Jump to content

Is American Life Album underrated just because of its sales!


Jumpb4uthink

Recommended Posts

At this point, didn't HC and MDNA sell about the same, or even less than AL? AL was the FIRST time she didn't sell like crazy, but that was largely due to the lack of a strong lead single. I remember many friends commenting around this time that they "didn't know she had something new out" when I mentioned it to them. AL is a masterful gem in the Madonna catalog. She was personal, bold, and fearless with this release, her closest thing to a concept album. That fearless trait hasn't really followed a full album release since (here is hoping she brings back some edge to the new album!)......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By critics? Of course it had a mixed reception, many Madonna albums have had that reception: Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Music, American Life, Hard Candy, Confessions, MDNA...

By remembering the album as a jewel? Very few albums are remembered years later.

I think that fans rate albums properly, whether we like it or not, and this time it was very well accepted and people were touched by this brand new and emotionally naked Madonna, even though there was some controversy with the first single and pulling out the video.

So NOPE. No underrated at all!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest eroticerotic

i thought the album was very poetic in a anne sexton type of way, not necessarily her style though. it is a very minimal, up close album. i love stuff like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest whatatramp

probably because of the AL video controversy some critics decided that she had 'gone too far' again and were going to punish her for it and everybody read their reviews and copied them as opinion and it spread round? It wasn't exactly easy to try before you buy in 2003 and music reviewers held a lot more influence over buyers

Madonna will get her due critical praise for works like AL eventually

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't lie, I was a bit underwhelmed after listening to AL in full for the first time. It's very rare that that happens for me though. I've warmed up to it over the years but I still would prob consider it my least fave M album. I don't think it's underrated because of its sales though. It seems like as the years pass even the diehard fans that didn't like it at all upon release now show it at least a little love. AL was getting bad reviews from fans and critics immediately, even before it was released. To me MDNA is a better example of an album that is underrated because of sales. If you go back and look at the early reviews of MDNA, they are overwhelmingly positive. It was only after that second week sales drop that people started changing their tune.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember at the time of the release, many critics gave it mixed to favorable reviews. I do remember talking to casual fans & they did not seem familiar with AL. I use to go to clubs & bars in NY around this time, & DJs would often play many of the great official remixes that she was releasing. AL might be the best album for club mixes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

American Life has a Metacritic score of 60. Not that it matters, but even Artflop's score is (slightly) higher. So yes, American Life is definitely Madonna's most underrated album.

Music's score is 80 btw. I always thought that AL was a continuation of Music, they are like sister albums (soundwise), with the only difference that Esther was in full force during AL and that was reflected in its lyrics. It's really odd how Music was so acclaimed while AL got such harsh and unfair reviews even though they feel so similar (to me).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the 'sound' of the album was underrated at least.

George Michael & PJ Harvey agree, so I know I'm right. :fag:

Did they say that they like this album?

I was completely obsessed with this album when it came out. I listened to it every day, and I couldn't understand why people seemed to hate it. I think it's one of her most interesting and daring albums. I love it so much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By critics? Of course it had a mixed reception, many Madonna albums have had that reception: Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Music, American Life, Hard Candy, Confessions, MDNA...

By remembering the album as a jewel? Very few albums are remembered years later.

I think that fans rate albums properly, whether we like it or not, and this time it was very well accepted and people were touched by this brand new and emotionally naked Madonna, even though there was some controversy with the first single and pulling out the video.

So NOPE. No underrated at all!

Sorry babe, but let's not rewrite history. Bedtime Stories, Music and Confessions did NOT have mixed reviews. The reviews were almost unanimously positive for all these albums.

Erotica had good reviews overall (at least the ones that focused on the music and not her or the book).

Hard Candy, MDNA and American Life - you're right there. These albums received mixed reviews.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

in my particular case, I think it is because AL wasnt a good single

Maybe, but even if they had released another song (say "Hollywood"), I don't think the fate of the album would have been much different.

The album was very political and the reviews claimed it was heavily Kabbalistic and denounced materialism (which is somewhat true). The artwork was also rather jarring and Madonna's own demeanour, image and public performances were quite political. I think it was all a great era and I love the record, but I'm pretty sure the bigwigs at Warner Bros knew that the album wasn't going to be a big seller. Which is fine, I don't think Madonna gives a shit about that sort of thing.

I love American Life. And it has aged so wonderfully over the years. I love it when she goes left field after a big commercial success and doesn't follow the obvious route.

I think Rebel Heart 2014 will be a massive commercial success (as we all know) but the 2016 album will be a big indie left field move. Mark my words.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...