Ray of Light was the album that really relaunched Madonna's career. It's quite an introspective, intelligent album, but also includes Madonna's usual mix of uptempo tracks alongside a few ballads. All this is greatly helped by William Orbit's help with the production on the album which gives the record a modern and distinctive vibe. Madonna's vocals are much stronger than in her earlier albums, maybe as a result of her vocal training for her role in Evita. In my opinion this is a better album than Music - it is more thought provoking and the songs are more cohesive and flow together - with Music I always find myself skipping a track or two. Here's the rundown on Ray of Light:
1. Drowned World/Substitue for Love - a exceptional start, this is one of my favourite Madonna songs ever - "I traded fame for love/without a second thought/it all became a silly game/some things cannot be bought" she sings. Very reflective and intelligent lyrics. The song builds and builds to a dramatic finish.
2. Swim - this guitar driven track makes you feel immersed in water, again the lyrics are very clever and it's another excellent song.
3. Ray of Light - after the reflection and relative calmness of the opening two songs this is like bursting into the sunlight. A high energy track that surely everyone must have heard.
4. Candy Perfume Girl - not my favourite song on the album, to be honest, it chugs along and never really gets anywhere.
5. Skin - again, not the strongest of tracks, this is quite dance-oriented but feels rather flat and definitely has something lacking.
6. Nothing Really Matters - my favourite song on the album, it's a love-conquers-all anthem celebrating love and life. It's excellent!
7. Sky Fits Heaven - a bit of a grower, Madonna sings "I think I'll follow my heart/it's a very good place to start". Again, dance-oriented but better than Skin.
8. Shanti/Ashtangi - Madonna's eastern influences are clear here. It's a catchy tune with pretty bells in the background, although it did come in for a lot of criticism at the time of release. B-side for Frozen.
9. Frozen - gave Madonna a UK No.1 after a gap of many years. It's a bit long and overblown for my liking - still a good song.
10. The Power of Goodbye - first of a trio of songs written with Rick Nowels. Again the song benefits from Orbit's production but it's extremely good anyway.
11. To Have And Not To Hold - quite similar to last track. "Like a moth to a flame/only I am to blame" she sings. It's quite a laid back and simple song but it is very effective.
12. Little Star - a tribute to Lourdes with an ambient backdrop provided by Orbit. Not too sickly.
13. Mer Girl - an arresting and brilliant end to the album. The lyrics are dark as Madonna contemplates death. One of Madonna's strangest and strongest songs.
Overall, Ray of Light shows Madonna as a performer of great maturity and intelligence. The songs are virtually all of an extremely high standard and the whole album feels almost like a therapy session for her. It's certainly an album I'll have in my CD player a few years down the line. A classic.
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Never underestimate Madonna's power of persuasion: by nearly all critical accounts, Ray of ... more
Light, Madonna's first album of new material since 1994's Bedtime Stories, and her first since motherhood, is her richest, most accomplished record yet. While Ra...
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Apr 16th, 2001
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