Rolling Stone's review:

Madonna Reinvents Herself

After twenty years in the limelight, Madonna is expected to cause controversy and reinvent herself for every new tour. So for the May 24th Los Angeles opening of her Re-Invention world trek, Madonna did the most unexpected thing she could: She came back as a great concert singer.

Even the most diehard Madonna fan will concede that her live performances have almost without exception been plagued by a multitude of missed notes, breathy passages, and, as of late, fake British accents.

But while Mariah and Whitney have of been losing the acrobatic vocal dexterity and lung power on which their reputations rest, forty-five-year-old Madonna, whom few have ever taken seriously as a musician, has never sounded better than she did during the first of several gigs in her adopted West Coast home.

Whether rocking out with classic black Les Paul in hand during a metallic rendition of her early club hit "Burning Up", or performing "Like a Prayer" behind a screen-projected gospel choir, Madonna belted, and did not once seemed strained.
In the midst of a $1 million production festooned with a walkway that jutted out from the stage and over the audience, massive moving video screens, a dozen dancers, a bagpipe player, a stunt skateboarder and a whole lot of emotionally charged anti-war imagery, the focus was nevertheless on Madonna, and how she's matured into a truly great pop singer.


Opening with a yoga-trained twist on her famous Louis XIV-inspired MTV Video Music Awards rendition of "Vogue" and ending on a kilt-wearing finale of "Holiday" against a video backdrop of national flags that eventually morphed into one, the show was thematically simpler and more focused than her last several productions.

The barbarism of war and the necessity of love were at the heart of the entire show, and both played off each other, sometimes for ironic and decidedly uneasy effect. The original military-themed video footage of "American Life" that the singer withheld at the start of the Iraq war was finally unveiled, and then expanded upon during "Express Yourself", where Madonna sang her anthem of unbridled, intimate communication in front of dancers dressed as soldiers and goose-stepping with twirling rifles.

By contrast, Madonna closed an extended acoustic section of the show with a straightforward and thoroughly committed rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" as images of war and poverty-ravaged children eventually gave way to footage of a Muslim boy and his Israeli counterpart smiling as they walked with their arms wrapped around each other.

The heaviness of much of the imagery was balanced by Madonna's own presence, which seemed remarkably fun-loving and self-assured for the opening night of her most technically complex production.

Only when she strapped on an acoustic or electric guitar during several songs and repeatedly glanced at her left hand to make sure it was playing the proper chords did she seem at all nervous. "How many people out there really think that I am the Material Girl?" she asked during a break in her most iconic early smash as she strummed with much deliberation.

For the last several songs, Madonna and her dancers donned black and white kilts, an apparent nod to husband Guy Ritchie's Scottish heritage, and black T-shirts that read "Kabbalists Do It Better", a cheeky reference to both her religious studies and the "Italians Do It Better" T-shirt she wore during her video for "Papa Don't Preach", a song that was performed without the "near-naked pregnant women" described in pre-tour reports of the show. In a number dedicated for the "fans that've stood by me for the last twenty years," she sang her earliest hit ballad, "Crazy For You," earnestly and without contrivance.

Madonna's continued relevance was impressive, but it was even more striking that she's putting more love and genuine passion into her spectacle than ever

Who's that reinvented girl?

Liz Smith

May 25, 2004

'I'm gonna avoid the cliche."

So goes the lyric from Madonna's "Die Another Day," one of her more recent songs and one she performs in her "Re-Invention" tour. This kicked off last night in Inglewood, Calif. at the Forum. That sentiment is not only the hallmark of most of her career, but it is the vital component that lifts her current concert spectacle thrillingly above a mere "greatest hits" concert package.

The following is a report from my man on the scene, Denis Ferrara, a Madonna fan for several decades and an astute critic observer who was in L.A.

"Does she present those familiar tunes - 'Vogue' 'Get Into the Groove,' 'Crazy for You,' 'Papa Don't Preach'? You bet. She even belts a song she once swore she hated and would never sing again - 'Material Girl.' But if you were expecting her to don a scarlet strapless gown and shimmy a la Marilyn, you don't know your Madonna. She has taken some of her vintage pop history and made it 'shiny and new ... like a virgin.' (Sorry, she doesn't reinvent that one this time.) The arrangements are forcefully driven or sensually slowed down - who knew her 'Deeper and Deeper' dance hit had such erotic/romance resonance?

"Madonna presents herself as a vital, joyfully relevant and committed artist. She is giving her fans a taste of the past, washed with her refusal to compromise or to condescend. Or even to pretend for the sake of entertainment that she hasn't changed. She has changed. And she hopes you have, too, or will. In other words, although there are no naked, pregnant dancing girls or 'plenty of lesbian love,' as has been erroneously reported, the envelope still gets pushed. Madonna and director Jamie King offer dazzling video images as Madonna performs - beautiful, disturbing, over the top, political, mystical, mysterious, religious. During 'Mother/Father,' the Catholic images presented will wow even Mel Gibson - unless he objects to the lack of violence. Kabbalah, the spiritual philosophy that has so influenced Madonna, comes in for some recognition, but she does not belabor her beliefs. If controversy erupts, it will be because of how some of these images are interpreted not because of anything Madonna says or does onstage.

"There's no crotch-grabbing, pointed bosoms or pointless profanity from the star. In powerful voice, with much improved guitar skills, her athletic dance style denying the years, she needs nothing up her sleeve. She is still an artist who wants to provoke, to spark an idea, to amuse and engage. She seems, however, to have put Shock - for so long her random companion - to bed. She never really needed him.

"Unlike 2001's 'Drowned World' tour, which was dark, often hostile, 'Re-Invention' returns Madonna to the light. She looks as if she is having a good time. 'Like a Prayer' is an invocation of divine inspiration. 'Papa Don't Preach' is rendered as a joyous celebration of nature, with Madonna girlishly whirling in a long plaid kilt and a white wife-beater tee. 'Hanky Panky' is simply giddy fun. Her cover of John Lennon's 'Imagine' - backed with the show's most moving visuals - is profound and resonant.

"Costuming is elegant and not fussy, except for a few leggy, showgirly getups. And even Madonna wanted a few more sequins, but Cher's two- year farewell tour depleted the world supply.

"Madonna performed for friends and family at Sunday's final rehearsal. There was some celeb glitz with the presence of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutchner. Lots of children, lots of Kabbalah pals. After the show, she called one of her spiritual advisers up on stage to give his blessing. He offered a homey tribute to everybody's dedication, power and faith, promising that the best was yet to be. This was nice but not enough for Madonna. 'Ooh, give us a blessing, please?' she asked winsomely. And so he did.

"Coming off after singing 22 songs live and dancing like a mad thing, Madonna looked remarkably fresh, if damp from exertion. Her body is petite, toned but not as muscular as it appears under the dramatic stage lighting. Complimented, she said, 'I hope you liked it. It came from the heart.' And then she inquired, with a kind of childlike hopelessness, 'When it was over, did you feel uplifted?' Assured, she shrugged delicately, beamed, and said, 'OK then, I've done my job.'"

And Denis, you did your job for all Madonna fans out there!

"The Sun" (worships at Madonna's altar)

Mad for It!

MOVE over BRITNEY and BEYONCE – there’s only one Queen of Pop and she’s back to reclaim her crown. MADONNA defied her critics to prove she’s still No1 when she kicked off her Re-Invention Tour in LA.

She may be 45 but she’s sassier, sexier and more supple than the current crop of young pretenders — as my pictures prove. Madonna gave the fans exactly what they wanted — her biggest hits reworked with a modern twist.

The show opened with Vogue — and the track sounded as fresh now as it did all those years ago. Dressed in a diamond-studded silver bodice, black hotpants and knee-high boots, Madonna looked 20 years younger than the woman we’ve seen in recent months —and devastatingly sexy.

The theme was boudoir chic and she proved that all those yoga classes were worthwhile. She put SPORTY SPICE to shame with her back flips and flawless dance performance.

Anyone who thought she was past it was proved wrong on Monday night — and I’m one of them.

After her disappointing American Life album I doubted whether Madonna still had the X-factor that made her the leading star of her generation. But I was forced to eat humble pie as she raged through a series of hits that mesmerised the audience

Madge was accompanied by a stunning video display. She was shown on video screens dressed in the regalia of Kaballah — she’s a leading follower of the Jewish faith.

An anti-war section of the show kicked off with American Life. Wearing combat gear and a black beret, she strutted her stuff on the dance floor and showed a video of child war victims.

And during her performance of Frozen she showed she still has the power to shock and be controversial with a homo-erotic video backdrop of naked men seemingly having sex.

One of the highlights of the show for me was a reworked version of Material Girl during which Madge asked the crowd: “How many people really think that I’m a Material Girl?”

Madonna’s hubby GUY RITCHIE watched in awe from the VIP seats, surrounded by Kaballah devotees. As she went past him on a bridge, he blew her a kiss and whistled.

Madonna was determined to lay to rest a ghost which has haunted her for years — after she was turned down for a part in hit movie Chicago. She devoted a section of the show to a Chicago/Cabaret theme and proved she could have put Oscar-winner CATHERINE ZETA JONES to shame with an all-singing, all-dancing performance of hits such as Hollywood, Hanky Panky and Deeper And Deeper.

No Madonna show would be complete without controversy. During her performance of Bond theme Die Another Day, she was strapped and chained to an electric chair.

She later dressed in a pinstripe suit and top hat and sat down with a guitar to perform an emotional version of Nothing Fails and Don’t Tell Me

Other highlights were Like A Prayer, Into The Groove and Papa Don’t Preach.

She covered JOHN LENNON’s Imagine, accompanied by footage of war victims, and drew a huge cheer when an image of the late Beatle flashed on to the screens.

The show closed with a medley of some of her biggest hits — Crazy For You, Music and Holiday.

Into The Groove featured an appearance by rapper MISSY ELLIOTT and kilt-clad bagpipers, with Madge leaping on stage in her own kilt and tartan knickers.

I’ve seen three previous Madonna world tours and I’ve always been impressed with her ability to surprise and amaze. But she has saved the best for her Re-Invention tour. And I don’t use those words lightly.

It was the best pop show I have ever seen — and I’ve seen many over the years.

What Madonna seemed determined to prove was that she is still at the top of her game — the likes of KYLIE, Britney and Beyonce don’t even come close.

Every dance move, every note and every image was timed and executed to perfection — as only Madonna can do. Today’s generation of Pop Idol wannabes should listen, learn and take note from a woman who has no intention of handing over her crown for a good few years yet.

Madge — I salute you

that Rolling Stone review has got me REALLY excited about this show!

Madonna: The mother of Reinvention
By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — She's in vogue. She's in the groove. She's expressing herself.

Who's that girl?

Who else but Madonna, reinventing her past in a splashy and stylish retro-fitted show (* * * * stars out of four). She's dubbed it the Reinvention tour, an unnecessary reminder considering she has been reinventing herself since 1983. Two decades after threatening to rule the world, pop's unstoppable dominatrix stepped on stage Monday night at the Great Western Forum to flaunt her considerable powers in a lavish and strenuous spectacle of song and dance.

It's one of several tours this year by veteran acts, Prince and David Bowie among them, reassessing and reclaiming their hits.

The two-hour career overview arrives amid cynical buzz about ploys to shore up sagging album sales with a quick-buck oldies tour featuring a Kabbalah pulpit.

Nonsense. Aside from Papa Don't Preach, rendered as a saucy romp, and a gorgeous version of Like a Prayer, religious references scattered through the non-stop dance party are arty and mildly provocative. She briefly dons a "Kabbalists do it better" T-shirt and wears the mystic sect's Red String around her left wrist, but otherwise avoids sermonizing, except to wholeheartedly fulfill Kabbalah's mandate to promote a positive flow of energy.

"I'm giving my all," she told the audience.

Now there's something you can believe in. The concert is a rigorous, fast-paced escapade with bold sets, brazen choreography and sexy but age-appropriate costumes, plus a bagpiper, a skateboarder, a fire handler and acrobats on swings.

It's cheeky and challenging theater, from the naughty Victorian caper of Vogue and the harrowing drama of Frozen to the breezy Express Yourself, rocking Burning Up and mock combat of American Life, played out on a suspended V-shaped catwalk. And that's only in the first of four elaborate acts.

A carnival section boasts a waggish Hanky Panky from Dick Tracy and the lovely Lament from Evita.

Deeper and Deeper, the only track from Erotica, gets an upbeat treatment before the mood downshifts for Die Another Day, when Madonna is strapped into an electric chair that rises on a platform. (Contrary to rumor, the switch isn't thrown.)

An acoustic set follows, with heartfelt renditions of Don't Tell Me, Like a Prayer and the show's two low points: a momentum-killing rap in Mother Father and a cover of John Lennon's Imagine, competent but pointless considering the countless gems that could have been culled from her own catalog (Live to Tell, Oh Father, This Used to Be My Playground, Take a Bow).

The show wraps up with a kilt section that retools Into the Groove, Papa Don't Preach, Crazy for You, Music and her time-honored finale, Holiday.

At 45, Madonna is in fine voice, especially on the vintage tunes, where her silky tone may come as a surprise to fans familiar with the early chirp. She dances energetically with grace and funk, plays guitar and, naturally, has the shape and muscle density of a Barbie doll. Madonna's mini-me's (listening, Britney? J-Lo?) have a long way to go before they match her in vocal prowess or multitasking abilities.

Most notably, Madonna seems to be having a jolly good time. Whereas her last outing had technical strengths but lacked warmth, Reinvention finds Madonna reinvested emotionally. The show doesn't have the degree of flesh, carnal content or shock value that past outings delivered, but this time Madonna is opting for more heart than cleavage and more personality than profanity. And she dances with the bagpiper. You won't get that at a Kabbalah class.

Looks like many of the reviews are positive,with many critics saying that she sounds better than ever.And contrary to early rumors, the "controversial" aspects of the show don't seem to be overbearing or intrusive.The focus seems to be more on the music.In fact,The Hollywood Reporter feels that,on future tours,the props may not be necessary at all...

Although the new show is entertaining and at times even engaging at deeper levels,one wonders about a possible tour at some point with just Madonna,her band and singers,without the extreme production trappings and terpsichorean flock.She's certainly a skilled enough writer and performer that most of her songs can stand alone and shine without the window dressing theatrics,even if the fans do eat it up

By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register


A warning first: Devotees abuzz with anticipation who factor the giddy rush of discovery into the staggering cost of floor seats for either her final Forum dates or one of her two Pond gigs next week are advised to clip and save this opinion until after they have witnessed the spectacle for themselves. I will spoil virtually every surprise.

Like this one: A little more than two-thirds into her angry, hopeful, extraordinary new show, just before stomping her way into a kilt-filled finale centered on a trio of '80s hits she hasn't touched in years, Madonna offered her take on John Lennon's "Imagine." It was one of the most haunting renditions of the dreamer's oft-revived idealistic plea I've heard, sung with deadly seriousness over a pulsating bed of synths.

Behind her, on one of five enormous video screens that dwarfed the rest of the Forum, pictures of starving, ailing and alarmingly armed children dissolved one into the next, as they had earlier in the evening at the start of a war-zone-like staging of "American Life."

Only two visuals broke that pattern. The first was a somber shot of a bearded Lennon at the height of his activism, which brought a thunderous response. The second came as she restated the closing wish: "I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one."

On screen, two boys - an Israeli and a Palestinian - strode arm-in-arm into the sunset.

Easy? Of course. "Imagine" is one of those revered hymns so frequently trotted out for inspirational effect that it often loses its potency, and the backdrop of war- and famine- ravaged children is the sort of sentimental ploy typically left to Sally Struthers. Effective? Deeply, though probably because the timing for another airing couldn't be more crucial. It's a shame that because of death threats toward the new messenger, it now won't be performed in Israel.

Certainly it made a strong statement, but, really, when did this "re-Invention" tour opener not make statements? Lennon needed five minutes to compel people to "Give Peace a Chance"; Madonna spent 100 Monday night reiterating that notion.

In what is surely her most nakedly personal and politically outspoken production - not to mention the most dazzling display she has yet concocted - the former Material Girl delivered a relentless rush of a show, bombarding fans with as many timely missives as resurrected smashes, rarely pausing for breath. Her more traditional Drowned World concerts in 2001 now seem lethargic, each segment presented with room to ponder its meaning. This new extravaganza whirs by in such a blur that I'm sure bits I took in only subconsciously will come back to me weeks later.

Some may be surprised to learn this. Advance word wasn't that this reinvention was message-heavy, only that it would feature favorites she hasn't tinkered with in years. And that it does: scaled-back takes on "Vogue" and "Express Yourself" to start; toward the end, a rowdy "Into the Groove"; and a performance of "Papa Don't Preach" that was a throwback to her old ways, with Ms. Ciccone strongly singing center-stage while flanked by two dancers.

Then there's a ripping rendition of "Burning Up" that had the rabid howling approval, the superstar strapping on a black Gibson guitar to prove she's learned power chords, with a fuzzy version that might best be described as electro-punk. Its follow-up was an equally raw rethinking of "Material Girl," marred only by an unnecessary aside rebuking its original conceit.

She never lip-synched, by the way, and though always prone to pitch problems, there were moments (notably the gospel conclusion of "Like a Prayer") when she soared. To keep focused on vocals, she limited her dancing to classy, original moves, often bolstered by props. As for her troupe, they were expert, rarely resorting to the cheap Britney/Janet steps that have become commonplace.

All of this nostalgic entertainment, however, is not what I think people will be talking about in months to come. Nor do I suspect it will be the middle portion - a carnival-themed section replete with acrobats on conveyor belts, a skateboarder striking poses on a half pipe and Madonna in a Wonder Woman bustier and frilly panties - well, eye-popping as it was, it was ephemeral, with only its sultry "Deeper and Deeper" standing out.

It's really the political and religious overtones that set this one apart. "American Life" sticks in the mind the most, with Madonna in military fatigues and her crew in various guises (an Arab, a Russian, a nun, etc.) parading around a V-shaped catwalk lowered by hydraulics until it hovered just above the audience. The lead-in: the sound of bombs. The backdrop finale, right after she sings, "I just realized nothing is what it seems": an image of actors done up as George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein, getting cozy as blood slowly washed the screen red.

Or consider her back-to- back commentary on losing religion but keeping the faith. First, "Like a Prayer," its Catholic imagery exchanged for cabalistic mysticism. (During "Papa Don't Preach," for that matter, she wore a black T-shirt that read "Kabbalists Do It Better.") Its companion: "Mother and Father," which is about as close to the primal nature of Lennon's "Mother" as she'll ever come. "There was a time I was happy in my life," she sang. "There was a time I believed I'd live forever. There was a time I prayed to Jesus Christ." Framing her, images of Jesus, Mary and hearts wrapped in thorns.

Moments like this - moments like the closing "Holiday," an ominous take that betrayed the song's goodwill - are the salvos of a still-daring maverick fed up with the way of the world. Granted, she knows she's lecturing to sympathetic ears, the sort who reacted to a Bush sound bite with an avalanche of boos. That's what the return of an old hit like "Crazy for You" was for - gratitude for indulging her pleas.

This is her second tour during the Bush administration. The previous one was delicate and optimistic and celebrative. This one is in-your-face and worried. Its overriding statement: Reinvent yourself, before it's too late.

Whether that's worth upwards of $300 a seat is supremely subjective. I say this: Yes, that's outrageous, but who else is artistically and financially capable of staging such an experience?

I only hope some of the grosses go to charity. Otherwise, this preaching to the choir will have been in vain.

Robert Hilburn's review from the Los Angeles Times.Mr.Hilburn who has been a huge Madonna fan/supporter gives a surprisngly less positive review:



POP MUSIC REVIEW
Madonna's immaterial social statement
Pop diva gets political as she begins her 'Re-Invention' world tour at the Forum.

By Robert Hilburn, Times Staff Writer

Message to Madonna: Bring back the sex.

Or at least something with flesh and blood, please.

In launching her world tour Monday at the Forum, Madonna traded most of the old sexual teasing for social commentary, and she's no John Lennon, friends — even though she sang Lennon's "Imagine" at one point in the relatively short (105 minutes) set, and showed his photo on a video screen high above her.

It's fair enough to use a Lennon song and image to articulate your feelings about brotherhood and world peace, but on Monday it underscored the gap between the passion, insight and anger of his work and the relative timidity and obviousness of her own social vision.

There was a time, probably around that "Sex" coffee table book in the early '90s, that the last thing we wanted from this pop provocateur was more sexual imagery.

Still, there was something liberating, even revolutionary, about the way Madonna became the first mainstream female pop star since Tina Turner to flaunt her sexuality so freely. She played teasing mind games with her audience about breaking down sexual taboos in ways normally limited to such male pop stars as Prince and David Bowie.

In her aggressive "boy toy" role, Madonna found the perfect vehicle for expressing the self-affirmation that was at the heart of the dance-floor celebration of her early hits. She also touched, memorably at times, on youthful insecurities about sex and relationships.

For better or worse, she opened a door for a generation of Madonna babes, including Britney and Christina.

Madonna may feel her political move is equally trailblazing, but it felt labored much of the evening at the Forum, reflecting little of the daring and clarity of Sinéad O'Connor, Ani DiFranco and Patti Smith, to mention just a few female artists.

This tour promised to be Madonna's tour de force, a reappraisal that put her work in new and revealing contexts. But time and again Monday she fell short of the challenge.

If we thought President Bush, her clear foe in much of the production, often has problems with clarity, Madonna proved surprisingly vague in stating her case — aside from the general notion of "love thy neighbor."

When she declared, in effect, that she doesn't believe in material girls anymore, in the song "American Girl," it was an affecting piece of superstar self-inventory. There was a trace of both humility and vulnerability in the 2003 song's statement about succumbing to false values and goals, as she questioned her own quest for stardom at any price.

I tried to stay ahead

I tried to stay on top

I tried to play the part

But somehow I forgot

Just what I did it for

On stage, however, her vocals lost the personal, human qualities of the song as she expanded the number into an indictment of the country's values, using supporting video imagery to state her case.

As Madonna and a battalion of dancers moved about in military fatigues, video screens showed scenes of menacing helicopters overhead, bombs dropping, children being killed. In one scene, actors portrayed Bush and Saddam Hussein in a provocative embrace.

But the daring was fleeting.

Madonna stayed in the military garb for "Express Yourself," a 1989 hit that defined her "be all you can be" philosophy. But the imagery was so cloudy you didn't know what she was urging the audience to express — opposition to Bush's politics or support for the troops (she made a big point of that last year when she shelved her video for "American Life," fearing its war imagery might be misinterpreted).

Then she went into "Material Girl," taking us full circle, possibly aiming for irony but playing it so straight that it felt simply like dusting off an old hit.

This opening sequence was all the more disappointing because Madonna, whose instincts on stage have been pretty much unerring to this point, seemed ready to take another important step as an artist.

While her provocation and video images seemed more important than her music in the '80s and much of the '90s, she began catching up as a writer and especially a singer in "Ray of Light," the 1998 album that examined her life and goals with surprising candor and perspective.

This "Re-Invention Tour" seemed the perfect vehicle for extending that move. She could give us new insights into old songs and tell us more about her feelings these days.

There were some moments when she led the cheering crowd through some of the old dance-floor celebration, but most of the attempts to move forward felt like lost opportunities.

There was little of the desired intimacy during a long acoustic set; a lack of connection when she was strapped into an electric chair during "Lament," from "Evita"; and no new emotional shading to "Papa Don't Preach," even though so much has changed in her own life, including marriage and a family, since that song went to No. 1 in 1986. Her numerous dancers seemed to go through their motions with little excitement or dazzle.

Time and again, the emotion and commentary of the evening came from the videos rather than the music, with one touching scene showing Israeli and Palestinian boys walking together in peace. Her band supported her with a steady but sometimes anonymous beat.

Madonna did share spiritual feelings, showing a giant picture of Christ on the screens during the anxious childhood memories of "Mother and Father," and wearing a "Kabbalists Do It Better" T-shirt during another number.

By the end of the night, you certainly had the feeling Madonna has been inspired and liberated by the comfort of faith and relationships in recent years. In trying to share that comfort and inspiration with her fans, however, Madonna felt short.

Madonna

Where: The Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood

When: Thursday, 8 p.m.

Price: $90-$300

Contact: (310) 419-3100

Also

Where: Arrowhead Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim

When: June 2-3, 8 p.m.

Price: $45-$300

Contact: (714) 704-2500