i have no life and spend time resreaching her LOL

Madonna is known for appropriating styles, a perfect example of this was during her Blond Ambition period, where it's obvious Prince was a major influence on her at the time.

Madonna's benchmark "Like A Prayer" has Prince's influence all over it, from it's religious conotations to it's stab at psychedelia to the collaborations she does with him. There's even a rumor that Prince has his own version of the "Like A Prayer" song.

The Blond Ambition tour is a more populist version of Prince's "LoveSexy" show. It's obvious from the whole set up that Madonna was impressed with the show and decided that she would incorporate what she could.

CynicKill said:

I completely agree. This is a bit harsh, but it's like she actually steals other artists' ideas and/ or cultural trends, then pretends that she is the one that "leads the way." Or Madonna puts herself in the middle of trends and acts like she is the "trendsetter. I don't know, maybe it's just the media and her marketing people that create the illusion. It's hard to say.

I obviously have a love/hate relationship with Madge coz on some level, I really admire her because her earlier work is classic, and she has a dancer's sensibility in regard to her videos/tours. But at the same time, I don't respect the fact that she doesn't seem to acknowledge the obvious influence of other artists. There is something that is very pretentious, arrogant, and even elitist about Madonna that truly annoys me and prevents me from being a fan.

CynicKill said:

If you refer to the interviews in UK's Q magazine for the greatest 50 years of Rock n Roll and the Madonna anniversy issue. Vicnet Patterson the cherographer, Chris Lamb the tour manager, and Christopher Ciccone the artistic director and Madonna's brother... state that Madonna set out to out do Michael Jackson...and explore the themes of Sexuality Cross Sexuality, female empowerment and the Church.

Madonna has always had a Catholic influence in her work... from the imagery of crosses crucifixes, rosarys, the use of the Wedding gown in Like A Virgin, the images of the Pope and a church used during the Papa Don't Preach performance of the Who's That Girl Tour, and the use of her given name.

Prince was more of a spirtuality and sex... Madonna is straight up coming to terms with growing up Catholic. It's a similar theme but they arrived there independent of the influence of each other.

Madonna, Stephen Bray, and Patrick Leonnard all cite Sly and the Family Stone as a major influence on the album. Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince are the same age and have the same influence musically. Prince didn't invent psychedelia. The Beatles, Beach Boys and Sly and the Family Stone were doing it years before P.

Isel said:

Check out Blonde Ambition and Girlie Show they cite many reference musically thorugh out. Any interview she'll site her visual influences. Sonically though its a different story I haven't read many interviews that focus on her music.

ehuffnsd said:

Thanks for the information, "ehuffnsd." I obviously didn't have all of the facts. It's good to know that she DOES credit other artists 'coz in the interviews that I've seen, it's all about Madonna.
[Edited 10/7/04 19:13pm]

Isel said:

No problem!

Maybe i can start my dissertaion on the sympology used in Madonna's tours

ehuffnsd said:

Is ther anything more fun then a dissertation? (LOL)
What are you studying?

CynicKill said:

i was a biochemistry major i'm now thinking accounting

And you can fit symbolism in Madonna's concerts into a dissert for biochem? Work it! (LOL)

BTW from what I hear about accounting it's supposedly one of those easily offshored jobs. Just a little 411.

i know

I wish I could get more people to post on this thread. I was trying to come up with something other then the standard "Madonna sucks" boards that are so popular. What's an orger to do?

Don't worry about... by even wasting time on saying Madonna sucks they are showing how relevent she is.

Real artists that suck don't stick around past a few months or years

Was Madonna channeling the 50's with her revisionist retro "True Blue"?

From the girl group inspired title track, to the James Cagney shoot-em-up monologues in "White Heat", to the flamenco tinged Ricky Ricardo thing going on in "La Isla Bonita" (ok a little bit of a stretch) to the shoo-bop-be-do delivery of "Jimmy Jimmy", it's obvious Madonna was in a 50's girl group state of mind when she conjured up what is probably her slickest and most produced album in her repetoire.

P.S. Let's not forget the Marilyn visual for the cover.

I think because Madonna is more of a visual artist she takes her cues from movies. I think she was starting to deal with her Childhood and the fond memories of the late 50's early 60's. Falling in Love withsome I also start talking about the good things in my past. So maybe she was doing that and it inspired most of the album.


Live To Tell i think is the song from TB era that I'd like to know more about. I've heard it's about a possible rape in her early days in NY. I know there are other rumors but I can't think of any right now.

ehuffnsd said:

If that's true then that would explain more about the song then I ever thought possible. The lyrics certainly allude to a secret that she hopes to tell, until then it will burn inside of her. A few years ago as you well know she told Diane Sawyer that she was indeed raped during her early years in NYC.

Isel said:

That's what I thought too.

psychodelicide said:

Her and Guy stopped after rabbi berg told them they'd be haunted by the souls of the birds they killed

For real?

yup