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Why is she so resistant to playing the hits properly?


Apples388

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And do you think it is impacting her live legacy (I think it is).

She got away with it in Drowned World because she was shit-hot at the time and she had just had 2 hot albums studded with hits - fair enough.

Re-Invention was close to a GH and partly was reactionary to the American Life floppage and complaints about lack of hits on Drowned World - so thanks for that one Madge.

Confessions - again, hot album to promote, so fair enough that she played a lot of it. Some hits thrown in as well. Nice one.

S&S - did some damage even though she did play some hits. Partly because Hard Candy was relatively floppity and she played lots from it. And partly because of the negative publicity that year. And partly because the show itself was a step down from her usual theatrics.

MDNA - she is taking the piss now. (Seriously) As much as we hardcore fans loved the show and the theatrics of it, I think that relying so heavily on the MDNA album setlist-wise was an error that will not be forgotten quickly on the next tour. No one knew any of the songs she was playing pretty much! And then of course the problem was with the "hits" she chose to play. 90 seconds of "Papa Don't Preach"? "Hung Up" reinveted beyond recognition? "Like a Virgin" - as beautiful as it was, had nothing to do with the album version (or even an updated mix like Confessions Tour version). It is no surprise that the crowds all went mental for "Like a Prayer" in all shows because she performed it straight-up with no frills.

Oh dear. It's all going horribly wrong. MOAN MOAN MOAN! But I have a point.

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Guest bluejean

I understand why she doesn't perform them. She has new music that she's more excited about, or her personal favourites that she's feeling now like Human Nature. It's all about what she's feeling now. And Madonna likes to live in the now not in the past. I think she definitely doesn't want to become a "legacy" touring act, the idea is so not her.

Madonna is largely about pleasing herself, not the audience. She's an artist, not a cruiseship entertainer.

But that being said, yes, the time has come where she needs to do lots of hits in their original form if she wants to sell concert tickets. And I think she will. Unless she has another big hit album but even then I think a Confessions/MDNA type setlist won't work. People pay big money and they want to hear the songs they love.

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Guest Rachelle of London

I agree to a certain extent, Madonna is one of very few artists that has had sooo many hits that are instantly recognisable. I think she is the only artist alive that has had hits in all 3 decades of her career. And as a fan I do love the reinventions of songs, like MDNA's LAV performance to me is one of the best things M has done in her whole career. But I do understand that the audience at her shows are made up mostly of casual fans and people that just wanted to see "Madonna" live.

If you look at any Youtube videos of any of the MDNA shows you will see that during the Papa Don't Preach performances people were caught off guard with the abrupt ending of it...its actually quite funny to watch. But I do understand that many people go to concerts to hear songs that they know. And whilst I love the MDNA setlist I do think it would be great to of had a few more "hits" as they do perk up the crowd, whether you are a die hard fan or not. But then in the back of my head I know that Madonna is such a professional and such a great performer that she will do any performance justice.

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I remember telling my friends(casual fans), before the show that if they went expecting her to do the Immaculate Collection they were in for a big disappointment, i explained to them that Madonna always sings 7-10 songs from the current album and that she does what she wants and doesn't care much for what the general public wants from her.

Most of them loved the show but almost all of them said that they preferred the S&S show.

I don't think this is impacting her live legacy at all, i mean, it has been this way since 2001 and she keeps filling up those huge ass stadiums all over the world.

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Like I said in another thread, next time she tours I want to take my mom and sister with me, and if they went this time, I know they would have loved the show, but by and large they love would want to hear her hits. I know for a fact my sister and my mom would have gotten excited as hell hearing Papa Dont Preach kick in only to be let down as all hell when it was cut off shortly. I can picture the "WTF!!!!!!!?" faces they would have thrown me.

Same with Like a Virgin also. I can picture my sister saying, "Why is she singing it like this!?"

Express Yourself, Vogue, and as you mentioned Like a Prayer were pretty straight forward though.

As a hardcore fan I like when she reinvents her hits, but she can do it without them being so damn foreign people are left scratching their heads. Like a Prayer during Sticky and Sweet is a good example. It was reinvented but it STILL felt like Like a Prayer and got a massive reaction.

I do see why casual fans would get upset with the lack of hits though.

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theyre all madonna songs to me, I don't care if they were hits... it is cool when she does a big one like Vogue or LAP and the place goes wild, she certainly needs a few of those in there each time, but seriously if you're going to her show why not get her new album and play it a few times, like the music and want to hear it....

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Like a Prayer during Sticky and Sweet is a good example. It was reinvented but it STILL felt like Like a Prayer and got a massive reaction.

Exactly, same with Into the groove, it was very recongnizable, dancey, and fun, casual fans loved it.

Maybe it's just me but i always see the S&S tour as a sort of Who's that girl Tour of the 2000's and the MDNA Tour as a mix of the Blond Ambition tour and the Drowned World tour.

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Guest bluejean

I find it funny.

And despite what I said I mean I personally don't mind, I love almost every song she ever records so there is no possibility of me being disappointed at a Madonna concert. The disappointing part is that I never get to go to one :lol:

But yes I loved all the MDNA songs, Human Nature, Like a Virgin MDNA version, Hung Up MDNA version etc. It was all great.

If I were Live Nation I would have forced her to change some songs, like Celebration to Music, Revolver to Die Another Day, I'm a Sinner to Ray of Light, leave in Holiday for every show, Candy Shop to Erotica. YES I love it the way she did it artistically speaking but I think casual fans need to be catered for.

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Guest Xanthium

I definitely see your point Suedy but I'm gonna be selfish and say that I hope she stays artistic on tour no matter what. That's what makes her concerts true theater and not just hits collections like Cher's and Janet's tours. I know people want Madonna to make shit loads of cash so she can be #1 on Billboard's tour chart but I say fuck that. I want Madonna's legacy of being a creative and provocative performer to be first priority.

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The tour was planned in advance during the recording of the album. She couldn't predict how the album would be received. It was a risky strategy imo. She trusted that the album would do well enough to embark in a full MDNA journey on tour. Guy Oseary said that the tour was supposed to promote the album. But things got wrong whem the first single flopped and she couldn't do anything about it. It was too late to change her strategy.

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The tour was planned in advance during the recording of the album. She couldn't predict how the album would be received. It was a risky strategy imo. She trusted that the album would do well enough to embark in a full MDNA journey on tour. Guy Oseary said that the tour was supposed to promote the album. But things got wrong whem the first single flopped and she couldn't do anything about it. It was too late to change her strategy.

Frankly i don't think the success of the album had anything to do with the way she conceived the show...she did what she always does...7-10 songs off the current record, she even added Love Spent months into the tour.

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God, I hope she never stops being self-indulgent. MDNA was too much for me in that respect; LAP, EY, EY and Vogue, all in their album versions, yuck. Hung Up was fantastic though.

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She's said it countless times that she gets sick of doing those old songs and the only way she can do them is if they are "re-invented." In a way, she's been doing this since BAT.

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Guest astonishing!

I LOVE the reinvetions of old classics, they're totally essential to the magic of a M show imo. I could have done without quite so many MDNA songs on the tour though - she should have cut I'm A Sinner atleast.

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Guest bluejean

Frankly i don't think the success of the album had anything to do with the way she conceived the show...she did what she always does...7-10 songs off the current record, she even added Love Spent months into the tour.

Plus she added elements of an oldie but goodie Give It 2 Me and performed one of her most hated songs Spanish Lesson afew times. Pretty sure Madonna does not give a shit what the audience wants :lol:

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Guest bluejean

I LOVE the reinvetions of old classics, they're totally essential to the magic of a M show imo.

This is so true actually. I think a mix of original versions and reinventions is good. It was great to have the originals of Like a Prayer and Vogue but Like a Virgin and Hung Up were almost unrecognizable yet brilliant.

It would be great to more Like a Virgin Confessions type remixes of classics. That is the perfect example of a classic revamped but still keeping the essence of the original.

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Guest bluejean

At the end of the day (Madonnaism, see what I did there), Madonna will do what Madonna wants and I think most of us big fans will always enjoy it. I know we want everyone else to appreciate her and her to sell loads of tickets and be the reigning Queen but maybe there's just alot of stupid people out there that will never get it. What can you do.

The casual fans just need to take the time to absorb her entire back catalogue and learn all the album tracks :lol: I mean they even got sent the new album this time, what's their excuse :D

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Pretty sure Madonna does not give a shit what the audience wants :lol:

I agree, and i think that's what puts her on a league of her own, that's what makes her different.

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Sorry, but I don't want to hear album versions and I actually appreciate what she's doing.

Same here! It breathes new life into them. Ok sometimes it doesn't work but most of her reinventions are amazing and is a big part why I love her so much on the concert stage.

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Come to think of it, she has been switching up her songs or mashing them up with other peoples songs on tour since The Virgin Tour with Like a Virgin/Billie Jean.

Now that I think of it she has done this a hell of alot during her shows.

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Sorry, but I don't want to hear album versions and I actually appreciate what she's doing.

:smooch: It is something I look forward to......The current album all intermixed with 'old' but redone hits!!! It's a great formula and works like a charm....just look at box scores, if people didn't like it, the tix wouldn't keep selling!! If people just want the same over and over, then buy Immaculate Collection and press repeat!!

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People bitched and moaned even when Drowned World was going on, that she only played a couple of IC-era classics., So no matter what she does, there's going to be griping.

Back when Girlie Show aired on HBO, she said that if people want to hear the original arrangement of a song, they can listen to the record. She said she needs to keep old songs fresh for her to perform them with feeling (or something to that effect). She pointed out the new arrangements for "Holiday" and "Like a Virgin" to support her comments.

The true-blue fans will get why she "reinvents" the classics at times.

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That's why i always say as a show MDNA is better...but as a CONCERT...Sticky was way better.

MDNA didn't work in a stadium...usually we Portuguese people are great at receiving artists...believe me, when she came here for RIT the reception was HUGE! i was sweating so much in the end...no one stood still!

For Sticky and Sweet she performed in front of 75 thousand people and it was GREAT! She had them in the palm of her hand. (and it had lots of hits!)

MDNA? Not really. People cheered for Girl Gone Wild (first song), then Papa Don't Preach. Then we had to wait for Express Yourself...then Vogue. (Open Your Heart was a bit meh actually)

When Candy Shop started and then Human Nature...i remember looking around and people were on their cellphones texting and talking to each other...you could see they were not that interested even though Madonna was moving so much on stage and performing like no one else does.

I never saw this happening in a concert here!

They woke up for Like A Virgin. Actually...everyone just shut up for that one and couldn't take their eyes off of her! It was magical actually. But at the same time...you could tell the stadium was trying to keep up with the lyrics...but the song was just so different that no one could.

After this? Well...Like A Prayer! Celebration was a huge surprise for me! Got a huge response.

When that one ended most people were like "wait...that was it?" they enjoyed it...but they were expecting more.

I swear i don't remember one single person talking or texting during RIT or S&S here!

I understand she wants to promote her albums...but when they are not that well received, she should have more hits.

I mean, even the interludes! Best Friend? Nobody Knows Me? Really?

I am a hardcore fan and i prefer MDNA to S&S or RIT anyday! But most people that go see her, don't go for Hard Candy's or American Life's album tracks...not even singles! The fact that even Hard Candy was represented by an album track is ridiculous! xD I get it...it fits the theme...but is that really the most important?

I think Sticky had the right amount of hits and tracks from the album she was promoting! Same for Confessions.

And i agree about Drowned World Tour. So what if she didn't had many hits from the past? She had released 3 studio albums, 1 compilation and done a musical since her last tour! Lots of eras to cover! We got Drowned World/Substitute For Love (single in Europe), Beautiful Stranger, Ray Of Light, Frozen, Don't Tell Me, Human Nature, Secret and then in the end we had La Isla Bonita, Holiday and Music.

This is the tour i always like the least from Madonna, but i have to agree that even this one had more known songs then MDNA Tour, and ends the right way!

Now you can tell me "i couldn't care less about the casual fans" but nothing beats being in a stadium and looking around and everyone is jumping up and down...and in the end everyone is loving your favourite performer ever. :D

And one last thing...all casual Madonna fans that saw MDNA in Portugal and told me the same thing "great show...but i won't see her again soon that's for sure".

They kinda felt cheated xD

And i feel this is gonna be a problem next tour for Madonna in Europe. We're going through a recession right now, if she doesn't have a hit era next, or if she doesn't promote the next tour as a hits tour, most people that went to see MDNA are not coming back for that show. The interest in seeing her on tour decreased since S&S (deny this all you want...but you know it's true).

She needs to take a break, do great music, and promote that album! Reconnect with people the same way she did with Ray Of Light or Confessions On A Dancefloor!

Her mind is already on the right place. Doesn't want to tour (and is fighting against Live Nation on this one) and wants to focus on more material for her next album (confirmed by Madonna herself in a recent interview).

Let's wait and see :D

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Let me start by saying I agree with everything she did for the MDNA tour in essence.

However, this could've been her most universally loved tour of the past decade with just a few simple touches:

1. Don't wait until song #4 to bring in a hit (old or new)... only to cut it in half. Die Another Day could've replaced Revolver, PDP could've been played in full... Easy "mistake." (not that it's actually a mistake, just a puzzling choice).

2. In the basque section, perform a straight up oldie but goodie instead of Masterpiece or in addition to... For example, Don't Tell me or a hit ballad.

3. Extend the majorette section with one extra (if shortened) hit.

4. Include Holiday or Everybody permanently, damn it!

5. Don't auto-tune Hung Up. The version is amazing, but the auto-tune is just too much. She really didn't even need to do half of those moves, if it had meant she could've actually sung it properly.

And I mean... That would've been it, really. She actually performed a lot of hits this time around... There were just a few missed opportunities that are puzzling. I have to agree with those that say that she probably expected MDNA to amass at least one or two extra hits to offset all the new material. Unfortunately it didn't happen, and she had the good sense to include Give it 2 Me at the end. It's interesting that she didn't do that more. I'm sure it was discussed.

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Guest bluejean

The thing about Drowned World comparatively is that even though it only featured two old songs, it had ALOT of recent hits in their original form. With that in mind I would consider MDNA more indulgent. Confessions Tour was also very indulgent but I don't recall hearing alot of complaints about that since that album was so huge. On the DVD you hear people cheering for the album tracks for example. Unless that is fake?

Imo Sticky and Sweet is the perfect balance setlist wise. All the hits are remixed but there's enough of them to keep people excited. But in saying that quite honestly, give me MDNA or Drowned World over S&S and Reinvention ANY DAY.

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I have to admit I didnt like the way she did Open Your Heart. The ending breakdown was great though.

Like I said in another thread I think she should have added a song like Causing a Commotion during the majorette section.

Everybody could have been before or after Celebration.

Masterpiece wasnt needed at all, and like I also said I am glad when I saw her it was replaced with Gangnam Style and Music. :lol:

Cant bitch too much though because it was one of the best shows she has ever put on. Next time I would like some other hits to be pulled out though like Whos That Girl, True Blue, Causing a Commotion, Rescue Me, Bedtime Story, Open Your Heart done in a more proper way, Angel, Cherish, This Used to be My Playground. Any of that would be a nice suprise.

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Guest Not4Pussies

i love all the reinventions, i like that she chooses the songs she wants to tell a story like she did for MDNA

i know a lot of people didnt like Hung Up during MDNA but I did, I found meaning to the lyrics and what was going on during the performance

and mixing the prayer vocals of GGW in the middle of HU. it felt like she was singing to God or her ex lover.

i dont mind if she focuses on the newer stuff because lets face it, some new songs she performs once and never performs again so

its nice when we get to see performances of certain new songs

i do want her for the next tour to try and perform other hits she hasnt performed in a while or hasnt performed at all!

because if she doesnt all her tours from S&S and forward are just new songs and the obvious hit singles

she needs to mix it up!

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