Sheena Easton's formidable catalogue has been enjoying an overhaul from Cherry Red's Cherry Pop imprint which has so far encompassed lavish expanded editions of Take My Time and A Private Heaven, the debut of Live at the Palace, Hollywood; an EMI singles collection; and more.  Now, Easton's third album - 1982's Madness, Money, and Music - has received the deluxe CD/DVD treatment, shedding some much-needed light on this often-overlooked LP.

Madness, Money, and Music, titled for the edgy lament by Barry Black and Brian Chatton, found Easton and her producer, Christopher Neil, wrestling with the increasing prominence of electronics in pop music.  Neil is quoted by Adam Mattera in his definitive essay: "It was the beginning of the electro-pop wave.  Doing what we did - just making a straight record with the band - was considered fairly old-school by '82.  If you didn't have all these new effects, programmed drums and stuff, you were kind of last year.  I remember loving all the new technology; it was brand new and exciting.  But I didn't for one second apply it to Sheena.  I mean, the closest we got was 'Machinery.'"

"Machinery," from British singer-songwriter Julia Downes, was indeed the outlier on the album: a burbling, synth-driven new wave confection.  It's unsurprising that it was selected as the first single off the album (though it stalled at No. 38 U.K. and fared even less well, at No. 57 in the U.S.).  The balance of Madness offered more conventional, though no less interesting, fare.  On her first two albums, Easton proved her versatility in both pop and rock settings, and Madness would follow in that wide-ranging vein.  Sue Quinn's "Weekend in Paris," found Sheena recoiling at the sight of the other woman to a rock-oriented track.  The team of Billy Livsey and Graham Lyle provided "Are You Man Enough."  Neil's impeccable, gleaming production supported the duo's well-crafted musical taunt with which Sheena showcased her most confident self.

Returning songwriters Mick Leeson and Peter Vale, responsible for numerous cuts on both of Sheena's first two albums, served up three cuts including the elegant and self-assured ballad "I Wouldn't Beg for Water," the bitingly rueful "Ice Out in the Rain," and "I Don't Need Your Word," a musing on long-distance love. Steve Kipner, who had one co-write on 1981's You Could Have Been with Me, also returned for Madness.  He teamed with John Lewis Parker for "There When I Needed You," a bluesy, tough track with a compelling hook.

Madness, Money, and Music might be most notable today for the inclusion of Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley's "Wind Beneath My Wings" in one of its earliest renditions.  The inspirational ballad took a circuitous route to Bette Midler's Grammy-winning, chart-topping 1988 recording.  Before that, it dented the U.S. charts in versions by Lou Rawls, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Gary Morris; Roger Whittaker (the first recording to be released), Lee Greenwood, and Perry Como all offered up versions, too.  Sheena's take - which arrived in stores not long after Whittaker's - is touching and well-modulated.  Though the arrangement and vocal are less flashy than Midler's, Easton's message of quiet comfort (delivered with particularly strong use of her vibrato) resonates, too.  Deborah Allen, Rafe Van Hoy, and Eddie Struzick's sweetly romantic "You Do It" never earned the fame of "Wind Beneath My Wings," but did earn notable covers in 1983 from both Diana Ross (1983's Ross) and Rita Coolidge (Never Let You Go).

Perhaps the most unexpected track on Madness is Sheena's haunting, dramatic cover of Janis Ian's "In the Winter," introduced on the singer-songwriter's 1975 album Between the Lines.  It augured for Easton's future work on the musical theatre stage as she convincingly conveyed the pathos in Ian's finely-wrought, melancholic lyric touching on loneliness and the passage of time.  On the more youthful end of the spectrum is Steve Thompson's "Please Don't Sympathize," a slice of swaying pop complete with saxophone solo.

The CD includes a generous eight bonus tracks including all the B-sides which originally accompanied "Machinery," "Are You Man Enough," and "I Wouldn't Beg for Water."  The liner notes reveal that the trio of flipsides were originally recorded in Paris specifically for the singles.  Despite the hurried circumstances - Christopher Neil recalls in the notes that there was no time to fine-tune the tracks - the songs are all of uniform quality.  Ian Lynn's stately piano ballad "So We Say Goodbye" is happily unadorned.  Mick Leeson and Peter Vale stepped up again with "Loner," a similarly moody composition.  "Some of Us Will," from Sheena's guitarist Phil Palmer, has the kind of commercial appeal that could well have warranted an A-side appearance.

The disc is rounded out by two outtakes, alternate versions of "Weekend in Paris" and "Madness, Money, and Music," and the 12-inch single remix of "Ice Out in the Rain."  Of the outtakes, Sue Quinn's midtempo ballad "Woman" is as beguiling as the same writer's "Weekend in Paris" (and offers Sheena more opportunities to use her strong belt) while Rod Demick and Phil Palmer's "The Lonely Stay Alone" is a bright, uptempo rocker with another solid chorus.

The accompanying Region O NTSC DVD (playable on all DVD and Blu-ray players) premieres Sheena's Act One television special in the format.  Produced and directed by Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion, respectively, for NBC, it originally aired on the U.S. network in March 1983.  Act One isn't a concert film but rather a true variety show, with comedy and music.  Though the Tonight Show framing sequence (in which Sheena interviews herself) hasn't aged particularly well, the songs certainly have.  (That's no surprise, as Broadway and Hollywood veteran Peter Matz was the musical director.)  While there's no "9 to 5 (Morning Train)," Sheena delivers the hits with "For Your Eyes Only" and "We've Got Tonight," the latter with special guest star Kenny Rogers (who else?).  She performs the title track of "Madness, Money, and Music" as well as "Wind Beneath My Wings," and tackles a number of familiar covers from Leon Russell ("A Song for You") to Billy Joel ("The Entertainer").  A medley with Al Jarreau is among the special's highlights; so is Sheena's heartfelt, smoky rendition of the Academy Award-nominated Fame showstopper "Out Here on My Own."  Though video quality is variable, it's a pleasure to own this effervescent showcase for the young vocalist.  Three videos ("Machinery," "Are You Man Enough," "Ice Out in the Rain") are also included on the DVD.

Madness, Money, and Music is housed in a six-panel digipak.  The beautiful 24-page booklet includes Mattera's comprehensive liner notes as well as full credits and numerous color photos.  Simon Murphy has remastered the CD while Ted Carfrae has mastered the DVD audio.  Though Sheena hasn't recorded a full studio album in nearly a quarter of a century, this reissue - and indeed, Cherry Pop's entire series - is a potent reminder of her artistry.

Sheena Easton, Madness, Money, and Music: Deluxe Edition (Cherry Pop CRPOPDV266Z, 2023)

CD/DVD:  Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Green Vinyl LP (original album only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1: The Original Album (EMI LP EMC 3414, 1982)

1. Weekend in Paris
2. Are You Man Enough
3. I Wouldn't Beg for Water
4. Machinery
5. Ice Out in the Rain
6. I Don't Need Your Word
7. Madness, Money, and Music
8. There When I Needed You
9. Wind Beneath My Wings
10. You Do It
11. In the Winter
12. Please Don't Sympathize

B-Sides

13. So We Say Goodbye (EMI single 5326-B, 1982)
14. Loner (EMI single 5349-B, 1982)
15. Some of Us Will (EMI America single B-8142-B, 1982)

The Studio Sessions/Alternate Versions (previously unreleased)

16. Woman
17. The Lonely Stay Alone
18. Weekend in Paris (Alternate Version)
19. Madness, Money, and Music (Alternate Version)

DVD:

Act One - TV Special

1. A Song for You
2. Feelings (Excerpt)
3. For Your Eyes Only
4. He's a Rebel
5. Last Night at Danceland/Boogie Down/Roof Garden - with Al Jarreau
6. We've Got Tonight - with Kenny Rogers
7. The Entertainer
8. Out Here on My Own
9. Madness, Money, and Music
10. Wind Beneath My Wings

EMI Promotional Videos

11. Machinery
12. Are You Man Enough
13. Ice Out in the Rain