Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie is the thirteenth studio album by British band Madness. It was released on 17 November 2023 through BMG Rights Management. The album marks their first studio release in seven years, following Can't Touch Us Now (2016).

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie
Studio album by Madness
Released	17 November 2023 (2023-11-17)
Recorded	2023
Genre	2-tone Baroque Pop
Length	56:46
Label	BMG
Producer	Matt Glasbey Clive Langer Alan Winstanley
Madness chronology
Can't Touch Us Now (2016) Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie (2023)
Singles from Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie
"C'est la Vie" Released: 28 September 2023 "Baby Burglar" Released: 27 October 2023

It would become Madness' first ever number one studio album in the UK ^[1]

Background

Madness recorded the album in Cricklewood in early 2023. Matt Glasbey is credited with producing and mixing all tracks, except "In My Street", which was produced by the long-time Madness production team of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley.^[2] The creation of the record was spurred by the principle "Let Madness be Madness".^[3] In a statement, Madness described the recording process as "the perfect antidote to the chaos of the past few years" and referred to their current form as "properly in the zone".^[4] The result was understood as "their most harmonious recording experience to date".^[5] The band announced the album on 27 September 2023 and premiered the lead single "C'est la Vie" on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show.^[6] Accompanying the announcement, the band let British actress Helen Mirren give a "dramatic reading" of some of the lyrics.^[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100^[7]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Classic Rock	^[8]
Mojo	^[9]
The Observer	^[10]
Uncut	^[11]

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[7] Mojo's Ian Harrison called it "floridly titled, slow burning" and wrote that "on record alone, there's plenty to intrigue. [...] Madness have made an album that is among their absolute best."^[9] Phil Mongredien of The Observer described the album as "a fairly sedate mix of uplift and melancholy" and felt that "it doesn't quite match the standard of late-career high point The Liberty of Norton Folgate (2009), but the album is not without its moments".^[10] Classic Rock wrote that "the roaring 20s has finally arrived",^[8] and Peter Watts of Uncut remarked that while "the songs are written from multiple perspectives, they share a common mood – essentially life and its general absurdity". Watts additionally found that "the most distinctive Madness traits are all present" and the "biggest spiritual influence is the Kinks, another band adept at exploring London's darker undercurrents".^[11]

Track listing

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Arranger(s)	Length
1.	"Prologue: "Mr Beckett Sir...""			0:11
2.	"Theatre of the Absurd"	Graham McPherson	Michael Barson Tina Jacobs-Lim Mike Kearsey	4:13
3.	"If I Go Mad"	McPherson	Kearsey	4:36
4.	"Baby Burglar"	Barson Lee Thompson	Barson Kearsey	4:05
5.	"Act One: "Surrounded on All Sides..""			0:10
6.	"C'est la Vie"	Barson	Barson Kearsey	3:10
7.	"What on Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)"	Christopher Foreman Thompson		3:07
8.	"Hour of Need"	Barson	Barson Jacobs-Lim Kearsey	4:07
9.	"Act Two "The Damsel in Distress..""			0:12
10.	"Round We Go"	Daniel Woodgate	Kearsey	4:18
11.	"Act Three: "The Situation Deteriorates..""			0:20
12.	"Lockdown and Frack Off"	Foreman	Foreman Kearsey	3:12
13.	"Beginners 101"	Barson	Barson Will Gardner	4:21
14.	"Is There Anybody Out There?"	Foreman Thompson	Foreman Kearsey	3:22
15.	"The Law According to Dr. Kippah"	Barson Thompson	Barson	5:35
16.	"Epilogue: "And So Ladies and Gentlemen..""			0:17
17.	"Run for Your Life"	Foreman	Kearsey	4:00
18.	"Set Me Free (Let Me Be)"	Foreman		3:39
19.	"In My Street"	McPherson	David Arnold Nicholas Dodd	3:38
20.	"Fin.: "Ladies and Gentlemen..""			0:13
Total length:				56:46

Personnel

Madness

• Mike Barson – keyboards (tracks 1, 5–7, 9, 11, 12, 14–16, 20), piano (2–4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19), programming (2–4, 6, 8, 13, 15), percussion (2), organ (3, 7, 10, 12–14, 19), marimba (3), electric piano (4, 6), Vox organ (4, 6, 8), tubular bells (6), bells (13), clavinet (17)
• Mark Bedford – bass guitar (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17–19), double bass (2, 4, 14)
• Chris Foreman – guitar (2-4, 6-8, 10, 12, 13-15, 17-19) programming (7, 12, 14, 17), brass arrangement (17)
• Suggs – lead vocals (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17–19), backing vocals (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19); percussion (6, 8, 14)
• Lee Thompson – tenor saxophone (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12–15, 17, 19), spoken word vocals (2), backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 19), lead vocals (7, 15), percussion (15), brass arrangement (18)
• Dan Woodgate – drums (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12–15, 17–19), programming (10)

Additional musicians

• Martin Freeman – spoken word vocals (1, 5, 9, 11, 16, 20)
• Mez Clough – backing vocals (2–4, 10, 12–14, 17, 19), percussion (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12–15, 19)
• Steve Hamilton – baritone saxophone (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19)
• Richard Phillips – cello (2, 8)
• Matt Glasbey – programming (2–4, 7, 8, 10, 12–15, 17), synthesizer (3, 10, 14, 15), percussion (15)
• Ruth Elder – string arrangement, violin (2, 8)
• Mike Kearsey – trombone (2–4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19)
• Joe Auckland – trumpet (2–4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19)
• Sam Kennedy – viola (2, 8)
• Tina Jacobs-Lim – violin (2, 8)
• Spider J – backing vocals (3, 4, 6, 8, 13, 15, 17, 18)
• Darren Fordham – backing vocals (4, 15)
• Buster the Dog – vocals (4)
• G. V. Fairchild – backing vocals (10)
• Rachel Lander – cello (13)
• Will Gardner – conductor (13)
• Rachel Robson – viola (13)
• Dan Oates – violin (13)
• Kit Massey – violin (13)
• Matthew Ward – violin (13)
• Noel Watson – programming (17)
• Helen Downham – cello (19)
• Helen Fitzgerald – cello (19)
• Michael Nowland – cello (19)
• Nicholas Dodd – conductor (19)
• Alexis Barbera – double bass (19)
• Jonny Gee – double bass (19)
• Antonia Finch – viola (19)
• Bruce Wilson – viola (19)
• Helen Goatley – viola (19)
• Sarah Chapman – viola (19)
• Alison Gordon – violin (19)
• Caroline Bodimead – violin (19)
• Daniel Peev – violin (19)
• Hannah Paterson – violin (19)
• Kate Scrivens – violin (19)
• Katrina McWilliams – violin (19)
• Mathias Svenson – violin (19)
• Richard Smith – violin (19)
• Stelios Chatziiosifidis – violin (19)

Technical

• Matt Glasbey – production (1–18, 20), engineering (2–4, 6–8, 10, 12–15, 17–19), additional production (19)
• Alan Winstanley – production (19)
• Clive Langer – production (19)
• Dick Beetham – engineering
• Andy Coules – engineering (1–6, 8, 11, 20)
• Ada Binaj – engineering (13)

Charts

Chart performance for Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie

Chart (2023)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[12]	172
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[13]	151
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[14]	88
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[15]	40
Irish Albums (IRMA)^[16]	73
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[17]	1
UK Albums (OCC)^[18]	1
UK Independent Albums (OCC)^[19]	1

References

1. "Madness earn first Number 1 studio album with Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie". Official Charts. 24 November 2023.
2. Fu, Eddie (28 September 2023). "Madness Announce New Album Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'Est La Vie, Share Three Songs: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
3. Levine, Nick (28 September 2023). "Madness announce new album Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
4. "Madness announce new album Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C'Est La Vie". Classic Pop. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
5. Skinner, Tom (28 September 2023). "Madness announce new album Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C'Est La Vie". NME. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
6. Major, Michael (28 September 2023). "Madness Announce Brand New Album Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C'est La Vie". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
7. "Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie by Madness Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
8. "Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie". Classic Rock. December 2023. p. 79.
9. Harrison, Ian (17 November 2023). "Madness Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie Review: Nutty boys enter the prog music hall of existential despair on 13th LP". Mojo. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
10. Mongredien, Phil (20 November 2023). "Madness: Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie review – the Nutty Boys and Martin Freeman's music hall act". The Observer. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
11. Watts, Peter (15 November 2023). "Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie". Uncut. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
12. "Ultratop.be – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
13. "Ultratop.be – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
14. "Dutchcharts.nl – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Madness – Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
16. "Irish Albums Chart: 24 November 2023". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
17. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
18. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
19. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 November 2023.