VelvetSplash said:

"I'm So Stupid" sounds better with repeated listenings,but it's still an incredibly silly song,and her vocals sound kinda "off" throughout most of it.Maybe it will grow on me.

The next single is gonna be "Hollywood".Maddy starts filming the video the last week of May.I don't know what songs will be released after that,but if it were up to me,I would choose "Nobody Knows Me" and "Love Profusion".

Still trying to get into the song "Easy Ride".It sounds okay,but it hasn't really moved me yet.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

On another thread,you were saying that you had a change of heart and that you now like the album.Is this the part where I get to say "I told you so"?

DavidEye said:

(cue the intro music)
yes, DavidEye, this would be that time
I have really sat down and listened to the new album (since posting above) and I actually really like it. I am not too proud to admit I was wrong. I'm glad...i wanted to like the album. Now I do.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

Well then this is a cause for celebration

(cues up the song "Nobody Knows Me")

As a matter of fact, a club here in philly will be having a release party for her new cd. I think I'll put on my best and go have a great night out!

I listened to the new album on mtv.com and I gotta tell you, it put me to sleep. All the songs sound the same to me. There wasn't a song on there that caught my ear, that's not to say that the songs stink because of that. It just seemed cold to me. I wish she wouldn't sing with that Vocoder thing or whatever you call it. It got on my nerves very quickly. The songs that I thought were ok were Love Profusion and Nobody Knows Me and I thought American Life was better the 2nd time around. Maybe I need to hear it again but right now, the $18.99 for this album is going to be spent on paying some bills.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

is this the part where i get to call you a "sell out" ?

purplecam said:

people still pay $18.99 for their albums? go find yourself a Circuit City or Best Buy

here's a fan review I found...


The most detailed review yet (from a fan):
http://members.lycos.co.u...nlife.html

A M E R I C A N L I F E

This is Madonna's first studio album for three years, following the
smash success of "Music". That album's main producer Mirwais Ahmadzai
returns on this record to co-produce the songs with Madonna (with a
couple others), but the music has moved on somewhat...

American Life is the title track and first single released from this
very eagerly-awaited album of Madonna's. The song starts with Madonna
chanting "Do I have to change my name? will it get me far? Should I lose
some weight? Am I gonna be a star?". Immediately, any keen Madonna fan
will recognise this as part of the story of Madonna's early career;
Madonna was taunted as being somewhat "plump" in the beginning by the
80s media (before her transformation for "True Blue"), her name was
somewhat controversial given her shock tactics, and her relentless chase
for stardom (some people even think to this day that "Madonna" is not
her real name and that it has been chosen purely to shock). Madonna
seems to be railing against modern superficial life where the relentless
chase for fame and stardom for its own sake overshadows what is really
important - the so-called "American Dream". A heavy electronic bass
overlying a slamming drumbeat kicks in and one begins to appreciate that
this song's verses have a strong if sparse looped structure around which
slight changes are made with minimal stuttering electronic effects. The
chorus suddenly segues into an acoustic folksy sing-song - it all sounds
like nothing that Madonna has ever done before...so far so good? Well,
not entirely. The chorus jars with the verses and it doesn't really
sound like it's supposed to be one song; rather it sounds like two
different songs botched together. Musically, it isn't interesting to
hold one's attention for long; it almost seems like Madonna is singing
acapella with perhaps a few beats to keep her company. So is there
anything good about this song? Sure...and it's perhaps the part that
professional critics have criticised the most - the hilarious rap
towards the end. In it Madonna describes the staff (lawyers, nannies,
butlers, chefs, agents etc) and expensive toys (a Mini Cooper and a jet)
that she has and what she gets up to (yoga and pilates whilst checking
out the hotties' bodies!) with tongue firmly in cheek (which is perhaps
where the critics missed the beat) - Madonna isn't seriously trying to
move into Puff Daddy, Eminem or Missy Elliot's turf, she is creating a
pastiche. And as such, the rap works brilliantly, with the start "I'm
drinking a soy latte, I get a double shotti, it goes through my body and
you know I'm satisfied" set to be a classic. While the verses of the
song sounds like Justin Timberlake rejects and the chorus sounds like a
bad 70s folk singer, the rap really does work and the help that Madonna
got from Missy Elliot with rapping tuition shows. Unfortunately overall,
it's a really poor showcase for the album as a lead single (although
it's set to be a bit hit commercially) because nothing sounds like it on
the album and - wait for it - it's actually the weakest song on the
album! So if you liked this one, there's a good chance that you'll be
blown away by the rest - so good news all around!

Hollywood starts with the tweeting of birds in the background and then a
glistening guitar loop brightens the scene as Madonna bursts straight
into the song, with a playful and shockingly young-sounding (like a
carefree teenager just larking around in a convertible car in
Hollywood!) voice that is very reminiscent of her days before she was
famous (if you've ever heard her song "Love For Tender") but better of
course. That same slinkiness of her vocals as she vocally gambols around
the lyrics is a real pleasure to listen to again, especially against the
summery synth bass and beats of the backing track. In contrast to
"American Life", Madonna seems to be extolling the virtues of Hollywood
and why people want to come there to be famous. However, like her early
hit "Material Girl", there is a heavy dose of irony and the subtle
critcisms of Hollywood are there to feel, though the average non-fan
listener will probably miss them. Examples include "music stations
always play the same songs, I'm bored with the concept of right and
wrong" and "this bird has flown". At the end, Madonna's voice morphs
into that of a man's - quite an eye-opener from Master Mirwais! All in
all, with its massive hooks, it has "massive summer hit" stamped all
over it! Ironically, it will probably be snapped by TV shows whenever
they are doing a feature on how glamorous Hollywood is.

The album shifts gear with I'm So Stupid, which starts out with a strong
60s rock vibe (reminscent of the Rolling Stones) with Madonna singing
acapella again, then accompanied by beats only. Then her voice gets the
full Mirwais/Stuart Price electronic treatment, in a similar way to the
end of "Human Nature" in the "Drowned World World"
("seeex") with "III". The
theme of superficiality not being for Madonna ("it was just greed and it
won't protect me" and "everybody's looking for something, everybody's
stupider than stupid") that was in the first two songs is continued,
with Madonna singing how she was stupid for living in the bubble of
celebrity in the past. However, the sound of the song is "stiff" (as
described by Madonna herself) with rather rather hard beats accompanies
purring electro-rock guitars and backed excellently with similarly
hard-filtered vocals. The 60s retro theme is maintained through the
song, but it is mixed with New Order and remixed to an updated
post-Millennial version which is highly effective. Madonna uses her
deeper register on this song, interspersing it with higher shrieks of
the same kind as in "Ray Of Light" (though the songs do not sound
similar). The song never really bursts into full flow, but that is part
of the charm, as its laid-back growl is attractive and as a whole, it is
a memorable song on the album.

Love Profusion is an altogether smoother affair, with an acoustic folk
feeling, with a hint of electronica and stuttering "Mirwais-isms" to
garnish it without overpowering it. Madonna quietly describes her love
for husband Guy saying she's got him under her skin and that "...the
world can look so sad, only you make me feel good". With talk of "love
vibrations", "love direction" and "love perfusion" gives a warm glow to
the song, and if I were Guy, I'd feel really special listening to this!
Madonna's voice is glorious and perfectly matches the contented blissful
feeling of the song. The bridge sees quiet staccato 80s-style keyboards
take over with Madonna whispering "I got you under my skin" as only she
can with Mirwais himself making an appearance on the backing vocals (and
doing really a fantastic job too!) with non-verbal vocals
("aaah"). Though this is not an "exciting" track, its warmth
and beauty is such that makes it one of the album's highlights.

If you're disappointed thus far with the lack of a song to go clubbing
to, you'll be delighted with Nobody Knows Me. A computerised bleeping
forms the intro, and is joined a heavily auto-tuned Madonna who sounds
like a "discofied" computer. Psychadelic, the banging mid-tempo groove
is accompanied by similarly heady lyrics "sometimes I feel shy, I think
I can fly, closer to the sky" which sometimes veer towards the very
anti-critic ("I don't want no lies, I don't watch TV, I don't waste my
time, won't read a magazine" and "but why should I care what the world
thinks of me, won't let a stranger, give me a social disease") - which
is after all, the point of the song. The chorus is a great hook, with an
early Michael Jackson-eque "nobody knows me". The pulsating outro to
this wonderful piece of electronica is out of this world (in more ways
than
one) - this chaotic structureless mess of a song (which shouldn't work
but does!) makes "Impressive Instant" sound "normal" and, if treated
well by the recording company people, could be a huge club hit!

Nothing Fails returns to the warmth of "Love Profusion" but has a hint
of the stuttering guitars of "Don't Tell Me" (but more melodic) in the
background. In a style similar to Sheryl Crow, Madonna soulfully sings
that she's not religious, but the love she feels for her guy (whom she
refers to affectionately as "you silly thing") moves her and makes her
want to pray...a beautiful sentiment reflected by the glory of her
delivery. Three-quarters of the way through the song, she is accompanied
by the combined voices of the London Community Choir and violins, in a
bridge that is spine-tingling with the sheer power of the effect of
Madonna and the choir's voices and the arrangement. There are no words
to adequately describe this sensation, it's like entering the Pearly
Gates of Heaven at the end of a full life spent well. It's so good, it
will make all your hair stand on end. There is a hint of an oxymoronic
contradiction with the gospel choir singing "I'm not religious, but it
makes me want to pray", but that just adds to the intrigue. Forget "Like
A Prayer", this is completely different, this achieves its power without
loud amplitude and is a masterpiece in a very strong album overall.

Madonna continues with her love theme with a pretty love song to her
baby son Rocco. Intervention is therefore like "Little Star" from "Ray
of Light", but much stronger and more intimate. The song starts with a
playful gentle electric-guitar, which is joined by soft drumbeats and
snares. Later in the chorus, the electric guitar are replaced with
acoustic guitar and synths. Madonna refuses to let go of our
heartstrings which she had been yanking on the previous song, but here
merely plays them like the harp. OK, that's getting a little
metaphysical, but what I mean to say is that she manages to weave a
nostalgic warmth in this song that was missing from "Little Star", and
which no doubt will make her shed a tear or two in many years when she's
an old woman and looking back on this really special time in Rocco's
life. While "Little Star" sounded very much like a sweet song for a
little girl, this is definitely a boy's song - there is a quality about
it that you can't quite put your finger that exudes the masculine
bounciness of a young boy. Madonna sings of her love for her son, says
that life is hard ("I know the road looks lonely, but that's just
Satan's game") but that their love will keep them together and make life
worth it. The end of the song fades as if Madonna's little lad is
finally falling asleep after her lullaby. All together
now...awww!

X-Static Process sounds like it should be a stomping dance track like
"Impressive Instant" (especially given the lyrics, which have a similar
theme)...but nothing could be further from the truth. I love it when
artists do this, it takes all your preconceptions and throws them
straight out of the window. You now have two choices; to be
disappointed, or to be wowed by the unexpected move. I'm opting for the
latter, because this love song to her husband is special. It creates a
bubble of existance around you and Madonna that could be as immense as
the whole universe or just the simple glow of a campfire around which
Madonna is singing and strumming the guitar for you and only you. For
the latter what it sounds like, the acoustic guitar and some minute
twittering sounds are the only instrumentation to Madonna's intimate
voice.
Madonna's self-backing and harmonising have always been a particular
strong-point of her and she proves it again here, with multi-layered
vocals that are stunning. It's more than a love song to her husband,
it's also a love song to herself which isn't quite as big headed as it
might seem; it's a love song to the two of them: "I always wished that I
could find, someone as beautiful as you, but in the process I forgot
that I was special too". Madonna is quite clearly in love and feels that
what she and Guy have is x-tra special and beautiful - good for her!

Mother & Father starts with an 80s-style electropop intro which bears a
striking resemblence to that of Kylie Minogue's "Fever" - and the Kylie
comparisons don't end here. Near the end of the song, Madonna even
starts to sound like her! But that's for later - immediately, you notice
that Madonna is using a very different voice in this song.
Higher-pitched, the best comparison that can be made of her voice is
with the supremely talented British artist Kate Bush ("Wuthering
Heights", "Babooshka", "Hounds of Love" etc)...the resemblance is
uncanny. It's like the voice of the little girl Madonna was (or maybe
this the song the young Madonna would have sung had she necessary
vocabulary of the adult woman), and indeed that was her intention as
this song looks back at the little girl and how she felt at her mother's
death and the reaction of her father to that. But don't expect a
tear-jerker like "Promise To Try" and "Oh Father" - this baby has an 80s
disco sound and an altogether more upbeat feeling. In fact, a good song
of Madonna's to compare it to is "Till Death Do Us Part" in that it
deals with a very serious theme in a very upbeat and uplifting manner.
Again, this is the point of the song - whereas "Promise To Try" and "Oh
Father" were sad and almost self-pitying, this song is about overcoming
the trauma of such a loss: "I got to give it up, find someone to love me
I got to let it go, find someone that I can care for". Unlike "Till
Death Do Us Part", however, this song is ultimately positive. Some
critics have called some of the lyrics too simple, but this is missing
the point; the child that Madonna was is singing this song so phrases
"there was a time, I had a mother, it was nice" and the sing-songy "My
mother died when I was five, and all I did was sit and cry, I cried and
cried and cried all day, until the neighbours went away" are really apt
and makes me wonder whether the detractors listened to the song and got
a feel for it. Whilst Madonna describes the specialness of her mother to
her and the rage she felt against her father ("my father had to go to
work, I used to think he was a jerk" - spoken (a startling
digitally-spliced rap) with the same dry cynical voice as used in "Till
Death Do Us Part" to throw into relief the earnest sung vocals) as he
continued his life without his wife, she says she now realises that this
was his way of dealing with the pain - this amounts to an apology to
him. Towards the end of the song, Madonna jacks her voice up to new
pitches and sounds like a blend of Kate Bush and Kylie Minogue (the
latter especially in the backing vocals) and even purrs and coos like
Betty Boo!

We all heard Die Another Day long before the release of the album,
because it was of course the theme song to the 20th James Bond film of
the same name. As the first song to be heard from this album, everyone
was very keen to see which direction Madonna went after her smash album
"Music". Madonna brought in composer Michael Colombier to lend his magic
with the string orchestra, which Mirwais took and chopped up in his
unimitable style and to which he added a thumping stiff beat and
Madonna's autotuned vocals. Lyrically, it's not a complex song, with a
theme of overcoming privations and hardship to survive to fight another
day - or to die another day (instead of today!). With revolutionist
lyrics like "I'm gonna shake up the system", you might be forgiven for
thinking that Madonna was getting a bit too big for her boots - but oh
no, she counters that sentiment with "I'm gonna destroy my ego" and
invokes Sigmund Freud (no less) to "analyse this"! All very vague and
confusing ("I'm gonna kiss some part of" - some part of what exactly?!),
as it was no doubt meant to be. Musically, the Colombier strings add the
drama and "Bondness" that Mirwais on his own could not make, whilst
Mirwais and Madonna together try to "break the cycle" of overblown Bond
ballads with a thumping techno beat. In fact, they shook up the system
so much that the song split Bond fans right down the middle, with some
(including heavyweights like David Arnold [a Bond composer] and Elton
John) denouncing this as the worst ever Bond theme tune whilst others
lauding it as a brave new sound for the 21st century Bond. My own
feeling is that Mirwais and Madonna were nearly on to a real winner
here, but managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by going
overboard with the twiddly knobs. There is no musical reason for the
amount of autotuning on Madonna's voice in this song. It was last used
on "Impressive Instant" from the "Music" album, to great effect. But
there, it was used only at certain points; here it is used throughout
the song on Madonna's vocals, and instead of suddenly adding another
dimension to her voice, it merely takes one away, leaving it two
dimension and flat. A major criticism of this song is that Madonna
sounds like a robot, and there is some truth in that. However, it could
be this quality that Madonna was looking for, a robotic sense of
self-hypnosis, trying to psyche oneself to defeat one's own mind and ego
to overcome hardship (as evidenced by the video where captured agent
Madonna is tortured by her North Korean captors). Musically, the
wonderful chopped up Colombier strings feel a little underused, being
only really prominent when Madonna is not singing. There was a lot of
promise in this song, and perhaps not the full potential was realised.
Nevertheless, it's a very capable Bond theme and a song that fits better
on this album than in its own right and which would be superb, but for
missing that certain je ne sais quoi.
However, it's a breath of fresh air to the rather stuffy Bond franchise
which suffered one after another overblown ballad and then a series of
so-so "modern" songs trying to break the mould. Madonna may not have
pleased everyone, but she has certainly shaken (not stirred!) up the
system!!

Easy Ride starts with ultra-dramatic strings from composer Michael
Colombier, which lead into the familar acoustic guitar of this album
(supported by Mirwais-isms). Madonna infuses this song with nostalgia
and almost-but-not-regret as she sings how she's doesn't her life to be
easy but instead be really special as she's worked for it. The desires
of Madonna in the lyrics veer from the endearingly idealistic ("I want
to know everything, maybe someday I will") to the pleasures of the
simple things ("breathe the air and feel the sun on my children's
face"). The first chorus is spine-tingling with an inspiring dramatic
melody, beat and handclaps and a staccato delivery. The second instance
chorus is sung the same, but is supporrted with strings only in a superb
contrast and then is repeated as before. At the end, the song gets
funked up with the stuttering electronica that is Mirwais' trademark
then kicks in with the same type of chopped-up strings of "Die Another
Day" and this leads into the orchestral outro that ends the album. And
very fittingly too; in the second half of her career, Madonna often
seems to want to leave us with a song at the end of the album which
makes you "work for it" (as she says on this song) and provoke some
thought - she did it with "Secret Garden"
(from "Erotica"), she did it with "Mer Girl" (from "Ray of Light") and
she did it with "Gone" (from "Music"). This is a worthy successor to
those thought-inspiring tracks from yesteryear, and moreover it puzzles
me why Madonna chose to make a song like "Die Another Day" the theme
tune to the James Bond film, when a song like this is infinitely better
suited to it (as it works well in all the areas that "Die Another Day"
does not). The grandeur of the strings, the majesty of the arrangement,
the drama of the chorus and the filmic quality of the song as a whole
makes it the best theme song of hers that never was. This is easily the
most interesting (albeit not the most immediate or even the most
captivating) song on the album and is a really glorious end to an
awesome album.

Rating

As you can probably tell, I am bowled over by this album. After the
dizzy groundbreaking heights scaled by the incredible "Ray of Light", I
was afraid that Madonna would never reach them again, and though "Music"
was capable and not sub-standard by any means, it lacked the
cohesiveness and beauty of its predecessor. All these years, I've been
praying for an album that would better "Ray of Light", since it would
take some album to do so. So does "American Life" actually beat "Ray of
Light"? It's too soon for me to judge to 100% accuracy (since I'm
writing this before the album has even been released!) but I don't think
it does...not quite. The title track "American Life" just spoils it that
much and brings it lower than "Ray of Light", which for me didn't have a
single weak song.

But you know what? I don't care - there's more to life than matching
your past achievements, and in any case Madonna has quite clearly
reached the same levels of artistry that she did before in many of the
songs on this album. And all of this whilst moving on musically all the
time. Her collaboration with Mirwais has matured and flourished in a way
that was not imaginable from "Music" which, for all its great beats and
rhythms, didn't have so much emotional power as its scintillating
predecessor.

In this album, Madonna seems at once unsure of her position in the world
and insecure and at the same time achieving closure over her mother's
death and content to be in love with her husband and children and to
bask in the warmth of the family feeling. We should not be surprised;
Madonna has always been about such contrasts and contradictions and they
add to the enigma that is Madonna, and after all life is not black and
white.
The good thing about this album is that Madonna still has a lot to say,
rather than being a collection of pretty-sounding tunes.

Madonna has produced a stunning and mature adult album but one that
still retains a hint of the sense of fun - as if the two predecessor
electronica albums "Ray of Light" and "Music" had sex and gave birth to
"American Life", a nearly-perfect blend of the best qualities of both.
For this, and for continuing to be the most interesting and stunning pop
singer, I am happy to give "American Life" an awesome 9/10.

and another... that has track times. something i've been looking for, but haven't been able to find so far.

This review has the track times for all the songs. I'm really excited
about the album now especially after reading all these reviews.

Chris

From Dotmusic:

Hi there,

Well, I managed to buy the new album, thanks to a tip from sebastians. I
didn't get a receit and had to pay in cash but I got it. Anyway. The
quality is muuuch better then the online mp3's or the LEAK. You just
hear sounds and effects you never even heard before and it makes the
album much richer and more full.
Biggest surprises:

* American Life fades into Hollywood, with the bird sounds already
coming in at the end of AL's outro.

* There's a veeery high pitch sound on American Life's end which I
never heard before, very faint, but never noticed it.

* official track times:

01. American Life - 4:57
02. Hollywood - 4:24
03. I'm So Stupid - 4:08
04. Love Profusion - 3:37
05. Nobody Knows Me - 4:39
06. Nothing Fails - 4:48
07. Intervention - 4:54
08. X-Static Process - 3:49
09. Mother and Father - 4:33
10. Die Another Day - 4:38
11. Easy Ride - 5:05

total album: 49:37

* Hollywood has much more sounds, dentist equipment like sounds during
the song, like a dentist drill on acid and all ***ed up, really cool.
mixed with the sound of a modem going haywire.

* Her voice really shines! It's the total highlight of the album and the
way it's mixed. It's like she breathing the songs in your neck and
sitting right beside you!

* If you thought it sounded stiff on the mp3's just wait till you hear
it from the album, it's totally compressed! The beat on Love Profusion
for example.
It's totally high pitched and compressed, really cool!
And there's a weird ripping sound during the song about two times. and
there are synth like bleeps at the end which make the song sound more
complete and air like keyboards at the end.

* On the CD the autotuning during Nobody Knows Me sounds more precise
and restrained in a way. The sound is very rich, again totally stiff and
compressed at parts. The beat is richer and more diverse. It's like your
trapped in an alien submarine and it is just about to explode or swallow
you whole and then think of the sounds it makes, totally highpitched and
squeeeling all the time. Amazing.

* Nothing Fails just screams for a single release!
Divine! During the build up to the climax she also hums through her own
singing if I'm not mistaking, very faint. Halfway through the song
there's a squelching sound added to her singing. Like interference and
it works as it's at one point topped by the choir that just fills up
your room and your heart!

* Intervention sounds totally different from CD, the guitar gets more
place and it sounds like a really old guitar, as acoustic as they come.
Again, compressed, but in a very rich sound! Amazing. Like her voice.
She sounds amazing, just out of this world. During some of the verses
the backing vocals of Madonna are slightly autotuned if you really
listen closely, it's veeery subtle, you can hear it best around 2:07
into the song


* X-Static Process, speechless! This makes our hart flood over!

* Mother and Father kicks more ass then before. The clapping sounds are
out of this world, they make the track ROCK!!! They are soo bold and
hot, totally a favourite among all tracks. Amazing production and acid
beats and kicks. But the claps are monumental!

* DAD has never sounded better! Kicks major ass and is one of the dance
standouts of the album. And if you thought the sounds on this track were
compressed then you'll be surprised at how far Mirwais can push it.
They make the hairs on your nack stand up, come to life and just dance
for joy

* Easy Ride, WOW, I'm in awe. Was a favourite of the album, but has been
promoted to one of my favs ever! A rich, soulfull perfect song and album
closer. It has everything, it's dark, uplifting, romantic, thoughtfull.
The progress of the sound of the song is as natural as you could want.
Amazing strings from Michel Colombier, another musical genius. She
should definately keep him for future albums! The ending is out of this
world! Words fail me.

* I have the uncensored version, and that has the parental advisory
thingy directly printed on the cover booklet, no sticker!

* The booklet is one large fold out, it doesn't contain lyrics, which is
okay, as they can be found on madonna.com anyway. One side of the
foldout, which folds into 6 pieces. One side has American Life as the
madonna alphabet on it and the other side is Mad in alphabet - album
cover (0) - NNA - and then the credits on one page.

* The enhanced section is the same as the maxi single.
Not a single difference, but it's all about the music anyway, and that
is just sensational! I wouldn't have cared if it was wrapped in
cardboard and plastic as long as the music is this quality!

* Overall, just ...WOW, can'describe it. Final verdict, her best
ever! Not a song I don't like or would ever skip. Off course I have my
favourites but that are far more then say from ROL or Music, even
combined

I'll try and make some scans from the artwork, some of them are much
better resolution then we have seen so far!

Now I'll wait for the clean version and the limited edition It's
sooo worth buying this album!

and here's a real review. from the NY Times, no less


New York Times
April 18, 2003

Madonna's Real Art: Getting Attention

By JON PARELES

A NEW Madonna album never arrives alone. Around it is a cloud of video,
side projects, tie-ins, personal appearances and random buzz that
obscure all divisions between the artistic project and the promotion. So
it is with "American Life" (Warner Brothers), Madonna's new album, which
is to be released on Tuesday but can already be heard in its entirety at
www.mtv.com. It has shown up along with various diversions:

 The video for "American Life," a replacement for the one Madonna
withdrew as the United States went to war with Iraq.

 An exhibition of Madonna posing in somber video installations at
Deitch Projects, a SoHo gallery.

 Madonna's latest pronouncements and past hits on VH1, MTV2 and MTV,
which will have her performing in its studios on Tuesday.

 Madonna cursing fans who try to download her music free. She has
introduced decoy versions of her new songs to file-sharing Web sites.
Anyone hoping to listen to a track hears her annoyed voice instead,
sneering, "What the [expletive] do you think you're doing?" - a
recording that's bound to get a second life as a sample.

 And for comic relief, there's an appearance by Madonna as an uptight
office worker seeking a roommate on the Thursday night episode of the
NBC comedy "Will and Grace."

As she blankets the media yet again, Madonna is the exact opposite of a
politician striving to stay "on message." Madonna's priority is to keep
people watching whatever she does; she maintains a presence, not a
message.

Her latter-day video clips tend to be only tangentially related to the
underlying songs, and by the time an album and a video have been
prepared for release, she is on to the next hair color, fashion
statement or spiritual preference. In her previous video, for "Die
Another Day," she flaunted Hebrew letters (one of the 72 kabalistic
names of God, used for meditation on eliminating the ego) and wrapped
one arm with tefillin (a boxlike leather case attached to a thong; it
contains Scriptural passages and is worn by observant Jewish men during
weekday morning prayer). In her new video, for "American Life," she
insists, "I'm not a Christian and I'm not a Jew."

A few weeks ago, Madonna withdrew her original "American Life" video
because, she said, she was worried that it might be misinterpreted
during wartime. It had intercut a fashion show of camouflage fantasies
with images of bombs and destruction, and it ended with Madonna tossing
a grenade that was caught by a George W. Bush look-alike. He opened the
top  it turned out to be a cigarette lighter - and nonchalantly lighted
a cigar.

Madonna told VH1 that the video, made before the war with Iraq, was
meant to insist that viewers should "stop being distracted by all of
your entertainment" and try to avert a war. Having the grenade turn out
to be harmless was, she said, "wishful thinking, symbolically, that we
could find a different way to deal with our conflicts with Iraq." But
the video could also have been seen as a Bush endorsement (he could
bravely defuse a grenade) or a callous equation of dancing and preening
with bombings.

It was one brouhaha Madonna didn't want to incite. The replacement video
shows her in a low-cut, form-fitting quasi-military khaki shirt, facing
the camera and singing while various flags ripple behind her, ending
with the American flag. Various nationalists may take offense at which
flag goes with which lyrics, but it's a stretch to call the video
controversial, as VH1 did with its premiere on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, what the video has to do with the song - a lament that
material success hasn't satisfied her - remains a mystery. "I live the
American dream," Madonna sings mournfully, going on to rap about soy
latte, yoga class and nannies before saying, "I just realized that
nothing is as it seems."

Despite the flag imagery and military-style stenciled letters of its
cover, "American Life" is actually an album about the midlife crisis of
a disillusioned star. In "I'm So Stupid," she sings: "I used to live in
a tiny bubble, and I wanted to be like all the pretty people that were
all around me/But now I know for sure that I was stupid." The album is
one of Madonna's confessional works, part of the line stretching back
through "Ray of Light" (1998) and "Like a Prayer" (1989). But it
inadvertently reveals the perspective of someone who believes, as
Madonna sings, that "everybody comes to Hollywood."

The music of "American Life" continues Madonna's collaboration with the
ingenious French producer Mirwais Ahmadzai, who produced the album
"Music" in 2000. It uses a similar mixture of acoustic guitar-picking,
ticking drum machines and swooping, buzzing synthesizer lines. The
guitar signals the sincerity of a singer-songwriter, while all the
gizmos add the retro catchiness of the synth-pop music now being revived
under the name electroclash.

"Music" had giddy moments along with pensive ones. On "American Life,"
the guitar and the minor chords that dominate the songs are the
giveaways. This time around, Madonna has lost interest in being a sex
symbol or a party girl; she just wants love and a chance to brood. The
album's most danceable tune, "Nobody Knows Me," ponders thoughts like,
"It's no good when you're misunderstood, but why should I care what the
world thinks of me?"

Throughout "American Life," songs use distant echoes of early disco -
beats and blips and phrases like "you make me feel" and "got to give it
up" - not for fun but for introspection. What Madonna has got to give
up, she tells herself in "Mother and Father," is the grief and rage at
her mother's death that made her unable to love. It's one of the handful
of songs on the album, along with "Die Another Day" and the love songs
"Nothing Fails" and "Love Profusion," that manage to find sentiments
other people might share within Madonna's overwhelming self-absorption.

She's clearly trying to be honest, even if it's painful. But too often,
the album approaches the folkie psychobabble of songwriters like Jewel.
In "X-Static Process," set to a simply plucked acoustic guitar, Madonna
croons, "I always wished that I could find someone as beautiful as you,
but in the process I forgot that I was special too." Just what Madonna
needs on the way to eliminating the ego: a refresher in self-esteem.

"X-Static Pro=cess" is also the name of Madonna's collaboration with the
fashion photographer Steven Klein, apparently because one of their
sound-and-video installations at Deitch Projects uses vocal samples from
the song. The installation, of slide and video tableaus, strains to
revive the old extroverted Madonna who was so skilled at finding a nexus
of sex, faith, exhibitionism and self-advertisement (related review,
Page 36). In its largest piece, she's kneeling on a stage in a kind of
glitter bondage hood as a wedding dress burns perpetually nearby and her
voice is heard reciting scary passages from the Book of Revelations -
almost rapping - above a slow thud.
Elsewhere, she's tied to a pole and menaced by coyotes, or contorted on
a table with a leg behind her head (those yoga classes must work), or
groveling on a dirty bed.

It's all very grim and serious, although the $350 catalog, printed on
the art-world equivalent of paper towels, includes more close-ups and
cheesecake. In a note in the catalog, Madonna writes, "X-Static Pro=cess
isn't art - It isn't anything." Yes, it is.
It's one more chance for Madonna to attract attention.

from the Advocate:

http://www.advocate.com/h...adonna.asp

All-American girl

Madonna's latest CD makes a fascinating exploration of her own
complicated American Life

By Larry Flick

From The Advocate, April 15, 2003

Madonna has accomplished the near-impossible: For the past 20 years, she
has managed to remain consistently compelling to the queer community.
More than any other diva to whom we have ever pledged allegiance, she
has earned our unyielding affection - and not merely because she wears
hot clothes or has a larger-than-life swagger. We connect with her
seemingly unshakable bravery as well as the fact that she openly infused
gay sensibilities into her work long before it became a trendy or savvy
mainstream move. We may occasionally yearn for the familiarity and
simplicity of early hits like 'Borderline' or 'Express Yourself,' but we
hungrily consume every fresh morsel she offers. Quite simply, we cannot
wait to see where she will go next.

Recent recordings have seen Madonna exploring her fascination with
electronic club culture. Along the way, she's provided pure exhilaration
('Ray of Light,' which easily surpassed her previous crowning glory,
'Vogue'), utter exasperation (the stiff, mother-of-the-universe pose of
'Frozen'), and carefree bliss (the irresistible 'Music'). It's been a
bold, sometimes self-indulgent journey that has led her to the biggest
risk she has taken to date: American Life, an album that is among her
most sonically adventurous and lyrically intelligent.

Paired once again with French underground studio whiz Mirwais Ahmadzai,
she utilizes electronic elements less as a disco catalyst and more in an
abrasive rock context. Much of the material is underlined with firm,
urgent rhythms, but they dont necessarily inspire physical motion as
much as they propel dissonant sounds and heady prose.

Drawn with dark, introspective hues, American Life is the flip side to
2001's Music, which was intentionally aimed to be easy on the brain and
heavy on the hips. From the opening lines of the title track, it's clear
that we've caught the 44-year-old artist in a reflective state of mind.
Within its framework of acoustic strumming and rubber-band
bass-thumping, we don't see her surveying the landscape of all American
life, just her own. And clearly it's been an inner battle, as she
punctuates a jittery, almost codependent mantra of 'I tried to stay
ahead / I tried to stay on top / I tried to play the part' with a
venomous, dismissive 'fuck it.' By the end of the track's cheekily
delivered rap (which pays undeniable homage to Deborah Harry's classic
rant on Blondie's 'Rapture'), we see that she may have all she thought
she wanted but maybe not all she has needed.

From there Madonna meditates on religion (the glorious 'Nothing Fails,'
which glides from a lean arrangement into a choir-chanted climax of the
refrain 'Makes me wanna pray'), family ('Intervention,' a charming ode
to her son, and 'Love Profusion,' a plaintive love letter to her
husband), and the world at large (the rock-charged 'I'm So Stupid'). It
adds up to some of the more literate, deeply heartfelt material she's
ever offered.

But it's during 'Hollywood' and 'The X-Static Process' that Madonna
shines brightest. Despite their disparate styles, both songs illustrate
that no amount of experimentation or growth will hinder her apparent
love of - or her knack for crafting - perfect pop songs. The former (an
eventual radio smash) sparkles with shiny synths and a driving,
funk-flavored beat, while the latter is a simple, folk-spiced acoustic
ballad. It leads perfectly into the set-closing 'Easy Ride,' on which
she mulls over her life and music with a simple 'I come full circle, to
my place. I am home.'

With that, she once again leaves the listener both sated and still
wondering where she can possibly go next. Wherever that might be, we'll
be there with her.

from Blender:

Cut the Crap
Newly ascetic, Madonna renounces scandal for harsh electronica and soy
lattes
*** (out of 5)

Because she's as narcissistic as she is fascinated by the power of
photography, Madonna has used her album covers for an extraordinary
series of portraits that chronicle her self-imagined evolution: the
clubland bride reclining on satin pillows for Like a Virgin
(provocative); the faceless, unsnapped-jeans waist-land from Like a
Prayer (lean, serious); the cowgirl makeover from Music (garish).

Now, on the cover of her new album, American Life, the gaucho is reborn
as a guerilla, with her familiar face scrambled and topped with a beret
so she resembles Che Guevara, the '60s Marxist warrior. How many young
fans will wonder why she's ripping off Rage Against the Machine's logo?

Many of Madonna's albums have been extraordinary, too, but they're not
nearly so unpredictable - our most ambitious pop star is also one of our
least ambitious singers. Since her first single, in 1982, she has found
collaborators who can hook deceptively simple songs to tricky dance
tracks- and lately, abandoning her New York club roots, she has cast a
curatorial eye on not-quite-mainstream European electronica producers.

In 1998, she teamed with William Orbit for Ray of Light, a lush fantasy
of spiritual fulfillment. Then she turned to Mirwais, the radical French
tinkerer, who cherishes anxiety the way Orbit cherishes bliss. Together,
they made Music, a fitful, fidgety album that celebrates incoherence. A
disco cowgirl sings a techno song about how "music makes the bourgeoisie
and the rebel..." She never finished the thought, which suggests she
hadn't even bought the beret yet.

Mirwais is back for American Life, which is as disjointed as Music and
much more severe. Many of the songs start with a wisp of electric guitar
and then a violent stutter or hiccup as the beat comes in, cutting
Madonna's voice to ribbons. On "Nobody Knows Me," she delivers a series
of rhyming complaints ("I'm not that kind of guy/Sometimes I feel shy";
"It's no good/When you're misunderstood") and these empty phrases make
sense- not because they tell us anything about Madonna, but because the
bass line is as acerbic, an the beat as petulant, as the album's sulky
title.

That's both the best and the worst thing about this album: The music is
much more eloquent than the lyrics. In "Die Another Day," the title
theme from the latest James Bond movie, she whispers, "Sigmund Freud,
analyze this," and it's hard no to think of Billy Crystal and Robert
DeNiro. But then there's the gospel choir in "Nothing Fails." It's a
"Like a Prayer" rip-off, but the result is glorious, the same as the
first time she did it. Mirwais himself adds delicate backing vocals to
"Love Profusion," delivering the most memorable line: "Aaaah."

For a long time, it was impossible to hear Madonna without thinking
about her life. Each new interview or video encouraged listeners to
scrutinize her albums for clues. She was unsolvable: a human acrostic.
These days, though, her life seems less puzzling than ever. It's hard to
be curious about her marriage to director Guy Ritchie, her time in
England, her forty-fourth birthday, her dedication to her two children,
or her love of yoga (or is it Pilates?) Without a compelling back story,
her songs seem diminished.

Madonna confronts this problem in the title track, which is the first
single.
"I live the American dream,: she sings, inviting listeners to speculate
about her new life in England. But even she seems bored by the topic.
She may never live down the ridiculous rap section that begins, "I'm
drinking a soy latte/I get a double shot-tay." And it's depressing to
hear a brilliant media manipulator declare, "I've just realized that
nothing is what it seems," especially since she used that line in a
magazine interview last year.

If this is a holding pattern, it's a seductive one. Though it's harder
to love Madonna, it's easy to admire her achievements. Her albums are no
longer guaranteed blockbusters (and her movies are still guaranteed
bombs), but she has disproved skeptics who said her music was secondary
to her hat of media tricks.

The album ends with "Easy Ride," a gorgeous ode to banality. As the
string section swells, Madonna keeps repeating a chorus that's somewhere
between a playground chant and Zen koan: "I go round and round just like
a circle." She sings it as if that's something to be proud of, and who
knows? Maybe it is.

LA Times

Madonna
"American Life"

Maverick/Warner Bros.

3 out of 4 stars

When Madonna says, in effect, that she doesn't believe in material girls
in the title track of this ambitious new collection, the declaration
doesn't hit with the emotional or artistic impact of John Lennon's "I
don't believe in Beatles" from his first solo album three decades ago.
But it does reflect much of the same deeply felt superstar
self-inventory.

Scores of pop artists, including Siniad O'Connor and Alanis Morissette,
have followed Lennon's lead in pointing out the dangers of false values
and goals, though most spoke in the relentlessly stark tone of Lennon's
"Plastic Ono Band" album.

What's different about Madonna's album (which arrives in stores Tuesday)
is that she sometimes frames her musings in bright electronic and
dance-music textures that would fit on a radio playlist with the next
party-starter from Pink. She even sings some of the songs (notably "I'm
Stupid") in a distinctly adolescent tone, as if to separate herself from
the "blond ambition" of the past.

Listeners used to hearing messages in more somber settings may find the
bouncy beats working against the seriousness of Madonna's themes. (It
also doesn't help her credibility to poke at Hollywood shallowness when
her film career seems to be a shambles.)

For those listeners, Madonna, whose vocals are more confident and
convincing than ever, is probably more affecting on "American Life" when
she and co-producer Mirwais Ahmadzai serve up the songs (including "Love
Profusion" and "X-Static Process") with more intimate and
confessional-toned arrangements.

Madonna has delayed the video for the song "American Life" to make sure
none of the imagery offends anyone during the Iraq war, but there is
nothing about the war or President Bush in the song. Rather, it is a
tale of Madonna's own early, misguided values:

Do I have to change my name?

Will it get me far?

Should I lose some weight?

Am I gonna be a star?"

While more catchy than profound, the song, like the album, strikes you
as the honest feelings of a woman who, since the birth of her daughter
in 1996 and her marriage to director Guy Ritchie in 2000, has gone
through such a personal and spiritual awakening that she sometimes has
trouble putting it all into perspective. You sense that struggle in
"Nothing Fails," when she sings, "I'm not religious / But I feel so
moved / Makes me want to pray."

AaronSuperior said:

is this the part where i get to call you a "sell out" ? [/quote]

i'm never gonna live this one down, eh?
i do like the album..a lot. I still don't take her too seriously. If this spiritual thing is for real (and I really hope, for her, it is) it will take some more time for me to believe it. And I'm sure Madonna could care less about whether or not I buy her story

gooeythehamster said:

Did you get it at Magnum Plaza in Amsterdam the day it was
released?

I was there too that day. That was back when I lived in
A'dam for a few months.

There were a lot of gay guys there

IstenSzek said:

Oh No! Not GAY guys!

"Nobody Knows Me" is da jam!!! Wow!! I can't stop playing this song.It's great.Who else is loving this song?

DavidEye said:

It is the shit! It's like J.Lo on acid or something. Though i must say i'm very dissapointed by the album. I've been listening to it 4 days now and I can't say that I'm impressed with it. It simply doesn't engage me. There's not enough suspense in the songs 2 keep me interested. She did a fair share of soul-searching on ROL but those songs kept building up from start to finnish and they had some tension 2 it...It's like musical sex-appeal or something, I don't find that in this collection. If u take away the production values ur left with very ordinary/common guitar pop-songs that could b anybody's. That chorus in Intervention is a good example(I do love the verses). Nathalie Imbruglia sings stuff like that. Too much of the same boring chords. And even the studio trickery is predictable. Not that I think it copies 'Music' or anything. But with every bleep or stutter it's like: 'oh yeah, that's Mirwais, nice.'

Hollywood+Im So Stupid+Love Profusion= 'Ok songs' but 2 repetitive.

Nobody Knows me: Excellent.

Nothing Fails: Totally boring chorus, i hate the 'I'm in love with u','ur the 1' lines. The fans tend 2 overrate this one, just 4 the sake of it having a choir.

Intervention: Inane, boring chorus.

X-static Process: I kinda like this one, though i can't relate to the lyrics.

Easy Ride: gorgeous.
[This message was edited Mon Apr 21 3:39:36 PDT 2003 by Martinelli]

Martinelli said:

I agree.I do like this song,but I think the fans are a little TOO enthusiastic...lol...They're saying that this should be the next single,that it's the albums' best song,etc.Everyone keeps talking about the choir,and while it IS a nice touch,it's not exactly groundbreaking or anything.Still a nice song though.


One mistake Maddy makes on this album....placing the songs "Nothing Fails","Intervention" and "X-Static Process" back to back.These songs are slow and they kinda drag the album down.Thank goodness that she follows these songs with two kickass dance tracks ("Mother and Father" and "Die Another Day").



...
[This message was edited Mon Apr 21 4:51:37 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

DavidEye said:

How do you feel about the end of Ray of Light with 5 ballads in a row?

TRON said:

Oh yeah,I didn't think of that...lol...


btw,Tron,on another thread we were talking about the song "Don't You Know".If you like that song,you will LOVE "Mother And Father" on the new album.The songs don't sound alike,but they are similiar (does that make any sense?...lol)."M&F" has an early 80s funk/dance music feel to it.You'll see what I mean tomorrow



edit me...
[This message was edited Mon Apr 21 6:13:02 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

I bought the album on release, listened 2 it a couple o times and came 2 the conclusion that this surely must be one of Maddy's worst cd's!
2 bad, maybe better next time??

I don't really like what I heard so far. What's up with this damn voice effect on so much of her recent songs???

got it today. i've listened to it 7 times. review to come later. until then, though, i'll just say i love it to pieces. but i do have a few issues with it...

Madonna

x-static process reminds me very much of a velvet rope era Janet Jackson song. Janet is always singing about being special and loving yourself. It's really nice to hear madonna talk of insecurites...whether or not it's for real.

WOW, I can't believe how overly bad this cd is. I have tried to listen a couple times with an open mind and open ears but I am speechless. At best, it is so weak. I have to agree with the Entertainment Weekly grade of B-, but she escapes a solid C by just a hair.

I had no idea that 'Die Another Day' would be one of the stronger cuts. I thought this one would be just an added bonus. 'Easy Ride' is the fresh spot for me.

'Nobody Knows' is definately...If you gonna ride, ride the white horse. Sample city.

'I'm So Stupid', is just that.

If she passed all these tracks by Guy Ritchie before the release, maybe I can blame him.

I am still in shock.

I'm surprised at those that aren't instantly grabbed by Hollywood! I think it's the catchiest, most obvious single on the whole thing. Definitely an early favorite. I'm thrilled that it's the next single.

so, I really really love the album. very impressed with it. there are several points along the way that I was struck by her sense of melody. Intervention has a few of those moments. Nothing Fails has a couple too.

one of the things that I don't like about the album is the acoustic guitar. it's probably my least-favorite instrument to accompany vocals. Music had its share of it, but barring I Deserve It, most of it was fucked up to the point where it was actually an interesting addition to the songs. here, there's less fucking with it, and the result is some strumming, dull stuff that brings it down. Love Profusion and X-static Process come to mind...

anyhow, on to the songs...


American Life -- I have to say, this song has really grown on me. I still don't think it's very impressive, and it's a pretty weak Madonna single. however, it may be the best song on the album to make the lead single. I remember when ROL came out, I thought Frozen was a very curious (but good) choice for a lead single. then I heard the album, and I understood why they chose it. it was the most classic "Madonna-sounding" song on the album that got the Orbit treatment. this one fills that same role, bridging what you expect because based on the past, while leading into the new progect. I still hate the rap. it's stupid. yeah, yeah, I know, "you don't get it." no, I get it. I understand what she was trying to do. I just don't think it worked. anyway, not thrilled with the song, but it's grown on me to the point where I can tolerate it.

Hollywood -- as others have said, this is very Sheryl Crow "Soak Up The Sun" (I think that was the name of it). I like this song a lot. I like the effect on her voice at the end, turning her into a man. I just wish it was a different line. Not thrilled with that particular lyric. It brings to mind Prince's little "I'm the curtain-puller" refrain during the Truth during last year's celebration. however, I really like this song, and I'm glad it's the second single. definitely a summer-time thang...

I'm So Stupid -- I hate this song. It's really the only one I actually dislike on the album. the beat is generic and lame and the lyrics are stupid, and I've never cared for that particular way she uses her voice to sing this one. I swear, that Iiii thing is actually the only thing I like about the song I'm So Stupid is this album's Runaway Lover (from Music) for me. crap that doesn't fit.

Love Profusion -- I generally don't like it when a singer takes one line and repeats it ad nauseum (I've got you under my skin) for no apparent purpose. And the arrangement of the song as a folky-rocky type of thing is only saved by a pretty standard, yet infectious beat. like the melody though.

Nobody Knows Me -- I LOVE THIS FUCKING SONG. it hits all the right buttons that you wish you didn't want to be hit, but love it when they are. if this isn't at least a club-promoted single (a la Impressive Instant) someone at Warner Bros. needs to lose his job.

Nothing Fails -- I like this a lot. I wish the choir had been utilized to fuller effect, but on second thought, I like that it isn't overpowering. very very nice. this and Drowned World are the only 2 Madonna songs that I've ever really felt a personal connection with. the line here is "I'm not religious but I feel so moved, makes me want to pray, pray you'll always be here. I'm not religious, but I feel such love, makes me want to pray."

Intervention -- this is a great song. very melodic, and a much cooler love song to her child than Little Star was.

X-static Process -- not thrilled with it musically or lyrically. the melody is nice, though.

Mother And Father -- another one that pushes all of those dance buttons. I actually like the rap on this song. the second part of it anyway. the first part is kinda dumb, but when she launches into the quicker part, I really like it. great tune.

Die Another Day -- you know, I actually like this song less than I did before. people keep saying that it sounds better on this album than it does in its original context, but I disagree. I actually like the song, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here. it's kind of a low point on the album for me, even though I've previously enjoyed the song.

Easy Ride -- it's Gone, but with some spliced up strings. i like the melodies, but it's kind of a snoozer.




so... from my song-by-song analysis, it may seem like i don't like the album that much. but I do. I love it. I think it's wonderful. but, as my detractors will tell you, I tend to focus on the negative.


anyway, love the album, Madonna! it's wonderful. thanks!