I think I'll give up on Erotica after 30 years of trying! I just don't think the songs are there. Bedtime Stories is much stronger. American Life is one of my favourites. I actually love about half of MDNA — 'Love Spent', 'Masterpiece', 'Falling Free', 'I'm A Sinner', 'Gang Bang' — but could happily never listen to the rest ever again. Same with Hard Candy. I collect Madonna's 12" singles from the 80s but all the club remixes from 'Rescue Me' onwards don't do much for me. There are waaaay too many of them and although I danced to them at clubs back in the day, they're not something I want to listen to while chilling at home. A notable exception is the Pet Shop Boys remix of 'Sorry', which is the definitive version for me.
Honestly between True Blue, Like A Prayer, Erotica, Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light, there isn’t a bad album in the bunch. Album rank 1. Ray of Light 2. True Blue 3. Erotica 4. Like A Prayer 5. Bedtime Stories 6. Like A Virgin 7. Confessions 8. Madonna 9. Rebel Heart 10. Music 11. American Life 12. Madam X 13. MDNA 14. Hard Candy
Album rank for me: 1. Ray of Light 2. Madonna 3. Confessions 4. Like A Prayer 5. True Blue 6. Bedtime Stories 7. Erotica 8. Music 9. Like A Virgin 10. American Life 11. Hard Candy 12. Rebel Heart 13. Madam X 14. MDNA
Love "Thief Of Hearts" off Erotica, as well as the album itself. Too long an album but I don't mind the long listen.
I prefer it to almost everything she's done since 2006. Some really nice tracks (Something To Remember, Vogue, Now I'm Following You). And it's got a vibe about it which I like. EG.
He's A Man was a good album opener-catchy and a good vocal. Overall I liked I'm Breathless more than Erotica-Erotica had some decent to very good singles surrounded by songs and production I just did not like. Bedtime Stories more than made up for it for me.
He's A Man is indeed another good track from that album. I never expected to like Erotica...in theory it's everything I wouldn't be into. Sound, concept, the length of the thing. But it's always just hit the right spot, even in 92. I like the cracked, wobbly vocals...the muddy production at times. Nearly all the songs are fine by me (the title track is possibly the weakest...just a poor relation to Justify My Love). EG.
If you listen closely enough you can actually heAR them jerking off while typing their comments about the recent Beatles documentary! The Beatles and Pink Floyd worship I kinda expected but the fact that the Monkees & Dave Clark 5 are treated with equal reverence floored me- a manufactured band that appeared on a kids TV show and a 2nd rate UK 60s pop band that are all but forgotten in the UK- REALLY?!!!!!
You can't fault Madonna, she has an incredible back catalogue of strong albums and iconic singles. OK so there was the odd misfire along the way but she achieved a level of consistency and chart success unequalled by any other female artist. It's only in the last few years that her great power and influence have waned. She's no longer the force she once was- age and time have caught up with her. Her shapeshifting chameleon artistry doesn't quite fit when you're 60. I'm certainly not being ageist- I'm the same age. Her age is so far removed from today's kids most of whom don't relate to her as previous generations did. Her numerous procedures are making her appear on the edge of grotesque - there are similarities to the elderly Mae West in recent photos. Her persona and style relying heavily on her sexuality will make it increasingly difficult to keep up. Duets with young male artists who could be her grandsons doesn't sit comfortably. Personally I would rather she retired gracefully from performing and recording to protect her legacy Turing her talents to production and mentoring of younger perfomers- she could do a fantastic job in that capacity. The last thing I want to see is a 70 year old Madonna tottering around the stage in a leather cat suit singing like a Virgin. Too many great artists continue well beyond their peak and only damage their legacy. I doubt there will ever be another female performer with the impact and longevity of Madonna.
I'd be interested in hearing a new Madonna album that wasn't danced based. Maybe with a more rock sound? I don't want to sound like i'm saying "put some clothes on grandma" but i think there's only so long she can carry on presenting herself the way she does without it starting to become odd. I wonder what she's going to be doing in 20 years? Sorry i've probably just come across as terribly ageist.
I would love Madonna to do a pop-rock album. Something along the lines Miley Cyrus’ last album is a sound that would suit her really well and I think is fresh and current enough to peak her interest. She’d nail it.
I wonder if she can still even know what she truly wants to do anymore - after decades of success it must be nigh impossible to figure out what your true artistic impulses are (for any long term performer/artist, not just Madonna). Of course, one of the things I’ve always appreciated/admired/marveled at with Madonna is the way she seems torn between wanting to be an “artist with a capital A” and wanting to be super successful and popular - case in point; does she really want to do all these new remixes of “Frozen”? Or is it just that they caught public attention?
Madonna attended Britney Spears' wedding along with a random assortment of celebrities (Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, Ansel Elgort, Selena Gomez, Donatella Versace). They kissed again, and everyone sang Vogue. It all seems very bizarre. This photo is hilarious - everyone is posing for their life. At least Madonna looks like a relatively normal and real person, shades notwithstanding.
Donatella Versace seems the only one remotely chill in that Wedding photo, she even has her eyes shut! Anyways, Madonna is still certainly there artistically. Madame X was far more 'Left field' than I expected, and is a great album. I don't listen to it often, but appreciate her artistic integrity on it. Her records haven't been the 'rent a rapper on every song chasing current trends' some make them out to be. Rebel Heart was a perfect melding of a current sound with pop sensibility and classic Madonna songwriting. MDNA was disappointing as a whole, yeah a few decent album cuts' I don't give A' and 'Love spent' were fun, why she chose to do a gaspy slow version on the MDNA tour is a mystery 'As is life';p Skipping a couple back, American Life was a great album! Bar that annoying painful 'IIIIIII'm' vocal effect on 'I'm So Stupid' and the Bond song, it's a brilliant record and not the 'flop' reported; it was a #1 record in the USA and UK. I hope Madonna has recovered since the Maluma performance, was hard to watch that.
(Including I'm Breathless because even if it isn't considered a Studio album, IMO, & I miss those vocals) 1. Like A Prayer 2. Madonna 3. Ray of Light 4. Erotica 5. Like a Virgin 6. True Blue 7. Bedtime Stories 8. I'm Breathless 9. Confessions on a Dance Floor 10. Music 11. American Life 12. Hard Candy 13. Madame X 14. Rebel Heart 15. MDNA
This Used To Be My Playground - released 30 years ago this week. I thought I would share the less familiar longer version:
The setlist for Madonna's Pride performance in NYC last night: Madonna Setlist at Terminal 5, New York
"Express Yourself" Single by Madonna from the album Like a Prayer B-side "The Look of Love" Released May 9, 1989 Recorded 1988 Studio Johnny Yuma (Burbank, California, U.S.)[1] Genre Dance-pop deep funk Length 4:39 (album version) 4:00 (video/radio edit) Label Sire Warner Bros. Songwriter(s) Madonna Stephen Bray Producer(s) Madonna Stephen Bray
I played this recently (I've got the CD maxi) as part of creating a 6-disc Erotica deluxe, and it's such a stunning track. I always liked it, one of my top Madonna ballads (probably THE top one). And the extended version is even lovelier. EG.
