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The Liberty of Norton Folgate is the ninth studio album from Madness and widely considered to be their magnum opus. Originally released in May 2009, and taking nearly three years to make, the record was the first with the full band since 1999’s Wonderful and was developed as a concept album about the band’s home town. The ten minute long title track tells the history of a part of East London (Norton Folgate, near Spitalfields) which, for a period, remained free from the Crown’s ruling and was therefore referred to as a ‘liberty’, where normal rules of city life did not apply.
The album finds the band in full creative flow, with song after song (including the tracks that didn’t make it onto the standard CD or LP release) showcasing the maturity and depth of their songwriting prowess. Includes the singles ‘NW5’, ‘Dust Devil’ ‘Forever Young’ and ‘Sugar and Spice’ and this extended 2LP version features seven bonus tracks. Available on heavyweight vinyl in gatefold packaging, and featuring exclusive new liner notes containing interviews with Suggs, Lee Thompson, Chrissyboy Foreman, Daniel Woodgate and Mike Barson, as well as an exclusive poem by Cathal Smyth.
Tracklist
2LP
Side A
1 Overture (2023 Remaster)
2 We Are London (2023 Remaster)
3 Sugar and Spice (2023 Remaster)
4 Forever Young (2023 Remaster)
5 Dust Devil (2023 Remaster)
6 Rainbows (2023 Remaster)
Side B
1 That Close (2023 Remaster)
2 MKII (2023 Remaster)
3 On the Town (2023 Remaster)
4 Bingo (2023 Remaster)
5 Idiot Child (2023 Remaster)
Side C
1 Africa (2023 Remaster)
2 NW5 (2023 Remaster)
3 Clerkenwell Polka (2023 Remaster)
4 The Liberty of Norton Folgate (2023 Remaster)
Side D
1 Let's Go (2023 Remaster)
2 Mission from Hell (2023 Remaster)
3 Seven Dials (2023 Remaster)
4 Hunchback of Toriano (2023 Remaster)
5 Fish & Chips (2023 Remaster)
6 One Fine Day (2023 Remaster)
7 The Kiss (2023 Remaster)
2CD
CD1
Overture
We Are London
Sugar and Spice
Forever Young
Dust Devil
Rainbows
That Close
MKII
On The Town
Bingo
Idiot Child
Africa
NW5
Clerkenwell Polka
The Liberty of Norton Folgate
CD2
Let’s Go
Mission From Hell
Seven Dials
Hunchback of Torriano
Fish & Chips
One Fine Day
The Kiss
Bittersweet
The Roadette Song