SkyHigh76
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The NME review is in
Why Madonna's new Greatest Hits is no cause for 'Celebration'
So Madonna has a new greatest hits out, 'Celebration'. Fine, you’d think – she’s had a lot of them. Sadly, listening to the 36-track compilation, it's depressingly apparent that there have been two distinct phases of her career – the pop nirvana of her 80’s output, and the joyless bandwagon- hopping of her later years. Unfortunately, she thinks both have equal merit.
It would be unfair to say Madge hasn’t touched magic since 1990 – 'Hung Up', for example, is a fine dancefloor-filler. And ‘Ray Of Light’ isn’t bad, even if she was going through her horrifically unappealing "earth mother" phase.
But apart from that, it’s slim pickings. Despite commissioning the most hip collaborators around at the time, (Mirwais, William Orbit, Stuart Price), Madonna's latter records sound strangely cold and joyless, devoid of the warmth that infuses the likes of ‘Like A Virgin’, ‘Dress You Up’, ‘Cherish’ and the immortal ’Like A Prayer’. Hell, even her overwrought ballads from that purple patch (‘Live To Tell’, ‘Crazy for You’) have a certain charm.
One of my colleagues summed up the conundrum recently – if you're at a party and one of Madonna’s early classics comes on, everyone goes nuts. Play anything from "phase two" and the result is completely the opposite: the dancefloor empties, the buzz dissipates.
So while Madonna clearly thinks this collection represents a celebration of her longevity – hence the title - in reality all it does it expose her more recent failings. True, she still sells out enormodomes, but a lot of that can be attributed to an extension of goodwill from people whose formative years were soundtracked by her. There is a lot of loyalty there. Fair enough. But for the rest of us, her career may as well have ended in 1990.
This review is bullshit.The statement "her career may as well have ended in 1990" is ridiculous.It shows that some critics continue to live in the past.The same statement is often applied to virtually any artist who has been around several decades...Janet Jackson,Prince,Elton John,Michael Jackson,George Michael,etc.People with this mindset can't seem to accept and understand the fact that artists ("real artists",anyway) move on,they grow,they evolve,they try new sounds and ideas.The 80s are OVER! Why even bother comparing the new songs to the old songs,anyway?? It's a different time,a different era.Would this critic be happy if Madonna had spent the past two decades repeating herself over and over? If somebody were to release a song like "Material Girl","Into the Groove" or "Papa Don't Preach" in 2009,guess what? It would probably bomb on the charts.And if Madonna had retired in 1990,we would have never gotten "Ray Of Light","Frozen",Drowned World/Substitute For Love","Music","Nothing Fails","Rain","Deeper and Deeper","This Used To Be My Playground","Gone" and all the other AMAZING songs she has recorded since then.Honestly,I like alot of the post-1990 stuff more than the 80s hits,but what's the point in comparing,or pitting one group of songs against another?
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Excelllent review!
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Why? I think David Letterman is a great show for her. Oprah and Ellen seem to appeal to an older more conservative audience partly because they are on during the day. Letterman appeals to a younger trendier audience because it's on later at night. I don't think the housewives who watch Oprah and Ellen care about Madonna.
I disagree.Ellen is considered cool and hip by MANY young people.She's fun,likable and appeals to teens as well as adults.Plus,she is a huge Madonna fan.It would make perfect sense for Madonna to appear on her show.
As for Oprah....if an artist appears on her show,their CD will move MANY units.That's a proven fact.I don't know what type of audience she appeals to,I just know that an appearance on her show can boost a CD straight to Number One.Why do you think so many artists go on her show the week that their new CD is released? lol.
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Finally,she's doing some promotion for Celebration!! I wish she would spend the entire week going on various shows to talk about the album....
Monday=The Today Show and Tyra Banks
Tuesday=Oprah
Wednesday=David Letterman show
Thursday=Ellen
Friday=Good Morning America
Come on,Madonna! Don't let Mariah and Barbra Streisand steal the spotlight this week! Get out there and work!
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I would bet that Madonna is pleased with her vocals on this song.She doesn't have a problem with the song at all.Frankie is just paranoid and wants to go back and work on it a little more,but if Madonna doesn't have a problem with it,then he shouldn't either.Just take the paycheck and be glad that you were given a job! No need for him to act like a crybaby about it.
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The part where he says he wanted to "date" Princess Diana is funny.He was a repressed homosexual! Who does he think he was fooling?? Everyone knows that he wasn't into women.It's sad that he spent his whole life,living a lie,pretending to be something that he wasn't
I'm a fan of his music,but I think he seriously needed to see a shrink.
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Mariah is one of those artists who makes the same album over and over (Janet Jackson does too).Every album has the same,dull R&B sound,featuring the same boring topics.I can't tell one Mariah album from the next.She takes no chances.Her songs are predictable,the same crap you've heard from her many times before.
I just heard her new single "I Want To Know What Love Is" and it put me to sleep.Another overblown remake,with a choir.Wow,how original! Thank God that Madonna tries new things with her music.Her albums don't all sound alike.
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I like Michael Jackson,but let's face it,the guy was loony as hell.He had serious mental problems.He says the craziest things in this interview.
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Those things are completely unrelated. Madonna did not perform most of her singles before 2003 on US tv and she almost never had problem with radio.
That advert is on Times Square, so that surely cost a lot for Warner to get that spot.
Anyway, this promo shit is so tiring, do you realize basically you're complaining that Madonna should earn MORE money than she does now? And that's ignoring the FACT that all this promo you're wishing for can't even get close to her tour grosses... It's so transparent that the people who complain about the lack of Madonna promo night and day are those who make fun of "Janet Jackson sized flops" and about Mariah "only" selling 1.2 million albums on the back of a massive promo tour.
I just think that,when you release a new product,you need to get out there and let the world know about it.It doesn't take much effort for Madonna to make a few TV appearances this week or next week.Is that really asking too much? We're not in the 80s anymore,when she could release a new album and it would sell millions instantly.These days,artists have to get out there and WORK.
Plus,it would be a nice treat for the fans.Are you telling me that you DON'T wanna see Madonna on 'Oprah' or 'Ellen'? You DON'T want to see a fresh,new interview and (possible) performance?
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Ella Fitzgerald was filling concert halls well into her late 70's, and all she HAD was her voice, it's not like she was jumping through fire hoops and simulating orgies. If she can sustain that kind of vocal ability, I think we can at least expect Madonna to carry a pleasant tune. And if she can't, well there's very little point in her being a singer.
Well let's not kid ourselves....Madonna has never been THAT KIND OF SINGER in the first place.Madonna is a "good" singer,but not on the level of Aretha,Ella,etc.We can't expect Madonna to do what Ella does.If that's what you expect from Madonna,you should stop being a fan right now.
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Why isn't Madonna appearing on 'Oprah' this week? She should be on 'Oprah'! That would guarantee some excellent first-week sales.Whitney and Mariah recently appeared on Oprah,why can't Madonna??? I'm beginning to wonder if Madonna believes that TV appearances are beneath her.She's not doing alot of promotion for her recent projects.
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Yeah like I said, I don't think it is her voice so much as the production of the songs.
Exactly.Remember when Madonna said that "Pharrell made me cry" during the recording sessions for Hard Candy? I think he was adamant about getting some great vocals from her.He made her record many parts over and over,until the vocals were just right.He wouldn't accpet anything less.
With Timbaland,it was different.Madonna has said that he was the "quiet type" who didn't say alot during the recording sessions.He didn't "push her" or demand that the vocals be perfect.In retrospect,he should have demanded that she re-record the second verse of "4 Minutes",this time with livelier vocals.Ditto for "Dance 2Night" and "Voices".
Perhaps Madonna should have asked Pharrell to produce "Celebration"...he would have gotten a better,stronger vocal from Madonna.
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On Madonnnalicious, the following credit errors are noted, in addition to the LIB one:
- William Orbit is credited for production on La Isla Bonita (along with Madonna and Patrick Leonard, strangely) and Die Another Day (instead of Mirwais).
- On the songwriting credits for Dress You Up, 'Andrea LaRusso' has now become 'Andrew LaRusso'.
- And in the songwriting credits for Celebration, 'Ciaran Gribbin' is now 'Ciarian Gribbin'.
WB must have run out of $ to pay copy editors for the project.
This is why I'm thrilled that Madonna is leaving Warners.Everything they do these days is done in a cheap,ineffective manner.They can't properly promote her singles and now,they can't even get the credits right!
Madonna deserves better than this.
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but to be fair,every singer's voice deteriorates as they get older.Their voice loses the power of their younger years.In the right setting,Madonna still sounds very good ("Beat Goes On",for example).
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All you have to do is tie Pharrell or Timbaland to "Hard Candy," and the association to it being Urban is there. Doesn't mean it SOUNDS as urban, but the influences are present.
Having said that, the album's good, and I actually DO love her voice on the Pharrell tracks. She seems more liberated in them, whereas she sounds decidedly uncertain in the Timba collaborations.
Yeah,her voice is excellent on the Pharrell tracks.On songs like "She's Not Me","Give It 2 Me" and especially "Beat Goes On",she's singing just like she did in the 80s.....really putting alot of enthusiasm and power into her vocals.Maybe it just takes the right producer to bring it out of her? Pharrell is good at bringing out the "80s Madonna" voice.
I love Hard Candy but I have to admit,on some of the Timbaland tracks,she's not really putting alot of effort into the vocals.She sounds fine on the first verse of "4 Minutes" but during the second verse,she gets into that annoying,laid back vocal style that we hear so much these days."Dance 2Night" is a superb song but I wish Madonna would sing it with more power.
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I can't stand those bitches on The View...sitting around,gossipping and talking shit.They act like high school girls.
I'm glad that LaToya didn't join them in their bitchfest.They wanted her to diss Madonna,but she was VERY impressed with Maddy's speech,as were most people.
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It's a mediocre song....a by-the-numbers dance track,nothing special.
"Revolver" is excellent."It's So Cool" and "Celebration" are forgettable.
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I think "Revolver" could easily be a US hit,if Warners does their job (aggressive promotion,getting the song on the radio) and Madonna does her job (make a thrilling video).Just like "4 Minutes",this song has alot of hit potential.
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So,no official word on when the Sticky and Sweet DVD will be released?
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I LOVE IT!
The fact is it actually has a catchy chorus as compare to Celebration. In addition, Celebration sounds too 90s and out-dated (and yet Oakenfold said it's a NEW sound
).Let's pray WB will not screw up this song again and HOPEFULLY the radio will play it.
Exactly! The song has a strong,memorable,catchy chorus that's easy to sing along with.That's what makes a radio hit....an infectious hook."Celebration" lacks a strong chorus,the production sounds stale and outdated and it's just not a memorable song.
I pray that Warners doesn't screw this up (like they did with "Beat Goes On").They need to promote this song AGGRESSIVELY,spend some money on a thrilling video,and watch it become one of Madonna's biggest hits.How cool would it be for Madonna to end this decade with a massive hit single,the way Cher did 10 years ago with "Believe"?
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LOVE THIS SONG! It's so catchy and fun,and very sexy too.Please Madonna,make a GREAT video for this song!! Warners needs to promote this,it could be a Top 10 smash.
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This is MUCH better than "Celebration".It's catchier,radio-friendly with a strong,memorable chorus.This could actually be a hit in America,if it gets promoted properly.
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"Celebration" is a weak song.It's completely forgettable.It's a flop,so let's move on.
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U need to look at the BIg picture! she may be doing wonderfully when it comes to touring but everything else is lacking!! while hard candy did ok and she had a hit, its really dispoable and forgettable!! she needs another vogue or even a music. if she keeps releasing subpar music she will fade away like the pop stars she out lasted
I think we all need to understand that the music business ain't what it used to be.Even if Madonna recorded "another vogue or music",what makes you think it will be a big hit? What makes you think radio will play it? Madonna could go into the studio with Patrick Leonard,record "Like A Prayer Part 2",and she would still having trouble getting airplay!
Let's face it,touring is where Madonna will continue to have her greatest success these days.It's where she will make the most impact.CDs don't sell these days,anyway.At least Madonna was smart enough to realize this and focus her attention on touring.
Store Reports: How much? How many? Any displays?
in ARCHIVE - Madonna
Posted
I went to Wal-Mart early in the morning and bought
*The 2-CD set for $17.99
*The single disc for $10.00
Both CDs were displayed on the New Releases section,but I didn't count how many they had.Just as I predicted,they didn't have the DVD so I had to go to another store for that.I went to FYE where it was on sale for $22.99.It was the regular DVD packaging (not the digi-pack) and they only had one more in stock! I went there in the afternoon,so the other copies were probably sold earlier in the day.
Overall,it was a good shopping experience.I found all three items,on sale,and didn't have to travel very far for it (both stores are near my house).