Selection #27: I Think I’m Going Rather Mad

Everybody knows the feeling: your entire reality is slightly askew, things seem out of control, and everything you do seems to only make it worse.

It’s madness. It’s insanity.

As Roger Waters would say, you’re “on the run.”

This madness doesn’t have to be yours. It can be something you see in the world, or in other people, or in ideas, art, theatre or tea leaves.

And this madness has been an almost bottomless catalyst for musical innovation. Many say that Mozart’s best symphonic work was due to a STD-related insanity. Van Gogh’s personal struggles resulted in a “passionate donation” of his own ear to the cause of his art. Brian Wilson spent a lot of time in an in-home sandbox during his long, bipolar trip. And all chronicled their maladies in their art.

So we present this collection of tunes about — or inspired by — madness. Enjoy!

• Onkel Rudi’s “A Piece For And About Assorted Lunatics”
• U.N.K.L.E. Matt’s “A 25-Minute Lapse Of Reason”
• The Man(del) From U.N.C.L.E.’s “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Playlist”
• Uncle Sam’s “It’s not paranoia if they’re really after you”