Madonna : ‘Rebel Heart/MDNA SKIN’ Era

[Ivy Leegue™]

1. Rain
2. Live To Tell
3. Crazy For You
4. Oh Father
5. Take A Bow
6. I'll Remember

[bat1990]

So...I've come up with 16 slow songs/ballads that I love, in chronological order

Crazy For You
Live to Tell
The Look of Love
(Pray For) Spanish Eyes
In This Life
Sanctuary
Take a Bow
I Want You
One More Chance
X-Static Process
Masterpiece
Falling Free
I F**ked Up
Ghosttown
Wash All Over Me
Messiah

[Night Senses]

1. Love Tried to Welcome Me
2. Mer Girl
3. Oh Father
4. Sooner or Later
5. Live to Tell
6. This Used to Be My Playground
7. Masterpiece
8. Rain
9. Drowned World (Substitute for Love)
10. I Want You

[Deleted]

My top 5 Madonna ballads would probably be:
1. Take A Bow
2. Masterpiece
3. The Power of Goodbye
4. Crazy For You
5. Frozen

[Deleted]

Jan 12, 2017 14:11:35 GMT -5 August said:

Jan 12, 2017 13:45:30 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

My favorite Madonna ballad is "Live to Tell" it showed the depth she was capable of, and set the tone for her artistic journey from there forward. Plus, that instrumental break, building up to "If I ran away..."- awesome, chilling stuff.

"Crazy For You" is next in line, and then stuff like "Drowned World" and "Oh Father."

RH) I believe that quote was about the LAP album itself, but close enough. ;)

One day I will stump you my friend :)

Actually, I'll stump both of you...

The review was from Rolling Stone:
www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/like-a-prayer-19890406
Madonna: Like A Prayer

By J.D. Considine
April 6, 1989

Ever since Madonna's bellybutton first undulated its way into mass consciousness, her fame has been more a matter of image than artistry. Never mind whether there was any depth or resonance behind it; for many of her fans, the image alone — Madonna as wily, wanton boy toy, gleefully manipulating the material world — was resonant enough. For others, it was just an act, a coolly calculated pop ploy designed to sell records.
With Like a Prayer, Madonna doesn't just ask to be taken seriously, she insists on it. Daring in its lyrics, ambitious in its sonics, this is far and away the most self-consciously serious album she's made. There are no punches pulled, anywhere; Madonna is brutally frank about the dissolution of her marriage ("Till Death Do Us Part"), her ambivalence toward her father ("Oh Father") and even her feelings of loss about her mother ("Promise to Try"). Yet as intensely personal as these songs are, the underlying themes are universal enough to move almost any listener. Likewise, the music, though clearly a step beyond the pop confections that earned the singer her place on the charts, remains as accessible as ever.
Don't expect to be won over instantly, though, for Like a Prayer is more interested in exorcising demons than entertaining fans. The album is in large part about growing up and dealing with such ghosts from the past as parents, religion and the promises of love. At times, the album can be heartbreaking in its honesty — read through the lyrics to "Till Death Do Us Part," and you'll feel guilty for ever having glanced at a tabloid with a Madonna & Sean Wedding Shocker headline.
This is serious stuff, and nowhere is that more apparent than on the title tune. Opening with a sudden blast of stun-gun guitar, "Like a Prayer" seems at first like a struggle between the sacred and the profane as Madonna's voice is alternately driven by a jangling, bass-heavy funk riff and framed by an angelic aura of backing voices. Madonna stokes the spiritual fires with a potent, high-gloss groove that eventually surrenders to gospel abandon.
The tracks that Madonna coproduced with Patrick Leonard — which include "Like a Prayer" — are stunning in their breadth and achievement. "Cherish," which manages a nod to the Association song of the same title, makes savvy retro-rock references, and "Dear Jessie" boasts kaleidoscopic Sgt. Pepper-isms. When Stephen Bray replaces Leonard as coproducer, even an unabashed groove tune like "Express Yourself" seems smart and sassy, right down to Madonna's soul-style testimony on the intro: "Come on, girls, do you believe in love?"
Believing in love doesn't seem as easy for Madonna as it once did, though. "Till Death Do Us Part" takes its wedding-vow title almost mockingly, as the singer contemplates all the ways her marriage seems to be killing her. "The bruises, they will fade away/You hit so hard with the things you say," goes one verse, and it's hard not to be shocked. But the saddest thing about the song isn't the abuse endured by Madonna (for this hardly seems a fictional "I"); it's her helplessness in the face of her husband's self-loathing: "You're not in love with someone else/You don't even love yourself/Still I wish you'd ask me not to go."
But difficult love seems a familiar refrain in this collection of songs. "Oh Father" mirrors many of the horrors hinted at by "Till Death Do Us Part" (which provides plenty of material for armchair psychiatrists), and despite the song's lush string arrangement, there's still a disturbing amount of ache in lines like "You can't hurt me now/I got away from you, I never thought I would." Not that it's all bad love and childhood trauma. "Promise to Try," for instance, is about gathering a certain strength from feelings of loss and abandonment, as Madonna tries to live up to the memories she holds so dear.
The worst that can be said of the album's obviously confessional numbers is that they engender such powerful emotions that an admirable pop song like "Keep It Together" seems almost trivial by comparison (when in fact it's a rather impressive invocation of the importance of family). Fortunately, Madonna maintains an impressive sense of balance throughout the album, leavening the pain of "Till Death Do Us Part" with the lighthearted love of "Cherish," contrasting the trauma of "Oh Father" with the libidinal power games of "Love Song" (a coy, musically adventurous duel-duet with Prince) and juxtaposing the ecstatic fervor of "Like a Prayer" with the Catholic injoking of "Act of Contrition."
As for her image, well, you may see her navel on the inner sleeve, but what you hear once you get inside the package is as close to art as pop music gets. Like a Prayer is proof not only that Madonna should be taken seriously as an artist but that hers is one of the most compelling voices of the Eighties. And if you have trouble accepting that, maybe it's time for a little image adjustment of your own.


----
My favorite ballads...
I'm going to think outside of the box instead of going with LTT or the other greats:
The Look of Love
Time Stood Still
One More Chance
Shoo-Bee-Doo
Bad Girl
Gone
Forbidden Love 94
Easy Ride

[Dreams]

1. "Crazy For You"
2. "Ghosttown"
3. "Live To Tell"
4. "The Look of Love"
5. "You'll See"

H/Ms: "Spanish Eyes," "Time Stood Still."

[jumpb4uthink]

Power of Goodbye
You'll See
Gone
Live To Tell
Miles Away
Voices
Promise To Try
Nothing Fails
What it Feels Like for a Girl
Intervention

[August]

I forgot to mention Bad Girl and You'll See....love them.

[Deleted]

Jan 12, 2017 18:10:58 GMT -5 jumpb4uthink said:

Power of Goodbye
You'll See
Gone
Live To Tell
Miles Away
Voices
Promise To Try
Nothing Fails
What it Feels Like for a Girl
Intervention

Ugh...how could I forget Promise to Try?? I sing it to my young female kitty cat everyday!

[jumpb4uthink]

Jan 11, 2017 20:19:12 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

^We're never going to a get a new album.

Not sure if this is legit or not, Is she working on a film or a new album.
Hopefully an album.

The unapologetic diva could just be finding new and interesting ways to pass the time, but she’s expected to start work on a new album in 2017. And, after the disastrous roll out of Rebel Heart, the pop icon is determined to do things right this time around.
www.idolator.com/7654922/madonna-sexy-harpers-bazaar-150th-anniversary

[areyoureadytojump]

Under-rated...

[bat1990]

I enjoy all the love for "The Look of Love" going on in this thread!

Also, that Rolling Stone LAP review is excellent. Interesting that they shy away from the AIDS-related "Spanish Eyes" but touch on the greatness of literally every other song.

EDIT: Also also, F**K ME AND MY SAD BANK ACCOUNT!!! I want those vinyl reissues so badly! I hope they do a box set. Most especially I want Erotica b/c I heard that album is amazing on vinyl.

[HolidayGuy]

In the initial Rolling Stone issue, it showed just 3.5 stars for LAP (out of 5). That review surely reads like it should have been more. In subsequent album guides and such, it showed as 4 1/2 out of 5.

She has many a great ballads- from the most recent album, "Joan of Arc," "Ghosttown" and "Messiah" are top-notch. (JOA picks up the tempo somewhat, but I guess we can regard it as a ballad).

[So Pure]

This is a true underrated gem. There's a magical quality to it. youtu.be/X8ILQNz9Iqs

[Juanca]

Based on my personal chart and slight adjustments in time, this is my ranking of Madonna ballads:
1) You'll See / Verás
Big hit back home and a song I loved from first time I heard it. Clarity and emotion of her voice were highlights, and the Spanish influence was an added bonus. Her version in Spanish pushed it closer to home
2) Live to Tell
One of the best songs she's ever recorded and a huge moment of growth in her career. The buildup and the dramatic lead to such a strong bridge demonstrated she was an artist to be taken seriously
3) The power of goodbye
4) Crazy for you
5) I'll remember
6) Take a bow
7) This used to be my playground
8) Spanish eyes
9) Ghost town
10) Nothing fails

[Deleted]

Wow, this guy is so talented!!
www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michael-griffiths-madonna-tribute_us_5877e74ae4b0b3c7a7b05538
Aussie Singer Justifies His Love For Madonna With An Epic Tribute

[Deleted]

How people no one has said Rain yet? Definitely one of my favorite Madonna ballads. Others include:

This Used To Be My Playground
Live To Tell
I'll Remember
Take A Bow
You'll See

[Unhinged]

^Succulent has it has his No. 1 at the very top of this page. It's also my favorite ballad of hers.

[areyoureadytojump]

30 years ago this week on the Billboard Hot 100:

January 31, 1987

01 01 At This Moment - Billy Vera & The Beaters (2nd and final week at #1)
02 04 Open Your Heart - Madonna
03 02 C'est La Vie - Robbie Nevil
04 06 Land Of Confusion - Genesis
05 08 Change Of Heart - Cyndi Lauper
06 05 Control - Janet Jackson
07 07 Someday - Glass Tiger
08 03 Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott
09 15 Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi
10 12 Touch Me (I Want Your Body) - Samantha Fox

[kmbgs]

Madonna's ballads are everything:

Take a Bow and Live to Tell are my favs. CFY brings me back to childhood (mom bumped TIC all the time, especially the first side).

I'll Remember as well. Even TUTBMP.

[HolidayGuy]

^They are- why Something to Remember was a nice release. :) Though stuff like "Promise to Try," "Spanish Eyes," "Sooner or Later," etc. were missed. I would have replaced "Forbidden Love" with one of those, if there were space issues.

[Verisimilitude]

Jan 18, 2017 14:19:19 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

^They are- why Something to Remember was a nice release. :) Though stuff like "Promise to Try," "Spanish Eyes," "Sooner or Later," etc. were missed. I would have replaced "Forbidden Love" with one of those, if there were space issues.

Don't you mean "One More Chance"? LOL, why that was an international single I'll never understand. "Forbidden Love" is one of the best on "Bedtime Stories", though its' inclusion was surprising nonetheless. I wish "I Want You" was allowed to be commercially released to radio, could have been a bigger hit than "Love Don't Live Here Anymore".

At least "OMC" got a video. Poor "Rescue Me".

[HolidayGuy]

No, I meant FL- one of my least favorites on the BS album. OMC isn't one of her greatest tracks, either, but it was new, so I left it. :) (She does sound nice on the track, though).

IWY was set to be the lead single, though those plans were scrapped.

[SPRΞΞ]

Jan 18, 2017 9:18:04 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

30 years ago this week on the Billboard Hot 100:

January 31, 1987

01 01 At This Moment - Billy Vera & The Beaters (2nd and final week at #1)
02 04 Open Your Heart - Madonna
03 02 C'est La Vie - Robbie Nevil
04 06 Land Of Confusion - Genesis
05 08 Change Of Heart - Cyndi Lauper
06 05 Control - Janet Jackson
07 07 Someday - Glass Tiger
08 03 Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott
09 15 Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi
10 12 Touch Me (I Want Your Body) - Samantha Fox

compare that Top 10 to today's Top 10, lol. Boy would it suck to be a kid growing up right now.

[Deleted]

Jan 18, 2017 9:18:04 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

30 years ago this week on the Billboard Hot 100:

January 31, 1987

01 01 At This Moment - Billy Vera & The Beaters (2nd and final week at #1)
02 04 Open Your Heart - Madonna
03 02 C'est La Vie - Robbie Nevil
04 06 Land Of Confusion - Genesis
05 08 Change Of Heart - Cyndi Lauper
06 05 Control - Janet Jackson
07 07 Someday - Glass Tiger
08 03 Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott
09 15 Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi
10 12 Touch Me (I Want Your Body) - Samantha Fox

Madonna...Cyndi...Samantha

1987 was gay boy heaven

[chartfreak]

Jan 18, 2017 14:25:07 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

No, I meant FL- one of my least favorites on the BS album. OMC isn't one of her greatest tracks, either, but it was new, so I left it. :) (She does sound nice on the track, though).

IWY was set to be the lead single, though those plans were scrapped.

Are you serious Holiday...my gosh...I love both FL's. Fl from Bedtime Stories should have been a single after TAB, it would have done well.

[Deleted]

First of all, I love Something to Remember album. I love Madonna's ballads


My favorite is ...


Pray for Spanish Eyes


Other than that:

Love tried to welcome me
Forbidden Love ( COTDF)
Rain
This used to be my playground
Crazy for you
To have and not to hold
Promise to try

[Deleted]

www.rollingstone.com/music/news/madonna-talks-donald-trump-activism-at-brooklyn-museum-w462015

Madonna Talks Donald Trump, Art and Activism at Brooklyn Museum
Singer joins panel discussion on the role of art and feminism in new era

A panel discussion at the Brooklyn Museum on Thursday night started on an ominous note: "We're not on the eve of destruction," the poet, essayist, and playwright Elizabeth Alexander assured the audience, less than 24 hours before Donald Trump was to be sworn in as president. "It just looks like it." Madonna, artist Marilyn Minter (who has paintings, photographs, and visual art currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum) and the institution's director Anne Pasternak joined Alexander on the day of reckoning. Their discussion ranged widely – from Baldwin to Basquiat, fear to feminism – but circled around a central concern: the role of creatives and feminists in a time when, as Minter put it, "this is the most frightened I've ever been."
"It feels like women betrayed us," pop icon says. "The percentage of women who voted for Trump was insanely high"
Judging by the sold-out crowd – well-heeled and fashionably late – that attended the event, many shared Minter's anxiety. Before the speakers took the stage, the sound system blasted bottom-heavy music, and the inauguration loomed like a tornado warning in the audience's pre-panel discussions. To the right: a man greeted an acquaintance with, "It's good to be here and celebrate a little bit before tomorrow." To the left: a conversation about the racial makeup of the Women's March On Washington, scheduled for the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, which Madonna will attend. The dress code at the museum was unofficially business casual, so the singer shined in a shirt emblazoned with the word "feminist" and a sea captain's hat cocked at a swashbuckling angle.

The evening kicked off with the words of writer James Baldwin, which lent additional authority to the artists about to hit the stage. "The poets (by which I mean all artists) are finally the only people who know the truth about us," he declared in 1962. "Soldiers don't. Statesmen don't. Priests don't. Union leaders don't. Only poets." Madonna followed this by airing a short art film that mixed vicious, graceful dancing, violent, Fascist-inflected imagery and a succession of calls to arms. "I want to start a revolution," the singer's voiceover asserted. "Are you with me?"
Though this hinted at a radical break with the past, the conversation that followed often echoed pre-election chatter in liberal circles. Madonna presented Trump's election as a daunting but necessary evil. "It had to happen," she said. "I do believe that Trump was elected for a reason: to show us how lazy and un-unified and lackadaisical and taking-for-granted we've become of our freedom and the rights we have as Americans."
She would build on this theme later, twisting Trump's presence into a boon for liberal causes with a bit of rhetorical judo. "It sounds really perverse, but [Trump]'s actually doing us a great service," she stated. "We've gone as low as we can go. We can only go up from here. What are we going to do to go up? ... We have two choices: destruction. Creation. I'm going down the road of creation and you're all welcome to join me."


Thursday's segments directly addressing this question were more absorbing. Alexander referenced famed feminist and activist Gloria Steinem, suggesting that "commit[ing] an outrageous act every day" might be a possible path of resistance to a president who failed to win a majority of the popular vote. Even on the level of language, she suggested defiance was possible. "I wasn't going to speak his name, following the lead of the First Lady," Alexander said of the incoming president. "It doesn't belong in my mouth."
Minter pledged her renewed commitment to public advocacy, especially on the local level, as a way of attempting to nudge the country in a different direction. "I'm gonna start doing activism again," she announced. "Everyone I know is going to Washington [for the Women's March]." She recently joined a number of New York artists in a protest outside the Puck Building, which belongs to the family of Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner. And she commended another artist, Richard Prince, who recently returned $36,000 to Ivanka Trump – money that she had paid him for a 2014 piece. In addition, Prince took to Twitter to publicly sever ties with the artwork: "This is not my work," he wrote. "I did not make it. I deny. I denounce. This is fake art."
When it came time for Madonna to suggest impactful steps forward, she leaned on generalities: "thinking outside the box," "never being complacent," "stand up for what you believe in," "taking the road less travelled." (She admitted to spouting platitudes, joking, "I'm just gonna start throwing out clichés.") The star got a stronger response earlier in the evening when she struck the same note – half rabble-rouser, half entertainer – that characterized her short film.
"They say it's always darkest before dawn," she told the crowd. "So let's get the party started."

[HolidayGuy]

jump- I am serious. :) It's not bad, but I find it kinda sluggish, and I skip it sometimes when listening to that album. Now, "Forbidden Love" (2005), that's another story. :)

[Deleted]

See, I like FL94 better...the "if I only had one wish" part is orgasmic.