I used to hate it but actually it sounds great on a good hi-fi system. I actually prefer American Life to Confessions On A Dance Floor which is very contrived to sound like a Disco rather than an album that actually is saying anything. I think that is the start of the trend to chase musical styles.
And a Hip-hop song with a rap break wasn't chasing styles? Or does she have to have a "featured" artist doing the rap to qualify?
I have to disagree. I think Confessions is a far superior album to American Life. I don't think Confessions is contrived in that Madonna was a dance artist from the beginning. If anything for me it's the acoustic and rock leaning tracks of American Life that sound contrived. I'm glad she never went in a full on rock direction. I love rock and electric guitars generally but I don't think that type of sound suits her voice at all. To me a rock track like I'm in Love with Love just sounds awful and very un Madonna. Thank God she never went fully in that direction. It's so not her. Confessions if you listen closely to the lyrics actually has a heavy spiritual and Kaballah influence in the lyrics so it is far from an album that is saying nothing. People tend to associate acoustic songs with deeper better lyrics and dance music with insubstantial lyrics. But that's not always the case. Confessions in fact has much better lyrics than American Life on which some of the lyrics can be kind of clunky.
What is next? Remixed & Revisted and I'm Going To Tell you A Secret or are we skipping to Confessions?
I'm sure aseriesofsneaks won't miss out either of the interim projects before we get to Confessions. This thread has been very thorough so far.
I plan on covering all three releases. Remixed and Revisited is up next, probably later this evening. After that, as we're going by release date, will be Confessions, then I'm Going to Tell You a Secret.
It's been a fantastic thread...probably one of the most enjoyable I have contributed to...and it's not over yet!
I'm playing catch up. Ray Of Light for me was the first time I was this exited since Like A Prayer to buy her album, it was a comeback for me, I bought it on the first few days it came out. Frozen was huge and the song Ray Of Light is still one of my favorites. I remember seeing her interview on Oprah, Madonna had returned. I have to admit I do not revisit the album often, I have to be in the mood for it, I find it now just a bit boring. When I first heard the song Music I thought it was a joke, that this couldn't be Madonna new single off her new album, I thought it was the end of her career, little did I know it was to be her last #1 song. I don't play the album often and I absolutely loathe Mirwais, his music and production, instead of beautiful melodies he give us bleeps and bleeps. For fun a few weeks ago I put on American Life on my ipod and headphones, to give it another chance, what a mistake, her worst album ever along with Bedtime Stories. Hollywood is cute and I have rediscovered "Nothing Fails", but a lot of the tracks are the worse drek she has ever come up with. This was the first time I came across a Madonna song that I can't listen to, not just because I don't like it, but because it's un-listenable, Nobody Knows Me, sonically it's horrid, I had to turn it off, my ears were hurting, garbage is being kind. I'm With Stupid isn't far behind. Where are the melodies, there isn't any, just bleeps and bleebs, I never want to hear another Mirwais album ever again. Elton was right Die Another Day is horrible no melody, it's her worst single ever IMO. Thankful her next project would be kind to me ears
Remixed & Revisited Release date: November 24, 2003 Billboard 200 Chart Peak: No. 115 Track list: 1. Nothing Fails [Nevins Mix] 2. Love Profusion [Headcleanr Rock Mix] 3. Nobody Knows Me [Mount Sims Old School Mix] 4. American Life [Headcleanr Rock Mix] 5. Like a Virgin/Hollywood Medley (feat. Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears & Missy Elliott) [2003 MTV VMA Performance] 6. Into the Hollywood Groove (feat. Missy Elliott) [The Passengerz Mix] 7. Your Honesty While American Life debuted at No. 1 in over a dozen countries, its sales dwindled quickly, particularly in the US. Mixed reviews of the album likely didn't help sales, but the true sign of trouble was when its second single, "Hollywood", failed to catch fire, earning the dubious distinction of being Madonna's first single since "Burning Up" not to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart. For her part, Madonna tried to reinvigorate interest in the album though a high-profile Gap ad set to a mashup of "Into the Groove" and "Hollywood", which also featured Missy Elliott. Then there was her infamous performance at that year's MTV VMA Awards, where she generated controversy by kissing both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, who were performing with her. However, while the incident generated a great deal of print, it failed to ignite the album's commercial fortunes. Seemingly reluctant to give up on material she wanted more people to hear, Madonna's last Maverick release was of this EP featuring remixed versions of four American Life tracks, presenting them in retro or rock arrangements. To provide further incentive for fans to purchase this collection, it included a full-length version of "Into the Hollywood Groove" from the Gap ad, the VMA performance, as well as "Your Honesty", an unreleased track from the Bedtime Stories sessions. While it ultimately failed to introduce the material to a wider audience, this is a worthwhile release. For me, the Headcleanr Rock Mix of "Love Profusion" is the best thing to come from this entire era, and the remixes of "Nothing Fails", "American Life" and "Nobody Knows Me" all improve on the album versions. If anything, the reimagined versions of these songs prove that the biggest issue with American Life was Mirwais' limited bag of tricks. Although it feels a little out of place here sonically, "Your Honesty" is another worthy track that makes you wish Madonna would open the vaults more often. I enjoy it more than many of the songs that did make it onto Bedtime Stories; it's hard to believe they couldn't find a place on the album for it or have used it as a b-side for one of its singles. I have to admit that the "Like a Virgin/Hollywood Medley" VMA performance and "Into the Hollywood Groove" have no real replay value for me. Although "Hollywood" is one of the American Life tracks I really enjoy, the juxtaposition of it and earlier classics like "Into the Groove" and "Like a Virgin" doesn't do it any favours, revealing it as a lesser song.
I'm embarrassed to say that I was not even aware of this CD until your post. I have heard none of these remixes and don't really see anything here that I want to hear in remix form. I am not really one for remixes after about 1990...I loved extended versions and 12" singles in the 80s but I find a lot of 90s and beyond remixes boring. I will try to check these out on Spotify, but I very much doubt I will be trying to find myself a copy of Remixed and Revisited! I am interested in hearing 'Your Honesty' but in the case of the others, I'm happy with the originals.
A fairly non essential part of Madonna's discography. The only reason to buy this was Your Honesty, and even that isn't earth shattering. She has much better unreleased tracks that that. It seems to have been largely ignored at the time and has totally disappeared off most people's radar. By the time it was released i already had all the tracks on promos or downloads, so, other than the cover and disc art this release gave me nothing new. The remixes are ok, other than Love Profusion which is my go to version and i love it. The others however all have far superior mixes available and these are all a bit lame. I have a really rare store display for this EP. Promotion printed items were really scarce for this release. It's a large card repro of the sleeve blown up to 48"x48" with a large 40" circular board hanging from it with the track details. I got it from a record rep and I've never seen another one for sale. I have large display items for almost all her albums (except Rebel Heart and Hard Candy) Unfortunately, i need a bigger house to display them all, so most are in storage.
I didn't also know that this "Remixed &Revisited" existed at all, I must have been looking elsewhere when it was released.
Okay it's funny when I hear people say they didn't even know about some things she released (I guess even the people who post on here that I think are supposed to be so obsessed, aren't as obsessed as I am then--haha!) Anyway, the EP was a weird release, it was kinda like a You Can Dance part II in that it was her second special remix EP (not just a single or maxi-single) and included an updated "Into The Groove" which was a highlight track on YCD (and where they got the title for YCD from the lyrics of ITG.) Both EPs featured a previously unreleased song. "Your Honesty" went along with the other bonus Bedtime Stories songs that came out in weird ways. The other two songs were "Let Down Your Guard" which was released as the b-side of "Secret" (but not in the U.S. for some reason) and "Freedom" which finally came out in '97 on a various artists rain forest benefit album, Carnival! All three songs fit perfectly with the Bedtime Stories sound (and I think YH and LDYG are catchy enough to be singles themselves--it's surprising they were cut from the album!) Yeah, I agree the rock remix of "Love Profusion" is the best thing from this release! If you don't like her usual mixes, you might like these, cuz they tried doing different mixes this time (instead of the usual repetitive dance mixes they'd release for her.) The MTV live "Like A Virgin/Hollywood" is kinda pointless though, I guess they just thought Britney and Christina fans would have to buy it for their collections. It's funny cuz my other half was joking that same day before we even knew for sure Madonna would be on the MTV awards that night--he said she needs to go on the MTV awards and kiss Britney Spears, then next thing we knew--it happened!
I really like the Love Profusion rock remix. Your Honesty on the other hand really does nothing for me. It has a dated sound. I guess some fans who hate her experimentation with more contemporary sounds love it, but for me it should have been left in the vaults!
Well said aseriesofsneaks. The R&R EP only confirmed the feeling some of us had about the American Life material and reveals there was potential for those songs. I don't care for the "Groove/Hollywood" mash up at all. The MTV performance is ok, I guess, as a non-LP track but the real bonus is "Your Honesty."
Remixed & Revisited - I commented on this a lot in my American Life post and so I've simply recapped & tweaked them below. The only track that I didn't cover previously is "Your Honesty" which is another terrific Dallas Austin track. The differences are rather striking to the AL era as her vocals got much better, but poor choices on manipulations/distortions and the music from the Bedtimes Stories era has a much more positive vibe to it. I recommend listening to the corresponding remixes found on the "Remixed & Revisited" EP as replacement tracks for American Life and you'll find you love tracks that you have previously overlooked or dismissed. The empathy and energy of the production of the remixes enhances the intent of the song. And yet it's all still electronica, just not the simplistic beeps, burps and swirls of Mirwais. Although, skip the LAV era remixes - they're a terrible, desperate grab to a younger audience. The American Life (Headcleanr Rock Mix) - It's a much more straightforward, visceral take and just blows the doors off of this song. The heavy guitars mesh perfectly with the anger and the rap. Highly recommended The Love Profusion (Headcleanr Rock Mix) - Sounds like someone who understands profusions and rocks the album version to the curb. "I got you under my skin" on this remix now has the energy of the Stone's "Under my Thumb" The Nobody Knows Me (Mount Sims Old School mix) - Plays down the stomp and adds far more interest and relief. Nothing Fails (Nevins Mix) - The production is tenfold more upbeat, gritty, non-gospel and nearly drowns the vocals at some points, but it works at convincing you of her message.
I'm wondering what you think of the rock mix of "American Life" then. I'd only imagine Metallica fans would love that one. Haha! I think they're fun though, reminds me of when Björk had her rock versions of "Army Of Me" and "Isobel".
Speaking of the AL remixes. My favourites were the electro-clash remixes. I like the Mount Sims mix of "Nobody Knows Me" on Remixed & Revisited, but I love their Italo Kiss mix even more (it was released as a bonus on the "Nothing Fails" maxi-single.) I can't find a video online though! So you're gonna have to refer to the actual CD if you wanna hear it. I also loved the Felix Da Housecat mix of "American Life." They totally manipulated the vocals to sound like she resung the entire song. Here's the radio edit version with rap, (there was also another radio version without rap, but featuring the second verse (which was only on that edit, but I see no one has that one online either!) Speaking of the song "American Life," if you listen closely to the album and remix versions, she never says "American Life" on the song, instead the vocals (and background vocals) are cut to make her say "American Lie" which fits in more with what she's trying to say about the American dream.
