stefo

Yeah, you know, I'm sure that for different reasons everyone of us has different feelings and preferences, maybe especially about the live experiences. For me the Girlie Show is the best because I think she was able to brilliantly combine a kind of warmth, authenticity (something I would say about WTG and maybe part of RH) to such a sophisticated project, fully inspired by theatre and circus (MX was a missed opportunity about that). I think of the intro for example or tracks like Why's it so Hard, I'm going banans/La Isla Bonita, Rain, Like a Virgin, Justify My Love. She also made very brave and effective choices (10, 11 minutes long tracks, like Holiday or Everybody, the Indian coreo and arrangement of a house song like Vogue, the Unrat waltz version of Like a Virgin or The Rain Dance are excellent examples). The sceneries and the theatrics were all essential, elegant and dark and the D&G costumes were certainly less iconic than Gaultier's, but so beautiful for me (I mean, the whole 70s patchwork wardrobe, the Victorian dresses and the maritime tshirt with the frak trousers). Musically she litterally reinvented the sound of the album, an amazing work (especially with Erotica, Fever, Rain and Why's it so hard), she went back to a more live, rough sound (BA was closer to the kind of sound she choose from the DWT on imo), she cited and perfectly integrated a loooot of material I love (from Marvin Gaye, to the Temptations, from Sly and the Family Stone to Marlene) and gave a lot of well deserved space to NIcky and Donna vocally. I adore BA, but I think it's colder and the incredible level of the first number, the whole second act and the finale is not always mantained during the show, (there are some weak numbers for me, like Now I'm following you, Material girl, Cherish, Causing a commotion, even Into the groove is not that much). The only track I find boring from the Girlie Show is In this life, and yet it's got a strong message. As I told in the beginning, I think it's just a matter of preferences. Said that, BA is absolutely amazing and surely her most iconic tour

Her best era, a huge mediatic phenomenon (I don't remember anything else like this), such a brave and significant statement, one of her most inspired and experimental records (house, soul, hip hop, raggae, disco and jazz all so cohesively blended: my absolute favourite), with ROL her most interesting visuals and looks and, MOST OF ALL, HER BEST TOUR EVER.

Oh c'me on, Spotlight, Can't stop? I mean, really? It sounds impossible ... even for her! Well, of course the idea of her performing live Where life begins, This used to be my playground, Oh father and Back in Business would be awesome ... I would suggest to add I want you, Rain and the Has to be piano demo (such a gem) at this point I don't know if it is more funny the idea that each time something is in the works we spend days discussing impropable rumours or the idea that she is really intentioned to destroy her credibility till the last remains. It's good to be BACK IN THE BUSINESS anyway guys, something is gonna happen for sure and I missed this mess soooo much now!

Yeah I see, well such a pity not having been part of that thanks for your answer anyway

Yeah, I'm sure it was. I just happened to not notice the thread but, you know, fuck if it was iconic!!

Unfortunately I missed the thread where you asked to vote for the most iconic moments and I regret it. Yet I think there is just one HUGE miss: the incredible "Living for Love" performance she gave at the Brits Awards after falling from the staircase. I mean, who else could ever do that? Who would ever even try to get back on stage at that point? One of her most iconic moments Great work: again, thank you!

Wich heart?

As always, congrats man (I watched the small clips you posted in the weeks ahead)! You are talented This is a proper way to celebrate! And now let's get back to the LIKE A PRAYER ERA!!!! (I'm waiting for the Erotica/Girlie Show one, wich is my favourite M moment and your vids are so fucking able to really get back the feeling of those days )

Ok. This is tragic. I know, don't worry, it's not you. It's the inflexible grip of bureaucracy regulations ... Just voted anyway.

NO PLEASE!!! We have to add the "Has to be" piano demo, it's a completely different song (and among my five favourite tracks of her whole career): PLEEEEASE!!!

Yes, if this is true, I thought the same, she could be recording a few new tracks to promote a career spanning worldwide tour

I do hope she will work with Jon Batiste (except the old usual Patrick Leonard dream). Does anybody know what happened to the ... visual biography, by the way?

I feel you man, I feel you

This is THE album I come back to the most, I love the most, that inspired me the most and that I still find the most ambitious, experimental, visually effective. The whole era is the seal of her icon status. Pure love!

I do think she could still put on a great show if she experiments complex, glamourous and evocative theatrics to create strong performances, spectacular and charismatic as they used to be, with a lower dance effort. Iconic and Heartbreak City from the RHT and Frozen or Extreme Occident from MX are good examples. Another huge possibility, left out for a very long time now, is to enhance the musical impact of her songs, realizing more creative and explorative arrangements that valorize the live instrumentation and vocal sound (the best example for that is the Girlie Show imo). The Dark Ballet rendition at Harlem, with Jon Batiste, was fire for me. She has a lot of tracks that can still be performed live with a huge potential, like Frozen, Like a Prayer, Rain, La isla bonita, Rebel Heart, Borderline, Live to Tell and I could go on. The point is chosing a set list where the "get into the groove" M gets the stage for two or three tracks (stuff like Holiday, Music, Hung up) - wich would also be good in terms of silly costumes risk - and releasing some good new tunes that propose a more mature and experimental sound. So imo she could still put on an excellent show, absolutely, but she doesn't seem to be going that way, that's all.

A vid of M presenting Amy Shumer (my god, how is it arrived to make me so sad just looking at her?!? ) https://www.facebook.com/madonnarevolutionoflove/videos/620133336369641

... well, at least many M's musical choises of the last 15 years seem legible now

I agree, and yet I like that it's mostly about the music, all eras are included and this is something I really hope M will be able to do, at least all the 80s and 90s stuff, also beacause, if WH had a strong musical and performative talent, she never got ambitious, innovative and provocative as M did. So of course M's backgrounds can be quite interesting to experience. Maybe that's one of the reasons why she's having troubles, she already said she doesn't know what to cut off and wants to include too much stuff.

Anyway I'm impressed about the complete lack of promotion reserved to "Material Gworl". I don't know, it feels like she neither believed in that in a way (or maybe, considering the contemporary market, this is an an old way to consider promotion or the actual value of a release). Let's see what happens with this one.

When I see pics like this, from her golden days, I do remember how amused I was each time I saw that cheeky expression

Ahahah ... me too

... wich was pretty good actually, thanks for sharing

Voted, quite interested to see wich tracks fans would have wanted in the final album Even if I would have considered as unreleased also Best Night, wich first demo had a complete different melody, and Wash all over me, wich Avicii's version was just at another level musically.

Wow for the first time I basically agree with the rating guys!! Only two exceptions. I would have changed the positions of God Control, wich I find an umberable mess (especially after having known that the intro and the lyrics are by another artist), with Batuka, wich is a kind of jewel for me, inspired, original, respectful (even if she seems to have lost her touch with words unfortunately). And of course Medellin should have been muuuuch lower than where it is but it was expected so ... yeah I think we made a good job this time, Madame X should have had more inspired and inspiring lyrics imo, but it's cohesive, interesting, ambitious, commited and full of good tracks!