CMoody Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I find AL to be her most bold, daring, unconventional and least mainstream-conscious effort to date. I love that she had the balls to put it out there. It's a shame that it's commercial disappointment scared her so badly and she has been attempting to regain her mainstream radio acceptance ever since. AL is flawed, yes, but it is still a very strong pseudo-concept album. I am still in love with the mix of folk, classical, and electronic music. I think Easy Ride is one of her most beautifully orchestrated, yet most over looked gems. The biggest mistake was how it was handled in the public eye, had she released another track as the title single and promoted the record as the celebrity-introspective that is truly is and not the anti-war statement that it never was things would have moved along very differently. When she decided to release the left field title track as the debut single and promote it with a controversial, anti-war music video, she should have went full on with it and stood by her artistic statement as she did with her sexual stances a decade prior. The video controversy could have really fueled and propelled a curiosity and interest the public was never really given a chance to explore. Looking back, no one disagrees that the war was a mistake, but in 2003, it was insanely taboo to speak out against it. She pulled the video and still got banned from radio. It would have been more "Madonna" for her to stick to her guns and accept the ban with two giant middle fingers proudly displayed. AL will forver be the Madonna album that "could of been a masterpiece"....it is my hope as a fan that she again stops caring about mainstream radio acceptance (something she will never have again, at least in the US) and start doing work that will be timeless, bold and unforgettable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ai Papi Si. Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 1251, what songs do like and dislike? Like/Love: Hollywood, Love Profusion, Die Another Day Eh: I'm So Stupid, Nobody Knows Me, Intervention, X-Static Process, Easy Ride Caca: American Life, Nothing Fails, Mother & Father Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernatural Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Intervention is the only track on the album I could see being a hit, and at the same time it wasn't lead single material. Love Profusion and Nothing Fails were potential hits under better circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck82 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I never listen to the album version of Nothing Fails. The Nevins mix takes it to a whole new level and it's fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Music Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 The album went good in France (more than 400 000 copies sold) and singles were well received except for Nothing Fails. Love Profusion was a hit. Maybe my favorite album !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Je5u5 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 "Love Profussion" was a missed opportunity. That song is fantastic. And "Easy Ride" is one of my favorite album tracks from her discography. This isn't my favorite Madonna album by any means, and I do think some of the lyrics could've used a re-write or two, but I do appreciate it and what she was trying to do with the project. Bonus points for giving us one of her best "recent" videos, in the original, withdrawn version of "American Life". Oh, and she looks fucking amazing in those brunette photoshoots from the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Not4Pussies Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I adore it. Yes, the era sucked because at one point she really didn't care about it and went on with the english lady era, but the album is one of my favorite, probably my favorite from the last decade. It's such an important record to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPowered Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I never listen to the album version of Nothing Fails. The Nevins mix takes it to a whole new level and it's fantastic. This. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 heaven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat.Guy Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 QUEEN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollap Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Nothing Fails and Hollywood are two of the (if not THE two) best tracks she's ever recorded IMHO. The former touches my heart and the latter is so eerily sinister yet danceable at the same time. Songs for her more cerebral fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb19 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Love Profusion is great and everyone I know, fans and not, love it. And the Blow Up Mix is incredible. The video is a disaster though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mensch Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I love Regina Spektor's cover of it! "I've got Jew under my skin..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I kinda like love profusion video. It was the only time I ever liked her in a floral dress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phineaspoe Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I love Regina Spektor's cover of it! "I've got Jew under my skin..." this reminds me that i'd love for her to cover Love Spent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I wept with joy when I listened to this album for the first time. It is a beautiful piece of work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugbyguy Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I read somewhere that American Life sold over 1 million copies in France alone and was quite popular there. Didn't she also give a speech to that effect in Paris on the ReInvention Tour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mensch Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 this reminds me that i'd love for her to cover Love Spent! I'd love Regina to cover anything Madonna. She would nail it in her own way every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sambassile Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 How much did American end up selling in total? What was its last tally?? I don't think it was the flop that everyone made it to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasqual Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Admit it. USA couldnt accept critics and that is all. She did great album but it missed suport. From that era starts madonna ignorance on radiostations. Usa couldnt eat all those against bush staff and antiwar propaganda. After all she moved in uk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gang bang Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 i love american life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugbyguy Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I think it has safely sold between the 5.5/6 million mark. A monster hit by today's standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Music Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I read somewhere that American Life sold over 1 million copies in France alone and was quite popular there. Didn't she also give a speech to that effect in Paris on the ReInvention Tour? Yes, she did give a speech about France being the country where it sold the most, but the record sold around 450 000 not 1 million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horn Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I think it has safely sold between the 5.5/6 million mark. It shipped 4 million to date. US - 700K sold France - 480K sold UK - 335K sold Other countries have even lower figure than these. 4 million shipment is an optimistic figure. 5.5/6 million is a Mimi lamb's figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregVsMatt Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Love Die Another Day - everything, every remix, video, lyrics, single cover = flawless Hollywood - video was cool and loved all the remixes Nobody Knows Me - loved the remixes and the official montage remix video W Magazine shoot - loved it Nothing Fails - love this track, should have had a video American Life - only liked the Directors Cut video and the Down Tempo remix Xstatic Process - really liked this track I'm So Stupid - only liked the abandoned studio version for RIT VMA's - loved this Not so good American Life - everything else about this single - what a mess The album - hated the cover and rarely listen to the tracks not mentioned above - just can't get into it and it's the only time it's happened Remixed + Revisted - tacky cheap project Me Against The Music - no TRL with 50 Cent - no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fighting Spirit Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I love the Hollywood TV performances, she looked so cool (in a hipster way). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeravA Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I think everyone thought Madonna sang I got Jew Under My Skin when they first heard Love profusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rachelle of London Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I remember it being quite big here. I remember LP being used in the Estee Lauder commercial and everyone loving that song. I spent the summer of 2003 in the Bahamas and AL video was being played soooooo much, thats where I learnt the rap looool Its so weird how everyone's musical taste varies so much, I consider NF to be one of Madonna's greatest songs, yet some people say its one of her worst. I think its a testament of how amazing Madonna's music is, that us as fans have so many genres and sounds to explore in just her discography alone. Must be so boring being a Mariah fan where everything just sounds the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeravA Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 So true! American Life really divided her fans. Some hate it with passion, some love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mensch Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I remember it being quite big here. I remember LP being used in the Estee Lauder commercial and everyone loving that song. I spent the summer of 2003 in the Bahamas and AL video was being played soooooo much, thats where I learnt the rap looool Its so weird how everyone's musical taste varies so much, I consider NF to be one of Madonna's greatest songs, yet some people say its one of her worst. I think its a testament of how amazing Madonna's music is, that us as fans have so many genres and sounds to explore in just her discography alone. Must be so boring being a Mariah fan where everything just sounds the same. I completely agree and I think those differences in taste are what keep people coming for more cause it's almost like they want to understand why they don't get something that the other fans are raving about, so sometimes it even digests and then they learn to appreciate a record they didn't initially like. It's not always like that but as a pop artist, she's consistently refreshing whether at any given point, it's for one set of fans or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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