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BuzzJack Music Forum _ Madonna _ 'Like A Prayer' • album discussion
Posted by: Hauspital* 13th May 2020, 11:11 AM
A place to discuss Madonna's 4th studio album 'Like A Prayer'. Released in 1989.
1. Like A Prayer
2. Express Yourself
3. Love Song
4. Till Death Do Us Part
5. Promise to Try
6. Cherish
7. Dear Jessie
8. Oh Father
9. Keep It Together
10. Pray for Spanish Eyes
11. Act of Contrition
What are your thoughts on this album? Share any opinions, memories, favourite songs, or just discuss it anytime you're re-listening!
Posted by: Hauspital* 13th May 2020, 11:11 AM
Posted by: Hauspital* 18th May 2020, 08:04 PM
This is always a great listen. It's not a perfect album (like the singles would suggest 
) but it is a great package and has so many moments throughout it. I love how at times it is Madonna at her most grand, but at other times, it is her at her most vulnerable.
I have always been conflicted on the artwork. I don't really like it as a representation of the album (think about what we could've got in terms of the themes the album explores), but at the same time, its impact and influence has been big, and I feel like it's an image synonymous with Madonna now. What do others think about the artwork?
Posted by: dandy* 18th May 2020, 08:41 PM
If you could scrap Love Song and Act of Contrition and replace with Supernatural, Vogue and Rescue Me as a glorious album closer it would contend for my favourite album of hers.
Artwork wise, it's okay but not amazing. I detest the quality of the artwork on the repressing though, it looks almost like a cheap photocopy when compared to the original.
Posted by: Jay ☆ 19th May 2020, 03:31 AM
I'm also conflicted about the album cover! However I'm not sure what image I would prefer in its place. The Herb Ritts shoot has lots of great pictures, but I'm not sure that any of them stand out as being the one for an album cover. Maybe this comes the closest, but I'm not sure about a black and white image for the cover.
Posted by: dandy* 19th May 2020, 05:35 PM
I'd prefer something like this. Plus I'm imagining a deluxe in purple velvet 
Although I do get why the original artwork was chosen, it was very daring at the time to have an album cover focussed on that area of a woman's body and even more so with the top button undone on her jeans. I mean it's obviously nothing compared to artwork these days but I'm pretty certain that Madonna was the first to even attempt that level of implied sexuality in a full album cover.
Posted by: vibe 19th May 2020, 05:43 PM
I dont think I have heard her speak on why this cover was chosen and her face image wasn’t used.
She did the same for IC , however we know why , she wanted the pic used of her grabbing her crotch but the record company wouldn’t allow it .
Posted by: Qween 20th May 2020, 06:41 AM
It’s obviously a MOOD PIECE in a way she had never tried before. It’s also obviously the first proper taste of Madonna the ARTISTÉ, but unfortuntely Love Song really lets the side down. It doesn’t mean a lot now that we’ve lived through the decade horribilis since 2010 but it was one of her worst songs pre-2010. Nearly everything else is great, plus it’s aged so well for the most part.
Posted by: vibe 20th May 2020, 08:18 AM
Love song isn’t that bad !! Without it we wouldn’t have hung up in the same way !
Posted by: Liam.k. 24th May 2020, 05:41 PM
One of her best albums! Madonna really pushed herself creatively here, but making a strong, catchy pop album is still at the forefront. I love the passionate, unpolished vocals and how she continued to tackle important themes within a pop structure, something she had established with 'Papa Don't Preach' on True Blue. There's a lot of different moods and styles yet it all works as an album.
I really like the album artwork! It's daring and symbolic, a female equivalent to The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers. I agree with Jay that none of the other photoshoots particularly scream "album cover". I do like this fan-made cover that reveals a bit more of the existing cover:
I might even prefer it actually? It captures what I already liked and adds a bit of colour.
Posted by: Jordan Lee 25th May 2020, 01:20 AM
This is my favourite Madonna album from the 80s and I’d say it’s around 3rd overall tbh for me. It’s art tbh! It’s when she really started to just do what she wanted with no f#s given. I loved the religious themes and the one two punch opening of Like A Prayer and Express Yourself. YES. A timeless album too it’s a Madonna album I can listen to no matter what mood I’m in. I can say it’s pretty universal too I think this is the album I’d get my non stan friends to listen too if I had to pick one album by her (either this or true blue).
The artwork is a bit meh. I’m always kinda conflicted at major pop female albums what don’t have them on the cover but I kinda get the cover to an extent but it’s not her best artwork at all. I guess I’m just used too it really but there were some great imagery from this era and some incredible music videos and live performances too. What a way to end the decade on.
Posted by: Spiceboy 25th May 2020, 12:17 PM
Omg love both of these!! In fact I prefer both to the original
Posted by: Bjork 25th May 2020, 01:08 PM
one thing I never understood is why Til Death Dop Us Part was never a single
for me, instant best track off the album hands down from the 1st time I listened
Posted by: HausofGhibli 25th May 2020, 11:24 PM
I really like this cover:
Maybe if there was a deluxe version (or actually the 30th anniversary edition!) could've used this and it would've worked perfectly.
Posted by: Liam.k. 25th May 2020, 11:35 PM
There has been whispers of a 30th anniversary physical release but there seems to have been constant delays. There was on reason or another as to why it didn't get released last year and then I was actually told by someone 'in the know' that it had been penciled in for a release in March just been, which obviously got affected by the pandemic.
Posted by: Jonjo 10th June 2020, 07:38 PM
Moving onto album 4, which holds her absolute best single! WHAT A SONG and the video ofc... legendary! Just on that song alone you can hear just how far she's come as an artist and how responsible it is for delivering us the Madonna we all know and love, now. 'Express Yourself' is a lot of fun and one of her most recognisable "earliest" hits. 'Cherish' feels underrated to me. It feels instantly recognised as one of her hits, but I don't think it gets enough love! It's lovely and so fun. 'Oh Father' I'm not familiar with, but I've definitely heard it before and I don't think I've ever heard 'Dear Jessie', but it's nice! The production has been stepped up a couple of notches throughout this album, which is appreciated, but overall I preferred 'True Blue', but this is a good album!
My Ranking:
1. Like A Prayer
2. Cherish
3. Express Yourself
4. Till Death Do Us Part
5. Dear Jessie
6. Keep It Together
7. Oh Father
8. Promise to Try
9. Pray for Spanish Eyes
10. Act of Contrition
11. Love Song
Yeah, I knew she wouldn't top LAP aha. But I really enjoyed everything down to 'Keep It Together'. 'Oh Father' and 'Promise To Try' are ok. Not sure I'd ever go out of my way to listen to the last 3 tracks though. Act of Contrition just seemed like it was trying to be more than it was (which was a mess). 'Love Song' was a definite.. errmmmm moment to me. Probably my least favourite track across all 4 albums so far! Another solid album overall though. I really liked 'Till Death Do Us Part' though!
Album Rankings:
01. True Blue
02. Like A Prayer
03. Madonna
04. Like A Virgin
Posted by: dandy* 10th June 2020, 08:00 PM
Interesting to read your thoughts Jonjo! I agree with you that Like a Prayer is her best ever song - and that Love Song is one of her very worst!!! I can only assume that it was a Prince reject and that Madge was so in awe of working with him that it had to get a place despite being of questionable quality.
My two faves after the title track are 'Til Death Do Us Part and Oh Father. The former has definitely dated a little bit but the strength of the theme and melody is still there - it was a big favourite of mine back in 1989. Oh Father is just gorgeous, it a took me a few years to appreciate it fully but it's pretty much my favourite ballad of hers these days, the lyrics are lovely and the strings really make it. I'm also fond of Promise To Try too, both ballads are about her parents and I think they show a personal touch that she hadn't previously shown on earlier albums.
Also - I love that you enjoyed Dear Jessie, that was my favourite as a child! It gets a lot of flack but I still have a soft spot for it, I like the Beatles style influences and the childish joy of the whole thing.
Posted by: HausofGhibli 10th June 2020, 08:09 PM
I think that's the same bottom 3 as me for this album! Good to see you showing love for Till Death Do Us Part <3
Oh Father and Promise to Try are two stunning moments on this album and remain two of her best ever ballads! They are the highlights of the album for me away from the title track (which is of course legendary and one of the most iconic pop songs of all time).
Posted by: Liam.k. 11th June 2020, 01:13 PM
There were few collaborative sessions with Prince but the two just didn't connect, which makes sense when you hear 'Love Song'. I guess it was thought that the album couldn't go without a Prince vocal collaboration if it was something people were anticipating (was it common knowledge pre-album release?). I can see what they're going for with 'Love Song' but it's just so plodding.
I think it was you Dandy that suggested something like 'Gold' would work well on this album and I have to agree it could have been a great moment.
Posted by: HausofGhibli 11th June 2020, 05:33 PM
Prince and Madonna are both perfectionists and both very stubborn with their visions and what they want their art to be like. I can't imagine how their recording sessions would've worked but oh-to be a fly on the wall for them 
Two geniuses, that maybe had so much star power that they counteracted each other and the end result was... somehow Love Song.
Posted by: Wall 11th November 2020, 02:14 PM
A camelphat remix of like a prayer rumoured to be coming out soon *.*
Posted by: Liam.k. 11th November 2020, 02:17 PM
He played it at one of his sets recently. I usually like Camelphat but I wasn't that fussed about it.
From 30:45
Posted by: Road Salt Mixer 20th December 2020, 03:26 PM
Oh that Camelphat remix is OK but I preferred Mad'house's cover back in the day even though I found out recently to my slight disappointment that it was a cover not a remix and that Madonna wasn't singing on that.
The original is of course still a very good song despite all the controversy associated with the video.
Posted by: dandy* 20th December 2020, 03:36 PM
Underwhelmed by that remix, it doesn't do enough for me and the sample use is quite limited and too repetitive.
Posted by: Bjork 21st December 2020, 08:09 AM
Love Song is not great but at least it's better than Act of Contrition
This is how I'd rank the album:
1 Like a Prayer
2 Til death do us apart
3 Cherish
4 Oh Father
5 Spanish eyes
6 Express yourself
7 Promise to Try
8 Keep it together
9 Dear Jessie
10 Love song
11 Act of contrition
for what I recall, Lovesong was a Prince song that Madonna just changed 3 commas... it's not that they sat together in a room and made it together one line each... but maybe I'm wrong 
Posted by: Nina West 21st December 2020, 08:20 AM
1. Like A Prayer
2. Express Yourself
3. Cherish
4. Oh Father
5. Till Death Do Us Part
6. Pray For Spanish Eyes
7. Promise To Try
8. Keep It Together
9. Dear Jessie
10. Love Song
11. Act of Contrition
Posted by: Road Salt Mixer 4th January 2021, 12:35 PM
Yeah should have been the full song or most of it remixed I think with a catchy beat, taking a bit of inspiration from the 2002 Mad'house cover that I just mentioned.
'Dear Jessie' from the album would be good remixed, would sound like a sort of Clean Bandit style track with the original orchestral production and a bit of dance beat added. Would it be as good as Rollergirl's iconic dance cover though?
Posted by: Nina West 22nd January 2021, 01:01 AM
Like A Prayer
Why not start this album off with an absolute iconic classic, often considered one of Madonna's finest recordings (if not the very best) & its not hard to see why with its rich production & that distorted guitar at opening before that heavy thud is just superb. The song features a full gospel choir, reinforcing the religious aspect of the song and adding dynamics to an arrangement that already plays on the contrasts in intensity. Even without the vivid music video, this epic track works on just about every level, thanks to the complex lyrics & the engaging verses before exploding into a almighty loud chorus. A timeless classic.
Express Yourself
A good old fashioned girl power anthem with some cool funk based arrangements, which made this the perfect 2nd single. Definitely one of the brightest numbers on here with rousing yet powerful chorus with some brilliant strong vocals that really helps sell the message of the song to perfection. The upbeat polished production & wonderful instrumentation makes this rank as yet another Madonna classic that like track 1 has aged really well.
Love Song
This collaboration between Madonna & Prince should have been epic, but sadly coming after the first 2 tracks, this is rather disappointing. Given the star power involved its very subdued & slight, and as Prince’s signature scratchy disco guitar breaks through Madonna’s synths, nothing here quite comes together as both feels rather disconnected. A prime example of duets lacking chemistry.
Till Death Do Us Part
Thankfully the quality picks up with this rather dark number that talks about the violent dissolution of Madonna’s marriage to Sean Penn, and its a pure masterpiece of melody writing, shifting smoothly between sadness, fear, and melancholy. Full of synths, skittering guitars & keyboards creates a frenzied pace that contrasts nicely with Madonna's self assured vocals & creating a simple yet effective melody.
Promise To Try
Slowing things down with this beautiful yet complex piano ballad with beautiful strings that really sets the tone for the sadness of the lyrical content, that thanks to Madonna's raw & tender vocals, and its simple melody, makes this yet another firm standout moment.
Cherish
After 2 dark songs, this comes as a breath of fresh air with this uplifting number with strong melodies & dynamic rhythms, makes for a wonderful pop confection. Definitely the album's most commercial moment, but that doesn't take anything away from this brilliant pop gem & really shows how much this amazing album has to offer. Again this was another perfect single choice with its fun & upbeat production that shows how diverse this collection of songs really is.
Dear Jessie
This is an interesting song that feels more like a lullaby than a pop song, but the playful lnstrumentation's & acoustic guitars helps create a dreamlike quality with the change in tempo during the breakdown really gives this song a fantasy element & along with some bouncy melodies, makes this a rather soothing number. A decent little pop track on the whole.
Oh Father
One of the strongest songs on the album & also one of the best ballads and vocal performances by Madonna of her entire career. A companion piece of sorts to 'PTT' with Madonna herself at her rawest and open state emotionally, something that's quite rare for her. You couldn't call this a typical ballad, but its wonderful nonetheless with its mixtures of classical instruments such as piano, string arrangements & drums coming in on the soaring chorus, this is really something you can resonate with.
Keep It Together
Again showing the album's wild variety of styles with this mid-tempo synth funk tune which lyrically again talks about her family in this rather groovy bop with an added flair of R&B, this is yet another decent & strong number that's a welcomed change of pace after the heaviness of the previous track.
Pray For Spanish Eyes
Adding a bit of Latin flavour to this album with this rather stunning number that maybe its a bit less commercial than some of the other tracks on here, yet quite adventurous also with acoustic guitars, trumpets & a rather challenging melody to sing with Madonna's vocals almost cracking at some points, yet all that only adds to the emotion of the song.
Act Of Contrition
An odd way to end the album & not really a song just a prayer recital to reversed samples of drums and choirs & some distorted production. Well its certainly different & does fit in with the religious themes of the album, but honestly I wouldn't miss this if it wasn't here.
Posted by: TheSnake 22nd January 2021, 01:12 AM
Further to the Camelphat remix discussion, this by the way is the original remix of the original like A Prayer mashed up with Black Legend - You See The Trouble With Me which Mad'house based their cover version on:
Posted by: Santa Haus 24th January 2021, 07:06 PM
1. Like A Prayer
2. Oh Father
3. Promise to Try
4. Till Death Do Us Part
5. Express Yourself
6. Keep It Together
7. Pray for Spanish Eyes
8. Cherish
9. Dear Jessie
10. Love Song
11. Act of Contrition
Following on from the joyous True Blue album, this album hits like a train. There are some fun moments on it, but the more I listen to it, the more I realise how deeply powerful and emotional it is throughout. The ballads are largely some of her best ever ballads and the big singles rank quite comfortably as some of her best and most iconic. It is an album that offers so many different moods and moments and is rightfully the classic that it remains.
In terms of my personal rankings, Oh Father is a major favourite - it may not be the all out masterpiece that Like A Prayer is, but it is one of Madonna's most tender and vulnerable moments and for the icon that we know today it is quite shocking and alarming to see her be so brutally honest and open through this song in such a tender way. It always makes me feel incredibly emotional and heart-broken. I feel like it is a song that has spoken to so many people because it is such a daring look at how those closest to you can also cause you the most hurt. I had it first but I really couldn't deny the title track's power and had to switch them! The title track's video is one of the best ever music videos in my opinion and the song is a triumphant, multi-layered musical experience. It takes you on a journey of sounds and moods and themes - at times you are experiencing sexual ecstacy, at others an out of body spiritual moment. When the choir kicks in, it elevates the song to dizzying heights and there really is little else that can compete to the sheer divinity that it creates!
Promise To Try is another example of how ballads should be done, pure emotion throughout and so tender. Till Death Do Us Part is the single that got away! The rampaging opening up about her marriage as it dissolved away offers a great contrast to the bride in the Like A Virgin album! Express Yourself remains a great moment in her discography - so clearly inspired future generations and that is testament to its might. The video is a feast and Madonna is the powerful queen that she ought to be. The song is fun, if a little saccharine at times but it works well to bring the tempo up and get awaken another side to the album. Keep It Together is a great song about family and one that always makes me feel empowered around the people I love - a contrast to 'Oh Father' and the darker side of those closest to you.
In the middle of the album Pray For Spanish Eyes is yet another ballad beauty and Cherish is fun and cute but inessential for me. With so many moments that could have been given the spotlight, I am not sure why Dear Jessie was given a release. The childhood, nursery rhyme aspects of the song fit with some of the key themes of childhood innocence in the album so it works well as an album track! And while we're at the bottom of the pile a collaboration with PRINCE, the legend, produced a song as irritating and non-eventful as Love Song. Two huge artists with magestic creative vision and yet what they produced is so devoid of their personalities and charisma. Although a collaboration between the two could probably never live up to the dizzying heights that we'd expect, this outdid it all in terms of being a true disappointment! And finally Act of Contrition which I still don't think I really understand lmao. Obviously the breakdown of the religious verse and then a random rant and yeah, who knows~
Overall this album has it all: huge highs, pitiful lows, beautiful ballads, soaring vocals, great production and instrumentation, clear themes that repeat throughout and legendary visuals. It's a brilliant album and a perfect example of Madonna on top of her game giving us everything we want from a pop star.
Albums ranking
1. True Blue
2. Like A Prayer
3. Madonna
4. Like A Virgin
Posted by: vibe 24th January 2021, 07:42 PM
Loving the Oh Father love ❤️
Posted by: Santa Haus 24th January 2021, 09:07 PM
I literally had it as my #1 on the album until just before submitting!! The top 2 are close for me.
Posted by: Liam.k. 28th January 2021, 10:35 AM
Totally agree with your assessment of 'Love Song'; who would have thought a Madonna/Prince collab could ever be described as boring?! It's the only skip moment on the album for me, I even quite like 'Act of Contrition' in all its craziness! 'Dear Jessie' is quite an odd choice of single, not sure why 'Oh Father' wasn't just given a worldwide push instead, but I guess it worked out well given it outsold 'Express Yourself' and 'Cherish' in the UK!
There was a couple of outtakes from the album that were passed onto other singers, including Madonna's then-backing singer Donna de Lory who has just released a remix package of her song.
Posted by: common sense 29th January 2021, 10:21 PM
Surprised some of you put Dear Jessie so low. I'll do a rate soon but it's one of the best tracks for me. Catchy, like a nursery rhyme or lullaby.
Posted by: Bjork 30th January 2021, 02:09 PM
Oh I remember that Marilyn Martin - Possessive Love song, I did like it a lot back in the day but never knew it was a Madonna leftover
I remember there was a bit of buzz about the song but don't think it did much anywhere.
I also much prefer Oh Father to Dear Jessie. Much more grown-up and mature.
Posted by: Among Haus 31st January 2021, 11:58 AM
It's definitely catchy but so too are 90% of the songs on the album and most of them surpass it with the depth they also bring. It definitely has its fans though going on how decently it did as a single!
Posted by: dandy* 9th February 2021, 07:43 PM
How am I only hearing this for the first time this week? That extended outro and the guitars *.*
Posted by: Liam.k. 23rd February 2021, 07:08 PM
I have everything crossed for a HD 'Like a Prayer' video next month...
Posted by: Liam.k. 3rd March 2021, 03:00 PM
