I need well rounded kids that can pass The Beer Test.
I am not talking about underage drinking, but the ability to have a conversation with anyONE about anyTHING. Music knowledge is a key component to this test and today I want to introduce a band and a song that needs to be remembered…
A questionable start? Perhaps, but this came on the car radio last week and I found myself telling my kids why they needed to stop fighting and listen to the song.
In 1983, “Our House” by Madness, peaked at #7 on the Billboard charts and it was one of the first albums I remember owning. Maybe it was the beginning piano riff or the strong horn section, but the overall upbeat melody paired with lyrics about a family having fun makes it a song my children need to hear. This English ska band is better than their counter part, UB40… (because “Red Red Wine” is a horrbile song that goes nowhere) and kids should know the difference between ska and reggae. This is the type of 80's band that only had two hits, but the music was carfree and fun just like the decade it came from.