Disco🌶️📖
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Post by Disco🌶️📖 on Mar 1, 2014 14:04:38 GMT -5
New photos
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seaguy27
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Post by seaguy27 on Mar 1, 2014 15:04:21 GMT -5
Ray of Light was like nothing on top 40 in 1998, no other mainstream top 40 act was doing that sound. It was a sound relegated to club music and rave parties but not top 40 radio. Confessions was a updated throwback sound, however no one at top 40 was doing that at the time. Strictly *American* top 40 yes, but I still don't see how this is a barometer to quality or to personal taste. To me this argument will always be about "my idol is better than yours even if she gets less airplay and sales". Also, Get Together sounds like a Daft Punk song that came out five years prior and Future Lovers referenced I Feel Love similar way Kylie did also 5 years earlier so like I said these credits fans tend to give Madonna are really not holding much ground. It's a lot simpler to say "her music is great" and leave it at that. Im not just talking as a fan though. Madonna is largely known and has built a reputation in a broad sense beyond just her fans for the things that I have pointed out. Sure there will always be people that disagree, however the general consensus is that Madonna is a mainstream artist who takes things that are not mainstream and delivers them to a mainstream audience. It is something most mainstream artists are not willing to do as they tend to play it safe. Madonna among critics probably is more revered than most of her mainstream peers. You see this reflected over and over in various lists etc.
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Post by Soldado de Juguete on Mar 1, 2014 16:46:39 GMT -5
She looks awesome in those pics!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2014 17:43:15 GMT -5
Strictly *American* top 40 yes, but I still don't see how this is a barometer to quality or to personal taste. To me this argument will always be about "my idol is better than yours even if she gets less airplay and sales". Also, Get Together sounds like a Daft Punk song that came out five years prior and Future Lovers referenced I Feel Love similar way Kylie did also 5 years earlier so like I said these credits fans tend to give Madonna are really not holding much ground. It's a lot simpler to say "her music is great" and leave it at that. Im not just talking as a fan though. Madonna is largely known and has built a reputation in a broad sense beyond just her fans for the things that I have pointed out. Sure there will always be people that disagree, however the general consensus is that Madonna is a mainstream artist who takes things that are not mainstream and delivers them to a mainstream audience. It is something most mainstream artists are not willing to do as they tend to play it safe. Madonna among critics probably is more revered than most of her mainstream peers. You see this reflected over and over in various lists etc. She may have done a lot of that in the 90s, but her past couple albums were pure trend chasing.
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floridagrl
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Post by floridagrl on Mar 1, 2014 17:44:15 GMT -5
New photos WOW!!!!! She looks stun gorg in these pictures. I love the hair chains. Queen!
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Gold Soundz
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Post by Gold Soundz on Mar 1, 2014 17:49:14 GMT -5
Im not just talking as a fan though. Madonna is largely known and has built a reputation in a broad sense beyond just her fans for the things that I have pointed out. Sure there will always be people that disagree, however the general consensus is that Madonna is a mainstream artist who takes things that are not mainstream and delivers them to a mainstream audience. It is something most mainstream artists are not willing to do as they tend to play it safe. Madonna among critics probably is more revered than most of her mainstream peers. You see this reflected over and over in various lists etc. She may have done a lot of that in the 90s, but her past couple albums were pure trend chasing. I agree, Music and American Life aside. It was the Killers who brought Stuart Price back to the forefront. I can't say I'm not excited about her working with Nile again, though. Nile and Patrick Leonard could cook up something fresh, especially if they brought in new producers like Boots or Shlohmo to mix things up.
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grandelf
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Post by grandelf on Mar 2, 2014 4:37:23 GMT -5
Strictly *American* top 40 yes, but I still don't see how this is a barometer to quality or to personal taste. To me this argument will always be about "my idol is better than yours even if she gets less airplay and sales". Also, Get Together sounds like a Daft Punk song that came out five years prior and Future Lovers referenced I Feel Love similar way Kylie did also 5 years earlier so like I said these credits fans tend to give Madonna are really not holding much ground. It's a lot simpler to say "her music is great" and leave it at that. Im not just talking as a fan though. Madonna is largely known and has built a reputation in a broad sense beyond just her fans for the things that I have pointed out. Sure there will always be people that disagree, however the general consensus is that Madonna is a mainstream artist who takes things that are not mainstream and delivers them to a mainstream audience. It is something most mainstream artists are not willing to do as they tend to play it safe. Madonna among critics probably is more revered than most of her mainstream peers. You see this reflected over and over in various lists etc. I get that I'm not convincing anyone, what you say is only in the context of other female solo acts of the US, not in the grand scheme of things. I still think it's twisted to say her career is based on this aspect, when those albums everyone lists are results of coincidence and convenience, not conscious decisions of "I'm better than the regular female act because I pay attention at what's underground". Shep Pettibone, William Orbit, Stuart Price, Paul Oakenfold, Benny Benassi ALL remixed Madonna years before they wrote and produced tracks for her. Everyone forgets Madonna continued to work with Babyface and Nellee Hooper for ROL until she fell out with the latter and Orbit came up, most likely based on his Justify My Love, Erotica and I'll Remember remixes. I already said this, had Madonna cared about bringing things to the mainstream, she would not have waited 7 years to make Orbit produce her album (and it's also conveniently ignored that Rick Nowels co-wrote songs for ROL who wrote for Celine Dion previously, but it's all black and white that she only had 3 albums with hitmakers, right?), by 1998 the sound of ROL was not new for Europe. For Music before Mirwais came to the picture thanks to her manager, she continued to work with Orbit and Sasha was lined up who remixed two ROL singles. Stuart Price happened after his Hollywood remix got positive attention, and it was quite obvious Benny Benassi would produce her after she used his remix as the video version of Celebration. The list goes on, 90% of her career is based on working with DJs previously remixing her and established producers (which is a longer list than LAV, BS, HC even if you don't want to admit it), you can count the remaining on one hand, that includes Martin Solveig, whose work was bashed a lot by fans, especially the lead-off single, so in the end it is all unrelated to personal enjoyment to her music. We're going in circles with this so it's probably time to move on. But I've said everything in reflection to her upcoming album, some of you will be shocked to death and lamenting "back in the days" if she ends up with the likes of Avicii (he remixed Girl Gone Wild, by the way) or Zedd even though it would be hardly surprising at this point...
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Mar 2, 2014 9:16:23 GMT -5
Yes, no point in going around in circles. Madonna more often than not has worked with collaborators who were not the hot ones of the moment. Whether one here or one there (i.e. Rick Nowels) had done a track or whatever for someone else prior ain't really the point.
M first worked with Stuart Price in 2001 on the Drowned World Tour (and he co-write "XStatic Process" on American Life, and then officially remixed "Hollywood." I believe Confessions... was the first mainstream album he had worked as a full-on co-writer/-producer.
In any event, how M is perceived and regarded is a done deal, so let's focus on the forthcoming album and hope it's a return to form. :)
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seaguy27
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Post by seaguy27 on Mar 2, 2014 16:40:40 GMT -5
Im not just talking as a fan though. Madonna is largely known and has built a reputation in a broad sense beyond just her fans for the things that I have pointed out. Sure there will always be people that disagree, however the general consensus is that Madonna is a mainstream artist who takes things that are not mainstream and delivers them to a mainstream audience. It is something most mainstream artists are not willing to do as they tend to play it safe. Madonna among critics probably is more revered than most of her mainstream peers. You see this reflected over and over in various lists etc. She may have done a lot of that in the 90s, but her past couple albums were pure trend chasing. I was speaking in general in the span of a 30 year career. I do agree that on the last 2 albums she has chased the trend!
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seaguy27
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Post by seaguy27 on Mar 2, 2014 16:43:27 GMT -5
Im not just talking as a fan though. Madonna is largely known and has built a reputation in a broad sense beyond just her fans for the things that I have pointed out. Sure there will always be people that disagree, however the general consensus is that Madonna is a mainstream artist who takes things that are not mainstream and delivers them to a mainstream audience. It is something most mainstream artists are not willing to do as they tend to play it safe. Madonna among critics probably is more revered than most of her mainstream peers. You see this reflected over and over in various lists etc. I get that I'm not convincing anyone, what you say is only in the context of other female solo acts of the US, not in the grand scheme of things. I still think it's twisted to say her career is based on this aspect, when those albums everyone lists are results of coincidence and convenience, not conscious decisions of "I'm better than the regular female act because I pay attention at what's underground". Shep Pettibone, William Orbit, Stuart Price, Paul Oakenfold, Benny Benassi ALL remixed Madonna years before they wrote and produced tracks for her. Everyone forgets Madonna continued to work with Babyface and Nellee Hooper for ROL until she fell out with the latter and Orbit came up, most likely based on his Justify My Love, Erotica and I'll Remember remixes. I already said this, had Madonna cared about bringing things to the mainstream, she would not have waited 7 years to make Orbit produce her album (and it's also conveniently ignored that Rick Nowels co-wrote songs for ROL who wrote for Celine Dion previously, but it's all black and white that she only had 3 albums with hitmakers, right?), by 1998 the sound of ROL was not new for Europe. For Music before Mirwais came to the picture thanks to her manager, she continued to work with Orbit and Sasha was lined up who remixed two ROL singles. Stuart Price happened after his Hollywood remix got positive attention, and it was quite obvious Benny Benassi would produce her after she used his remix as the video version of Celebration. The list goes on, 90% of her career is based on working with DJs previously remixing her and established producers (which is a longer list than LAV, BS, HC even if you don't want to admit it), you can count the remaining on one hand, that includes Martin Solveig, whose work was bashed a lot by fans, especially the lead-off single, so in the end it is all unrelated to personal enjoyment to her music. We're going in circles with this so it's probably time to move on. But I've said everything in reflection to her upcoming album, some of you will be shocked to death and lamenting "back in the days" if she ends up with the likes of Avicii (he remixed Girl Gone Wild, by the way) or Zedd even though it would be hardly surprising at this point... I think part of our disagreement comes from perspective. If you are an American talking about an American artist then what I say holds true, if you are European then possibly not.
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floridagrl
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Post by floridagrl on Mar 3, 2014 6:37:35 GMT -5
"The Oscar goes to Party ## 7!!!!! #revolutionoflove" Madonna
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Mar 3, 2014 9:52:14 GMT -5
A pro-shot performance of "Like a Prayer" from Blond Ambition Tour (Boston) has surfaced. Sure, we've seen the performance before, but this has different angles and such. It's at madonna-tv.com.
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chartfreak
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Post by chartfreak on Mar 3, 2014 17:02:10 GMT -5
A pro-shot performance of "Like a Prayer" from Blond Ambition Tour (Boston) has surfaced. Sure, we've seen the performance before, but this has different angles and such. It's at madonna-tv.com. That was a treat...just watched it. Thanks. You can also see Spanish Lesson from the MDNA Tour!!! I totally forgot she performed it in Mexico and South America.
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xxzion72xx
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Post by xxzion72xx on Mar 3, 2014 17:57:28 GMT -5
Yes,,which reminds me that nobody will ever sing Niki Haris's part better then Niki Haris.
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xxzion72xx
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Post by xxzion72xx on Mar 3, 2014 17:58:34 GMT -5
"The Oscar goes to Party ## 7!!!!! #revolutionoflove" Madonna God I hope she sticks with look for a long time..i loveee it!!!
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floridagrl
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Post by floridagrl on Mar 3, 2014 19:59:17 GMT -5
"The Oscar goes to Party ## 7!!!!! #revolutionoflove" Madonna God I hope she sticks with look for a long time..i loveee it!!! Me too. She's stunning. <3 her.
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Disco🌶️📖
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Post by Disco🌶️📖 on Mar 4, 2014 3:43:26 GMT -5
I hope more photos of Madonna from her Oscars party surface. I like it when she dresses up in the 'old Hollywood' glam style. When Jared Leto was on Ellen's show yesterday, he mentioned that his mom was dancing with Madonna. :) He was previously photographed at several dates of the MDNA tour. He stans for the Queen.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Mar 4, 2014 17:56:58 GMT -5
www.slantmagazine.com/house/2014/03/through-the-years-madonnas-like-a-prayer-at-25Through the Years: Madonna’s "Like a Prayer" at 25By Sal Cinquemani on March 3, 2014 "Like a Virgin" may be Madonna's most iconic hit, but "Like a Prayer," which turns 25 today, is by all accounts her most broadly beloved contribution to the pop-music canon, landing at #7 on our list of the Best Singles of the 1980s. Even the singer's most ardent critics can't help but bow at the altar of the song, a gospel-infused conflation of spiritual and sexual ecstasy that helped transform Madge from '80s pop tart to bona fide icon. To celebrate this sacred anniversary, we're taking a look back at the song's evolution over the last quarter century. Pepsi Commercial: Following a teaser that aired during the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in January of 1989, Madonna premiered "Like a Prayer" in a Pepsi commercial during The Cosby Show, the #1 rated series on U.S. television at the time. Part of a $5 million sponsorship deal with the soft-drink company, the ad, titled "Make a Wish," was an innocuous bit of nostalgia that would soon be eclipsed by the scandal surrounding the single's forthcoming music video. Music Video: Madonna dances in front of burning crosses and kisses a black saint in a church pew in this modern morality tale about racial profiling and pious guilt, prompting both the religious right and cultural critics, like bell hooks, to cry foul. Eventually, the mounting outrage caused Pepsi to pull out of their multi-million dollar deal with the Queen of Pop. The singer's response was coyly defiant. Blond Ambition Tour: Madonna's first live incarnation of "Like a Prayer" was also her best. Sure, her voice was raw and unrefined ("Life is a misstaree, eve'one mus stan alone," she heaves), but her 1990 tour performances of the song displayed a rapturous, almost possessed quality that she's never been able to recapture. Mad'House Cover: Dutch Eurotrash group Mad'House's claim to fame is their blasphemous take on "Like a Prayer" from 2002. The glorified Madonna cover band's version is stripped of the original's nuance and soul, a tacky, mechanical shell of a dance track. Regrettably, this is the version you're most likely to hear on Top 40 radio today. (Only slightly less heretical, the cast of Glee's rendition of the song peaked at #27 in 2010.) MTV On Stage & On the Record: Then notorious for forsaking her older material, Madonna dusted off "Like a Prayer" in 2003 during the promotion of her album American Life. Thirteen years after her last live performance of the song, even Madonna's comparatively reedier voice and noticeably more limited range couldn't diminish its enduring magic. Sticky & Sweet Tour: After performing crowd-pleasing but relatively anemic versions of "Like a Prayer" during her Re-Invention Tour in 2004 and Live 8 in 2005, Madonna reinvented the song for her Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008, using elements of Mack's "Feels Like Home" for an amped-up techno mash-up. The Super Bowl: Madonna closed her record-breaking Super Bowl XLVI halftime show in 2012 with "Like a Prayer," and though she wasn't singing live, it was the closest she's ever gotten to her ecstatic Blond Ambition performances. (For those lamenting the lip-synching, she would go on to reprise this version of the song, completely live, during her MDNA Tour later that year.) And if there were any doubt, a stadium of nearly 70,000 football fans waving flashlights and singing along is a testament to the song's transcendent, all-encompassing appeal. The performance's final message of "World Peace" seemed attainable, if only for a brief moment.
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Mar 4, 2014 23:03:12 GMT -5
^ great article. Thanks for sharing Holidayguy. :) I always thought or read some reviews that she sang Like A Prayer live at the Super Bowl after a short live version of Open Your Heart with Cee Lo Green.
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.indulgecountry
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Even Tiger Woods couldn't swing it this good; I'm actin' up
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Post by .indulgecountry on Mar 4, 2014 23:09:35 GMT -5
Can't wait for a new Madonna album. I felt like I was one of the few who absolutely loved MDNA, but I thought it was a pretty great album.
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Mar 5, 2014 9:48:48 GMT -5
M is a great host! Now bring on the new album. Time for some album news. :)
http://www.peoplesty...ss-topheadlines Madonna's annual post-Oscars party was the place to be after Sunday night's show. The bash, held at her pal Guy Oseary's Los Angeles home, went on until 4 a.m. Celebrities were "wall to wall," a guest tells PEOPLE. "Everyone was dancing, mingling and eating." Academy Award winners past and present let loose and dined on dishes such as Caesar salad, penne pasta with red sauce, rice and chicken in a curry sauce and potato knishes, served buffet style. Best Actor winner Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila were inseparable. Julia Roberts and husband Danny Moder "were lovey dovey together," the partygoer adds, explaining that by the time Roberts arrived, she had ditched her Givenchy gown and "took all her glam off." The show's host, Ellen DeGeneres, and wife Portia De Rossi were relaxed and "just hanging out," says the guest, while Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem showed off pictures of their 7-month-old daughter Luna to friends. It was also a destination for other A-list couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, newly engaged Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Toni Garrn, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult, and Nicole Richie and Joel Madden. Even Madonna's ex, Sean Penn, popped into the party with girlfriend Charlize Theron. The new couple were "hugging and very sweet together," says the source. Also among the revelers: Bette Midler, Meryl Streep, Jamie Foxx, Miley Cyrus and Pink. But it was Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong'o who brought the most coveted dates of the night: their 13-½-inch-tall golden statuettes. Madonna, whose kids also attended the party, changed her outfit at least twice and wore diamonds – lots of them: "Diamonds, diamonds and diamonds on both wrists, and a headband," says the source.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Mar 5, 2014 12:17:32 GMT -5
Bette Midler at the party? She hasn't always been the nicest with her M comments.
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floridagrl
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Post by floridagrl on Mar 5, 2014 19:49:54 GMT -5
M is a great host! Now bring on the new album. Time for some album news. :) http://www.peoplesty...ss-topheadlines Madonna's annual post-Oscars party was the place to be after Sunday night's show. The bash, held at her pal Guy Oseary's Los Angeles home, went on until 4 a.m. Celebrities were "wall to wall," a guest tells PEOPLE. "Everyone was dancing, mingling and eating." Academy Award winners past and present let loose and dined on dishes such as Caesar salad, penne pasta with red sauce, rice and chicken in a curry sauce and potato knishes, served buffet style. Best Actor winner Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila were inseparable. Julia Roberts and husband Danny Moder "were lovey dovey together," the partygoer adds, explaining that by the time Roberts arrived, she had ditched her Givenchy gown and "took all her glam off." The show's host, Ellen DeGeneres, and wife Portia De Rossi were relaxed and "just hanging out," says the guest, while Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem showed off pictures of their 7-month-old daughter Luna to friends. It was also a destination for other A-list couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, newly engaged Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Toni Garrn, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult, and Nicole Richie and Joel Madden. Even Madonna's ex, Sean Penn, popped into the party with girlfriend Charlize Theron. The new couple were "hugging and very sweet together," says the source. Also among the revelers: Bette Midler, Meryl Streep, Jamie Foxx, Miley Cyrus and Pink. But it was Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong'o who brought the most coveted dates of the night: their 13-½-inch-tall golden statuettes. Madonna, whose kids also attended the party, changed her outfit at least twice and wore diamonds – lots of them: "Diamonds, diamonds and diamonds on both wrists, and a headband," says the source. Wow. I love this. The coolest people hang out with The Queen. Sounds like it was a blast. Didn't know Sean and Charlize were dating.
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Post by areyoureadytojump on Mar 6, 2014 22:04:45 GMT -5
I should celebrate my 30,000 post by posting in a Madonna thread! www.metroweekly.com/soundwaves/2014/03/classic-album-revisited-madonnas-like-a-prayer-turns-25.htmlClassic album revisited: Madonna's "Like a Prayer" turns 25Posted by Chris Gerard March 5, 2014 Twenty-five years ago this March, after months of feverish anticipation, one of the most successful pop albums of the ‘80s hit stores with a whiff of patchouli and a heavy dose of controversy. Madonna’s commercial and artistic momentum had been building steadily since her first hit, “Holiday,” reached a modest #16 six years earlier. By the time 1989 had arrived and she was preparing to release her fourth album she’d amassed six #1 singles and was second only to Michael Jackson in the galaxy of pop stardom. With Like a Prayer she delivered a knockout that became a global smash, generated six hit singles, and sold millions of copies worldwide. Like a Prayer enjoyed critical acclaim as well as commercial success. Released on March 21, 1989, it spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart during the spring of ’89. A quarter-century later, Like a Prayer still holds up as an outstanding collection of top-notch material. Overall, as a complete piece of work, it is arguably the finest album of Madonna’s three-decade-plus career. The album was preceded by the release of the fantastic title-track on March 3. The single “Like a Prayer” did nothing to dampen expectations for the new album, and it quickly shot to #1 all over the world. The provocative video directed by Mary Lambert had religious conservatives in a tizzy and prompted Pepsi to drop Madonna from a major ad campaign (although all the pearl-clutching by those denouncing the video was surely more effective promotion than any advertising money could buy). The religious-themed clip -- which features Madonna tenderly kissing a black saint that she had transformed from statue to flesh and blood with a sensual caress of her hand, and then dancing amongst flaming crosses in a skimpy black dress while wearing a crucifix -- was condemned by no less than the Vatican itself. “Like a Prayer” is one of the great singles of the ‘80s and was brilliantly produced by Patrick Leonard. The sequence between 3:04 and 3:38 (on the album version) is particularly stunning. “Like a Prayer” includes a strong gospel element, and some commentators have noted a striking similarity between it and David Bowie’s 1986 single “Underground” from the movie Labyrinth (although even Bowie would have to admit that “Like a Prayer” is by far the stronger of the two). The title song and album opener set the stage for an assemblage of songs that are personal, strongly commercial, and brilliantly executed. Pop music doesn’t get much better than this. When you consider any two ‘80s singles that were released by an artist in secession, it’s hard to top the one-two punch of “Like a Prayer” and “Express Yourself.” Perhaps Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and “Beat It”, or Prince when he unleashed “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” as the first two singles from Purple Rain-- but not many others even come close. “Express Yourself” is a jubilant dance/pop anthem of independence and individuality that remains one of Madonna’s signature songs. With a blistering horn arrangement and one of those classic melodies that seems to have been beamed straight from Heaven, “Express Yourself” became another massive single for Madonna, reaching #2 over the summer of ’89. It was held out of the top spot by two rather feeble songs in comparison that don’t hold a candle to “Express Yourself” in terms of cultural significance: Martika’s “Toy Soldiers” and Simply Red’s cover of the old R&B chestnut “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Just goes to show ya once again -- chart position isn’t everything. She follows “Express Yourself” with her quirky duet with Prince, “Love Song.” It’s clearly a Prince song musically and lyrically -- he’s not known to cede control in the studio (or anywhere else) -- but Madonna’s presence definitely blends nicely within Prince’s typically inventive vocal arrangement. It’s nice that a superstar duet wasn’t a made-for-radio love ballad, but rather an offbeat, funky little number that would have fit nicely on the album Prince released the prior year, Lovesexy. Next up is the jittery “Til Death Do Us Part,” an obviously personal song inspired by the well-publicized split between Madonna and her former husband, actor Sean Penn. Before turning darker, the music at first give the impression of a cheery pop tune, but it quickly becomes evident that’s far from the case. “Til Death Do Us Part” tells of a relationship that has disintegrated and become violent. Madonna delivers lines like “He takes a drink, she goes inside. He starts to scream, the vases fly” in an unsettling deadpan voice that sounds completely convincing. It’s a harrowing song that makes the listener feel like they are peering directly into the artist’s most personal thoughts and emotions. Next up is the melancholy piano-ballad “Promise to Try” -- she goes from the pain of a fractured relationship to the anguish of the loss of her mother. It’s a beautifully poignant song, and quite simple -- just Madonna’s voice over a piano and a tasteful string arrangement. She sings it beautifully and with real heart and feeling -- if you ever hear someone make the claim that Madonna can’t sing, play them “Promise to Try” immediately. There’s more to singing than hitting octaves -- conveying genuine feeling isn’t always about vocal theatrics. \After the emotional ending of Side One, the breezy, cheery “Cherish” is a nice mood switch to open Side Two. As the third single from Like a Prayer, the ebullient “Cherish” -- featuring a video with Madonna frolicking on the beach -- also peaked at #2 (at least this time she was kept out of the top spot by a classic, Janet Jackson’s “Miss You Much.”) “Cherish” has an endearing quality to it, and while it might not seem to have the emotional power of some of the album’s tracks, that’s precisely the point. Like a Prayer covers a range of emotions, and happiness and joyful love is one of them. The whimsical “Dear Jessie” is next, a merry little ditty with a childlike charm and a jubilant string arrangement. It was a single in some territories (not the US). “Dear Jessie” is sheer joy to play and adds beautiful color to the second half of the album. The light heartedness is necessary, as next she delves back into her more personal material with the stunning “Oh Father,” a powerfully confessional track presumably inspired by the strained relationship with her own father. Once again Madonna’s vocals are up to the task and hold up to the power of the song. Released as a single in the US, the dark and introspective track struggled to #20, her lowest chart showing in America since “Holiday.” That hardly matters -- “Oh Father” is a stunning reminder of how great pop music can be at its best. The high-energy “Keep it Together,” released as a single in January, 1990, fared much better commercially, rising to #8 on the pop charts and reaching the top of the dance chart. “Keep it Together” is something of a forgotten gem -- even though it was a Top 10 hit, it was omitted from all three of Madonna’s hits compilations: 1990’s The Immaculate Collection, GHV2 from 2001 and her 2-disc Celebration released in 2009 (one of only three of Madonna’s Top 10 hits to suffer this indignity, the others being “True Blue” and “Angel”). The sultry ballad “Spanish Eyes” follows, and then the album closes with the wonderfully offbeat “Act of Contrition.” It features portions of “Like a Prayer” played backward over a blazing guitar freak-out (widely assumed to be played by Prince, although he is not credited) and somewhat self-deprecating humor as she insists repeatedly “I have a reservation!” before shouting, “What do you mean it’s not in the computer?” Only Madonna would have the guts to cause a scene at the pearly gates. Like a Prayer has aged extremely well. The production is strong, and the songs stand the test of time. There really is no weak link, as the album veers from jubilant pop/dance to tracks that are intensely dramatic and personal. She would never again record an album this diverse, or with the depth and strength of songwriting on every track. Madonna is still enjoying an amazing career, and she’s never really put out a bad album (even MDNA has its positive attributes, and American Life is drastically underrated), but Like a Prayer is her crowning achievement. As Like a Prayer reaches the quarter-century milestone, it’s a good time to give it a thorough listen and rediscover one of the truly great pop albums of our time.
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Agent Yoncé
Diamond Member
Joined: November 2010
Posts: 24,871
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Post by Agent Yoncé on Mar 6, 2014 22:23:20 GMT -5
I love the song ('LAP') & respect all the things it done for music, but the album, as a whole, I can't get with
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jumpb4uthink
7x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2010
Posts: 7,280
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Mar 6, 2014 22:27:59 GMT -5
. Revisiting Like a Prayer tonight. Timeless and game changer of an album. Oh Father is a powerhouse, emotional and jarringly stunning video.
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Disco🌶️📖
Diamond Member
#LiteralLegender
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 68,879
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Post by Disco🌶️📖 on Mar 6, 2014 22:42:48 GMT -5
I love the song ('LAP') & respect all the things it done for music, but the album, as a whole, I can't get with I grew to appreciate the album as I got older. When I got it many years ago for "Express Yourself" when I was much younger, I found it pleasant, but I didn't quite get into it until much later.
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Agent Yoncé
Diamond Member
Joined: November 2010
Posts: 24,871
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Post by Agent Yoncé on Mar 6, 2014 23:07:24 GMT -5
I love the song ('LAP') & respect all the things it done for music, but the album, as a whole, I can't get with I grew to appreciate the album as I got older. When I got it many years ago for "Express Yourself" when I was much younger, I found it pleasant, but I didn't quite get into it until much later. I think it is definitely one of those albums that isn't quite instant, something that lingers around in your head & causes you to have an epiphany on how remarkable it truly is. I may give the album another shot in the near future. The first & only time I played it was sometime back in 2012. It clearly hasn't sunk in me like most of her other albums.
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HolidayGuy
Diamond Member
Joined: December 2003
Posts: 33,871
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Post by HolidayGuy on Mar 7, 2014 8:01:33 GMT -5
My least favorite track on LAP is "Love Song," though I have come to appreciate its quirkiness and do enjoy it.
The album really cemented her as an artist to be reckoned with, and truly separated her from the mainstream-pop pack. The album runs the gamut, emotionally. I don't know if she's ever had as flawless a segue on an album as "Dear Jessie"/"Oh Father." Going from a joyous childhood fantasy world to the dark, haunting track detailing childhood scars and the impact on one's adult life- woah.
It deserves every bit of its raves.
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@DjKingBee
New Member
Joined: November 2011
Posts: 498
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Post by @DjKingBee on Mar 7, 2014 13:26:07 GMT -5
Love song is my favorite track on the like a prayer album so dark yet funky I wish it had been a single with a video !!!! Can u imagine a madonna n prince video In 1988. Woulda been orgasmic !!!!
2nd is TIL DEATH DO US PART
THEN LIKE A PRAYER.
Dear Jesse is one of her worst songs ever up there with jimmy jimmy
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