A new Madonna album is due in a few weeks.So,of course,there is ALOT of news,rumors,and excitement swirling around.Let's use this thread to share news items and sort out the rumors and misinformation,as we countdown to April 22 (the big day).


First things first.Has everyone seen the controversial new video "American Life",which Madonna has pulled only days before it was to premiere on VH-1? The video was actually aired in countries outside the U.S. and it is now all over the net.Here's a link where you can see it in Quicktime format (takes a few minutes to download).In the top right hand corner,click on "American Life"...

http://homepage.mac.com/Kylebingley


Madonna is now planning to shoot a video for the second single "Hollywood".



A U.K. website (people.co.UK) has already posted an early review of the album.They give a track-by-track description...

*"American Life"---it mixes R&B beats with her producer's familiar electronic sound (4 stars out of 5)

*"Hollywood"---a mid-tempo sugary sweet guitar song (3 stars out of 5)

*"I'm So Stupid"---a great rock-based and upbeat track.Lots of electric guitar.This is more like Alanis Morrisette than the Madge we are used to (4 stars out of 5)

*"Love Profusion"---one to set the nightclubs alive.Great melody and acoustic guitar flavor to it.Definitely a grower (3 stars out of 5)

*"Nobody Knows Me"---not only the best song of the album,but one of her best ever.Shows why Madonna is Queen of Pop (5 stars out of 5)

*"Nothing Fails"---starts out like a campfire song.Towards the end comes a rousing gospel choir (4 stars out of 5)

*"Intervention"---fairly average,but it could be a grower (3 stars out of 5)

*"X-Static Process"---very laid-back ballad (3 stars out of 5)

*"Mother and Father"---move over Kylie.This 80s styled disco tune has dark lyrics.Also sings of her love for her father (5 stars out of 5)

*"Die Another Day"---Bond theme is not her finest moment (2 stars out of 5)

*"Easy Ride"---luscious strings of previous hit "Frozen" and the electronic beats of "Music" (4 stars out of 5)

Overall,it's good but will take a few listens to get into (4 stars out of 5).



To view the lyrics to all the songs on the album,go to...

http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~ke..._life.html





[This message was edited Thu Apr 10 5:29:31 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

there is some tv special on here 2nite with her hosted by richard wilkins (aussie "music journo" who is a right wanker"
theyre playing her new clip & just basically previewing her album.

Joshy84au said:

Has it aired yet? Be sure to let me know all about it



[This message was edited Mon Apr 7 5:33:29 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

DavidEye said:

i didnt watch it.
not in2 her new music so im not interested

do u know a complete Madonna discography with singles & listings of remixes on singles?

my friend is after one so he can complete his Madonna remix collection.
he is desperate
hehe.
much thanx if u can help

if they gave the title track 4 out of 5 stars, then i'm not sure that it's to be trusted.


unless, that's relative to the other songs on the album, and then i'm worried because i think the title track is kinda sucky

Joshy84au said:

http://madonna.songindex.org/

AaronFantastic said:

Agreed. Let's hope they were overly generous to "American Life."

Madonna to tour next year!

http://www.madonnarama.co...e&sid=1972

TRON said:

excellent!

AaronFantastic said:

you know, I was really unimpressed by the song at first, but I've grown to like it since. It's still not my favorite track, but I truly enjoy it now...

endorphin74 said:

i've only listened once. i wasn't going to at all, but i broke down and downloaded it sometime last week.

so i've only heard it then. it hasn't had a chance to grow on me, yet. but i think i'm going to wait and listen to it in the context of the album.

even if it grows on me, i'm not sure that i'm ever going to think it's a strong song. and if it getting 4 out of 5 stars is the benchmark for the rest of the review here, i'm very tentative

AaronFantastic said:

thanx

Sounds Hit&Miss from what I Heard thus far.

TRON said:

Yes,it looks like Madonna is gonna tour in 2004!!!


This is great news! She has said that she thinks the 'Drowned World' Tour was too self-indulgent.So maybe this time around,she will add more old songs to her setlist (since that was a major complaint from fans last time around).She is releasing a multi-disc box set just in time for Christmas,so perhaps the new tour will be based around that?

DavidEye said:

prediction: the AL video will be released as part of this set.

Moonbeam said:

The song "American Life" is not one of Madonna's best songs,and it's not particularly catchy like,say,"Music".But it is a strong song with a potent,timely message.Give it a chance.When I first heard it,I only "liked" it,but now I adore it.I have a feeling that the album is gonna be like the single...not very "commercial" or radio friendly,but very challenging and edgy.As such,I predict that many fans won't like it immediately.

AaronFantastic said:

I hope so! By then,the war would be over (hopefully) and the video won't seem so "controversial" or shocking.

DavidEye said:

I'm not so concerned about what she plays. I was hoping that she meant she'd like to scale down the next tour and do like Bowie and Prince are doing - just focus on the music and leave the elaborate staging, dancing and costumes behind. I wouldn't mind if she played smaller venues and the whole thing was like the SNL performance back in '92.

TRON said:

That sounds interesting,but somehow I doubt that Madonna would do a scaled back tour.She's not exactly known for being subtle,you know...lol...but who knows? I'm just excited that she's touring again.I guess I'd better get ready to shell out a couple of hundred bucks again.Her tickets are NOT cheap!

btw...Moonbeam and Aaron,I haven't heard you guys say anything about the new video.What is your opinion of it? How does it compare to other Madonna videos? Do you "get" the message of it all? The irony?


I love the part where Madonna and her dancers are walking to the runway.They look like they're gonna kick some major ass...lol...

DavidEye said:

I think the video was too calculated. I didn't think it was so controversial that it needed to be banned and the irony was definitely there. Madonna looks great in it. It doesn't do much for me. I'm hoping "Hollywood" blows me away. Upon repeated listens, I do concede that "American Life" is catchy- it gets stuck in my head for hours. However, I still am disappointed. We'll see how the album turns out.

"Madonna looks great in it"


Agreed.I also love the little dance routine she and her dancers do before they walk to the runway.One complaint I have about her recent videos is,there is very little dancing.She's a GREAT dancer and I like to see her strutting her stuff in her videos.

MTV.com is streaming the whole album a week before release. April 16

DavidEye said:

Yes, the dancing is great in it!

DavidEye said:

I haven't watched it. Not really intersted. From the descriptions, I'm sure I "get it." I've already explained why I think it's a good idea for her to have pulled it here:

http://www.prince.org/msg...msg_640587


the "irony" of the video goes beyond what's in the video. the reali irony is that she's continuing to feed into what she's supposedly decrying with the song/video. makes her a hypocrite, if it were to have been released.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 8 2:24:57 PDT 2003 by AaronFantastic]

DavidEye said:

that's just it though, it's not challenging or edgy to me.

it sounds like a ROL song smushed together with a song from Music. ho hum...

MADONNARAMA REVIEW:

'American Life'
Approx BPM: 103
Is there anyone here who's not heard this song? I think we already have made an opinion on this. For the record I like this one a lot. I love the sparse sound and I can forgive the small amount of auto-tuning on Madonna's voice. In particular, I like the rap. I see it for what it is. It's funny - it's ironic. Anyone who doesn't like the rap just doesn't "get it". It's the song that's inspired fans to argue "she should work with Pat Leonard again." "Mirwais should retire." "It's nothing new." Well let me tell you this. I think it's possibly the weakest song on the album.

'Hollywood'
Approx BPM: 125
We already know that this will probably be the second single and it's a world away from 'American Life'. It begins with the sound of birds tweeting and an atmosphere of a warm sunny day. We hear a sweet acoustic guitar and some upbeat 808-style drums. Madonna sings a rather looped, but infectious melody. There are no effects on her voice but it sounds unlike it's ever sounded before. She is girly and yet twangy. Maybe there's a hint of Sheryl Crow there? The song is very "in your face" and upfront, littered with "clattering" synth sounds. At the end, Madonna half sings and half speaks about "pushing the button" and her voice is electronically morphed from female to male.

'I'm So Stupid'
Approx BPM: 123
Starts with an electronic guitar riff and some bizarre effects on her voice - like I've never heard before. After a strange intro, the song picks up and has a very rock vibe which puts me in mind of a faster 'Candy Perfume Girl'. It also reminds me a little of the end potion of 'Music', where the hi-hats kick in and take over the song. There are some pleasant and unexpected key changes. This will quash the believe that many of you have expressed (myself included) that Mirwais is not as musically-trained as Orbit or Leonard.

'Love Profusion'
Approx BPM: 125
The vocal leads us straight into this song and again it's a mix of guitar and singing. There is a slightly stuttery start to the drums before an all-out four-to-the-floor beat takes over. We finally understand the meaning of "stiff" that Madonna used to describe the sound of her record. This song reminded me of a folk song done in an '80s style.

'Nobody Knows Me'
Approx BPM: 120
A blippy "computer-like" sound to start the record which filter-sweeps as the highly auto-tuned vocal begins. The drums are very hard-sounding and have a slightly breakbeat quality to them. It becomes a very funky sounding song but I feel it's lacking in melody. Before long, a club-like and dirty sound evolves. You can imagine getting hot and sweaty to this one. Lots of "stab" sounds fill the song and it is reminiscent of a mid-80s funk/soul/dance style track (think New Editions' 'Candy Girl' meets Herbie Hancock's 'Rockit'). By the end of the song I was hooked. It has so much energy and the very end (before it fades) is out of this world.

'Nothing Fails'
Approx BPM: 110
Starts with a guitar and another 808-style drumkit (think a faster 'Love Tried To Welcome Me'). Madonna's voice is deep and rich and the song is folky like 'Don't Tell Me'. The beat becomes very regular for the chorus and there are some great overdubs on her voice which are very precise and rich. There is a nice synth break and then the chorus returns with what I believe is known as 'Call-and-return' style of singing.

And then the choir. ***ing hell! This is amazing. This makes you clutch your heart and it's no longer blood-drenched organ but a piece of ethereal wonder that is tingling with emotion. Just when you think you're about to burst, the choir ends like a sexual climax and the song pitters away. I cannot describe what this song did to me. It's amazing.

'Intervention'
Approx BPM: 118
Sounds like 'Under The Bridge' at the beginning with its electric guitar riff. Madonna's voice is soon-joined by an early-80s style syndrum and the entire song is lifted with a glistening acoustic guitar. The melody reminds me of something and I can't quite remember but it's beautiful. The song winds down at the end as if it's resting in peace.

'X-static Process'
Approx BPM: 60/120
A very classical guitar sound, complete with fret noise begins the album coupled with a rich, calm and dry vocal. The song makes good use of vocal harmonies. It's again quite folky and reminds me of Joni Mitchel. Though it's a ballad and without drums, it's not actually a slow song. Her voice is reminiscent of the Evita work with a slow vibrato that I wonder is natural.

'Mother & Father'
Approx BPM: 113
Again a beepy-synth start which reminds me of Kylie's 'Fever'. A filtered kick drums precede the arrival of Madonna's vocal which is also very sweet and reminiscent of Ms Minogue. Yet this cute little voice is actually singing some somber and dark words. Is this what a child would sing if she had the vocabulary of a mature woman? The song stabs-into action in the second verse and is joined by some synthy handclap noises. The bass has the up-down disco style of 'Impressive Instant' but is joined by an acoustic guitar.

And then suddenly it changes. Madonna is singing a nursery rhyme, or so it seems. Yet there is a disco squelchy bass in the background and before you know it she's rapping like 'American Life'. This is the most original sound and style I have heard in years! And it works. At the end, her playful vocals remind me of how Macy Gray might sound if she cleared her throat!

'Die Another Day'
Approx BPM: 120
Sigh. I don't like this song. I never have but let me remind you what I said at the beginning of this missive of how time helps us to appreciate songs more. Ok, it's not so bad. As a Bond-theme it's shit and I really don't know what possessed Madonna to submit it. But in the context of the album it works ok and we can appreciate the beautiful strings. I believe that this version is slightly different. Certainly it sounds a lot fuller before the final gunshot and then it has a much, much longer fade out.

'Easy Life'
Approx BPM: 110
Filmic strings start the song and it feels like the beginning to a 1940s technicolor musical! An acoustic guitar is joined by Madonna's vocal and as a musician, I'm struggling to make out the time signature. Is it a waltz? No. Is it freestyle? I count along to a few bars and realise it's just 4/4 but doesn't sound it. An accomplishment! Every musician wants to be able to do that. It reminds me how an Evita song may have sounded had Mirwais recorded it. A beat takes over with a very sharp snare/handclap that cuts through the strings. They are very classical sounded but the beats become squirty and stuttered. There is a lot of emotion and then the strings also become stuttered while the beats appear to be falling over themselves. The strings end the song and album perfectly.

What do I think? Bearing in mind that I need to listen to it in the privacy of my own home, in my own time and learn the songs I think I still come to the same conclusion. This album is ***ing amazing. It's the best piece of work she has ever produced. It's homogenous-sounding in terms of production, yet it is full a diversity in its song style. Her vocal is breathtakingly good. It is acoustic, yet electronic. It is '80s, yet very modern. It has taken 20-years for Madonna to create her finest work and I am blown away. There is not a bad song on it. Fans will not be disappointed. I now think of the 'Music' album as being quite unimpressive in comparison. The sound is very mature and there are so many different songs that every fan will find something they like. I can only hope you like it as much as me.

And so I leave the listening party and I'm handed a bag of goodies including a limited edition Corgi Madonna-mini cooper! And I speak to some people from Warners and I speak to some other journalists and I leave for home. All the way back on the tube I'm swinging my 'American Life' carrier bag and every gay man I see shoots me daggers. And my head is full of the sounds of the album and I think what I'm going to tell you all and how I'm going to say it. And I feel good. I feel really good. And I hope that you all are going to feel like I feel now when you hear the album.

Martinelli said:[quote]
...and I leave for home. All the way back on the tube I'm swinging my 'American Life' carrier bag and every gay man I see shoots me daggers...

I can picture that right now! good report Martinelli.

But who is this 'Madonna' u speak of? She that chick from pOp idol?