Nutty Boys

Madness Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’est La Vie (Enhanced Edition) to feature five new studio tracks

One of the UK’s most beloved British bands, Madness, have announced an expanded version of their first studio album to top the UK charts.

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie (Enhanced Edition) is set for release on 7 June 2024 and will feature five brand new studio tracks recorded during their C’est La Vie album sessions.

The new Madness songs are: I’d Do Anything (If I Could), No Reason, Hello Sun, Long Goodbye and Culture Vulture. Also on the album are seven live tracks recorded on last year’s C’est La Vie tour: Theatre Of The Absurd, C’est La Vie, Hour Of Need, Round We Go, Run For Your Life, In My Street and a cover of The Specials’ Friday Night Saturday Morning – originally written by the late, great Terry Hall.

Bumper Version

Speaking on the album repack, Suggs said: “What do we ave ere’ then? Only some more blinding tunes for a bumper version of our No.1 album Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’est La Vie. We’ve had a blast playing the new songs for you so thought we’d throw in some live version too. Hope you like them!”

The band have released one of the new studio tracks featured. No Reason is a welcome, vibrant addition to the original album and proves the band’s melodic instincts are still very much intact. Watch below:

Top Of The Charts

Madness originally released Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’est La Vie on the 17 November 2023. It soared triumphantly to claim the band’s first ever No.1 studio album in their 45 year career. Speaking on the album’s success, Madness said: “Would you Adam and Eve it?! It only took us 40 years to get there but we’ve just gone and ruddy scored our first No.1 album.”

Talking with Classic Pop in our Madness interview at the time, Suggs said: “We’ve all stopped farting about a bit and concentrated again. So this new record was a relatively painless process. The mad members are less mad, the sane members are less sane and we’ve all met in the middle somewhere. We’ve collided together in a sandpit of joy.”

The reissue comes in limited edition hardback book 2CD and very limited edition vinyl format available exclusively on the official album store.

Madness C’est La Vie album cover

Tracklisting

CD1
1 Prologue: “Mr Beckett Sir…”
2 Theatre Of The Absurd
3 If I Go Mad
4 Baby Burglar
5 Act One: “Surrounded on all sides..”
6 C’est La Vie
7 What On Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
8 Hour Of Need
9 Act Two “The Damsel In Distress..”
10 Round We Go
11 Act Three: “The Situation Deteriorates..”
12 Lockdown And Frack Off
13 Beginners 101
14 Is There Anybody Out There?
15 The Law According to Dr. Kippah
16 Epilogue: “And So Ladies And Gentlemen..”
17 Run For Your Life
18 Set Me Free (Let Me Be)
19 In My Street
20 Fin.: “Ladies And Gentlemen..”

CD2
1 I’d Do Anything (If I Could)*
2 No Reason*
3 Hello Sun*
4 Long Goodbye*
5 Culture Vulture*
6 Theatre Of The Absurd (Live From The C’est La Vie Tour)*
7 C’est La Vie (Live From The C’est La Vie Tour)*
8 Hour Of Need (Live From The C’est La Vie Tour)*
9 Round We Go (Live From The C’est La Vie Tour)*
10 Run For Your Life (Live From The C’est La Vie Tour)*
11 In My Street (Live From The C’est La Vie Tour)*
12 Friday Night, Saturday Morning (Live From The C’est La Vie Tour)*

*Denotes previously unreleased tracks

On The Road

Madness will be heading out on their C’est La Vie’ summer tour in June through to August.

June
14 Margate, Summer Series
15 Plymouth, Summer Sessions
16 Southampton, Summer Sessions
28 Newcastle, Racecourse
29 LincolnCastle
July
5 Edinburgh Castle
6 Lytham Festival
12 Scarborough, Open Air Theatre
13 Llangollen, International Musical Eisteddfod
14 Derby, Summer Sessions
18 Cardiff Castle
19 Englefield Estate
26 Leeds, Kirkstall Abbey
27 Ludlow Castle
28 Blackheath, Uptown Festival
31 Esher, Sandown Park Racecourse
August
2 Audley End, Essex
9 Belfast, Custom House Square
10 Galway Airport, Ireland

Tickets are available here

C’est La Vie (Enhanced Edition) is available to re-order here

Want more from the Nutty Boys? Read Making Madness – The Rise & Fall