material_boy

I didn't really get into music until the mid-90s, and so "I'll Remember," "Secret" and "Take a Bow" were the earliest songs that I knew and loved by M. But I didn't buy "Bedtime Stories" (or even "Something to Remember" or "Evita" when they were released) until much later. Then "Frozen" came along and I became a full-on loon, and started aggressively collecting her back catalogue -- discovering that M had all these songs that I grew up with, and all these other songs that I remember from being a kid that I didn't even realize were hers ("Crazy for You," "Live to Tell," "Open Your Heart," "Cherish" ...) and realizing that Madonna was like the soundtrack to my life and I never even realized it. Looking back on it, I was just a casual fan from 94-97 -- listening to her songs on the radio and singing along, maybe picking up a single if I saw it in the store. But I wasn't stalking MTV for her videos or following her in the press. If I'd realized earlier just how many songs of hers I already knew and loved (but was just ignorant of the fact they were hers), my experience in that era would have been something else entirely. And it kills me that I "missed out" on it in that way, because I think 94-97 is one of the most compelling, experimental and unappreciated eras of her career now, and I just kind of went through it at the time as a casual observer.

Because it's a cynical, desperate and obvious grab for attention and money in the wake of a young man's untimely death. Seriously, this would be one of the all-time most tone deaf and selfish moves of her career. She'd get dragged for it more than anything else she's done since probably 2002-2003. And it's not happening anyway. The demos have been on YouTube for years. Listen to them there and move on already.

Oh, so sorry for your loss. This song is so lovely. It should have been done at least one already, but I'm sure it's time is coming.

I'm not sure that's true anymore. I feel like critics began to seriously reevaluate "Erotica" both as a work of art and its place in pop culture history back in the 00s. As we saw with many of the 25th anniversary commemorations last year, many (if not most) critics recognize it as an album was hugely important, influential, and ahead of its time. Really, I'd say "AL" and "Bedtime" are her two most overlooked/underrated albums today.

Oh no. What's wrong with this thread?

There is a LOT of "Erotica" stuff floating around freely -- "Shame," "Dear Father," "You're the One," "You Thrill Me," demos of album tracks, alternative vocal takes from "D&D" and much more. There was so much stuff leaking back in 08 that there was a rumor going around Prince forums that Shep himself was the one putting it all out there. ("Shame" is fucking brilliant. Can't believe that didn't make the album.) And we got leaks of David Foster's stuff from the "Something to Remember" sessions too. But yeah, the only "Bedtime" leak that I can recall offhand is "Love Won't Wait" and the "Take a Bow" demo ... I'd kill to hear Shep's original take of "Secret."

Saying on thing is better than another isn't shaming

Oh, yes, the "LTT" demo is lovely. Didn't realize the "LAP" demos are out there on the DL. I would love to hear them. (God, I don't understand people who get their hands on stuff like and keep it to themselves. Why?)

YES to both these points. "Swept Away" really did set the tone for how the press was covering M and we all seem to forget that. She had a reservoir of goodwill from fans and critics and the press with regard to music, but she was a regular punching bag around the time of "SA." Then "DAD" came and -- even though it was a hit and fans loved it -- non-fans and older, stodgier critics really made a stink about it wasn't a more traditional Bond tune. So then the "American Life" single came, and were critics already primed to be critical of M. That single split the fanbase right down the middle, well, then that was that and whole project was doomed. And Reinvention -- this is one of the strangest things I've seen in all M fandom. This little tour get regularly shit on as unimaginative or boring by fans today, but the tour almost single-handedly changed what people were saying/thinking about M post-"AL" fallout. It was a breath of fresh air and critics just fell all over themselves for her again. It set the stage for the big comeback with "Hung Up." "Die Another Day" is one of Mirwais' strongest works. Really phenomenal stuff from him here. I really dig the darker, more aggressive tone he took with M on this song (and the whole "AL" album, really). The thing that keeps thins from being a real classic for me is that horribly repetitive "chorus." It's very poor stuff from M, and the track suffers for it. But boy, with a real chorus here ... this song would be among her all-time greatest. And YES, the remixes were great. The remixes were great throughout this whole era.

What a great article

Ah, sorry about that! Misread that entirely. (A bit hungover this morning ... )

Jeezus. Ten years?! Hard to believe. This was way too "sound of the time" for me when it was released, but it sounds much better now that Timbaland and Pharrell collaborations aren't wall-to-wall on the radio. The Timbaland tracks drag the album down. (Except for "4 Minutes" -- those fucking horns! -- Tim's work is totally phoned in. His lazy ass beats totally ruin some of M's best-ever lyrics on "DWRY.") The Pharrell collabs are almost all excellent. Great stuff. I break this album out (along with the S&S tour demos) every summer. It's the perfect M album to listen to when the sun is shining on your face. OMG, YES! I'll tell you, I liked this song a lot when the album first came out. But 10 years out, this is hands down my favorite track on the album. What a forgotten gem. Should have been second single after "4 Minutes." Has the makings of a summertime SMASH hit. I never understood the fan hate for this song, tbh. Is it her best work ever? No, certainly not. But Pharrell's work here is top notch and it's a fun little intro song to the album -- literally inviting fans to come along and try some new music and see what they like. I'd definitely reverse these two. "Hard Candy" is such a summertime/warm weather/party-at-the-beach sort of album, I immediately associate it with the sun. And those aggressive Timbaland beats and the athletic and masculine M-Dolla imagery are classic sun qualities. "COADF" is a club smash. It makes me think of having too many drinks and getting dressed up and hitting the club late at night, and her iconic Farrah Facet hair and pink leotard are far and away her most classically feminine looks of the 00s. VERY strong moon associations.

I would die to see Fincher direct a video for a Mirwais. A union of two of her greatest collaborators from different parts of her career.

It didn't take long for this start becoming another "release Avicii Heart!" thread.

I think the lip sync comment came during the Reinvention Tour -- and I'm pretty sure he was only pissed at that because she stopped giving away free tickets to celebrities.