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Madonna - Erotica 20th Anniversary So tomorrow one of Madonna's best works is turning 20 y.o.. It sho'nuff deserve some appreciation. It is for sure my favorite album by her and the first that I bought on the release date, hence the first era that I really accompained thoroughly and what a great one. Great singles, great remixes, great videos. Unfortunately the controversy surrounding the SEX book overshadowed the music and some critics would just say that she want too far with thw subject and hardly paying attention to the music. Well, time proved they were wrong, as Erotica today finally gets the recogniton it deserves.
Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called Erotica "Madonna at her most important, at her most relevant." Yahoo! Music editor John Myers stated that the album "is musically some of Madonna's best work. Representing a time where she was at the top of her craft, this album offers intelligent insight into the taboos we've been taught to be afraid to speak of. Combined with equally clever musical arrangements, this one's a must have for any Madonna fan." Writing for The New York Times in October 1992, Stephen Holden said that "Erotica differs from Madonna's previous albums is in the number of songs that have an almost dogmatic ring. In song after song she embodies a sexually self-determining woman who, though desirous of male attention, is not about to be victimized by male power games. And in the two most sexually graphic songs, she pointedly turns the table and plays the role of aggressor." Stylus Magazine said that "each dance track emits its own idiosyncratic energy; there are more unexpected textures on Erotica than on any other Madonna album [...] Erotica [was] too sophisticated for a mainstream besotted with The Bodyguard and a college-radio claque eager to praise R.E.M.'s opaque dirges for the wisdom that Madonna's club fodder showed with less fuss and with a better rhythm section." In 2010, an MTV News blog wrote, "Because the content is so obsessed with sex, the music on Erotica often gets short shrift, but it's one of the strongest albums of Madonna's career." By 1992, Madonna was an icon—untouchable, literally and figuratively—and Erotica was the first time the artist's music took on a decidedly combative, even threatening tone, and most people didn't want to hear it. Erotica's irrefutable unsexiness probably says more about the sex=death mentality of the early '90s than any other musical document of its time. This is not Madonna at her creative zenith. This is Madonna at her most important, at her most relevant. Madonna's voice might sound nasal and remote, but no one else in the mainstream at that time dared to talk about sex, love, and death with such frankness and fearlessness (Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine)
Come on board, let's appreciate this great album!!
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ok, this one might be NSFW ...so think twice before hit play
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She was a Super Star in the 1980's but the 1990's from 1991- was her 2nd period of Super Stardom
this period filled my void where my Prince left off, the creative aspect went up notches
She address a lot of things that were happening socially, this album reminds me of the social climate at the time
the album the house mixes the Girlie Show tour, the Sex book
Erotic is still a favorite song of mine, Deeper & Deeper, Bad Girl,
dammmm Erotica is so hot that at work when I clicked on the wikipedia link for the songs I got: This Websense category is filtered: Adult Content. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/w...onna_album)
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I've been listening back 2 back this week 2 a fan-made album that consists in extended versions of each song. And I gotta tell ya it's a pretty well done job. It's like if it was 12" versions of each song and some of them (e.g. Fever) are even better than the official extended versions. It was done by some guy called Luke. I call "Ërotica (Extended Joy Version)"
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meh
the album is too long
the dance numbers were just ripoffs of Vogue
the videos were sinister and creppy, or boring
she acted like the popstar equivalent of Sharon Stone, lol
I respect what she tried to do here (selling sex as a legitimate form of mainstream art)
but I pretty much prefer Bedtime Stories | |
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I quite liked this point in her career. bought quite a few maxi singles as i recall.
she's an embarrasment now though. | |
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Most songs on the album aren't even about sex, it was probably the book that made people think it was about sex. Listen to Dirt Mind and Erotica is really harmless.
That said, it my second favourite album of her (LAP being the first). A lot of songs have this early 90's house vibe, which I love. The spoken word over a slow beat worked also very well. I liked her look during this era.
I'm not a fan of all her albums, but this one i like.
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in fact, my three fav songs (Rain, Waiting, Secret Garden) were hints at better things to come
I don't think Madonna was particularly happy during the early-90s (change of decade, getting older, Warren Beatty affair, AIDS, etc) ...
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i just had a little bit of a shell shock when i realised this album is 20 years old now
i remember, vividly, when i bought it, a few days after release.
it seems absurd to think that is 20 years ago now. freakin unbelievable.
anyway: great album. i have been listening to it all these 20 years and never got real tired of it or started to dislike anything on it. it still sounds great. yes, a bit dated, but there's 'dated' and then there's "DATED" and this aged very well since it has such a warm weird hybrid sound of it's own that just says: Erotica.
and true love lives on lollipops and crisps | |
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I agree about the album being too long.
I think a lot of albums from that period - Dangerous and the Love Symbol Album leap to mind - were too long; 12 + songs. It's hard to do that without filler or repetitions.
I love the Erotica video, love the look and the vibe of the whole thing.
Also, 'Deeper and Deeper' is the last time she really sang her ass off like the old days. Soon it would be Bedtime Stories (too chill to belt), and then voice lessons for Evita, which almost ruined it for me.
But a badass lady, and a badass era. "I'd like to make a book of soft core porn, and an album to go with it." Sure, lady. Rock n roll. | |
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Correct. The 80s with 40-45 minutes long albums was much better than the early 90s when everyone felt obligated to fill a whole CD!
It's probably my least fav album of hers, others have already said my reasons, Shep was a one trick pony. Also, I hate how this got a reputation of "sex album" when most of it is simply faceless breakup songs. On every album that came after it, she's been more personal, that's something many fans seem to ignore.
On the flipside, "Rain" is absolutely gorgeous, her vocals on it are angelic, and the Andre Betts songs are cool, especially "Secret Garden". | |
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I can never decide if this album or ROL is my favorite by her | |
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well after her True Blue divorce and the escape from the tragedy that would have been Graffiti Bridge her creative spark blew up via the Immaculate Conception Truth or Dare Justify My Love into Erotica period
I think she was happy but she allowed what was happening to fuel some wonderful periods
She did well with the change of decade, | |
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I don't agree that it's too long, every song has life of its own and I would loooooove a special edition with 2 discs or more | |
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I Actually don't really like Madonna & her 80's crap
The only period of her i like is from Erotica to Ray Of Light, she seemed to have a vision & pushed buttons... but she did it for her own artistic vision.
Where as i feel nowaday's she just wants attention & chases trends, when at this period she was making trends.
Bad Girl is an amazing video! very cinematic.. as is Rain & Erotica. Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener
All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive | |
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I can dig it This is my favorite Madonna Era | |
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So what do you guys prefer: words, waiting, or thief of hearts? | |
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How was Erotica making trends in terms of music? Everybody was doing that type of house/dance music by 1992. It was a sound she used three years earlier with the Express Yourself remix. She actually stuck with it for too long, that's definitely not any better than the dubstep wannabe stuff on MDNA. | |
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It wasn't just house. There's pop, some jazzy-infused hiphop (God help me with this), new jack swing, lounge. And even the house tracks, they have good lyrics and melodies. I agre that Vogue and Justify My Love influenced the sounds of Erotica, but just as much as Bedtime Story, the song, seemed to give a hint of what her next album would be like. Plus, this album was nothing like her previous ones..u gotta admit that. [Edited 10/19/12 16:26pm] | |
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Interesting read actually!!!!
Madonna really had a vision int he 90's! that is why i love her 90's output, i wish she had that same mind set today. Cause she does keep putting out the same sounding shit Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener
All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive | |||
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Great album, great Madonna period. Challenging period of her career. I think she just hit the 30s and was in the ...'i don tgive a fuck' mode. You can tell she may have even been a bit depressed..she was looking for an outlet for exploring and found it. Looking back on the whole thing I think it was brave and fresh....
Seems like Rihanna has been copying this era over and over again on her albums and she need to stop. Anyway:
Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records. | |
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Love this CD. Secret Garden was my ish!!! When go 2 a Prince concert or related event it's all up in the house but when log onto this site and the miasma of bitchiness is completely overwhelming! | |
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I love "Bad Girl" and "Deeper And Deeper". Hey... | |
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Up there with Ray Of Light, Like A Prayer, and Music. LOOVE this album. My faves are Erotica, Fever, Deeper And Deeper, and Where Life Begins. The whole album is awesome though. Love the videos though | |
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/wa...yPOaBlrKuM[/youtube] | |
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Starting with Justify My Love(Vogue is overrated imo ) Madonna had a good period from 92-99 where she made nothing but great videos.
This is why i am so blah on her 80's period... good videos(Blah songs ) her 90's videos where art, and had a vision.
Bad Girl look's amazing & look's like you are watching it in a theatre. Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener
All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive | |
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I'm not big on her 80's music either. Love the Like A Prayer album, Papa Don' Preach, Live To Tell, Into The Groove, Angel, Lucky Star and not much else. I do agree the Vogue video is overrated. It's good but compare it to what came out in the rest of the 90's.
BTW what do you think of the Like A PRayer and Express Yourself videos. I like those two a lot too. [Edited 10/19/12 21:42pm] | |
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LAP is classic! love it.. Express Yourself is good but when i first watched i was like wtf she's on a giant duck & shit.. and there is shirtless men.
Not what i pictured when i heard the song:P
Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener
All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive | |
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