Hey am back will start reviewing shortly! Have lots to catch up with!
Hey am back will start reviewing shortly! Have lots to catch up with!
Member since:01.03.2005
Reviews:87
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Madonna is back, need I say more? No I don't think so. Madonna's tenth album is a disco scorcher and after the flop (yet highly acclaimed - I loved it too) 'American Life' Madonna has a lot to prove, does she?
'Confessions On A Dance floor' starts with the ticking of a clock and then is turned into what's become a dance floor filler and classic 'Hung Up'. Also described as one of the 'gayest' songs ever written what with the sample of ABBA's 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme' and it just being Madonna's poppiest campest sound to date. It's quite electro but then 'American Life' as an album was starting to have that feel, but this single has it in multitudes. "Every little thing that you say or do, I'm hung up, I'm hung up on you, waiting for your call baby night and day, I'm fed up, I'm tired of waiting on you." 6/5
From tick tock's to alarm clocks that shock you into the second song 'Get Together'. I have to admit I hated this song when Madonna was promoting the album (she would perform this song a lot) but it's really grown on me. It's a lot sparser than 'Hung Up' my colleague Jon PopSalvage loves this tune and I couldn't see why, but it's a good feel good party song and doesn't pretend to be anything more. "Can we get together, I really, I really wanna be with you, come on check it out with me, I hope you, I hope you feel the same way too?" Apparently this song is a nod to none other than 'Into The Groove' and on a few songs she does this. A sparse electric fizzler. 4/5
Now comes a true stonker of a track. 'Sorry ' is one of my favourite tracks off the album if not one of my favourite Madonna songs ever! No lie. It's out this week and it so deserves to be a huge number one - and look as Simon predicted it was number one!!!!! (The Pet Shop Boys Remix is amazing on the maxi single).
As the songs mix into one its not the strongest opening but as she says 'Sorry' in endless languages, the chant of 'I've heard it all before' starts as a sample of the Jackson Five's 'Can U Feel It?' back beat kicks in too. "I don't wanna hear, I don't wanna know, please don't say you're sorry, I heard it all before, and I can take care of myself" she's been quoted as saying it's a 'f**k you' break up song, and its certainly got that edge. It's dark pop and vocally she is bang on form. 6/5
Apparently the next song is a sample of a Seal song called 'Future Love' which she's changed to 'Future Lovers'… my that's a change. This song starts with a hard electro beat with her talking over "I'm going to tell you… abut love. Lets forget your life, your problems, administration, bills and loans". The idea I think is she's trying to take you away from everything to a disco heaven. It's not my favourite, mean it's not shit, but it doesn't do anything for me. Its kind of easy techno chorus is good but there's better to be had. 3/5
'I Love New York' was going to be the first single, and I can see why. It's very Madonna. It's a bit silly but very catchy. I mean the lyric 'other cities make me feel like a dork' should go down as one of the worst ever. It pays homage to her past and the city she first felt at home in. A place where she was welcomed and made some mates and some amazing memories. It's a bit 'American Life' with its rocky guitar tinge, and is also quite dark. I like. 4/5
Strangely titled 'Let It Will Be' (I'm sure there's a reason it has a bad grammatical title, she's clever this one) is another cracker. It's poppy and electro with a brilliant usage of strings; you don't get them in dance music often. "Now I can tell you about success about fame, about the rise and fall of all the stars in the sky, don't it make you smile? Let it will be, just let it be'. She's basically telling us all about her life's lessons over a dance beat. 4/5
Closest thing to a ballad is 'Forbidden Love' (a nod to Bedtime Stories anyone… same named track on that album) which isn't a ballad if you see what I mean? Who is the bloke singing? It must be Stuart Price, I guess. "Forbidden love are we supposed to be together, forbidden love, forbidden love, forbidden love we sail our destiny forever, forbidden love." It's very sentimental and quite sparkly, it's almost beautiful, the lyrics are… telling a tale of love and 'just one look was all it took'. Mid tempo dance ballad, yes that's what it is. 4/5
Rumoured to be the next single from the album is 'Jump'. This song is instant, it has a really sparkly polished feel, the beat is very pop, pop, pop. "There's only so much you can learn in one place, the more that I wait, the more time that I waste" Madonna very nicely informs us. "Are you ready to jump, get ready to jump, don't ever look back oh baby, yes I'm ready to jump, just take my hand, get ready to jump". It's really happy and positive and upbeat its classic 'Pop Madonna' and is another stand out track. 5/5
She gets a little autobiographical again on 'How High' is a bit like 'Drowned World' in its overview of fame and how much its worth. "How high are the stakes, how much fortune can you make? Does this get any better? Should I carry on, will it matter when I'm gone, will any of this matter?" It seems like she has been questioning things between albums, only this has a more positive stance. Musically it's very catchy, you find yourself singing along without thinking what your singing lost in music. 4/5
At six minutes 'Isaac' is the longest track on 'Confessions…' what I want to know is who the heck is Isaac when he is at home? Is it something to do with Kablahblahblah? Here her 'hmmmm's' are very 'Frozen' if you listen - you see another nod at and old track she loves! There's some good old man having a chant which s nice though what he is saying I have not a clue. It has a very ethnic feel, not just because of the chanting, but the instruments and whole vibe of the song. The strings are heavy and lush on this track. It's a good club track although Madonna is on it less than the chanter. "Wrestle with your darkness, angels call your name, can you hear what they are saying, will you ever be the same?" It's a deep complex one this… but you can have a bop to it. 5/5
'Push' HAS, HAS, HAS to be the fourth single. I simply love it. I like to call the sound 'industrial oriental dance pop' yes that's right I have gone mad! It has a dance beat and an industrial edge, along with the fact that it has oriental chimes and other sounds. It's written for Guy Ritchie, which is nice as it not just romantic but that he's a driving force and support. "You push me to go the extra mile, you push me when its difficult to smile, you push me a better version of my self you push me only you and no one else" are the opening lines (sung exceptionally quickly by the way). Later in the chorus its "every race I win, every mood I'm in, everything I do, I owe it all to you, every move I make, every step I take, everything I love is all because you push me." I think that's lovely and it reminds me of 'Nothing Fails' from 'American Life another stunning song. 6/5
Finale 'Like It Or Not' is like a reply to 'How High'. She has discussed her views on fame and realized she can be famous and happy, so therefore she isn't going anywhere. "This is who I am, you can like it or not, you can love me or leave me but I'm never gonna stop, no, no". I think for her it was an empowering ending to her album, I also think it's a big 'up yours' to her critics and the media. As a song it's very poppy and catchy and kind of bounces along. A great upbeat happy ending. 5/5
Overall this is an accomplished polished album, but you would expect that from Madonna. It seems she has thought about what she is best at and done it with no questions, only she has done it better. This is THE comeback of her comebacks. Only downside is the fact all the tracks mix into each other, which is great as she wanted a clubbing pop alum but is highly annoying when you have it on random, it also makes the songs a lot longer, but they are fab songs so you shouldn't care. You should own this album, if you don't you're a fool to yourself hahaha!
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One can tell you enjoyed both the album and writing about it ~ .................................................................................................... ~ ♥ ~ jes ~ ♥♥
MissTopaz 17.03.2006 23:41
Great review! I love all the sampling Madonna has in her tracks, it makes you listen a bit more attentively x
Advantages: Great to listen to before you go out or just have on in the background. Disadvantages: Lyrics ('I like New York...Other places make me feel like a dork)
Advantages: Great to listen to before you go out or just have on in the background. Disadvantages: Lyrics ('I like New York...Other places make me feel like a dork)
Feb 20th, 2006
(Feb 27th, 2006)
exceptional by (9%):
very helpful by (91%):
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