I really love It's So Cool. Of the three new songs, it's my favorite by far. Her voice sounded better during that AL period, warmer and more engaged.
I would love to hear the original version she did with Mirwais which I heard is a guitar based folk version.

Glindathegood said:

oh. well I did too. until you said that

[Edited 9/20/09 17:44pm]

I love the album cover, but am confused as to the purpose of this album.
To my understanding it's just another greatest hits package with some unreleased candy in the mix, correct?

Madonna is really at a point in her career that she could easily have a 3 or 4 disc set complete with rare or b-side material thrown in the mix.

It is kind of neat that contained on her 2 disc set are 36 songs, rivaling the number of tracks on Emancipation



This is obviously a completist's album--not an essential one.

Imago said:

it's the last album in her 26 year career with WB.

ehuffnsd said:

So a non-essential completist album. A milestone of sorts, but non-essential.


Will the unreleased tracks be offered as standalone singles?

Imago said:

celebration is... i don't know about Revolver.

Imago said:

a box set would have been a better send-off, but this one fills a gap too. there isn't a stand-alone comprehensive hits collection for her either. she's got a few compilations, but the material is scattered across them.

this one has disappointing aspects to it too, actually. but it gets the job done, i suppose.

Imago said:

Madonna has only released 1,5 handfuls of b-sides and what's considered rare? Live studio versions, remixes?


It's just a plain old greatest hits, a retrospective over her career and not to be compared with Emancipation.

Glindathegood said:

I think it's an okay song...nothing special.

NEW PICS---the opening of the Boom Boom Boom bar/lounge

I know I probably have way too much time on my hands, but I was studying the lyrics on the poster that comes with Celebration (double disc version) and that naughty Mr Brainwash has inserted a couple of messages...
In the bottom left hand side the lyrics to Like A Virgin include the line, "Mr Brainwash you're so fine and you're mine". Also in the top right hand also from LAV there is the line, "Life is wonderful" thrown in.
Anyone found anything else...or am I the only sad one here?

graecophilos said:

wow.
not only is your comment as unessential as this release, but you missed my points on both counts.

brilliant

Imago said:

Oh, nevermind mate. I never take enough time to go through your whole posts. So, I was only consequent.

Madonna probably doesn't want to do a box set with unreleased tracks, B-sides and rarities because that would give the impression her career is over. Usually, you get those kinds of comprehensive box sets when a band has broken up for good and it's their goodbye present to the fans and the summation of their career.
Madonna is still going strong and has tons of great music ahead of her.

SoulAlive said:

Different strokes for different folks. You're a Hard Candy fan, right? I really hate that album. It's so Cool is more the Madonna I enjoy. That's what's nice about Madonna. She does many different styles that there's something for everyone and some people like some songs more than others.
I probably enjoy Revolver the least of the new songs since it has that HC style I'm not crazy about.

Glindathegood said:

Yeah that's the cool thing about Madonna.She does alot of different styles,with different producers and collaborators,resulting in a different sound everytime.

Madonna launches four-week MSN campaign

Warner Brothers Music has launched a four-week campaign for Madonna’s greatest hits album with the first takeover of the MSN Artist of the Month slot.
The campaign for the Celebration album and DVD will feature up to 45 video clips hosted across the portal, as Madonna takes over the prime editorial slot on MSN Music.
The release also features across MSN Messenger and Video.
Surrounding activity, planned by media agency ZenithOptimedia, includes display activity across sites such as Heat, MySpace and Popjustice. The campaign will also be tied into existing Facebook and Twitter profiles.
Katherine Parrott, marketing manager at Warner Brothers Music, said new video was being distributed throughout the campaign to maintain high levels of interest from fans.
'By taking over the Artist of the Month slot it acts as a long-term offering to remind people it’s out,' she said. 'We wanted to try something a bit different and used the success we had online in the past with Lily Allen campaigns.'


CLICK THE PICTURE

Well i have to admit - I'm hugely underwhelmed by this. Got my copy yesterday and played it through last night, and the absolute lack of care of attention to the remastering and editing process is mind boggling.

As many fans have pointed out on fan forums, there are various errors - mainly in the attempt to create "edits", but some stuff is unforgiveable. On 'Music' for example there are clicks all through the duration of the song - how can professionals in the industry not notice this kind of thing if it takes amateurs less than a couple of listens to notice it.

Ive a feeling the whole remastering / edit job was done by someone who'd never heard half her stuff before.

The remastering itself is not noticeably different - only on songs like Into The Groove can you really notice much of a difference, and even then its not staggering.

There are several songs with shoddy editing:
Erotica - cut and paste job beyond amateur standard.
Express Yourself - an utter mess. Butchered by mind boggling edits.
Dress You Up - Of the four beats that starts the song, they've cut them to leave just one. It sounds retarded.
4 Minutes - now clocks in at 3"10, and it just sounds wrong...begins with a ticking rather than the fantastic horns intro.
Revolver - Her voice is buried waaaay down in the mix. Apparently Frank E has twittered to admit that this is a mistake, but warners wouldnt let him fix it !!!


All i can say is - i hope the DVD has been given better consideration. Warners and Madonna should be ashamed to promote this collection with the highly misleading "remastered from the original source tapes" as i highly doubt this is true.

The booklet by the way is nice. Mr Brainwash did a good job - although there are several printing errors in the credits.

The whole project is a hot mess so far. Congratulations Madonna!!

CrozzaUK said:

Overall, I agree. While "Like a Prayer" and "Into the Groove" jump out the speakers and benefit from the remastering, fans seeking remasters are better served looking for the 2001 remasters of her first 3 albums. The running order is also really stupid. "Die Another Day" to "Don't Tell Me" to "Cherish" to "Celebration" is about the worst sequence they could have come up with to close disc 2. The new songs are far below her usual standard, and the choices on the tracklist make it seem like she included ballads begrudgingly, and they indeed sound of out place given the overall dance vibe of the album.

I won't be listening to this much, and it's a shame. Madonna has a catalogue that deserves to be treated with more respect, and she has enough clout to have pulled off a truly comprehensive, professional 3-disc effort (not to mention a box set for the hardcore fans).

Moonbeam said:

Except she has no interest in greatest hits packages and we all know that.

Like I said before...

Unless they're gonna go all out and do a huge,4-disc box set that includes everything (all the singles,key album tracks,B-sides,soundtrack songs,and even some outtakes),alot of fans will be disappointed.

I'm gonna buy this set this next week but to be honest,I think I will mainly listen to it when I'm preparing to go to a Madonna concert.That's the only time when I play her greatest hits.For the diehard fan who already owns these songs,a set like 'Celebration' isn't really essential.I prefer listening to the regular albums.

It's obvious that Madonna is ready to move on and leave Warners behind.I don't think she was really into this project.

SoulAlive said:

Agreed. I'm still happy that I have it, but I just think it could have been (a lot) better, from the tracklisting, sequencing, versions chosen and scope. I don't think this will replace The Immaculate Collection as the go-to Madonna compilation, although I could be wrong. She had an opportunity to do something really special, but the ball was dropped. Bring on 2011 with the next Madonna album!

SoulAlive said:

Well, let's hope her next, supposedly, electronic-album will not sound like It's So Cool.

I have nothing against the song itself. But the beat sounds really cheap. Like a fan-remix beat. Stuart Price does electronic music as well, but Im sure his version would have had more class.

graecophilos said:

Hey,I found out some info that I know you will like There's a 'Hard Candy' outtake called "Bigger Than The World".I haven't seen that title mentioned before,have you?

Moonbeam said:

It just shows you how disinterested she is in these kind of things Like Prince,she only cares about her new stuff.She seems to buy into his crazy idea that "attachment is stagnation".That's what frustrates me about the two of them.

If Madonna really wanted to,she could have given us a remastered 'Like A Prayer' CD and a 4-CD box set by now.Such a missed opportunity.

SoulAlive said:

In a way, I understand and admire her (and Prince's) focus on the present (and future). However, I just wish that once it is agreed that a compilation will come to fruition, she'd put forth (well, her team anyway) the full effort that an artist of her commercial cadre deserves.

Moonbeam said:

I agree!

Moonbeam said:

Yeah i like that they dont dwell on their past work, and are always mostly interested in pshing their new stuff - but from Warners point of view the compilation is a disgrace. For so called professionsals to put their name to this kind of package it unbelievable.....the errors are totally unacceptable when people are paying money for remastered tracks. Its a disgrace really.

UK Celebration album midweeks
Madonna's Celebration is currently #1 on the UK Album Midweek charts - keep buying to keep Madonna at the top!
#1 - Madonna - 21,9k
#2 - Muse - 17Events: USA Celebration Parties.7k
#3 - Dizzee Rascal - 16.8k
#4 - Mika - 14.8k
#5 - Pearl Jam - 13.3k



Events: USA Celebration Parties
Here are some details about some upcoming parties in the USA to celebrate the release of Celebration.


Thursday 24 September - New York City, USA


Monday 28 September - South Beach, USA


Saturday 10 October - Upland, USA


Saturday 26 September - West Hollywood, USA