Guest boytoyville Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I'm so happy to see there are others who LOVE this album as well. I thought I was the only one. lol. Love every track, even Don't Stop! I hope she does another smooth sensual album like this again sometimes in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ugly Hecty Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 It's alright - and I do accede that it is a much stronger album than Hard Candy despite remaining one of her weakest, it has some of her strongest singles, and in my opinion, the Bedtime Stories era was her best video era ever ("Bedtime Story", "Secret", "Take A Bow", & "Human Nature" for instance...) Top 5 from the album: 01 Human Nature 02 Secret 03 Sanctuary 04 Bedtime Story 05 Inside Of Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loomer Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 You know what, boys, this is funny. As some of my fans and followers and stalkers might know I have always disliked this album - and by that I mean I've only played it a few thousand times. It's probably been my least favourite Madonna album. But as I am now a gay of slightly more mature age, I'm beginning to click with the romantic melancholia that permeates this beautiful album. And it's sort of ironic how much more dignified she is on this album considering it is obviously the prequel to Hard Candy in retrospect, given that she was more or less a pariah when it was released and wasn't the "untouchable" legend that she is now (but seems intent on destroying.) This Suedey is not for turning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joey's Hung Up On Madonna Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I made a thread about this awhile ago; thought this was mine revived Bedtime Stories is an AMAZING record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hesser Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 I dont hate Dont Stop. The TRACK sounds great over loud speakers and I'm not one of the people who acts like they get a rash whenever they hear it. But I can understand why some dont like it. The lyrics are a little too paper thin. "Get up and dance song" type songs are usually shallow so I guess its ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddysMuff Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Over the course of several years, this has become one of my favorite M albums; probably top 3. 1) Those silky, sexy vocals 2) The lush production 3) Her best album, lyrically speaking 4) Inside of Me and Love Tried to Welcome Me are incredible!! 5) And on a totally superficial level, she was gorgeous throughout the era and all of the videos were SUPERB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayGuy Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Suedey, I think she was more of a commercial pariah when COADF was released (as it followed the flop that was AL). COADF was a "return to her roots," but it wasn't a safe album for America (as dance music doesn't sell much in the way of albums here); outside the USA and such, amother story. HC would have been the safer album to release after AL- but, funnily, even after COADF sold more than 1.5m, HC had less than half of COADF's success in the USA, outdoing AL by just 45K or so. Anyhow, aside from being a bit of a stronger album than HC, BS- while utilizing hot hitmakers of the time- seemed to be more distinctive from her collaborators' other works than HC was (if that makes sense). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic_system Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I also love the remixes for the singles. And of course the videos are just wow. Love the era (minus the european promo tour..she looked like shit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etips Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I agree. Madonna looked hideous during the very, very early promo she did for this album; like a middle aged hooker with Shirley Temple curls. Then she cleaned up a bit and started looking like Gwen Stefani. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic_system Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Danny86 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Anyhow, aside from being a bit of a stronger album than HC, BS- while utilizing hot hitmakers of the time- seemed to be more distinctive from her collaborators' other works than HC was (if that makes sense). I'm not sure if that's accurate. Maybe except for "Sanctuary" (by the way, I think this one was not mentioned in the "Revolver" thread, regarding it being an already finished song that Madonna reworked), but the rest of the album was mostly relying on then-current sounds that fit in with the collaborators' styles. Not only the extensive use of (R&B/funk) samples (most on a Madonna album, although the "references" on COADF come close), but for example TLC's "Creep" released at the exact same time sounded like a mix of "Survival" & "Secret". "Forbidden Love" is very similar to "Red Light Special" (although Nellee Hooper kinda gave it a bit of an "overproduced" feel) and the beat of "Don't Stop" sounds alike to that SWV hit. While "Secret" was a bit different because of the guitar, its drums were definitely as much used as Timbaland's beats back then, it must have been the typical sound because even Mariah's "Dreamlover" or Janet's "That's The Way Love Goes" have a similar style and tempo to it. Of course "Bedtime Story" is the most obvious one from all that, not an American hit sound by any means, but on this one Madonna clearly just imitated Bjork, as if it was the sister-song of "Violently Happy" from Bjork's debut, of course that was most likely the intention, but I'd definitely put this one next to "Devil..." in terms of Madonna "ripping off" a song that was done by the same person she enlisted to work with. As opposed to all that, Pharrell's stuff proved to be more distinctive from his other work. His biggest pre-HC work was Gwen's second album, and nothing on that sounds similar to HC in terms of sound. But yeah, most of the Timbaland stuff would fit with their other work. On the other hand though, Madonna did try to be a bit distinctive on BS when she made Nellee Hooper to give his touch on several songs of the album. Reportedly, she was not satisfied with Dallas Austin's work because it was not pop enough. That's why Daniel Abraham also remixed "Don't Stop" & "Your Honesty" and they sound more accessible and pop than "Freedom" or "Let Down Your Guard". "Secret" remained the only Dallas track on the album that was not touched by either Hooper or Abraham. It's weird, because she went further into hip hip with Andre Betts than with Dallas... "Take A Bow", while still very Babyface-sounding, does seem to be a bit different from his usual diva songs though. Supposedly Madonna wanted to work with him because of "Breathe Again" by Toni Braxton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest blueferris Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 no bull - making of take a bow mtv special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pabl0114 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I can't say anything bad about this album, it is tied to a very adventurous and special time in my life. I was 18, away from home and just came out of the closet. I had a crush on this guy name Ozzie that loved M too, We all got the album on the same day. Ozzie heard the album before I did, I remember him saying "there is this cool song on it and she is whispering express yourself dont repress yoursel" and ofcourse Ozzie wouldn't give him the time of day so "I'd rather be your lover" was forever on repeat. I remember reading a little preview about the album way before it came out and how it was gona be pure dance pop...glad it wasn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 even the outtakes from this album are really good!!! Your Honesty and Let Down Your Guard are great tracks. Freedom is pretty cool too. About Freedom, i remember in the Girlie Talk interview, Madonna mentioned on her next album she wanted to work with a live band for the album. I'd have to say, Freedom is the only track from the Bedtime Stories session that sounds like what M mentioned. And i much prefer the original version of Id Ratha B Ya Lova, with Tupac. M'Shell's bass slows the song down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erotica blu Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 This album is so boring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Danny86 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 About Freedom, i remember in the Girlie Talk interview, Madonna mentioned on her next album she wanted to work with a live band for the album. I'd have to say, Freedom is the only track from the Bedtime Stories session that sounds like what M mentioned. She said that a year before BS came out, it's possible she changed her mind, was probably an idea that popped up but dismissed it very early. Also possible that her label wanted her to do more contemporary music, in the vein of "Rain" & "I'll Remember" so that's why she did a smooth, slower album instead. Or simply that back then she had not yet heard the work of Babyface (who suggested Dallas, who then suggested Dave Hall if I'm not wrong) and Nellee Hooper's work on Bjork's Debut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5iVe Elements Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I prefer this album than EROTICA. Truly underappreciated. INSIDE OF ME is a sexy song even though it was written about her mother. I love that track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pud Whacker Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 no bull - making of take a bow mtv special thanks blueferris!!! such a great interview. the beginning of making the video...and i really miss madonna in a french twist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pud Whacker Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Over the course of several years, this has become one of my favorite M albums; probably top 3. 1) Those silky, sexy vocals 2) The lush production 3) Her best album, lyrically speaking 4) Inside of Me and Love Tried to Welcome Me are incredible!! 5) And on a totally superficial level, she was gorgeous throughout the era and all of the videos were SUPERB. bette davis said, "you cant judge it immediately, within the arts, it takes time" (totally paraphrased). and its so true and always applicable to madonna. sometimes as fans, i think we forget that.we want the memories and the impact NOW!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayGuy Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I see what you're saying, Danny, but, TAB was different for Babyface in that he never worked with a live orchestra before- and that sound is part of TAB's beauty. I never thought of "Red Light Special" upon hearing "Forbidden Love" (I can see what you mean, though)- tho I enjoy RLS more than FL, I'll say that. I always said, though, that Madge was channeling T-Boz with her HN vocals. Maybe because she was younger when BS came out, it just SEEMS like HC was a more blatant attempt at working with theh ot producers and coming up with a very of-the-moment sound (not that it would help her USA airplay, mind you). Perhaps it is Nellee Hooper's involvement with some tracks he didn't co-write that makes it a bit more distinctive than HC (as Randy Jackson says, FOR ME). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Danny86 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Oh, I do prefer "Red Light Special" as well. "Forbidden Love" is nice enough, but it's less memorable, in comparison. Yeah, she also channeled T-Boz in "Let Down Your Guard" which actually does sound like a TLC reject... But on HC there's the "throwback to the debut" thing going on. And maybe because the slower R&B/AC is more of a "mature" sound, even if it was the fav sound among youngsters at the time. I guessed that it's the orchestra that sets "TAB" apart from other Babyface tracks, indeed I can't recall his other work having that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acko Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 You know what, boys, this is funny. As some of my fans and followers and stalkers might know I have always disliked this album - and by that I mean I've only played it a few thousand times. It's probably been my least favourite Madonna album. But as I am now a gay of slightly more mature age, I'm beginning to click with the romantic melancholia that permeates this beautiful album. And it's sort of ironic how much more dignified she is on this album considering it is obviously the prequel to Hard Candy in retrospect, given that she was more or less a pariah when it was released and wasn't the "untouchable" legend that she is now (but seems intent on destroying.) Dame Lindsay must b out in full force.... been listening 2 it a lot lately.... I always loved 2 hate Bedtime Stories...I still think it's overproduced but then at the same time it has this wonderful flow..I remember being very dissapointed when I first got it..thinking it lacked that distinct 'Madonna Magic'..But the only shit song imo is 'Forbidden Love'..my best friend's review over the phone back in 1994 was a little more harsh : 'Number 4 is the only song u can dance 2' I adore this era..I love listening 2 it now but I have 2 b in the right mood. * Note: It's better than True Blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayGuy Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Dan- in an interview (maybe for the Billboard Book of #1 Hits?) Babyface spoke about how working with M showed him that he could collaborate with artists on their music and see a great result, how she brought a lot to the process, etc. etc. He also mentioned how the orchestra thing was new for him, and how he and Madge both agreed that TAB would only be said at the beginning of the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattress Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 *bumped* to be continued from here. Awaiting acko's set change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattress Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 NO BULL love continued... And especially... "Move over rover..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pud Whacker Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 fantastic!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkydita Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Smoking through the flypaper. Love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Danny86 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 at Madonna being stuck at #3 behind such shit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ursaminorjim Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 It's a very good record, and probably her most underrated album. In retrospect, a lot of these tracks could've been on Erotica, were the production more brittle and less lush. I'd say the album's biggest weakness is its rather sluggish pacing, particularly on side two. But the high points ("Take a bow," "Sanctuary," "Human nature," "Survival," "Secret") are absolutely fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pud Whacker Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 this was brought to me months ago by brilliant scrapple; it really was her last album where she had proper background vocals. madonna style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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