The Liberty of Norton Folgate (Expanded Edition)

The 2024 expanded edition of The Liberty of Norton Folgate by Madness, released on March 29, 2024, breathes new life into what is widely considered the band’s magnum opus. Originally released in May 2009, this concept album marked a powerful return for Madness, their first full-length project of original material in a decade. The album delved deep into the history and character of Norton Folgate, an area in East London with a unique status as a “liberty”—a district once exempt from Crown authority. This setting, rich with eccentricity and layered social history, served as the perfect backdrop for the band to weave together themes of identity, belonging, and British urban culture.

The original album was met with critical acclaim for its ambition and scope. Known for hits like “Our House” and “It Must Be Love,” Madness used The Liberty of Norton Folgate to showcase their maturity as songwriters and chroniclers of London life. The ten-minute title track alone stood as a sweeping musical narrative that combined storytelling with the band’s distinctive ska-pop sensibility. Other tracks such as “NW5,” “Dust Devil,” and “Forever Young” underscored their musical versatility while remaining grounded in the central themes of place and transformation.

The expanded 2024 edition is more than a simple reissue—it’s a recontextualization. It includes seven bonus tracks, some of which were previously unreleased or hard to find, offering listeners a deeper dive into the album’s creative universe. These tracks, including “Let’s Go,” “Seven Dials,” and “Mission From Hell,” build upon the album’s sonic and thematic landscape, potentially representing outtakes or alternate perspectives conceived during the original sessions. Available in both double CD and double 180-gram vinyl formats, the release is housed in a beautifully designed gatefold sleeve, giving collectors and new fans alike a tactile, immersive experience.

What truly distinguishes this edition, however, is the inclusion of a 24-page booklet that adds considerable depth to the original work. Featuring newly conducted interviews with core band members—Suggs, Mike Barson, Chrissyboy Foreman, Lee Thompson, and Daniel Woodgate—the liner notes offer rich insights into the album’s creation, the personal connections each member has to East London, and the broader cultural and historical currents that influenced the music. These interviews serve as both a retrospective and an expansion, illuminating how the band’s sense of place and time shaped the final product.

Adding to the literary dimension of the release, Cathal Smyth (also known as Chas Smash) contributes an exclusive poem that mirrors the album’s exploration of history, memory, and modernity. This poetic addition not only reflects Smyth’s role in the band’s storytelling ethos but also reinforces the album’s hybrid identity as both a musical and cultural artifact. The poem and liner notes elevate the listening experience into a more comprehensive encounter with Madness’s creative process.

The choice of Norton Folgate as the focal point for such a dense and layered project speaks to Madness’s longstanding relationship with London—not just as a home, but as a living, breathing character in their music. Their fascination with the peculiarities of British life, particularly in urban settings, is not new, but The Liberty of Norton Folgate stands apart in its depth and ambition. In interviews, Suggs has referenced influences such as William Taylor’s This Bright Field, a book chronicling the evolution of Spitalfields, as a key inspiration. This influence is felt in the way the album addresses urban change, gentrification, and cultural continuity—topics that are as relevant in 2024 as they were in 2009.

While contemporary reviews of the expanded edition are still forthcoming, its release has already sparked renewed interest in the band’s catalog and their impact on British music. Priced affordably for CDs and more premium for vinyl editions, the expanded version is available through major music retailers, including Rough Trade and the Madness official store.

In conclusion, the 2024 expanded edition of The Liberty of Norton Folgate is a lovingly curated tribute to one of Madness’s most accomplished works. With added music, thoughtful commentary, and a unique poetic contribution, this reissue does more than preserve an important album—it enriches it. By bridging the past with the present, it reaffirms Madness’s place not just as musicians, but as chroniclers of urban life and British identity.