Keep Moving!: It's Aerobic Dance

The minute I heard this album for the first time in 1984 I knew it was my favorite album and would be so for quite some time. 21 years later nothing's come close. Over the years I've had the LP, cassette for the car, 12" singles, German CD and finally the US CD (the original Geffen one, signed by all 7 bandmembers at a radio station event in Philadelphia in 1999). It does not get better than this. Buy this CD and then stop buying CDs.

It is amazing to see such an upbeat band shed their skins and reveal a more depressing side to their music. "Keep Moving" is just seeping with the working class feel that the band had always been toying with, but this effort is far more direct and concise than previous attempts. Madness has created their most human album;, even in its faults it shows that the band had traveled miles from their more ska-oriented beginnings.With "Keep Moving" Madness hits a new level in complexity of both music and lyrics. From the false optimistic tone of "Victoria Gardens" to the sullen tale of abandonment in "Samantha," Madness veers down roads that one would never expect them to travel. The album might not be as appealing initially, but its methodical slogging results in a fantastic, albeit dreary, collection of songs that form a truly cohesive effort.Each listening will bring increased depth to this album as the playfully metaphorical lyrics and musical intertwining become more evident. Depending on the listeners' state of mind, different songs will surface as the focal point of the album and, in this fashion, the total meaning of "Keep Moving" will be forever shifting.Finally, it must also be said that "Michael Caine" shows Madness at their most intriguing. This song is filled with constant lyrical sly winks and knowing glances that coincide perfectly with the more subtle tone of the song. All together, this song is the apex of an album that is all to easily disregarded as a half-hearted attempt by a band past their prime.

The style of "Keep Moving" is quite removed from early Madness stuff like "One Step Beyond", "Baggy Trousers", etc. This album is more jazzy and low-key than their previous work. But it is still fantastic, very clever lyrics and great, lively melodic hooks. The songs "Michael Caine" and "Turning Blue" are my favorites, but there isn't a song on the disc I wouldn't gladly listen to twice (or thrice) in a row. Buy it! Now!!

I am a mad madness fan and this album is great, if you like madness buy it!

this was the penultimate madness album and although it is not as strong as "rise and fall" it is worth the price,even though the two additional tracks are availible on "divine madness" or on the madness box set.this album shows the bands move from ska to a more mellow sound. the obvious strong tracks are michael caine,one better day,sun and the rain and wings of a dove and victoria gardens which was polished up to be released as a single but one better day was chosen instead. like most madness albums there is some humour here,personally i think that this is prevelant in songs like waltz into mischief and samantha. i would suggest you obtain all the albums but if you are trying to collect them one at a time this is the second one you should get!.