Anyone else? With the single sounding so close to Express Yourself, i've been listing to it this week and of course here's the dreaded question....Which single do you prefer?

LOLS! Me too.

To be honest, I have never been a fan of Madonna but ever since Gaga is taking a leaf from her book right down to the smallest things, I have learned to respect Madge even more now.

My verdict: Express Yourself >>>>>>> Born This Way.

Express Yourself has better lyrics and I like how Madonna was singing the song too.

Asymphony5 said:

LOLS! Me too.

To be honest, I have never been a fan of Madonna but ever since Gaga is taking a leaf from her book right down to the smallest things, I have learned to respect Madge even more now.

My verdict: Express Yourself >>>>>>> Born This Way.

Express Yourself has better lyrics and I like how Madonna was singing the song too.

Isn't it funny how that happened? I'm actually a pretty big Madge fan and I also prefer her song over Gaga's even though her's is catchy too. I even prefer Madonna's voice over Gaga's even though I know technically Gaga is a better singer. Originality will always rule in my opinion!

I also like the Madonna and Prince duet! Like A Prayer is a pretty solid album.

dancerella said:

Isn't it funny how that happened? I'm actually a pretty big Madge fan and I also prefer her song over Gaga's even though her's is catchy too. I even prefer Madonna's voice over Gaga's even though I know technically Gaga is a better singer. Originality will always rule in my opinion!

I also like the Madonna and Prince duet! Like A Prayer is a pretty solid album.

Totally. Me. too. Although Gaga may be a technically better singer especially live, Madonna's voice has a more appealing tone to me, and more emotion and character.

But to be fair Gaga has never released a ballad as a single. I think releasing Live to Tell made a big difference in how people feel about Madonna as a singer and an artist. I like Gaga but I'd like to see her release a ballad as a single in the future. The thumping dance songs are getting one dimensional.

Like A Prayer is Madonnas magnum opus (not Ray Of Light like someone else posted in another thread). Gags can sell 100 million of this newfangled pop and it wont be as "important" a record as LAP was/is.

xlr8r said:

Like A Prayer is Madonnas magnum opus (not Ray Of Light like someone else posted in another thread). Gags can sell 100 million of this newfangled pop and it wont be as "important" a record as LAP was/is.

I agree. LAP was a very personal confessional type of album. I don't see Gaga in any of her songs being that personal in her lyrics.

Glindathegood said:

xlr8r said:

Like A Prayer is Madonnas magnum opus (not Ray Of Light like someone else posted in another thread). Gags can sell 100 million of this newfangled pop and it wont be as "important" a record as LAP was/is.

I agree. LAP was a very personal confessional type of album. I don't see Gaga in any of her songs being that personal in her lyrics.

I think LAP was Madonnas artistic turning point.

xlr8r said:

Glindathegood said:

I agree. LAP was a very personal confessional type of album. I don't see Gaga in any of her songs being that personal in her lyrics.

I think LAP was Madonnas artistic turning point.

True. But in recent years she's turned back. I still am a huge fan, but I'd like to see her do something more confessional artistic again instead of just all the DANCE tracks. But I guess a lot of th the public likes fun dancey 80's Madonna. Some people say she shouldn't take herself too seriously.

I'll be the first to say it, Like A Prayer has some great tracks but too much filler to be a classic. That is all...

sosgemini said:

I'll be the first to say it, Like A Prayer has some great tracks but too much filler to be a classic. That is all...

Very wrong. This is the one release where the so called filler were what we call optimal deep cuts. Thats how I view it. LAP is defined as a classic both then and now.

xlr8r said:

sosgemini said:

I'll be the first to say it, Like A Prayer has some great tracks but too much filler to be a classic. That is all...

Very wrong. This is the one release where the so called filler were what we call optimal deep cuts. Thats how I view it. LAP is defined as a classic both then and now.

I agree. Some of her other albums have filler. But I love every song on LAP. I love the obscure tracks like Until Death Do Us Part and Spanish Eyes.

sosgemini said:

I'll be the first to say it, Like A Prayer has some great tracks but too much filler to be a classic. That is all...

Really?

LAP has the opposite of filler to me. Keep it together rules!

xlr8r said:

Glindathegood said:

I agree. LAP was a very personal confessional type of album. I don't see Gaga in any of her songs being that personal in her lyrics.

I think LAP was Madonnas artistic turning point.

I think it was too however I still think her first album is her greatest ever. Yes it might be bubble gum pop but god damn it was great!! LAP shows Madge growing up and showing a more artistic side. I wish she would give Nile Rodgers and Stephen Bray a call and create the same magic of the first album but I know it will never happen.

[Edited 2/19/11 13:22pm]

dancerella said:

xlr8r said:

I think LAP was Madonnas artistic turning point.

I think it was too however I still think her first album is her greatest ever. Yes it might be bubble gum pop but god damn it was great!! LAP shows Madge growing up and showing a more artistic side. I wish she would give Nile Rodgers and Stephen Bray a call and create the same magic of the first album but I know it will never happen.

[Edited 2/19/11 13:22pm]

Nile Rodgers and Stephen Bray have nothing to do with her first album, which was produced by Reggie Lucas, Jellybean and Mark Kamins. Nile Rodgers producer her second album Like A Virgin and Stephen wrote stuff on that, True Blue and Like A Prayer.

I'm not that big on her first album. I like the later deeper stuff. But she already recreated the sound of her first album on Confessions.

Glindathegood said:

dancerella said:

I think it was too however I still think her first album is her greatest ever. Yes it might be bubble gum pop but god damn it was great!! LAP shows Madge growing up and showing a more artistic side. I wish she would give Nile Rodgers and Stephen Bray a call and create the same magic of the first album but I know it will never happen.

[Edited 2/19/11 13:22pm]

Nile Rodgers and Stephen Bray have nothing to do with her first album, which was produced by Reggie Lucas, Jellybean and Mark Kamins. Nile Rodgers producer her second album Like A Virgin and Stephen wrote stuff on that, True Blue and Like A Prayer.

I'm not that big on her first album. I like the later deeper stuff. But she already recreated the sound of her first album on Confessions.

Oops I thought Stephen Bray wrote and produced stuff for her first album? I personally love her first two albums the most. True Blue is cool too and then she started to go deeper after that. I'll be curious to hear the Born this way album. I wonder if other tracks will sound similar to LAP?!

sosgemini said:

I'll be the first to say it, Like A Prayer has some great tracks but too much filler to be a classic. That is all...

That's not true - any of the album tracks could have been a single. In fact one of the weakest "Dear Jessie" was - and it was sweet. I always picture Janet's 'Daybreak' to have the same vibe in the video.

I agree Like a Prayer is FULL of filler! I think as an album it is so overrated and I still see it being sold at classic albums sections

I like

Like a Prayer

Express Yourself

Oh Father

Cherish

Dear Jessie

Spanish Eyes

I don't care much for the rest though I wanted to. There is a reason it sold less than the first 3 albums, it was officially the start of her singles artist days though the following albums were good for singles, and some underrated album cuts like on Erotica, Ray of Light, American Life etc.

[Edited 2/19/11 16:35pm]

Madonna, Like a Prayer and Ray of Light are stone-cold masterpieces. Specially LAP which, for me, was the best album of the 88-89 years, of any genre/artist

Like a Prayer: awesome, classic

Express Yourself: awesome, classic

Love Song: filler, but it works due to Prince's presence, the "pop event" of 1989

Till Death Do Us Part: underrated pop/dance (sort of) track, personal stuff

Promise to Try: underrated, touching ballad dedicated to his deceased mother

Cherish: excellent pop single, classic

Dear Jessie: excellent pop/psychodelic single

Oh Father: tremendous ballad, personal stuff, touching; classic

Keep It Together: excellent hard-dance/funk single, still sounds good even by 88-89 standards

Spanish Eyes: perfectly competent ballad, epic & anthemic, her first great "latin" ballad...

Act of Contriction: intriguing "hidden track" of sorts, nice ending, Prince on guitar

Prince was on guitar in the end? Nice!

[Edited 2/19/11 17:10pm]

alphastreet said:

Prince was on guitar in the end? Nice!

[Edited 2/19/11 17:10pm]

and during the first seconds of Like a Prayer (the song)

xlr8r said:

sosgemini said:

I'll be the first to say it, Like A Prayer has some great tracks but too much filler to be a classic. That is all...

Very wrong. This is the one release where the so called filler were what we call optimal deep cuts. Thats how I view it. LAP is defined as a classic both then and now.

Some of you crack me up. My own damn opinion can't be wrong. Tis okay to disagree.

Spanish Eyes- Full on filler IMHO

Promise To Try= Nice try but mehh...

Dear Jesse- Full on filler IMHO

Cherish=Horrid

JoeTyler said:

Madonna, Like a Prayer and Ray of Light are stone-cold masterpieces. Specially LAP which, for me, was the best album of the 88-89 years, of any genre/artist

Like a Prayer: awesome, classic

Express Yourself: awesome, classic

Love Song: filler, but it works due to Prince's presence, the "pop event" of 1989

Till Death Do Us Part: underrated pop/dance (sort of) track, personal stuff

Promise to Try: underrated, touching ballad dedicated to his deceased mother

Cherish: excellent pop single, classic

Dear Jessie: excellent pop/psychodelic single

Oh Father: tremendous ballad, personal stuff, touching; classic

Keep It Together: excellent hard-dance/funk single, still sounds good even by 88-89 standards

Spanish Eyes: perfectly competent ballad, epic & anthemic, her first great "latin" ballad...

Act of Contriction: intriguing "hidden track" of sorts, nice ending, Prince on guitar

"Act Of Contrition" is hilarious.

"I have a reservation....I have a reservation.....WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!"

SoulAlive said:

JoeTyler said:

Madonna, Like a Prayer and Ray of Light are stone-cold masterpieces. Specially LAP which, for me, was the best album of the 88-89 years, of any genre/artist

Like a Prayer: awesome, classic

Express Yourself: awesome, classic

Love Song: filler, but it works due to Prince's presence, the "pop event" of 1989

Till Death Do Us Part: underrated pop/dance (sort of) track, personal stuff

Promise to Try: underrated, touching ballad dedicated to his deceased mother

Cherish: excellent pop single, classic

Dear Jessie: excellent pop/psychodelic single

Oh Father: tremendous ballad, personal stuff, touching; classic

Keep It Together: excellent hard-dance/funk single, still sounds good even by 88-89 standards

Spanish Eyes: perfectly competent ballad, epic & anthemic, her first great "latin" ballad...

Act of Contriction: intriguing "hidden track" of sorts, nice ending, Prince on guitar

"Act Of Contrition" is hilarious.

"I have a reservation....I have a reservation.....WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!"

^ I never got that, but angry Madonna makes me laugh

JoeTyler said:

alphastreet said:

Prince was on guitar in the end? Nice!

[Edited 2/19/11 17:10pm]

and during the first seconds of Like a Prayer (the song)

that's awesome!

Like a Prayer is perfect. Perfect!

SoulAlive said:

JoeTyler said:

Madonna, Like a Prayer and Ray of Light are stone-cold masterpieces. Specially LAP which, for me, was the best album of the 88-89 years, of any genre/artist

Like a Prayer: awesome, classic

Express Yourself: awesome, classic

Love Song: filler, but it works due to Prince's presence, the "pop event" of 1989

Till Death Do Us Part: underrated pop/dance (sort of) track, personal stuff

Promise to Try: underrated, touching ballad dedicated to his deceased mother

Cherish: excellent pop single, classic

Dear Jessie: excellent pop/psychodelic single

Oh Father: tremendous ballad, personal stuff, touching; classic

Keep It Together: excellent hard-dance/funk single, still sounds good even by 88-89 standards

Spanish Eyes: perfectly competent ballad, epic & anthemic, her first great "latin" ballad...

Act of Contriction: intriguing "hidden track" of sorts, nice ending, Prince on guitar

"Act Of Contrition" is hilarious.

"I have a reservation....I have a reservation.....WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!"

Act of contrition is a masterpiece!

It's not even a song! It's parts of Like a Prayer and Prince just jamming

Moonbeam said:

Like a Prayer is perfect. Perfect!

As I've said, LAP was the ultimate swan song of the whole 80's decade, one of the few undisputed masterpieces of the 88-89 years.

In fact, this album makes me slighty sad cuz it makes me realize that someday I'll be dead and I won't be able to listen to beautiful pop music anymore, hope there's something similar in the afterlife...