Returning to pop after a four-year hiatus, Madonna enlisted respected echno producer William Orbit as her collaborator for Ray of Light, a self-conscious effort to stay abreast of contemporary trends. Unlike other veteran artists who attempted to come to terms with electronica, Madonna was always a dance artist, so it's no real shock to hear her sing over breakbeats, pulsating electronics, and blunted rip-hop beats. Still, it's mildly surprising that it works as well as it does, largely due to Madonna and Orbit's subtle attack. They've reigned in the beats, tamed electronica's eccentricities, and retained her flair for pop melodies, creating the first mainstream pop album that successfully embraces echno. Sonically, it's the most adventurous record she has made, but it's far from inaccessible, since the textures are alluring and the songs have a strong melodic foundation, whether it's the swirling title track, the meditative opener, "Substitute for Love," or the allad "Frozen." For all of its attributes, there's a certain distance to Ray of Light, born of the carefully constructed productions and Madonna's newly mannered, technically precise singing. It all results in her most mature and restrained album, which is an easy achievement to admire, yet not necessarily an easy one to love.
By Mike Bruno *A woman claiming to be a former nanny for Madonna is currently shopping a tell-all memoir detailing the inner workings of the Madonna-Guy Ritchie household. EW.com has seen the 80-page proposal, which is being circulated among major publishing houses*. The document proposes a book that will reveal intimate information gleaned from Melissa Dumas' service as Madonna's nanny. Sample...
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if the MTA is putting salt on the _underground_ subway platform because the water seepage (dripping) is freezing!
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After Madonna's induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame by Justin Timberlake, instead of singing, she lets none other than Iggy Pop sing 'Ray of Light' on her behalf. The crowd seemed stunned. Check it out for yourself. At 49, Madonna was the youngest performer honored at the hall's 23rd ceremony, held at the Waldorf-Astoria, and the only one to nab the distinction her first time out. (Pe...
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On a bit of a Madonna trip at the moment. One of my fav's off Ray Of LightYour heart is not open so I must goThe spell has been broken, I loved you soFreedom comes when you learn to let goCreation comes when you learn to say noYou were my lesson I had to learnI was your fortress you had to burnPain is a warning that something's wrongI pray to God that it won't be longDo ya wanna go higher?There...
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Like many of you on here, I consider myself to be a "cool" guy. I put that word in quotes, because while I believe that it often does denote true meaning, it is also often used in a shallow or fatuous attempt to assign to a person or thing that which we hope others will covet, envy, and desire, or else that which we hope they will denigrate, sneer at, and secretly love to hate. Reasonable peo...
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if the MTA is putting salt on the _underground_ subway platform because the water seepage (dripping) is freezing!
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By Mike Bruno *A woman claiming to be a former nanny for Madonna is currently shopping a tell-all memoir detailing the inner workings of the Madonna-Guy Ritchie household. EW.com has seen the 80-page proposal, which is being circulated among major publishing houses*. The document proposes a book that will reveal intimate information gleaned from Melissa Dumas' service as Madonna's nanny. Sample...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Drowned World/Substitute for Love |
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| 2 Swim |
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| 3 Ray of Light |
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| 4 Candy Perfume Girl |
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| 5 Skin |
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| 6 Nothing Really Matters |
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| 7 Sky Fits Heaven |
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| 8 Shanti/Ashtangi |
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| 9 Frozen |
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| 10 The Power of Goodbye |
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| 11 To Have and Not to Hold |
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| 12 Little Star |
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| 13 Mer Girl |
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 "Ray of Light")
