HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Apr 24, 2018 8:49:02 GMT -5
"No comment(s) from the peanut gallery"- always remember that comment, after revealing the album title, and her facial expression/giggle. Indeed, she clearly was ready to move on. Performing "Like a Virgin," rather than then-current hit "Lucky Star," at the inaugural VMAs was a ballsy move. And one that helped define her, really (the brazen sexuality of it, as well, didn't hurt). Re AL- I did appreciate the mixes on Remixed & Revisited, and am glad she brought the rock element to the re-Invention Tour performance of "American Life." I also like the "Love Profusion" mix more than the original version.
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Glove Slap
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Post by Glove Slap on Apr 24, 2018 9:02:14 GMT -5
The LAV album was ready to go for a long time before it was released. There's footage of her performing Dress You Up at Keith Haring's birthday in May 1984 and it's virtually exactly the way it was when it became a hit over a year later. There's also interviews where she says that she hopes Borderline would finish up soon so she could release new material. She didn't want to release Lucky Star as a single in the US (it was released in the UK in fall '83 and bombed, then was released in the spring of '84 as the follow up to Holiday and made the top 15), and was convinced by a record executive to do so because she needed money to pay off lawsuits.
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August
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Post by August on Apr 24, 2018 15:02:03 GMT -5
The LAV album was ready to go for a long time before it was released. There's footage of her performing Dress You Up at Keith Haring's birthday in May 1984 and it's virtually exactly the way it was when it became a hit over a year later. There's also interviews where she says that she hopes Borderline would finish up soon so she could release new material. She didn't want to release Lucky Star as a single in the US (it was released in the UK in fall '83 and bombed, then was released in the spring of '84 as the follow up to Holiday and made the top 15), and was convinced by a record executive to do so because she needed money to pay off lawsuits. and here is that footage. :)
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Apr 24, 2018 17:29:32 GMT -5
She’s following these artists and they are following her on Instagram and Twitter. Maybe the album is shaping up like this. Co-writers: Madonna, Starrah, Joe Henry Co-producers: Madonna, Mirwais, Billboard Not sure where Cardi B fits in.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Apr 27, 2018 17:40:46 GMT -5
What lawsuits did M have in 1983?
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August
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Post by August on Apr 28, 2018 6:54:42 GMT -5
What lawsuits did M have in 1983? Not sure. It is written on the Wiki page for Lucky Star that she had some lawsuits to pay off, so she let the record label release it.
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August
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Post by August on Apr 28, 2018 18:42:50 GMT -5
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Apr 28, 2018 22:14:14 GMT -5
^"Great" isn't a word I'd use to describe Hard Candy, but I know it has its fans. I haven't listened to it from start to finish in some time, but will try to do so soon, for a re-evaluation.
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August
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Post by August on Apr 29, 2018 7:54:09 GMT -5
^"Great" isn't a word I'd use to describe Hard Candy, but I know it has its fans. I haven't listened to it from start to finish in some time, but will try to do so soon, for a re-evaluation. There was a lot of Hard Candy I didn't really love. I have not listened to it from start to finish in quite a few years. I think part of it is that it sounds so much like a Timberlake / Timbaland album and I am tired of their sound. I actually enjoyed MDNA a lot more and it felt more like a Madonna album, even with it's weak spots.
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Oprah
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Post by Oprah on Apr 29, 2018 8:06:39 GMT -5
COAD was her last truly great album. Hard Candy was terrible tbh; MDNA and Rebel Heart were better.
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Choco
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Post by Choco on Apr 29, 2018 8:37:16 GMT -5
Yeah Confessions was the last time Madonna felt like a trend-setter instead of a trend-chaser.
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August
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Post by August on Apr 29, 2018 9:17:23 GMT -5
Speaking of trendsetters, I was listening to one of my favorite songs earlier (Rebel Rebel by David Bowie.) Then I remembered Madonna paid tribute to him and his influence on her during the Rebel Heart Tour. Great cover.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2018 13:46:00 GMT -5
I have a Madonna day today Been listening Immaculate collection And disc 2 of Celebration
I love Dress you up & Burning up
Plus, Rescue me is my favorite Madonna song
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I do also feel Confessions is her last great album But I do prefer Hard candy to MDNA and RHeart - which I think is her weakest
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Post by areyoureadytojump on Apr 29, 2018 15:11:12 GMT -5
Happy 10th Anniversary to HC! www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8401373/madonna-hard-candy-10-year-anniversary-last-great-albumWhy 'Hard Candy' is Madonna's Last Great Album4/28/2018 by Chuck Arnold For most, Hard Candy is not a classic Madonna album like 1989’s Like a Prayer, 1998’s Ray of Light or her eponymous 1983 debut. It’s generally not even considered on the level of its Grammy-winning predecessor, 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor. The album -- which arrived stateside 10 years ago on April 29, 2008 -- only spawned one top 10 single, “4 Minutes” (which hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100), while most of her previous studio LPs had multiple ones. And even "4 Minutes," a clattering collaboration with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and some marching band, felt more like one of the Tims’ bangers than a Madonna song. In fact, probably the biggest quasi-knock against Hard Candy was that, with Timbaland, Timberlake and the Neptunes behind the boards, it found Madge working with A-list pop hitmakers for one of the rare times in her career up to that point. (Nile Rodgers, on 1984’s Like a Virgin, and Babyface and Dallas Austin, on 1994’s Bedtime Stories, also come to mind.) Gone was the hip factor of William Orbit on Ray of Light, Mirwais Ahmadzaï on Music and American Life, and even Stuart Price on Confessions on a Dance Floor. There was almost a feeling that Madonna had sold out, as if one of the biggest pop stars in history could do that simply by trying to make popular music. That bad album cover -- where she strikes a dominatrix-meets-prizefighter pose -- certainly didn’t help matters. But in retrospect, Hard Candy is, from start to finish, the last great Madonna album, if not up to her outright classics. There is no filler. There are no bad tracks. Zero. (Even the flamenco-flavored “Spanish Lesson," a frivolous addition to Madonna’s catalog of Latin-infused nuggets, is a guilty pleasure.) The same can’t be said of the more beloved Confessions on a Dance Floor, another club-ready affair that had that forgettable moment when Esther took over on "Isaac." As the main men on Madonna’s producing and songwriting squad, Timbaland, Timberlake and the Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) were in top form. On opener "Candy Shop," which sets the sexy tone for the rest of Hard Candy, the Neptunes get the party pumping with an almost sinister slinkiness. There is really nothing sweet about this sugar — it's just plain hot and raw. That special Neptunes sauce clearly inspired Madonna to sound more erotic than she had since, well, 1992’s Erotica. Although the Neptunes also produced the second single "Give It 2 Me," a classic Madonna anthem with a determined groove to match the lyric, they really hit peak level with the back-to-back tracks "She’s Not Me" and "Incredible." Ranking among Madonna’s best deep cuts (put “Candy Shop” in that category too), the sassy "She’s Not Me" and the euphoric "Incredible" are both shape-shifting, six-minute epics that start on one dance floor and then transport you to another where the get-down goes on without missing a beat. Later, on "Beat Goes On" (featuring Kanye West), the Neptunes channel Chic with a bumping bass line. And on the next track, the shimmering "Dance 2Night," Timbaland and Timberlake keep the disco vibe twirling. Madonna and JT, grinding on and around each other, display even more chemistry on "Dance 2Night" than they do on "4 Minutes." The Tims also worked on the ballad "Miles Away," the album's third and final single, which mixes the folktronica of Music and especially American Life with a stuttering Timbaland beat. "I guess we’re at our best when we’re miles away," sings Madonna, hinting at the marital problems that led her to split with Guy Ritchie later in 2008. In the end, Hard Candy was a sweet victory lap for Madonna as her last of 11 studio albums for Warner Bros., the label where she became the most famous female artist on the planet.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Apr 29, 2018 17:23:26 GMT -5
^HC, rather than HG. ;)
Disgaree with his "Isaac" comment; I like that one (that string section) more than some other COADF tracks.
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🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲
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Post by 🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲 on Apr 29, 2018 22:26:16 GMT -5
I have a Madonna day today Been listening Immaculate collection And disc 2 of Celebration I love Dress you up & Burning up Plus, Rescue me is my favorite Madonna song ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I do also feel Confessions is her last great albumBut I do prefer Hard candy to MDNA and RHeart - which I think is her weakestI so agree. I also prefer Hard Candy to MDNA and Rebel Heart. MDNA had some really crappy songs.
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🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲
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Post by 🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲 on Apr 29, 2018 22:35:51 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2018 1:54:36 GMT -5
I have a Madonna day today Been listening Immaculate collection And disc 2 of Celebration I love Dress you up & Burning up Plus, Rescue me is my favorite Madonna song ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I do also feel Confessions is her last great albumBut I do prefer Hard candy to MDNA and RHeart - which I think is her weakestI so agree. I also prefer Hard Candy to MDNA and Rebel Heart. MDNA had some really crappy songs. On the other hand, I do prefer MDNA to RHeart There are songs on MDNA I really like. RHeart is the only Madonna album where there is not a single song I like
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kmbgs
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Post by kmbgs on Apr 30, 2018 10:24:09 GMT -5
There was a great 10-12 track album somewhere in Rebel Heart, but the album got weighed down in too much filler.
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Post by The Black Bird on Apr 30, 2018 10:26:36 GMT -5
I so agree. I also prefer Hard Candy to MDNA and Rebel Heart. MDNA had some really crappy songs. On the other hand, I do prefer MDNA to RHeart There are songs on MDNA I really like. RHeart is the only Madonna album where there is not a single song I like Lovespent (acoustic version) still gives me life! Such a bop!!!
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Juanca
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Post by Juanca on Apr 30, 2018 10:42:20 GMT -5
That review lost its credibility when indirectly saying that Spanish lessons is better than Isaac. WTH? Isaac may be seen as an oddity among other album tracks, but it was a strong song on its own-one of my favorites for sure. I mean, had he said I Love New York or How High, I could’ve given the benefit of the doubt. Anyway. HC has some good songs, but most of them had something that affected my overall enjoyment. Like the endless Get stupid, or the booty get down, the sugar is raw, the tiring endless last minute of SNM, or just the plain stupidity and non-catchiness of SL and Incredible.
Rebel Heart was a good album to me. Yes, it has some fillers as it’s a long album, but the core is quite strong. Ghost town, Devil Pray, Joan of Arc are divine, and catalog highlights IMO
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2018 11:51:41 GMT -5
I do agree with you on 2 things - 1. there are good songs on RHeart 2. Spanish lesson is probably the worst Madonna sing with Autotune baby I love Isaak and every single song on Confessions
All comes to personal taste, so we are all right in some points.
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SPRΞΞ
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Post by SPRΞΞ on Apr 30, 2018 12:01:04 GMT -5
Ghost town, Devil Pray, Joan of Arc are divine, and catalog highlights IMO definitely agree with this, and will add Avicii Heart to that group. With that said, although Rebel Heart and MDNA have some great songs, career highlights even, as a whole they lack identity the way Hard Candy does. So in that sense, I agree with the article.
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kmbgs
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Post by kmbgs on Apr 30, 2018 13:07:44 GMT -5
I'd add Inside Out to the Rebel Heart core track list.
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Hurricane Lee
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Post by Hurricane Lee on Apr 30, 2018 14:46:10 GMT -5
I am one of those Hard Candy fans. Though I haven't listened to it in years, as a PRODUCER'S album, it is FLAWLESS. I love how long the songs are and how they morph. Such great party songs.
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Post by areyoureadytojump on Apr 30, 2018 14:59:54 GMT -5
Why do some people put so much focus on the bad songs on an album(according to their opinion)?
My friend went on and on about the bad songs on RH. I told him to focus on the good songs on RH. I would think the brilliance of DP, GT, JOA, BS, HC should make a listener forget the songs they don't like.
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bat1990
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Post by bat1990 on Apr 30, 2018 15:22:24 GMT -5
Really she doesn't have a bad album. I love them all even when I hate on MDNA for having some of the weakest spots in her discography. It's highs are exhilarating (and she could've cut some of the ish from the standard and replaced them with the bonus tracks).
I adore Rebel Heart from start to finish and don't mind the length. "Veni Vidi Vici" is the only one I skip. I appreciate "Joan of Arc," "S.E.X," and "Heartbreak City" after seeing the RH Tour. The latter two aren't meant to be sexy or pretty respectively.
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Hurricane Lee
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Post by Hurricane Lee on Apr 30, 2018 16:21:54 GMT -5
Looking back at the tracklisting of Rebel Heart, I loved it. My favorites:
1. Body Shop 2. Devil Pray 3. Ghosttown 4. Hold Tight 5. Unapologetic Bitch 6. Bitch I'm Madonna 7. Illuminati 8. Inside Out 9. Best Night 10. Living For Love 11. S.E.X. 12. Joan of Arc 13. Holy Water
That's pretty much my album, not in that order, but in order of song preference. Rebel Heart was a solid B+. Madonna just has an uphill battle at her age but as long as she puts out music I can bop too and that sounds this good, I'm fine.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Apr 30, 2018 16:54:52 GMT -5
OK, so I revisted Hard Candy today. I still can't get into "Spanish Lesson," and I agree with Juan, about some of the cringeworthy lines in some of the songs. My favorites would be "Give it 2 Me," "Miles Away," "Incredible," "Bat Goes On" and "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You." I like some of the other songs fine enough (even "4 Minites"). I don't know if I quite *love* any of the songs, though, whereas I do some tracks on MDNA and [Rebel Heart[/i]. Oh, and "Candy Shop" is a fun track, and one that she'll probably perform on every tour for as long as she continues performing, but, as mentioned earlier, "My sugar is raw" is one of those cringeworthy lyrical moments.
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bat1990
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Post by bat1990 on Apr 30, 2018 18:05:30 GMT -5
Now I would like to read everyone's in depth opinions and analysis on all over her albums...
I just don't want to clog up this forward-looking thread about album #14 too much.
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