

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I Love 70's

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date March 20, 2006
Stiff set up to show the corporates how it was done and survived more on luck than good management.I just watched the TV documentary though it ended with the Pogues and no mention of the fact the label was revived recently because it had been acquired by Warner Brothers! Yes one of the corporates who would never have signed shambolic stuff like Wreckless Eric or plain Godawful crap like the Plasmatics.
I mean Warner Brothers had the Sire label and all the Indie stuff came from their Why Fi imprint-then went bankrupt after the Virginia Astley hit so returned to Sire.
Looking at it today you ask yourself "would YOU have signed some of these acts?".You just have to be thankful they DID as Elvis Costello may have struggled with EMI.
However having ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

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Just Say Sire: The Sire Records Story

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various

Release Date September 27, 2005
Stiff set up to show the corporates how it was done and survived more on luck than good management.I just watched the TV documentary though it ended with the Pogues and no mention of the fact the label was revived recently because it had been acquired by Warner Brothers! Yes one of the corporates who would never have signed shambolic stuff like Wreckless Eric or plain Godawful crap like the Plasmatics.
I mean Warner Brothers had the Sire label and all the Indie stuff came from their Why Fi imprint-then went bankrupt after the Virginia Astley hit so returned to Sire.
Looking at it today you ask yourself "would YOU have signed some of these acts?".You just have to be thankful they DID as Elvis Costello may have struggled with EMI.
However having ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

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Alterno-Daze

Search: One Step Beyond - Madness
by: Various Artists

Release Date
Stiff set up to show the corporates how it was done and survived more on luck than good management.I just watched the TV documentary though it ended with the Pogues and no mention of the fact the label was revived recently because it had been acquired by Warner Brothers! Yes one of the corporates who would never have signed shambolic stuff like Wreckless Eric or plain Godawful crap like the Plasmatics.
I mean Warner Brothers had the Sire label and all the Indie stuff came from their Why Fi imprint-then went bankrupt after the Virginia Astley hit so returned to Sire.
Looking at it today you ask yourself "would YOU have signed some of these acts?".You just have to be thankful they DID as Elvis Costello may have struggled with EMI.
However having ... Read More: