January 7, 20214 yr wow some of you guys are very mean to this album. It's not a great album cos like most Madonna early albums has amazing singles + the album tracks are really filler and not that great but the singles are all amazing, especially Into the Groove, personally Madonna's best song ever but Dress You Up is fantastic too and I love Material Girl and Like a Virgin, both incredible iconic singles
January 7, 20214 yr Count me in the mean camp on this one, it's just not a very good album. The singles are okay but very much of their time and not ones that I'd choose to listen to very often. The album tracks are among her worst in my opinion, it's the worst kind of pop album where the singles draw you in to buy it but there's very little of quality outside of them.
January 7, 20214 yr but I think that except Like a Prayer, you can say the same for most Madonna albums, ie album tracks being filler maybe I'm biased cos Like a Virgin is the 1st Madonna album I got and when I discovered Madonna as a kid, so maybe I see it with different eyes
January 20, 20214 yr NJG Studio have been teasing some Madonna photoshoots, shot in Tokyo in January 1985, on their instagram page. They're set to be available in a 200 page book titled 'Adore' that features 318 previously unseen photos! View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram
January 21, 20214 yr Here is my review for 'Like A Virgin': Material Girl A great way to open the album with this iconic number that's catchy and infectious satire on materialism, with Madonna establishing herself as a Marilyn Monroe-esque figure & lyrically framing herself as a calculating woman, using men for well material things. The satire may be lost on some people, but its a fascinating song to be included in Madonna's catalogue as she'd totally and very loudly reject the idea of materialism later in her career. Other than all this, its a brilliant song & one of the finest pop songs she's ever recorded. Angel Sugary, sweet & full of glittery synths, this is a really nice bubblegum pop song that often gets ignored when compared to the other mammoth singles from this album & yeah I can kinda see why it does fall a little short. However on this album it is a firm standout thanks to its fun melodies & convincing vocals. Like A Virgin The title track & the very first glimpse of not only Madonna's controversial side, but would play a huge part into her becoming a global superstar, & would help pave for future female singers to unapologetically explore their sexual sides. As for the song itself its fantastic, excellently written and structured, thanks to those glorious hooks & Madonna's intense vocal delivery that really helps sell the message of the song that still holds up even to this day. Although I will say that having this & track 1 so early on they both overshadow the rest of the album. Over And Over Another strong number with some throbbing pop synths on this motivational anthem with catchy verses that builds & builds before bursting into a fast paced chorus, thanks to its diverse & colourful production that really makes this whole thing explode. Love Don't Live Here Anymore This is probably Madonna's first ballad & she tackles it really well & demonstrates that while her vocal abilities may have been limited at this time, she could really show some true range & bring some real authenticity to this Rose Royce cover. Thanks to some fantastic string arrangements and towering, rhythmic drums, its by far the most soulful offering on this album. Into The Groove I know this wasn't included on the original version of this album, but its a more than welcomed addition, thanks to not only it being a huge chart smash, but being an epic 80's dance pop song, thanks to those infectious verses & a killer chorus. Of course those grinding synths helps really capture the magic of the 80's. A firm highlight in Madonna's discography & an all-time classic. Dress You Up Another firm highlight with this groovy drum based dance track that completely captures her in the process of becoming a sex-positive icon, thanks to its sleek production & Madonna's fiery vocal delivery as the track progresses to that spectacular guitar solo played by Nile Rodgers. A banging tune, one of the very best this album has to offer. Shoo-Bee-Doo Never been keen on this track, but do like Madonna displaying some raw, tender emotion & the stripped down piano ballad opening is nice as-well. Just a shame all that's wasted on such a silly title. This was where the quality begins to dip Pretender The last third of this album is really lacking with this forgettable synth pop filler that is somewhat helped by Madonna bringing her personality into it, but the chorus could have done with some more work & feels like its just there to pad out the tracklisting. Stay This is an okay song, but certainly not something to end the album with. Although I do like the dramatic production & the angsty charm, however the hook in the chorus is not strong enough to make up for those weak lyrics, a definite album filler moment if I ever heard one.
January 21, 20214 yr The last 3 tracks certainly weaken this album. ITG was certainly a bonus addition.
January 23, 20214 yr The pitching up of Madonna's vocals on 'Material Girl' and 'Like a Virgin' lose them a point for me. I know some of the songs on her debut were the same, like 'Borderline', but it doesn't seem to bother me as much as it does with these two tracks. If you listen to pitch-corrected versions, they sound much more pleasant whilst still having that girlish quality. Unpopular opinions: I don't understand why 'Shoo-Bee-Doo' is so hated and I don't find 'Over and Over' particularly great like others do.
January 23, 20214 yr @1353026668412215299 Yes!! 'Material Girl' was one of the videos I was most wanting to be released in HD. An iconic video and the pink is going to pop out the screen. *.*
January 25, 20214 yr NJG Studio have been teasing some Madonna photoshoots, shot in Tokyo in January 1985, on their instagram page. They're set to be available in a 200 page book titled 'Adore' that features 318 previously unseen photos! Some more photos here: https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photograph...i-wakasugi-1985
January 25, 20214 yr My rate : S (Masterpiece) Top 5 songs : 1. Material Girl 2. Like A Virgin 3. Dress You Up 4. Angel 5. Love Don't Live Here Anymore Best Madonna album and true pure pop classic. It's very rare time, when I totally agree with singles selection. Four singles were # 1s in my retrospective chart : - Like A Virgin (7 weeks at # 1) (Best single of 1984) - Material Girl (7 weeks at # 1) (Best single of 1985 and her best song) :heart: - Angel (3 weeks at # 1) - Dress You Up (5 weeks at # 1) Edited January 28, 20214 yr by Last Dreamer
January 27, 20214 yr Actually it’s better on second watch, it’s mainly the beginning that’s bad and some dodgy bits throughout. It’s not what I’d call HD but the colour is a lot better.
January 31, 20214 yr Author My favourite Madonna album by far. You have said some wild things over the years on Buzzjack but this just might be the wildest :kink:
February 1, 20214 yr My favourite Madonna album by far. :o So I'm not alone. :) Edited February 1, 20214 yr by Last Dreamer
