SoulAlive said:

I'd be pleasantly surprised. I like that song. "Oh Father" and "Bad Girl" are two of my favorites, so I'd be ecstatic to see them.

AlexdeParis said:

For many years,"Bad Girl" was my favorite Madonna song.I go crazy over Madonna's sad songs,which is one reason why "Miles Away" is a recent favorite of mine.I love it when she does songs with sad melodies/lyrics and pleading vocals.Kinda ironic,considering she specializes in uptempo dance/pop.

SoulAlive said:

"Bad Girl," "Live to Tell," and "The Power of Good-Bye" are all in my top 5.

SoulAlive said:

positive buzz? no one has even heard the ablum yet. there's not even a tracklist. we just got an album title and a cover last week.

wtf are they talking about positive buzz

errant said:

You can be sure they check all the fan forums and youtube-comments. And Celebration indeed is very popular, even the snippet.

In fact, I wish Madonna would do more B-sides.... let's hope for Broken and It's Cool.

AlexdeParis said:

And Heartbeat the third. Still my fave

The promotional CD of the "Celebration" single:



Nice throw back with the "Who's That Girl" eyes!

SoulAlive said:

It's the real one...It has "Who's That Girl" on it, but in small writing becuase she hates it.

I've had a pretty lousy day of filling out a long application for a job I need/want but probably won't get (might not even be available). Give me this, mother of the Lord!

Almost no way possible. I agree with everyone in thinking that order is crazy! I they don't go in order, they'll likely go more along the lines of Whitney and George Michael, doing one disc ballads (or ballad esque songs like "Don't Tell Me") and one disc of the pop/dance stuff like "Supernatural" and "Let Down Your Guard"...
[Edited 7/27/09 13:45pm]

VinnyM27 said:

I think this is the real tray card.

VinnyM27 said:

George Michael: Let me just tell you, that I'm soooo over this dance/ballads dividing.
He wanted to do that with LWP, when he planned it as a double album with one side funk tracks and the other one guitar ballads, did it for L&G but then AGAIN for 25...

I still think there won't be all necessary ballads. After all she did an best-of ballads album which features ALL her really important ballads and anyone who really wants those should buy STR.

I've just came to the conclusion that Hard Candy has become my favorite M album of this decade.

mikematronik said:

mine as well.

mikematronik said:

This decade? It's not over. She might surprise us and throw caution to the wind and release something with no fan faire in the next few months, maybe right after the hits set.




It actually might be mine. I'll have to give another listen to COADF but HC might just have the edge with those few quality ballads thrown in.

Cinnie said:

I would be shocked. That order is waay too crazy. The color doesn't really match the front. And what is with the different size writing (and arranging the songs in an angle). Not exactly easy to read when you're picking it up to look at it in the store....not that all that many people do that anymore, sadly. It does seem like a pretty solid and safe collection, thus not pissing off all that many people (and pleasing the fans, I would think).

Maybe the strange tracklisting can be explained this way. Look at it. All the songs are in order from each disc...Maybe they are going to be crazy and do the thing they did with Prince? "Celebration 1" and "Celebration 2". It's not happening, but a thought. Thinking about it that way, that could be the track listing.

I can't believe that there are people who think Hard Candy is Madge's best of the decade! Not only is it her worst album of the decade, it's the worst album of her career, IMO. Simply dreadful.

Moonbeam said:

I think American Life is the worst of the decade. Worst of her career...If you consider I'm Breathless, then I choose that. If not I'll go with Bedtime Stories.
Hard Candy is a great pop album. I keep coming back to it.

jayaredee said:

I like both American Life and Bedtime Stories.

Madonna sounds like a guest on her own songs half of the time on Hard Candy. Her vocals ruin otherwise decent songs ("Heartbeat"), and the whole thing sounds so forced, contrived and half-assed. It's among the bottom 5 albums that I've ever heard, and the bitch had the nerve to release it on my birthday!

Moonbeam said:

yeah, i don't get it either. i was all hot for it when it came out, but it was new madonna, so hey.... in retrospect, it's kind of irritating, aside from a handful of tracks.

AL is her best this decade, I think, though it has some annoyances of its own.

errant said:

I'd go:

Confessions on a Dancefloor: 4.5 stars
American Life: 4 stars
Music: 3 stars
Hard Candy: 1 star if I'm generous

Moonbeam said:

yeah, as unenthused as i am/was about Music, i guess i'd have to put it third, when i consider how obnoxious some of Hard Candy is.

Moonbeam said:

Y'know i take that back, I think Bedtime Stories is a good album, just a lot of boring r&b ballads. Otherwise it's a well produced album to put on for going to sleep, hence the title "Bedtime Stories"

American Life had good intentions but it was poorly produced and executed. The lead off single is the worst her her career and it's a shame coming off an excellently produced pop album "Music." I would say it's the worst of her career at this point. Nobody Knows Me is one of her best though. And Easy Ride.

jayaredee said:

AL has some really great music on it. my main problem with it in retrospect is that it's too much of a Michael Jackson-esque "waaaaah, I'm famous, life is hard" record. ya know?

and yeah, the title track is absolutely dire.
[Edited 7/27/09 17:26pm]

jayaredee said:

I enjoy 'Hard Candy' alot more than 'Music' and 'American Life'.It's simply more fun than both of those albums.

errant said:

Agreed. The song "American Life" is atrocious, but I really love the rest of it!
[Edited 7/27/09 17:38pm]

mikematronik said:

'Confessions On A Dancefloor' is my favorite Madonna album of this decade.But several of the Hard Candy tracks ("Miles Away","Heartbeat","Beat Goes On") have become new Madonna classics to me.

mikematronik said:

'Confessions On A Dancefloor' is my favorite Madonna album of this decade.But several of the Hard Candy tracks ("Miles Away","Heartbeat","Beat Goes On") have become new Madonna classics to me.

jayaredee said:

I like 'American Life' but I gotta admit,I rarely listen to it.The music is too low-key and depressing.When I listen to a Madonna album,I want big beats and killer grooves! She always fares better when she keeps the focus on the dancefloor.I was quite satisfied with 'Confessions' and 'Hard Candy.'

SoulAlive said:

I'd go with Confessions easily (it's my 2nd-favorite of hers ever behind Ray of Light), but I'd put Hard Candy at #2.

errant said:

At first i didn't know how to feel about AL, but over time i just came to the conslusion that it was very patchy.
Her lyrics started to dwindle and she began repeating herself i.e. I got you under my skin X40 and I'm not religious, i'm not religious.
Nothing Fails could have been a great anthem had she had anything further to say in her lyrics. Looking back it seems like "I Deserve it," just not as good.

I think she needed Pat Leonard to fill in the missing bits American Life was missing. He would have told her to ditch the rap for sure and help construct memerable lyrics and melodies. Mirwais could only bring so much to the table for a stripped down acoustic album. And even for his moments in the sun on the album he disappointed with the poor use of keyboards on Mother and Father, American Life and stretching the "IIIII"M" for "I'm so Stupid."