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Madonna has been around quite a long time now, as hard as that is for me to believe. The reason she is still turning out hits while many other artists from the early 80s are gone and forgotten comes down to her unmatched ability to completely recreate herself. Not only does she adapt to changes in the musical scene, she leads the charge for change herself. Over her career, this has allowed her to excel across a wide spectrum of song types. I'm no dance music expert, but Madonna lays down the most infectious dance beats I know of in songs such as Deeper and Deeper (featuring a brilliant bridge into a part of her earlier song Vogue) and the totally funked up Music. Beautiful Stranger is another great dance song (but I'll never be able to hear this song without conjuring up images from the music video featuring Austin Powers). Of course, Madonna has her naughty side, as revealed in the edited versions of Erotica and - depending on your state of mind - Bedtime Stories. Madonna never looks back or has regrets, a trait I greatly admire, and she makes this fact pretty clear in the sexually mischievous song Human Nature. What It Feels Like For a Girl makes the point even more convincingly as it points out the ways in which men and women are judged by different standards.

Madonna is also the voice behind some of the best love songs of the 1990s. Classics such as The Power of Goodbye, Frozen, and Take a Bow are just beautiful, featuring some of the most moving choruses I've ever heard in pop music. The lyrics, for those who stop to listen to them, are really quite poignant and touching - you won't find any bubble gum pop on GHV2. Then there are the great songs I find hard to classify: Ray of Light is almost cosmic in its appeal and manic in its musical expression. Drowned World/Substitute For Love carries a life-affirming beat in support of its unusually touching message. Then there is Don't Tell Me, a song I like more and more each time I hear it. I remember hearing it for the first time on the radio, as the deejay assured the audience that the "skips" we were about to hear in the early moments of the track were actually supposed to be there. In the 1990s, Madonna was still taking chances, still taking music in new directions, and still turning out some of the best music in the business. GHV2 is a great joy for Madonna fans and ample proof to all the disbelievers out there who deny this remarkable woman's musical talent.


MADONNA'S GHV2 is another great collection from Queen of POP   November 13, 2001
 36 out of 51 found this review helpful

MADONNA's GHV2 (Greatest Hits Volume 2) takes off where THE IMMACUALTE COLLECTION with her previous hits from 1982-1990 left off. GHV2 has her hits from 1992-2001 Although this album does not have the hits in the order they came out it still works. This album includes 15 of MADONNA's biggest hits in this order ~ DEEPER AND DEEPER, EROTICA, HUMAN NATURE, SECRET, DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA, BEDTIME STORY, THE POWER OF GOODBYE, BEAUTIFUL STRANGER, FROZEN, TAKE A BOW, RAY O LIGHT, DON'T TELL ME, WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL, DROWNED WORLD/SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE, MUSIC. This album is a great collection and despite a few songs like Human Nature, and Don't Cry For Me Argentina this collection works really good. Sadly this album does not have any new songs on it and these songs are all the originals just edited versions of most of them. I have to say MADONNA did not become the most successful female recording artist in history by doing the same kind of music. MADONNA takes risks and here you will see how she has truly evolved and how her music is always changing and one step ahead of the rest. From the 1992 Erotica naughty girl Dita Parlo, to the 2001 angry Girl in What It Feels Like For A Girl, MADONNA continues her control as the QUEEN OF POP and the most amazing women in POP music today. Let MADONNA's GHV2 Open Your Heart and let you be touched again for the very first time. Remember your Frozen until you get this album and then you will see a Ray O Light in this Drowned World. Now that I have shared my review and my Secret with all you Beautiful Strangers please dig Deeper and Deeper in to your pockets BUY this MADONNA GHV2 CD, Take A Bow and last but not least enjoy MADONNA's Music.


Hits abound, but 'GHV2' lacks essentials   November 15, 2001
 26 out of 35 found this review helpful

There isn't a music collection in the world that isn't without a Madonna CD. Why? She's quintessential pop and, as so often stated before, is able to recreate her image and her music, thus always sounding fresh, exciting and up-to-date.

So here's "Greatest Hits, Volume 2," and it's about time! But judging from the track selection, we could've waited a bit longer.

1990's "The Immaculate Collection" is by far one of the premiere greatest hits albums of all time. And "GHV2" won't displease die-hard Madonna fans. However, on "Immaculate," there was something for everybody. The early pop efforts like "Borderline" and "Like A Virgin" were rounded off nicely by mature works like "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me."

The latter two songs were newly recorded for the compilation, but don't look for any new songs on "GHV2." Perhaps a new song, or even a live track from the Queen of Pop's recent "Drowned World Tour" would have spiced up an otherwise dull collection.

"The Immaculate Collection" featured 15 back-to-back hits, with no fillers, and the two new songs went on to become big as well. On "GHV2," you get the hits all right. Essential works like "Deeper and Deeper," "Erotica," "Frozen," and "Music" are included.

But really, "Bedtime Story"? "Drowned World/Substitute for Love"? Don't get me wrong. They're terrific songs. But this is supposed to be a hits collection. What happened to "This Used To Be My Playground" or "You'll See"? They were both bigger hits than "Bedtime Story" and "Drowned World."

Granted, you can't fit all of Madonna's hits on one CD, (let alone five) and she did leave some hits off of "The Immaculate Collection." But this collection, which isn't chronological, seems padded by non-essential works that could have been replaced with far superior choices.


A great follow up to "Immaculate Collection"   November 13, 2001
 20 out of 23 found this review helpful

Ciao! fellow amazon reviewers and shoppers.

Madonna has done it again with this thrilling and different collection of hits. I am very happy to learn that Beautiful stranger made it to the track list!

Out of all the songs, I personally think that Madonna's MUSIC, THE POWER OF GOODBYE, BEAUTIFUL STRANGER AND BEDTIME STORY ARE my favorites.

If you don't know the track list, it is as goes:
1) Deeper and deeper 7" edit 2) Erotica radio edit 3) Human nature clean radio version 4) Secret 5) Don't cry for me Argentina original non dance version 6) Bedtime Story 7 The power of goodbye 8) Beautiful stranger 9) Frozen 10) Take a bow 11) Ray of light 12) Don't tell me 13) What it feels like for a girl non dance mix version 14) Drowned world/Substitute for 15) Music

The photos inside the booklet are amazing and they show her in all imaginable poses and styles. Actually, the whole concept of the artwork is Madonna's different looks from the start up to the present. Even the graphics on the cd itself are cool and offer a bold and new look to the incredible Queen of Pop's journey of success.
There is a song for everyone. If you like serene and serious stuff, "Don't cry..." is for you. If you like moving, unearthing trancelike music, Bedtime story is for you. I liked the idea of Madonna continuing right from where she left off with the "Immaculate Collection.

Unfortunately there are no remixes on this compilation. It would have been fun to find the remixes from her new singles here. Oh weeeeellllll. It's okay because whatever the Queen of Pop does suits me fine.
Upon reading the writeup inside the booklet, I first thought it cool that Madonna wrote something for her fans, but instead, it was written by Dan Cadan. The writeup was interesting because I learned a little more about Madonna than I knew already.
I think you will appreciate her a whole lot more after reading it.

The cd cover is an unusual for Madonna. Usually we see her whole face or her whole body. Here, she is close up and dramatically made up, and I find her expression both seductive and shy.
This woman knows what music is and knows how to make it. 5 big huge gold stars for this collection.

Sing on Madonna, and hope you will come up with another collection some time in the future.

Enjoy the cd and hope my review helped you.


GHV2 DOESN'T DELIVER ANY NEW SONGS AND NO REMIXES   November 13, 2001
 13 out of 19 found this review helpful

I love Madonna, her music career holds no boundaries. But GHV2 is a bust.

There are no new songs on this CD, and furthermore she left out some of her singles, like "Nothing Really Matters", "Bad Girl", and "Fever" or even "Rain".

However she puts in the mundane "Human Nature" and "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" from "Ray of Light" which wasn't even a single here in the US.

Also on here is the tired "Take A Bow" which is also on her "Something To Remember" compilation of ballads.

This is a poor greatest hits compilation. She should of put songs from her "Music" CD like "Runaway Lover", her recent No.1 dance single "Impressive Instant", but they remain to be seen.

I feel Madonna is just cashing in now which makes me feel a little used after being a devoted fan for the past 18 years.

GHV2 is everything I already have. Madonna should of put some dance remixes (like Deeper & Deeper or Music)on this compilation as well as a couple of new hits....remember "Immaculate Collection" which contained "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me"?....

A total disappointment, and there is no reason to buy this like most Madonna fans they have ALL these songs.