One of my favourite albums of 2009 that I’m still going back to was the Liberty of Norton Folgate by Madness. Yes, Madness, the nutty boys from way back, Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, all that. Well years after the initial success they’ve put out this album that seems to have circulated and built by word of mouth.
I won’t use the word concept album, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Remember I do like prog, but there is a theme running through this album. Norton Folgate isn’t a person as you might first think, it’s a place in the City of London. A liberty was an old administrative unit, like a parish. It comes from the same ancient system of division as phrases such as hundreds which was a subdivision of a shire or county. So this album is a tribute of sorts to an old London. It has glimpses of music hall and also a multicultural vibe about it. And it’s bloody good. Go listen, you’ll like it.
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