Today, September 29, 2009 Madonna releases her third (or fourth?) greatest hits album, Celebration, a double CD that spans her twenty-five year career. I can’t let the moment pass without saying a few words about this SWIK Icon. A great deal has already been said about her. What can I possibly add? First, a mix of a few songs that didn’t make this new album and weren’t necessarily hits, but that you may have missed and are worth checking out. Second, a personal history. Any woman my age has grown up with Madonna. We all have some Madonna memories at this point. Whether you love her or hate her, there are probably moments where her music played a part and there’s a specific instance where you can recall hearing a song and having some sort of reaction. I’m huge fan of her music, but this post is not a tribute to her. It’s a trip down memory lane with Madonna providing the soundtrack. So even if you aren’t a Madonna fan, you may enjoy the post. It’s actually a tribute to all the woman in my life who have shared my personal Madonna soundtrack. You can start playing the SWIK Icon Madonna Mix with this new Grooveshark widget and listen while you read. Just press play.
I first heard ‘Holiday” on the radio when I was 12 or 13. I immediately connected. This song seemed to bridge the disco of the 1970’s to the 1980’s. In 1983 disco was dead, but people still wanted to dance. I probably recorded the song from the radio onto a cassette. It wasn’t until summer 1984 and a trip to London that I fell in love with her first album. One of the girls on the trip had a walkman and two cassette tapes, Prince’s Purple Rain and Madonna’s first self-titled album. I borrowed her walkman whenever she wasn’t using it. She was one of the coolest people that I had ever met. I think her name was Kim. She wore lace fingerless gloves, tons of jewelry, and funky clothes. And this was before most of us had seen Madonna. I had never known anyone like this. I spent first to eighth grade at a Catholic school, where the best thing you could do was conform. By the time I returned to the U.S., I knew Madonna’s album by heart. “Lucky Star” was my favorite before it hit the airwaves. When I saw the video, I was fascinated by Madonna’s music and style.
Celebration covers Madonna’s first album well by including all four of her hits “Holiday”, “Borderline”, “Burning Up” and “Everybody”. I’ve included two tracks from the album, “Think of Me” and “Physical Attraction,” on the SWIK Icon Mix. While the sound may be repetitive, what these song represent, and what makes this album seminal for pop music, is the catchy keyboards, underlying dance groove, and basic pop lyrics. Madonna’s first album helped to set the tone for new wave that eventually dominated the 80‘s in the U.S.
I’ll admit that her next album, Like A Virgin, is not one of my favorites. Once again, she shocked everyone with her video, dancing a top gondolas in Venice. The only thing I remember about this album is hearing about the title, Like A Virgin, on the radio in the car with my mother and feeling embarrassed hearing the word ‘virgin’ without the name Mary next to it. Of course, I couldn’t wait to hear the album. It was at this time, Madonna began her dominance of MTV and the era where video began to shape the public’s listening tastes. Her performance on the the first ever Video Music Awards gave us only a small peak into what was to come. Celebration covers the key songs here, including the title track as well as “Material Girl” and “Dress You Up”. I included “Stay” and” Over and Over” on the SWIK Icon Mix. They’re fun and poppy, but this whole album is really a part II of her first. It was released quickly after her first one in 1983 and the sound isn’t much different.
True Blue arrived in 1986. Here we have a cleaned up Madonna with a Marilyn Monroe hairdo. I bought this cassette and remember taking to a youth retreat for my church, where I was one of the teen leaders and organizers. I gave one of the opening “inspirational” talks. I kicked off my speech with “Open Your Heart” and told everyone they needed to be open to the spiritual possibilities of the weekend, and essentially to God. Yes, despite my love for artists like Prince and Madonna, I was pretty dorky and conservative as a teen. The ultimate irony, of course, was when the video for the song came out. Madonna was a peep show dancer with tassels on her boobs. Oops. True Blue has some wonderful tracks, most of which made it onto Celebration. I included “Where’s The Party” on the SWIK Icon Mix. There’s nothing outstanding about this song, except that it’s excellent for getting ready to go out and party.
Madonna’s next album, Like A Prayer, while probably the height of her career, was for me, where she slipped into the background. In 1989, I was into alternative music. It all began when I left college in the middle of my sophomore year and moved home with my parents. I had no idea what I wanted study for a career at the time so thought I would take a break. I got a job at Strawberries Music in Manchester, NH. Within a span of less than three months, I shaved my head, dyed what was left of my hair blonde, and began wearing rubber bracelets, pointy shoes, and old rosaries. Conveniently, the early Madonna look was actually very Goth. I just incorporated Cure t-shirts and A LOT of black.
I remember when Like A Prayer arrived at Strawberries. The original pressings of the vinyl, cassette, and CD were dipped in patchouli. Whenever you walked by the display at the front of the store you inhaled the scent, which seemed far too hippy-ish for Madonna. (Rumor has it that the patchouli was not her idea and subsequent pressings were not scented.) Of course, I bought the cassette. (Today, it STILL smells like patchouli, as do all the cassettes in the case next to it.) I listened and really liked it, but I was in the closet with my love of Madonna’s music and remained so at the time. I returned to college in the fall and got deeper and deeper into the alternative music scene. I found the college radio station and basically rejected most pop music because I had so many new exciting sounds to discover. The songs from this album are classic, and the usual suspects have made this new greatest hits. “Like A Prayer,” “Express Yourself”, and “Cherish.” I added two of my favorites to the SWIK Icon Mix, both of which I think were underrated at the time. “Keep It Together” is a great pop tune. “Love Song” is a duet with Prince, which needs no additional comment.
At the time, I did bring Madonna’s music to my family’s lake house in Maine. I was a different person there, which was often even noted by friends who came to visit. In 1990 “Vogue” arrived from her album, I’m Breathless, which was music for the movie Dick Tracy. A few of the songs from this album made it into rotation at our summer parties at the lake. I’ve mentioned Maine in previous posts (see Noisettes and Siouxsie). In high school and college, I spent my summers there working in restaurants and water-skiing. One summer tradition involves huge pot-luck parties at the neighbor’s house. After dinner, everyone from grandparents down to the youngest grandchild starts dancing. We listen to a lot of 50’s music and classic rock. In the summer of 1990, I must have pulled out “Vogue”. To this day, I think everyone identifies this song with me and Gretchen, a family friend who visits almost every year. We did our version of ‘Vogue-ing’ at one of these parties. I’m sure Gretchen was much better at it than me. Whatever we did impressed the hell out of everyone. I’m sure it helped that Gretchen was a funky dresser and showed up with her own rubber bracelets.
Other than “Vogue”, there’s nothing on the new collection from I’m Breathless and there’s not much beyond “Vogue” that’s impressive on this album. I included “Now I’m Following You” and “Hanky Panky” on the SWIK Icon Mix. They’re not spectacular, but they were funny and it was an interesting change in direction for Madonna. At the time, “Vogue” illustrated her ability to take something that was underground and make it a pop cultural phenomenon. ‘Vogue-ing’ was a term that came from the gay club scene. To this day, some will vilify and others will celebrate her ability to take certain music and trends to the masses.
In 1992 Madonna had a small role in A League of Their Own. The song “This Used To Be My Playground” from the movie was a hit and is on the new greatest hits. This movie and the song also have a connection for me in Maine. I went to see the movie at an old theater in Maine with Kristen and Shannon, who are sisters that live in the house next to ours at the lake. While the movie seems to be about the women’s baseball league in the 1940’s, its really about the relationship between sisters. I remember walking out of the film, all of us in tears. And I don’t even HAVE any sisters. But I knew Kristen and Shannon well enough. The song and the movie remind me how lucky I was, and still am, to have these two amazing women in my life. It also explained A LOT about their relationship.
In 1991, after college graduation, I moved to London. My friend JennD. came along and hung out for a few months. (I have a few friends named Jenn so will identify each with the first initial of their last names) I met JennD in 1989 at a party when I was living in NH. We became instant friends. I gave her $20 to buy me Violent Femmes concert tickets without even knowing how or when I would see her again. She eventually became one of my best friends and fashion guides. She was the one who bleached my hair and shaved my head. For some reason, it wasn’t until we got to London that I realized that she too was as huge fan of Madonna’s music. While we were in London, we went to see Madonna’s documentary, Truth Or Dare (called In Bed With Madonna in the UK). Later, my friend Carmel, who I worked with at Harrod’s department store, started calling me Madonna. I had completely white-blonde, shoulder-length hair and apparently looked much like Madonna did in the movie. (Years later, I can admit that this was NOT a good look for me.) Carmel used a phrase from the movie whenever I walked into work. She would say, “Hey Madonna.” She continues to address letters and emails to me with this same greeting.
JennD and I were completely broke for most of our time in London. We spent many evenings just hanging out with a few friends the tiny kitchen of our flat in Parsons Green. One night after several bottles of lager and hard cider, I recall JennD writhing around on the floor in all her Goth regalia dancing to “Lucky Star”. Of course, I did the same. I think we attempted to recreate the video and fell over the table and one chair that made up the kitchen. Sadly, we never made to see the Blonde Ambition tour, which was probably her best one.
Madonna’s next album, Erotica, actually suited the alternative Goth world that I found myself inhabiting when I returned to Boston in 1992. Starting with her single “Justify My Love”, from her first greatest hits album, Madonna had moved into exploring sex and S&M themes. This aligned with the Goth scene, where fashion often included a lot of bondage gear, leather, and very high heeled boots. Most of it was for show, but it certainly was intertwined. Erotica was a critically acclaimed album, but didn’t sell as much as her previous albums. There are a ton of great songs, but everything was overshadowed by her book, Sex, which was released at the time. “Erotica” is a great song and is on Celebration. I included “Bad Girl” and “Rain” on the SWIK Icon Mix. “Bad Girl” became a staple for me at the time. It’s about all the things you do forget someone. It also seems to capture a sense of that moment when you realize that you need to leave something, but you’re not sure how to do it.
During this time, I continued to work in record stores and began managing a band. Picked up from some record label representative, I had a massive six foot poster of the cover of Erotica album in the front entryway to the apartment that I shared with two roommates. Ever patient, these roommates, Nancy and Marla, put up with all the nonsense that this band and its lead singer caused in my life. I founded a record label with the singer, but after several years I realized that I was extremely unhappy. As I worked my way out of the mess of the band, the relationship, and the whole Goth scene that had overtaken my life, Nancy and Marla were the few people left in my life when I finally walked away.
By this time Madonna had released her album Bedtime Stories. “Secret” is an outstanding pop song with a bluesy groove. You can find it on the new collection. Madonna was off of the sex stuff and her sound was mellowing out. She had a hit with the much slower “Take A Bow”. One of my favorites from this album is “Human Nature”, included on the SWIK Icon Mix. I remember being amused by the video. She was making fun of all the crazy stuff that she had done and the S&M scene in general. Like it was all kind of joke and why didn’t everyone get it? Which was how I started to feel about the Goth scene. In the song she says that she has no regrets. This reasonated. The other song on the SWIK Icon Mix is the title track from this album, “Bedtime Story” which was written by Bjork. It pointed to the new direction that Madonna would take on her next album. It was a trancey, but still pop, and totally refreshing. It was then that I took a new direction as well.
I began taking a hip-hop dance class. It was here that I met the girlfriends who would be critical to some major changes in my life. Finally rid of the band and and a bad relationship, hanging out with these friends became some of the happiest times of my life. Ray of Light came out in 1998. Madonna brought in producer William Orbit and created a totally new sound. She showed that, once again, she had her fingers on the pulse of pop music. The album oozed joy and renewal. (Likely due to the fact that she had just had her first child.) I remember talking to my friend, Sadie, about the album and how we could not stop listening to it. She listened to it while she worked on her computer all day designing web sites. I had it in the CD payer of my car for my commute to work. I would take out to listen to something else, but quickly came back to it. Then put it in the CD player at home.
Another distinct memory from this era was dancing at a gay club with JennJ, a friend from the hip-hop class. We used to go out dancing A LOT and, like any other city, the best places were generally gay clubs. A remix of “Ray of Light” came on. We went nuts. It was one of those freeing moments, just being happy and having a good time with your friends. Ray of Light captures this period of my life. You can find all the hits from this album on Celebration. I’ve added two of my favorites to the SWIK Icon Mix, but really it’s worth getting the whole Ray of Light album. “Sky Fits Heaven” was the song that really stood out for me. It’s about just getting on with life and watching things as go, it’s catchy and groovey. I’ve also included “Nothing Really Matters” which seems to be about keeping life in perspective. I’ve listened to this album during most of the time I wrote this post. It still holds up.
After Ray of Light, Madonna released “Beautiful Stranger” from the second Austin Powers movie, and a cover of “American Pie”. While you may want to cringe at her remake of this classic Don Mclean song, I have to mention it. The single went to #1 in several countries and #29 in the U.S. I first heard her cover version in the summer of 2000 while I was in London visiting my friend Deb. We had worked together at Harrod’s in 1991 and remained close friends. When I was living there, we spent many Friday nights at a pub called the Flounder & Firkin. There was a piano player who covered all sorts of American classics. “American Pie” was one of his closing tunes. Deb christened this my theme song. We spent many Friday nights standing on tables, knocking over pint glasses, and screaming “Bye Bye Ms. American Pie” with the rest of the pub. I included Madonna’s version on the SWIK Icon Mix. It’s catchy and brings back A LOT of memories, from 1991 and from the summer of 2000.
Despite being happy in during my last few years in Boston, it was time to make some career changes. I had finally left the record stores behind, but I wasn’t happy with my high-tech job. I decided to go to graduate school and move to NYC. I lucked out again on the friend front and met more incredible woman in NYC. Overall, my first few years in NYC were fantastic, one big party with some amazing people. There were tough times, but mainly we made it through because of solid friendships. The partying culminated our second year with a birthday/halloween party for one of my best friends, Sasha. We asked everyone to dress up like Madonna or someone associated with her life. Madonna’s album Music had just come out, so I wore a fake fur-coat, press-on nails, and a cowboy hat. Sasha outdid everyone by sewing some pointy cones into a shirt and capturing the essence of the Blonde Ambition era. My roommate, Shauna, was the Goth-inspired Madonna from the “Frozen” video, complete with fake henna on her hands. Fiona, my other roommate, donned a lot of lace including a bow in her hair to be the 80’s Madonna. The guys deserve some serious props for stepping up that night. Sasha’s then boyfriend, now husband, came as Sean Penn in a leather jacket and cool hat. Another close friend did an amazing job as Madonna’s rabbi from the kabbalah center, bringing the critical red string for our wrists. His girlfriend came as Courtney Love, who had been warring with Madonna at several awards shows. Another, more conservative friend, showed up in his usual khakis and polo shirt calling himself Warren Beatty.
Writing this all down, it sounds like complete idiocy, especially since we were all in our late 20‘s and early 30‘s. But it was a great party. The downstairs neighbors came up and asked us to leave, because our dancing was keeping them awake. So we left and headed to a bar. Unfortunately, there are limited photos from this party. I have a few polaroids, but can’t seem to find the rest.
Less than a year later, while I was unemployed and barely surviving in NYC, I finally went to see Madonna in concert. I heard on the radio that there were tickets left for her show that very night in New Jersey. You couldn’t buy tickets over the phone or online, but if you went there, the announcer claimed that here would be tickets available. This was her Drowned World tour which had been getting great reviews. I called Sasha, who actually had a job, and we made a quick decision. We rented a car and drove to NJ to see what tickets we could get. We vowed not to spend more than $150 each. We got there and picked up $75 tickets that ended up being center stage in one of the first rows above the floor seats. It was an exciting moment for both of us. Granted, my memories of the build up and getting the great seats at the last minute have now outshone the actual concert. We both bought Madonna coffee mugs that said “Too Fresh” on the side. They were the cheapest piece of merchandise available. And, really, at our age, would we honestly walk around in Madonna t-shirts? (OK, probably yes, but that’s another story.) Being unemployed in NYC after accumulating two years of debt in graduate school was difficult. While these are some of our happier memories, there is no doubt that I could not have survived this period without my roommates, Shauna and Fiona, and Sasha. She helped me through many “I’ll Never Find a Job” panic attacks.
Music was great album, although not as strong as Ray of Light. I added a few of the songs that I think stand out, but didn’t make it to her new collection. Madonna’s next album, American Life, was mostly a disaster. Far too many slow songs, which is not her strong suit. At the end of the day, even I can admit, she’s just not a really great singer. She’s an entertainer and a performer. She puts her songs together in a great packages using great producers, but alone with a guitar is not the most appealing. She had the title track and a small role in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day. The song was OK, but certainly not as good as many of her other hits. There’s a song from the album on Celebration and I’ve included a slower song on the SWIK Icon Mix. It’s what I would call one of the ‘least horrible’ from American Life.
This album, in my mind, was the only misstep in her twenty-five year career. She recovered quickly and came back with the brilliant Confessions on a Dance Floor. I first heard “Hung Up” in my current favorite dance class (see Trina post). As I’ve mentioned, this class is sometimes my life line to dance music and exercise. Some weeks it’s the ONLY exercise I get and for a while the only place that I heard new music. No matter how much I suck at the routine or how crappy my day work, this class brings me joy. The instructor Angela is fantastic. We have fun while she kicks our butts and makes sure we get a work out. While I haven’t made the deep connections like I did all those years ago in the Boston dance class, there is a core group of women that show up every week who help to make it a comfortable place to let loose. (Daphane, Boni, Aya, that’s you!) “Hung Up” came out in 2005, so I’ve been taking this class for a while. It’s addictive.
Confessions on a Dance Floor is her best since Ray of Light. Almost every song is good. She’s doing exactly what she does best, getting people to dance. This time with a look back to ’70s disco. I included “Sorry” on the MJ and the SWIK Mix, so here I included some of my other favorites that didn’t make her new collection, “Like It or Not”, “Let It Will Be”, and “Future Lovers”.
Finally, we come to her latest album Hard Candy. Once again she’s tapped into the pulse of pop music. Once again, I discovered “4 Minutes,” a duet with Justin Timberlake, in dance class last year. I like this album, it has some great pop tunes and a few decent slower songs. “Miles Away” is on her new greatest hits. I included “Incredible” on the SWIK Summer dance mix. Here I added “She’s Not Me” and “The Beat Goes On” both deliver the pop dance grooves we expect.
So there you have it. September 2009. Twenty-five years of my life and Madonna’s music. There’s nothing more to say about Madonna that probably hasn’t already been said by someone else. You either like her or you don’t. I don’t really care. For me, as a teen in the 1980‘s with a love for pop music, she has become part of the soundtrack to my life. Do you need her new greatest hits? Probably not. If you already have most of her albums just grab the new single, also called “Celebration.” If you haven’t bought one of her albums in 10 or 15 years, then it’s probably worth picking up Celebration.
What struck me while writing this post wasn’t any new insight into Madonna’s music, but rather how lucky I’ve been. No matter where I’ve lived and what I’ve been through, amazing women have stepped up to be my friends. Each and every one a true SWIK. Some, who aren’t listed here, share a very different soundtrack with me. To those women, if you haven’t already, don’t be misled into thinking that you won’t show up in another post. If I’ve missed one of our shared Madonna moments, then please forgive me and add a comment. I’m old and forgetful now.
Much love,
~DJKyrawoman
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