Customer Reviews:
 A lot of fun! February 1, 2006
23 out of 26 found this review helpful
I'm not a huge Madonna fan, or even really a huge fan of dance music for that matter. However, I was hooked on this cd right away. It's lots of fun to dance around your house (or in public), and the songs are actually all unique unlike some dance cds where every track sounds the same. Her "Music" cd only had about 2 or 3 tracks that I really enjoyed. I enjoy every single song on this cd and don't skip over any of them. Highly recommended to people that enjoy fun music without needing a lot of depth to their lyrics all of the time!
 I remember when Kylie made this album. It's called Fever. November 16, 2005
21 out of 59 found this review helpful
Ok, I listened to this album on AOL, I have to say that this is pretty bad. I'm not someone who dislikes Madonna, in fact I own all her albums. This is a lazy attempt to cash in on the market -- since Kylie is ill, and Britney is on maternity leave. There is nothing original about this album just a blatant rip off from Kylie, artwork looks very similar to Impossible Princess. Future Lovers sounds like a lesser remake of Light Years. I hate the fact that Madonna is making it seem like this concept is so original 'All Dance', Kylie did it before with far more succesful results, do yourself a favor and pick up "Fever", at least that was enjoyable and not nearly as pretentious. I still love Madonna, just not liking this mediocre attempt.
Believe the hype, this may be Madonna's best CD. Impressive work! December 1, 2005
21 out of 22 found this review helpful
This has got to be one of this year's best releases. Critical acclaim aside, considered me shocked as I think that it's better than anything she's put out, EVER. The way underrated "Erotica" to me would be a close second.
This CD not only flows seamlessly from beginning to end, but there is not a dud to be found, which is generally not the case with ANY artist. I was very skeptical when I heard that this was here "back to dance music" CD as it sounded like a reincarnation that did not sound organic on the surface, especially considering the low sales figures for "American Life". Many have described this release solely in retro terms but while she certainly mines from the 1970s and 1980s dance crop, the songs embraces recent dance/trance/electronica sounds so the sound is equally "Into the Groove"/ "Ray of Light," but taken to a level that astounds me.
The CD starts out with the first single "Hung Up," which will rank as one of Madonna's catchiest singles. That telephone will ring in your ears long after the song is over. Next comes. "Get Together" starts out like early Madonna then weaves into a thumping hook and chorus that you won't be able to shake off. Why would you want to?
"Sorry" starts out with an otherworldly grandiose feel (think Enigma) and has lyrics that you actually remember as they dance with a chorus that just won't quit. I love the way she says sorry in several languages. It just works. The end has a Pet Shop Boys like feel that feels new not borrowed. Next comes my favorite song on the CD: "Future Lovers." She tells a little story about love that is propelled by the amazing Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder "I Feel Love" riff. I love the way she coos right before the chorus. This is without a doubt yet another single waiting to happen.
"I Love New York" has silly lyrics but the "Can You Feel It" riff and chorus are hard to ignore and, while not as good as other songs on the CD, it does not detract from it. "Let It Will Be" starts out with visit to "Papa Don't Preach" with hypnotic strings and continues its non-stop energy attack that is this release's greatest accomplishment. The song segways perfectly into "Forbidden Love" which has beautiful lyrics and a New Order feel, which is a little slower than most of the songs on this dance-a-thon. "Jump" starts out with a confessional "Erotica" feel and a chorus, which while retro, is as strong and original as anything released this year. I love its move on and don't look behind message. Very empowering and could give Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" some company in the non-sappy, I'll be ok without you anthems.
"How High" has Madonna looking back at her life and while it does not shed much new post-"Ray Of Light" insight, it finds her making peace with the many incarnations that she's gone through in finding what works for her. No regrets which is evident in "Isaac", which centers on a contagious Jewish chant that is very melodic. Some in the Jewish community have taken offense with the song, but all I know is that it is such a beautiful song (Madonna's voice is a stand-out here) and from my limited knowledge does not seem to be offensive. I may be wrong, but I won't opine on matters that I don't understand. At worst the chants may remind some of the Eastern sounds that Sting embraced in his last CD. In a nutshell, why not use Jewish chants to create a hybrid sound that is.
"Push Me" starts out like a sequel to "Like a Prayer" and seems like a major thank you to someone very special to her. It has a subtle Latin feel to it, which segways into the CD's last song, "Like it or not," which is a strong statement to all those who have an opinion of her. It's a great closer to a set of songs that will leave you tired and wanting more and more. This CD has not left my CD player for a week, and that happens, ... actually never.
Over the years I have taken Madonna's sometime provocative opinions with a strong grain of salt, and that has allowed me to focus on the music and not on her as a personality. She's one of those bigger than life celebrities, not unlike Barbra Streisand, who gets reviewed for what people think of her, rather than focusing on the music. Her die-hard fans will give "Confessions..." 5 stars without even listening to the CD, while those who hate Madonna will continue to hate her and give this 1 star (0 if it were possible).
I am neither a die-hard fan (as my review for "American Life" will prove), nor a Madonna-basher, and can safely say that giving this release 5 stars is the result of the quality of the music. This baby flows from beginning to end, and will without a doubt be in my top 10 releases of 2005.
Viva La Madonna March 16, 2006
21 out of 22 found this review helpful
Madonna has always had diehard fans and equally stubborn critics. There will always be "music lovers" who claim to hate Madonna because of her vocal inability, her gimmicks, or her overt sexuality. Perhaps Madonna dug her own grave a little by never balancing the focus of her artistic intentions. Should we love/hate Madonna because of her, or for the music? Should we take any artist that writes such awful lyrics seriously?? If you've read about her, you would know that this conundrum is always in the back of her mind. Her genius is more than the music (which infuriates the purists). If you love her, you love the total package, and if you hate her, you have no reason to enjoy the music.
This album is the answer. I assert that it is Madonna at her absolute best. It is the Madonna album for anyone that likes dance, pop, techno, or trance. It is the album that will win back her old fans and begin a new generation of fans. Ray of Light, Music, and American Life were merely warm-ups for the future and in this album the various styles of each come together in a perfect synergy. `Confessions' doesn't feature any cosmic propaganda, country western riffs, or angry political jargon. It is pop at the core; free, danceable, and fun. Madonna seems to be enjoying the ride and taking herself a little less seriously - which is soo refreshing.
To enjoy this album, insert the disc into the CD player in your car, turn up the volume, forget about Madonna and her past, and stop thinking about it all so much. And a sidebar, the lyrics on this album aren't all that bad - definitely not her worst. The funniest thing ever is reading the reviews in which people slam Madonna's lyrical skills and then say they hate the songs that have the most cohesive and poetic lyrics (Isaac, Jump). Some people can't be pleased.
Five Stars for a Well-Deserving Album February 2, 2006
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
I wasn't exactly a Madonna fan. Just a music enthusiast. I bought this album because of the media hype created when she came to Japan last month or so. I must confess that I love it so much. One song just flows seamlessly into another, and at the end of the CD, you find yourself pressing a repeat button. Plus, the song "I Love New York" makes me wanna visit the city so badly.
|
