To sum up, buy "I'm Breathless" if you want to hear Madonna's finest vocal moment(Yes, even more impressive than her "Evita" vocals in my opinion), and some very, very classy songs.


BUY THIS AMAZING CD   July 16, 2000
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

"I'm Breathless" is the most experimental album Madonna has ever made. Then again, Madonna is all about reinventing herself and taking risks (unlike some of her contemporary female rivals who churn out the same formula over and over). This album is also her most underrated. Which is a shame because this album is absolutely amazing. The 40's themed songs and the Cuban-Flavored "I'm Going Bananas" are great, catchy, and theatrical. The songs also adds to and reveals information as to who Breathless Mahoney is (Madonna's character in DICK TRACY). Hence, the reason why this album is called "I'm Breathless". The album gives us a musical biography of this exciting character's life. Madonna does very well with all the songs...and she successfully rises up to the challenge of singing THREE songs by one of the most BRILLIANT Broadway composers of the 20th Century, STEPHEN SONDHEIM. Again, let's see her contempories take up a challenge like that. And, to top herself, Madonna ends the album with "Vogue". Surprisingly, "Vogue" fits in nicely in this 40's sounding album. In conclusion, this album, along with "Ray of Light", "Erotica", and "Like a Prayer", is a must-have for Madonna fans and people who want to hear what "creative experimentation" and "pushing the boundaries of your artistry" sounds like.


Tons of fun from Madonna (and good music, too)   October 7, 2000
E. M. Carey (New York, NY USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I'm a huge fan of Madonna's - always have been, always will be. But that doesn't mean that I'm not critical of her music or that I like everything she does. But 'I'm Breathless' is one of her most whimsical, charming albums ever, and I think it shows what a lot of us know - but many don't - that Madonna is a talented singer/song writer who has a pretty wide range of capabilities.

As songs 'from' and 'inspired by' Dick Tracy, this album is full of music from another era, one that happily suits Madonna's voice and sense of humor. Some of the music is plain silly, some is sexy, but it's all good, and among the slower numbers are a bunch of real toe-tappers - not typical Madonna dance music (although Vogue is on the CD), mind you. Steven Sondheim wrote several of the songs, including the marvelous 'Sooner or Later,' and his music blends in well with Madonna's, making it really cohesive despite the normally very different styles of the songwriters.

All in all, this is a terribly fun CD, and one that's full of good, catchy songs. Who would have thought that the Material Girl, who epitomized the '80s and '90s, could transport you back to the '40s? This album is really for anyone - for people who love Madonna, for people who love this type of music or for people who just want a fun, different kind of album to that will entertain them. Buy it!


A unique, terrific addition to Madonna's body of work.   September 5, 2006
M J Heilbron Jr. (Long Beach, CA United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Lost among the hype and drama behind the "Dick Tracy" film, the tabloid fodder of the Warren Beatty affair, and Madonna's own self-generated hoopla, is this pretty terrific record.

"I'm Breathless" incorporates songs from the film as well as pastiches and novelties she created based on her "character" of Breathless Mahoney.

The thing you will notice first is a definite maturation of Madonna's singing ability. She had clearly been taking lessons, and she hits notes here with a stability and clarity she never managed before. In the album's opener, "He's A Man", it is clear she's trying to do something a bit different than what we have come to expect from Miss Ciccone.

With "Sooner or Later", she for the most part pulls off a great Broadway-like ballad (there are one or two wobbly notes). Having somebody like Stephen Sondheim helps out with some songs only hedges her bets at making a successful attempt in this arena.

Just so you remember who we're dealing with here, she follows up with "Hanky Panky", a bouncy, sassy, naughty barrel roll of a song...this would have NO place on any other Madonna record, buts fits just fine here.

The same goes for "I'm Going Bananas" and "Cry Baby." The former, a silly romp with exquisite Latin instruments and beats (although sung in an accent as if she's impersonating her housekeeper), the latter a Betty Boop retro piece with all the substance of whipped cream.

"Something To Remember" gives us a radio-friendly slow song, which actually sounds out of place on THIS record, but would probably be a highlight of any of her other subsequent ones.

"Back in Business" is an uptempo, show-bizzy, Broadway-ish lark.

"More" is a spectacular twist on Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm"...fans of Tin Pan Alley and Broadway shows will eat this one up.

"What Can You Lose" is a slow, minimalist duet with Mandy Patinkin. I'm a big Patinkin fan, so I'm biased, and she manages NOT to get blown out of the water here, so that's saying something.

"Now I'm Following You", parts 1 & 2...is a strange little creation. First of all, there's Warren Beatty "singing." It's kinda weird, but not totally awful. Then there's the tempo shift halfway through, which turns an old-fashioned ballad into a scratchy, hip-hop-ish dance song. Again, weird, but not totally awful. I actually like it, in the same way I like cherry Slurpees at 7-11. I probably shouldn't like 'em, but if I'm being honest, I really do.

And then there's "Vogue", a masterful dance track, a killer single. Paired with an iconic video and popularizing a club trend of the time, it arrived at a perfect time to be another monster hit...yet it's appearance here is strictly as an added track. It could have been on ANY Madonna record, but the majority of the rest of these songs could ONLY have been on "I'm Breathless".

This CD desperately needs remastering...but it still sounds as good as CDs from that era could possibly be, which is pretty darn fine.

A personal favorite of mine...but then again, there's the whole cherry Slurpee thing.