I'm Breathless - Madonna > Reviews > MY BOTTOM HURTS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money

Advantages:	See review
Disadvantages:	See review

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

I’m Breathless is by far and away the strangest album in Madonna’s considerable discography. Labelled as “Music From and Inspired by the film Dick Tracy” the album contains 12 tracks – three of which were in the film Dick Tracy, with most of the others following the theme of the movie with orchestral arrangements and camp showgirl vocals from Madonna.

It’s a curious blend of styles – and not one that I think works terribly well as a stand alone album, but here’s a run down of the album in detail:

He’s A Man – opens the album, and sounds like the sort of song that Jessica Rabbit would have sung as she strolled out onto the stage. I rather get the impression it’s Madonna’s tribute to Warren Beatty – her co-star from the movie “All balls and no brains”.

Sooner Or Later – slow, sultry, saxophone led piece that was used in the film to introduce Madonna’s character Breathless. Once again its sincerity slips as soon as you start to compare Madonna to Jessica Rabbit, but musically it’s a stylish enough track.

Hanky Panky – Madonna and long-term songwriter Patrick’s Leonard cheeky tribute to bondage. One of only two tracks released as a single from the album, Hanky Panky stormed into the top 5 then stormed out very quickly when the hype had died down. Hanky Panky was Madonn’a precursor to the Erotica years, but the song is put together in a much more cheeky, good fun way than some of her later stuff.

I’m Going Bananas – think Madonna meets Carmen Silvera and you’re some way there. Mad pianos, trumpets and percussion complement Madaonna’s pseudo-Spanish accent. Bizarre – and rather irritating in fact.

Cry Baby – this time Madonna meets Betty Boo. Accompanied by a plodding piano and a string of chorus girls, this could be Madonna’s other tribute to Warren Beatty. Once again, quite strange but ultimately rather irritating.

Something to Remember – stand out track number 1. A sombre, powerful, extremely sad love song that should have been released as a single and never was. Something To Remember is a requiem for lost love with haunting vocals that grow to a powerful, emotional climax. This is definitely one of my favourite Madonna ballads – a sentiment obviously shared by others because ten years later it was used as the title track for her collection of love songs.

Back In Business – another strong track. Atmospheric up tempo track that actually contains some of the gutsy Madonna that we normally know – this track is arranged like the rest of the album, but had it been mixed slightly differently could easily have come from True Blue or Like A Virgin.

More – second track actually taken from the film that also cropped up as the B side to Hanky Panky. This is back to Madonna in her showgirl mode. Eminently quite forgettable – this sounds like something from a school musical.

What Can You Lose – third track from the film and another slow one. This is a duet with an otherwise unknown male vocalist Mandy Patinkin. One of the least memorable tracks on the album.

Now I’m Following You (Parts 1 and 2) – stand out track number 2. One of the grooviest songs ever recorded by Madonna, this is split into two parts on the album. The track is a dance floor duet with Warren Beatty himself, in full two step mode. Part one is arranged very classically with a gentle piano backing that guides the couple through their steps. Just when you think Madonna has really lost it, the track appears to get stuck, only to be jolted back into place when Part 2 kicks in and a new beast emerges. Now I’m Following You part 2 goes straight into 80s club beat with various (cheeky) samples from the movie interspersed with the new synthesised beat. It sounds pretty crass, but it works brilliantly. Now I’m Following You was released as a single in some countries, but never in the UK, which was a shame because the track betrays Madonna’s sense of fun – seldom heard in her music.

Vogue – stand out track number 3. Many people would consider writing an opinion about this track alone, but suffice it to say that Vogue is probably one of Madonna’s most commercially successful tracks, reaching number 1 in just about every country. A tribute to the vogue dance that was popular in New York’s gay clubs in the 1980s, this track is probably the most out of place here – the only links to Dick Tracy perhaps evident in the glossy black and white video that accompanied the single release.

As a disc, I’m Breathless is an uncomfortable mixture of styles and techniques that makes it extremely hard to listen to. Although the Sondheim songs are well-written and produced, they are so far removed from anything that Madonna had done before that I can’t help but think many audience members would have been put off. The tracks like Vogue and Back In Business are probably enough to keep listeners hooked, but this is certainly not an album that you would happily listen to all the way through. I’m glad to have it in my collection, simply because I like Now I’m Following You and Sooner Or Later so much, but I suspect that it was only the real die-hard Madonna fans that bought this one.

Borrow a copy and see what you think – but don’t pay a lot of money for your own!