Okay this is the way I see it. If anything her talent lies in her ability to take what's underground and make it the mainstream. She may not be a great musician, but she instinctively knows what works in music and what doesnt.

Unlike most mainstream artists who get well known producers to make them hits, Madonna has historically always used producers of an unknown quantity.

Stephen Bray
Pat Leonard
Shep Pettibone
William Orbit
Mirwais

All had careers before Madonna, but their careers post Madge were far more successful. The occasions where she has used big name producers (Babyface, David Foster, Dallas Austin) it produced her less inspired work. Madonna has total creative control over what she makes which shows in some of her decisions.

As Nile Rodgers said, she's the last true superstar. Jacko's gone Wacko, and Prince almost wants to want to be small time...and the reasson...because she's the only mainstream artist with the balls to try something new, and yet maintain that mass appeal. Could you really see Celine Dion, Wacko J, or Mariah Carey releasing a track like Music?

Madonna is an enigma in many respects as nobody knows where her talent begins or ends, but dont ever discount her right to be where she is. You dont become that successful and stay there without having talent.
[This message was edited Fri Aug 22 6:02:57 PDT 2003 by CrozzaUK]

CrozzaUK said:

Wonderful post


I especially liked how you pointed out that,for the most part,Madonna doesn't work with all the popular,well-known producers.As she has said,she likes to work with "weird,unknown genuises" that the world doesn't know about.That's something that MJ or Mariah should do,but never will.As such,they will never come up with something as bold and challenging as the 'Ray Of Light' CD.

MrBliss said:

Wonderful post

You Madonna fans may not want to face it, but even though I would agree that she may be the last superstar, no one being born during the 2000s will ever have interest in her music. That is not true for the REAL greats, the TIMELESS greats: Prince, Hendrix, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Miles Davis, John Coltrane...(long list unfortunately not including her)

Time will tell the truth. Past over-rated artists end up being ignored, under-rated ones gain popularity (recent example coming to my mind: Donny Hataway with the emergence of Nu Soul). An artist not having influenced the course of music, such as Madonna, will most probably fall into the first category.