Dangermen Sessions
| The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1 | ||||
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| Studio album by Madness | ||||
| Released | 16 August 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | Ska, Reggae | |||
| Length | 37:22 | |||
| Label | Live and Intensified (an imprint of V2 Records) | |||
| Producer | Dennis Bovell, Steve Dub, Segs, Madness | |||
| Madness chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 63/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1 is a cover album by the British ska band Madness. It was released in 2005 (see 2005 in music). The album was successful and reached No. 11 in the UK which at the time was their highest chart position in the UK since 1984's Keep Moving.
Prior to recording the album, Madness played a series of low-key gigs under the alias The Dangermen, performing mostly cover versions which they had performed in their early days as The Invaders. A selection from the set list was then chosen to be recorded for the album. Some songs which were played live but not included on the album included "Skylarking" and "Dreader Than Dread" (both released as B sides on the Shame and Scandal single), "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" and "It Miek", as well as the Prince Buster numbers "One Step Beyond" and "Madness", both of which the group had already released in 1979. The live concerts also included Dangermen "covers" of a few of Madness' more ska-influenced original compositions, such as "Night Boat to Cairo" and "The Prince".
Although Chris Foreman appeared on the record, he left the group after the sessions and was therefore not a member of the group at the time of the album's release and did not take part in promotion for the album. He would later re-join the group.
The album booklet contains both serious sleevenotes in which the various members of the group discuss their choice of songs, and fictional notes concerning the history of the group "The Dangermen", who are claimed to have been an influential reggae group formed in Havana in the 1960s, and who have reformed after 35 years to record the album.
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