I also don't understand how "Hollywood" has any Sheryl Crow similarities. Someone please explain it to me.

TRON said:

the tune of the song itself, and the way her voice sounds on it

AaronSuperior said:

Still don't see it. "Soak Up The Sun" is in a major key and her voice is steady throughout the song. Madonna has very girlish vocals at some points, and very low during the chorus and ending rap.

I think this comparison is really stretching it.

TRON said:

i don't. and a lot of people have seen the similarity... so i don't think it's stretching it if it's something a lot of people have picked up on.

AaronSuperior said:

Yeah, and a lot of people are bandwagoners who latch onto a concept that someone puts forth because it might make them look knowledgeable. These songs have nothing in common if you ask me. And I'm a musician. I'm pretty good at picking apart song structure and production. Maybe with repeated listens, something will stand out. It took me awhile to understand Prince's comparison between Kiss and Rave.

TRON said:

well i'm not a musician and it stood out very quickly to me that it sounded like the Sheryl Crow song, though i tried my best to think that it didn't, because i didn't want a Madonna song to sound like my least favorite Sheryl Crow song in history.

AaronSuperior said:

No worries...cuz it doesn't!

TRON said:

.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 22 18:45:42 PDT 2003 by MrBliss]

i really dig love profusion

DavidEye said:

Absolutely the greatest track on the new album. I love this album so much more than 2000's Music. Mirwais' guitar and drum programming is just awesome. ("Don't Tell Me" was my favorite from the last album) Some of it reminds me of Fischerspooner. The style sorta reminds me of Pre-Madonna actually, yet the lyrics echo so much more wisdom.

It is perhaps her most serious, direct, reality-facing album to date. You can really sink your teeth into it.

"Nobody Knows Me" opening lyrics had me hooked:
I've had so many lives
Since I was a child
And I realise
How many times I've died

Maybe I'm still tripping off of Easter weekend or something..lol.. but I feel like this album is a perfect catalyst for a rebirth of sorts..

"Intervention":
In the blink of an eye everything could change
Say hello to your life, now you're living
This is it from now on
It's a brand new day
It was time to wake up from this dream

again, "Nobody Knows Me":
I feel closer to the light
Now I'm gonna try
To improve my life

Alot of the lyrics are reflective assessments (ie. "I'm So Stupid") and planning for the future, and maybe offers insight as to how Madonna takes control of her own path, which I find inspiring. It is probably the reason why I will be referring to this album in the future during my moments of indecisiveness.

It's like Bjork "It's In Our Hands", a message of self-empowerment but not in a corny-ass Oprah sort of way.

CinisterCee said:

Yeah! And isn't "It's Not Up To You" the perfect compliment to that song?

Opposite sentiment, but same stance.

TRON said:

! I was thinking that exact thing as I was typing my post but didn't want to get carried away onto Bjork analysis..lol

What warranted my comparison in the first place?:
In a way, American Life is MODERN FOLK music, which is how Bjork describes her own music. It is back-to-basics personal songwriting with the (juxtaposed) aesthetic of acoustic/electronic instrumentation.

K, I'm too tired to do a track by track review like some of y'all did...

I'm scared cos I REALLY like this cd, and that's often a bad sign for me, like I may get sick of it in 3 weeks and hate it...

but goin beyond that, I'm surprisingly happy that Die Another Day made it on the cd. I think the song sounds MUCH better in the context of the cd than it did as a single. It's not my favorite song, but it fits nicely in the mix.

III'm So Stupid... what's up? I can already tell this song is gonna bug me quickly (minus the first III) Aaron, you are right, this is the cd's "Runaway Lover". (which is probably my least favorite Madonna song EVER)

X-Static Process...I LOVE THIS TRACK. It's absolutely gorgeous. It shows why simple can be so good, especially in an album as heavily produced as this. "Jesus Christ won't you look at me..." love it!

Mother and Father...get me to the dance floor! I adore the rap in this track! Really, it works so well. It is a bit of a slow starter, but it's all worth it in the end.

Nobody Knows Me...tweaked-out techno, but hmmm...it's SO reiminiscent of Daft Punk (I'm thinking "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger") This SHOULD be a good thing. But, in the back of my head is a little voice that's saying "this sounds TOO much like Daft Punk, and that sound is over 2 years old now. What's up with that?"

Which leads me to my one complaint of this cd...yes it is definately a Mirwais influenced cd...BUT it feels like Mirwais spent too much time listening to Daft Punk. The tweaks and blips and effects that I hear through so much of this cd are often a titch too close for comfort to things that have already been done before. Granted, I dig Mirwais' CD and Daft Punk's. BUT, at times "American Life" feels like unintentional musical plagiarism.

oops! I didn't mean to sound so negative, maybe I'm just tired...I am enjoying the cd A LOT and think it is more cohesive than "Music." hmmm, I'll see what I think in a few more weeks...

TRON said:

I admit,"Hollywood" has grown on me and I now think it would make a fine second single.It's probably the most radio-friendly song on the album.

DavidEye said:

Agreed.

Is there anyone who actually likes the song "I'm So Stupid"? That song seems to be the one song nobody really cares for...lol...

MrBliss said:

Me too! When I first heard it last week,I wasn't impressed.But now I can't get enough of it.I think it would make a great single.

Another song I'm really digging is "Easy Ride".The strings are heavenly and I love the second half when the beat kicks in.It's really a gorgeous song.

DavidEye said:

I like it.

TRON,wouldn't you agree that this CD is stronger and more cohesive than 'Music'? I love 'Music' and there are some great songs on it,but for some reason,the album doesn't hold together.It's not consistent from one track to the next and a few songs sound under-developed.On this new CD,the songs flow much better.It's almost like a concept album,and each song "fits".The songs also sound more fleshed out,more "meatier".

bought it last night... listened to it 4 times. much better than "music" was

cborgman said:

What songs are your favorites?

CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2003/S...index.html

They hated it!

DavidEye said:

have not really memorized the names yet, but track 2, 3, 5, and 7 and whichever one has the choir

tommyalma said:

I can't believe I'm about to do this...

The article above is nonsense! Moon, from the Philadelphia Inquirer (my home paper), is always way off base. He is such a wannabe "art" fuck. Sometimes i love to love madonna and other times i love to hate her. Maybe I'm schizophrenic...who knows. One thing that is certain is that I have no concrete feelings towards her. With this said, I need to add that i think this new cd is ballsy, evolved and unexpectedly entertaining. I am such a big
critic when it comes to madonna. Some of those opinions in the link were right on while others were just obviously biased. I think as a critic one should be objective. Madonna does make it a little difficult to remain objective but if these people are supposed to be "professionals", they need to figure out how to remain so. Contrasting this record with Music, how can anyone say she needs a vacation? Music was hailed by critics, as was ray of light, and while this record is no ray of light it is certainly strides and leaps ahead of Music.

I may end up hating her next album or movie but there is still no denying that this cd is the f'n bomb! And by the way, there have been just as many good reviews as negative ones. Plus, it seems like the public digs the record and in the end that is what deems it a success.

(Aaron, DavidEye...hope i've made you proud here )

Been down one time, been down two times, been down 3 times...oh no...i'm nver going back again...



I won't give in...i just won't.

purplegypsy said:

nay-nay, you've got to give it a try. i thought the same thing but i was wrong. you should know by now that you can trust me...

What it Feels Like For A Star

It’s been a pretty long time since I’ve ever listened to an album all the way through, no skipping, while sitting down and do nothing! But I had to do that with “American Life”. I’m still listening to it right now and trying to soak it in.

A while after I listened to it, I decided to try something. I put in the last 5 full Madonna CDs and put the player on shuffle. It was interesting. I’ve always loved “Bedtime Stories” and “Erotica” but really got into “Music” and “Ray Of Light” (which was never really my favorite). And I got really excited when an “American Life” song came on.

It’s hard to review “American Life” but its even less of a typical pop album than Madonna’s other non-typical pop albums. Most of the songs are a combo of acoustic guitars and electric music. Think “Don’t Tell Me...I Deserve It”, the album. Its very close to those songs on “Music” only in some cases not very catchy. The lyrics are even simpler than those on “Music”, making the album kind of raw and personal. Songs like “X-Static Process” (very simple unplugged song) reveals Madonna being insecure around a man. “Nobody Knows Me” is kind of funky and danceable. “I’m So Stupid” is a punk rock kind of feel and its pretty weak with its awful ectro scream of "Iiiii'mmm...so stupid". “Hollywood” is light sounding pop song with a wit. I like the new full version of “Die Another Day” (with the laugh, etc) but it does kind of distract from the album. “American Life”, if you haven’t heard it, is a standout track with that combines rock, electronica with a rap about being...Madonna. And the only thing that seems to make this a parental advisory CD is the fact that she shouts, “Fuck it” a few times before the rap but while the track is still playing. Nothing to get worked up over. Although, it might be the fact that the artwork also has photos of Madonna with guns (and I think these are the best photos of her...what does that say about me).

“Nothing Fails” seems to be the track that everyone is raving about. Its another rather simple love song with a little guitar and a few bleeps but is has cute lyrics (“I’m in love with you/You silly thing”). The choir really isn’t used enough. I’m a little surprised people thought it was so gut wrenching. Best song? “Mother And Father”! A funky ass electronic beat with and a better blending of the guitar in the song. Very personal lyrics about the death of her mother and her feelings toward her father back then. This could have been old school Madonna and yet it sounds cutting edge! IF this isn’t the next single or a single at some time...this is the hit from the album if it was pushed properly.

At best “American Life” is “(Serious) Music” and at worst, serious outakes from “Music”. I think everyone will shake their head at first listen but will grow on you. Not the best but not the worst (no doubt its in the bottom half of the ten). I guess you’ll never get a super commercial Cher “Believe” (or Janet “All For You”) type album out of Madonna, which is a gift and a curse.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 23 10:00:17 PDT 2003 by VinnyM27]

Ok, I'll admit it. Although after hearing it for the first time, I thought this was the worst Madonna album ever, each time I hear it, I like it a little more. There, I said it. It was painful, though. I still wish she had dumped Mirwais and gone in a different direction. When she performed on MTV and let the music shine, people were really excited. I was too. So why does she need to dress up her music in the studio with horribly goofy electronic production?

Still, the songs manage to grow on you, and as always, the Madonna media machine tricks you into not ignoring her (or maybe it's just spending so much time in this forum reading the thoughts of the many Madonna loving freaks here)...It's still and never will be no Ray of Light, Bedtime Stories, Like a Prayer, or even Like a Virgin- but it is an improvement over Music.

My one criticism about her messages in the album (and this is simply my personal taste)- why does she have to let us know in almost every song that she doesn't believe in Jesus Christ anymore? For not believing in him, she sure does feel bothered by it so much. I don't recall anybody giving her that hard of a time about that, although her family might...

jtgillia said:

Glad you're seeing the good in it. But "Like A Virgin"? That's her worst regular studio album that's not tied to a movie.