"Yesterday's Men" is a song by the English
ska and
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
band
Madness
Madness or The Madness may refer to:
Emotion and mental health
* Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat
* Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns
* ...
, released on 19 August 1985 as the
lead single from their sixth studio album ''
Mad Not Mad
''Mad Not Mad'' is the sixth studio album by English ska and pop band Madness. It was released on 30 September 1985, their first release on their own label Zarjazz, a sub-label of Virgin Records. The album was recorded over a period of two m ...
'' (1985). It was written by
Graham McPherson and
Chris Foreman, and produced by
Clive Langer and
Alan Winstanley. The song spent 7 weeks on the
UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 18.
The song was edited for release as a single, the album version being some thirty seconds longer. A
music video was filmed to promote the single, directed by Chris Gabrin.
Critical reception
Upon its release as a single, Paul Bursche of ''
Number One'' described "Yesterday's Men" as "a grim portrait of a land without hope" and "a real grower that finally emerges into one of the best songs the group have ever done". He added that although it was "very
Sade-ish", "even the orchestration can't disguise a new lush Madness sound". Ian Cranna of ''
Smash Hits
''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...
'' wrote, This mournful little exhortation to hang on in there with gentle percussion and varied instrumental weaving must be quite satisfying to record after being so nutty for so long, but it's hardly soul-stirring stuff."
Paolo Hewitt
Paolo Hewitt is a music journalist and writer from Woking in Surrey.
Biography
Hewitt was placed in care at a very early age, and went to live with a foster family. Following years of abuse he was sent to Burbank children's home in Woking at th ...
of ''
NME'' felt the song was "cast in a similar mould" to the band's 1984 song "
One Better Day" and noted that Madness "have never sounded so wistful and yet so relaxed as this song of optimism and smashed dreams". He praised Suggs' vocals for "fast becoming the vehicle to carry off such sentiments" and noted the song's "lilting and haunting refrain". He concluded it was "assured, classy and irresistible music".
The song was ranked number 7 among the "''Tracks of the Year''" for 1985 by ''
NME''. In a retrospective review of ''Mad Not Mad'', Darryl Cater of
AllMusic described the song as "dwell
ngon themes of transience and aging". Terry Staunton of ''
Record Collector'' noted, "The wacky humour of old, already on the wane in their previous outing, ''
Keep Moving'', was almost totally eclipsed by sombre tones of resignation, best exemplified on 'Yesterday's Men'."
Track listing
* 7" single
# "Yesterday's Men" – 4:07
# "All I Knew" – 3:07
* 12" single
# "Yesterday's Men" (Extended Version) – 8:05
# "All I Knew" – 3:07
# "Yesterday's Men" (Demo Version) – 3:33
* 7" 'Picture disc and extra disc
# "Yesterday's Men" – 4:07
# "All I Knew" – 3:07
# "Yesterday's Men" (Harmonica Version) – 4:37
# "
It Must Be Love" (live) – 3:35
Charts
References
External links
*
{{Madness
1985 singles
Madness (band) songs
Songs written by Suggs (singer)
Songs written by Chris Foreman
1985 songs
Song recordings produced by Clive Langer
Song recordings produced by Alan Winstanley
Zarjazz singles