January 9, 20214 yr as a kid I only noticed Madonna when she released Like a Virgin, so I bought her debut when the album was re-released in Europe Borderline is the jewel of the album, one of her best singles ever the rest is ok for me but none of the tracks is a 10/10 and some like Holiday or Lucky Star are probably just a 6/10 for me
January 20, 20214 yr Here is my track by track review of Madonna's self-titled debut album. I'm gonna do reviews for all of her studio albums & the best way to start is at the very beginning & work my way through her discography. Lucky Star The album opens with this iconic number - a synth-heavy disco track that's endlessly catchy, thanks to the superb glittery synths which really drives the melody along. Yet at the same time gives this a great atmosphere, almost making it sound like some futuristic signal from far in the future, it’s just great & a fantastic way to open this album. Borderline One of my all-time favourite Madonna songs. Just love the very simplistic intro before delving into some bubbly synths, electric piano & of course Madonna's vocals really sound fantastic on this rather soulful Disco number. Both the verse and chorus melodies are top notch, creating that perfect earworm effect. This could may well be my favourite track on this album. Burning Up Changing things up a bit now with this more new-wave sounding track that's driven by aggressive electric guitars & starker arrangements, making this far less pop than anything we've heard so far, yet still a pretty strong number with some nice interplay with the synths on the song’s catchy chorus, and the way it builds up at the end of each chorus before the guitar riff comes back is just awesome. I Know It The first non-single on this album so far, yet still an incredibly fun & catchy number, with its bouncy melodies that like the previous numbers, very synth heavy, but in this case features some heavy saxophones during the verses, which adds a nice touch to the whole thing. Holiday Probably the most well known song on here, it may have not been her first single, but it is the one that jump started her legendary career, and what a beauty. Its a 6+ minute full-blown disco epic that is one of the catchiest songs you’ll ever hear. The song is set around funky guitars and synths, a driving disco beat, all of which makes the whole thing infectious & of course there's that beautiful piano solo towards the end. Not only is this a firm highlight in Madonna's discography, but dare I say it a classic, nothing more. Think Of Me A funky synth-pop number that has a very similar vibe to 'Lucky Star', yet doesn't quite hit the same highs, but still a very fun number with an awesome saxophone solo that really lifts the whole thing to another level. An enjoyable little 80's pop song. Physical Attraction The last non-single on here, that I wouldn't really call all that catchy, as it goes more for atmosphere than melody with synths & drum beats taking the centre stage on this funky little number, even if they do overtake her vocals at times. But on the whole, this is still a pretty decent number. Everybody This is where it all began - Madonna's very first single, which didn't quite set the world on fire & its not hard to see why. Not saying this is bad or anything, but compared to the album's other singles, this doesn't quite compare & feels rather limp. Although on the more positive side, this does have a nice funky dance pop rhythm going on, but the vocal hooks aren't very strong & given the song's length (at over 6 minutes), it quickly gets old & can't quite sustain its running time like some of the other tracks on here with a long running time. But on the whole, its an okay way to end the album & everybody has to start somewhere. Edited January 20, 20214 yr by Nina West
January 20, 20214 yr I will review her other albums in their respective threads in due course, please feel free to tell me what do u guys think of my review. Edited January 20, 20214 yr by Nina West
January 21, 20214 yr I agree that Borderline is the best track on the album. I dont think there is a bad song here , such a string debut and actually miles better than LAV.
January 21, 20214 yr Agreed, I much prefer this album to 'Like a Virgin'. I've been revisiting it in light of these reviews (might do my own at some point) and 'Physical Attraction' is standing out more and more as my favourite, although it's a pretty consistent album throughout. I can definitely see why 'Borderline' is often selected as the favourite. Her performance on the Jimmy Fallon Show is one of my top Madonna performances of recent times: avqB1K0wcdo
January 21, 20214 yr I'm also tempted to follow suit and revisit all of the albums to post reviews - you're all inspiring me ^_^
January 27, 20214 yr ALBUM RANKINGS: 11. MADONNA/THE FIRST ALBUM 12. AMERICAN LIFE 13. MDNA 14. MADAME X Madonna's debut was released before I became a fan, but I bought it at a later stage and found it not as impressive as Like A Virgin. For me, as much as I have a place for Holiday, it has never been a favourite as I find it quite repetitive and void of any proper chorus. It's almost annoying that it has become one of her trademark songs. I feel much the same about Everybody and Lucky Star as well and usually I would skip all three of these tracks when listening to one of her compilations. Borderline is made considerably better with the video and is a sweet kind of track... though again there doesn't seem to be much of a transition between verse and chorus. Best track by far here is Burning Up - song and video. I remember getting the first Madonna compilation VHS and watching it over and again. The remaining album tracks are all pretty much so filler, with the only stand out being Physical Attraction - which at over 6 and a half minutes is far too long! So this album for me is just quite a bland start to her discography and again not one that I would choose to go back and listen to; but it's still more accessible than American Life and Madame X.
January 31, 20214 yr Author Interesting review CJK! It's in the bottom few albums for me too but I think I enjoy it more than your review suggests you do. 'Borderline' for example is one of my favourite 80s Madonna songs :wub: It's definitely one of her more "bland" releases though, going on how vibrant and eclectic pretty much every release has been since this!
January 31, 20214 yr I think "Bland" is exactly it for me. I feel I should like it more but it's just not the production and sound that I like from Madonna and when some of the songs are just sooo looong it feels a bit of a drag at times.
February 1, 20214 yr Checking the credits I just realised Madonna wrote 5 out of 8 songs solo! Even if the best songs in the album (Borderline and Holiday) were other people's songs, it's great she did so many songs on her own.
March 4, 20214 yr Madonna - The first album still rocks for me. I love it; I love the original album artwork and the songs are so NYC and of their time, and most still stand up really well; far, far better than newer albums. I put 'Think of Me' on in a crowded gym a few years back, and everybody loved it. I love M from this era, hungry, defiant, and ready to take on the World.... 1. Physical Attraction 2. Holiday 3. Borderline 4. I Know It 5. Think Of Me 6. Lucky Star 7. Burning Up 8. Everybody
March 4, 20214 yr The 'Physical Attraction' love! :wub: The original album artwork is one of my favourite Madonna images too - that seductive look straight down the camera!
February 14, 20232 yr ‘Borderline’ EP added to digital platforms: iTunes Top Songs: #2 Belize #2 Greece #50 France #62 Belgium #86 United Kingdom #91 Ireland #125 Italy
March 8, 20232 yr The EP is out tomorrow instead of Friday, exactly 30 years since its release: 01. Burning Up 02. Burning Up (7'' Edit) 03. Burning Up (12'' Mix) 04. Physical Attraction (7'' Edit) 05. Physical Attraction https://music.apple.com/nz/album/burning-up...n-ep/1676050933
