Throughout Sheena Easton's radio career, one can look back and classify her music into three stylistic periods: the first four albums (1980-1983), the "Prince era" (1984-1991) and post-Top-40 (1993-current). It is this reviewer's opinion that her first four albums were the best musically and "Madness, Money, and Music" tops them all. The re-issue CD contains the original ten tracks and three bonus tracks. With the bonus tracks, one half of the album contains ballads.
What truly brings this album over the top is a combination of Sheena's vocal interpretation and the orchestration, especially in the ballads. This is where she really shines. The melodies are well constructed and the lyrics meaningful, giving her the opportunity for a greater freedom of expression. Songs like "In the Winter," a cover of a Janis Ian song, and the bonus track "So We Say Goodbye" scale down the orchestration to the bare minimum with just her and the keys. If those tunes fail to touch you emotionally, I don't know what will.
Her version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" was one of the first to be recorded and is by far one of the best versions out there. It's very simply put together with piano, drums, bass, keys and backing vocals. She sticks closely to the melody, keeping it soft for the verses and belting it out for the choruses. If you're a fan of that song, you really owe it to yourself to check it out.
On the flip side, Sheena kicks up the pace with driving rock tunes like "Weekend in Paris" and the title track. Both tracks, very different from her mid-80's dance music, are more in the style of early Heart and Pat Benetar. Some of her words are tough to make out when she reaches for those high notes; otherwise, they're great tunes - I wish she had stuck with this style. The only downside to the album is the one that was released as a hit, "Machinery." I don't know why the label chose that song - it's about as corny as they get. Any other song off the album would have been a better release.
If you're a fan of "Sugar Walls" and "Strut," this album may not appeal to you. Listen to the samples, anyway - openly. I think you'll discover a much more creative side of Sheena.
The last of Sheena's British albums. I loved it back in the 80's and it still holds up now. The ballads are by far the best thing on the album with Ice Out In The Rain, In The Winter and I Wouldn't Beg For Water all stand out tracks. But by far the best song is her version of Wind Beneath my Wings. This is beautifully sung and vastly superior to the over-sung Bette Midler travesty that was the hit version. An under-rated album and unfortunately the last album she did in this style. Her American albums just weren't the same.
Originally released in 1982, "Madness, Money and Music" was Sheena Easton's third album for EMI Records and IMO, the best of her early '80s efforts, despite the lack of any hit singles.
It opens strong with the high-energy, Abba-esque "Machinery", on which the oddly-muted sax and drum machines give it a strange mix of '50s be-bop and '80s dance music. There's even a plucky harp on the outro. Definitely a fun and interesting start to this LP.
"Weekend in Paris" opens quietly and explodes into a fiery tale of infidelity. It has an interesting, three-part structure and the chorus is loud, brash, '80s power-pop at its best.
"I Wouldn't Beg For Water" is the first ballad, and though not as good or powerful as "You Could Have Been With Me", it's a great number. It fizzled out at #64 on Billboard and was the only "hit" from the album, though it did receive lots of airplay on Adult-Contemporary stations in 1983. (Sheena's "We've Got Tonight" duet with Kenny Rogers was her only chart success in the first half of 1983, going Top-10, but did not appear on her album).
"Are You Man Enough" is bouncy, early '80s pop which would have fit perfectly on her first album. It has some funky, Nile Rogers-type background guitar, and though the melody is somewhat all over the place, it's irressistible.
Another excellent song, "Ice Out in the Rain" opens with a rainfall, ominous bassline, and punchy drums. Sheena sounds more subdued on this one and it has a darker feel to it, much like "Maneater" by Hall and Oates, or Agnetha Faltskog's "Can't Shake Loose" (another underrated, forgotten 1983 gem).
The title track "Madness, Money and Music" was mixed in the studio to sound like a live recording. Dare I say Sheena almost achieves stadium-rocker status on this anthematic Jim Steinman-flavored song, which is something you'd expect more of Pat Benatar. Singing of ups-and-downs in the music biz, Sheena is accompanied by celestial backing vocals on this above-average slow rocker.
The sparse arrangement of "Wind Beneath My Wings" does nothing to make you forget the definitive 1989 Bette Midler version, but here Sheena really soars and shows her vocal power during the chorus.
A sultry vibe runs through the appealing "There When I Needed You", though Sheena seems to shout alot of lyrics through this one.
What can one say about the melodramatic piano ballad "In the Winter" except it gets my vote as best "Non-Streisand" I've heard as Sheena channels Barbra perfectly. If you pick out certain phrases, you'd swear it was Babs. Definitely another album high point.
Remember the 1982 song "Personally" by Karla Bonoff? Well, the breezy "You Do It" reminds me of that slightly-bland-but-still-likeable song.
**NOTE - Make sure you buy the version with the 3 bonus tracks **
The first of the three bonus tracks, the dull "Some Of Us Will" is perhaps the weakest with its odd phrasing during the verses. It's exclusion from the original album is justified.
"Loner", on the other hand, with its lack of percussion SHOULD have been boring, but totally transcends its limitations and is the best bonus track, though it only clocks in at two-and-a-half minutes.
The last song "So We Say Goodbye" is a lovely piano ballad, but nothing outstanding, and it's only two minutes long.
Though it lacks any hits, except the minor AC hit "I Wouldn't Beg for Water", this album is definitely an early '80s highlight for fans of Sheena.
Now here is an woman that is indeed one of the best female's around today. When i first brought this alumb i was amaze at how good she was.
Rondall
