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La Isla Bonita Song Review by Stewart Mason "La Isla Bonita" is the most prescient song on True Blue, an early indicator of the Latin influence that would wash over dance pop a year or so after this album's release (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's singles, Pet Shop Boys' "Domino Dancing," too many other examples to count). Its combination of flamenco guitar, Latin percussion and electronics sounds a bit dated after the flood of similar songs that followed -- which, it must be said, includes Madonna's own "Who's That Girl," which sounds like a hastily cobbled-together rewrite -- but at the time, "La Isla Bonita" was something fresh and enjoyably new. It still sounds better than most of its followers due to Madonna's purring lead vocal, one of her sexiest and most understated performances.

http://www.allmusic.com/song/open-your-heart-mt0016759927 Open Your Heart Song Review by Stewart Mason Although it's mostly remembered for the eye-popping video -- starring a newly-shorn and platinum blonde Madonna in a remarkable black leather catsuit, performing in a quarter peep show -- "Open Your Heart" was also proof that Madonna had not lost her ability to create a powerful dance song. In fact, with its newfound rock and roll power (electric guitars join the synthesizers in the front line of instruments, a rarity in Madonna's music to that point), "Open Your Heart" was one of Madonna's most exciting grooves yet. The drawback is that the lyrics are on the flimsy side, and no match for the kinetic production and enticing groove. However, in context near the start of Madonna's most wide-ranging album yet, it serves its purpose as a reminder of her dance-rock roots.

http://audiophileparadise.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/review-of-madonna-true-blue/ Review of: Madonna – True Blue Single History: “True Blue†is the third single from Madonna’s third studio album, True Blue, which was released on September 29, 1986. The song is actually originally written by Steve Bray. It was well received by the critics, who dismissed the song as “A cute and light-hearted†retro song. This song topped almost everywhere! It peaked at the penultimate position (No. 1 position, duh!) in the U.K., Ireland and Canada. It also went on to peak at Number 3 on the Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart. It received a Platinum certification in Australia, Gold in U.S., and Silver in U.K. and France. For the complete list of peak positions (There are a LOT!), click here. The video is a 50′s inspired theme, and it’s really cute. I’ll provide the Youtube link below, too. Madonna dedicated this song to Sean Penn, her husband back then. What it tries to convey to us: It’s a uber easy song to understand. It’s about a girl who falls in love for the first time with (Whom she thinks is) the man of her dreams. Review: As always, Madonna has started this song off with high tempo drum beats and a keyboard and synthesizer rift added in between. With the occasional addition of “Hey!†(00:08) and “Listen†(00:14), the song becomes REALLY lively, and being a ‘Pop- Dance’ genre, it makes you want to dance (No, seriously!). The background vocalists also add an extra charm to the song. Actually, it’s the background vocalists who adhere to the song when Madonna goes off-track and sings out of the blue (Pun very much intended!). Anyways, she starts the vocals at 00:18. She has resorted to the voice of an innocent, 18 year old girl for this song, and BOY, has she delivered! The vocals are ever so cute, and the music just adds to the innocence of this song. That’s what make “True Blue†really click in our minds – the innocence. The first chorus starts at 00:49. The song is very fast paced, so you’ll hardly notice the verses go by. The second chorus will start at 01:38. but you’ll feel as if the first one didn’t even end. This time, the chorus is looped and played twice, with the addition of some strong background vocals in the second loop. Madonna then starts with her ‘vocal bridge’ (As I call it) at 02:12, and “True Love, Oh Baby†is looped from 02:26 to 02:42. The third stanza commences at 02:43 and ends, only for the chorus to begin again at 03:15. This time, the chorus is made cheesier with the addition of some strong background vocals. The “La la la la†makes the song REALLY innocent (I mean, just picture it. An 18 year old girl [Not this generation's 18 year old, though], strolling down the street, singing about her first love and saying “La la la laâ€. You can’t help but smile at the thought). The song progresses in the same tempo, and gradually fades out at 04:05 (Ends at 04:17). After the song ends, I always smile to myself, imagining that young girl strolling down the street. Listen to the song; I’m sure it’ll have the same effect on you too! Rating: A flat-out 10/10! Innocence filled to the brim! Awesome tempo, and REALLY awesome vocals, courtesy The Queen of Pop, Madonna. Really, they don’t make songs like these anymore!! Go eat your heart out on this one guys! Enjoy!

http://www.entertainmentscene360.com/index.php/song-reviews-papa-dont-preach-by-madonna-3465/ Song Reviews Papa don’t Preach by Madonna By: Ben Kenber “Papa Don’t Preach†remains one of Madonna’s best and most emotionally powerful songs. Many see it as having strong political overtones, and they may be right in saying it has either a pro-life or pro-choice message. Others have claimed that it was Madonna’s attempt at making teen pregnancy look cool, but that’s like saying the movie “Juno†did the same thing which is ridiculous. In the end, “Papa Don’t Preach†gets its power from its simple story of a young woman desperate to have her father’s support in the difficult and life-changing decision she has made for herself. Madonna sings from the perspective of a teenage girl who admits to her dad that she has become pregnant and that she plans to keep the baby. It’s essentially a monologue to a father she deeply loves, and she’s terribly frightened of what her decision will mean to him. The song alludes to how her friends have encouraged her to make a different decision (though it’s never explicitly stated what) and that she and her boyfriend do truly lovely one another, and Madonna makes us see that this character is an intelligent person that has carefully weighed the decisions handed down on her. This was the first track off of Madonna’s third studio album “True Blue†which marked one of her many image makeovers. After the bouncy pop aesthetic of her previous records, this one had Madonna getting a little more serious. The string arrangements on “Papa Don’t Preach†help add a strong dramatic element to the fraught emotions she sings of, and while it is essentially a dance-pop song, it showed to the world that she was growing up and that everyone needed to recognize that. Now Madonna herself never dealt with an unplanned pregnancy when she was a teenager, but listening to the lyrics makes one see why she related to the song emotionally. The character she sings as no longer wants to be seen as a baby or a little girl anymore, and Madonna was out to prove the same thing here. Critics were quick to dismiss her up to this point and questioned her talents as an artist, and “Papa Don’t Preach†was her attempt to show them all she was not some one-hit wonder they could keep ignoring. To say that Madonna proved her naysayers wrong with “Papa Don’t Preach†is an understatement, and that’s regardless of the face that they still criticize her work every chance they get. Here she sings with a passion and intelligence here that has shown up in her best work, and she gives us a strong character who never comes across as dumb or thoughtless in her actions. What also makes this song especially powerful is the uncertainty and ambiguity which surrounds it. She may have already made up her mind, but who’s to say what will happen from here? Will her father stand by her decision to have this child? Will she be forced to give the child up? How will she face the challenges ahead of her? It’s the lack of answers which makes the song all the more emotionally involving to listen to, and it stays with you for a long time afterwards. “Papa Don’t Preach†is also proof that if you give Madonna the right material, she can indeed act. This is made even clearer with the song’s music video which was directed James Foley, and she shares some powerful moments with Danny Aiello who plays her father. Madonna has been known for making many bold political statements over the years, but she’s not doing that with “Papa Don’t Preach.†It’s a song that has been and will continue to be misinterpreted by many, but those who take the time to listen to the lyrics will see it for what it really is: a daughter’s love song to her father. Madonna is simply singing a song and not encouraging anyone to do anything rash, and “Papa Don’t Preach†is written and performed in such a way that doesn’t invite easy interpretation. That’s why it remains one of her best songs ever.

http://www.allmusic.com/song/live-to-tell-mt0016764273 Live to Tell Song Review by Stewart Mason Throughout her career, Madonna has occasionally reasserted herself as an artist by releasing a dramatic ballad that proves that behind all of the contrived controversy and manipulation, she's a genuinely talented singer. "Live To Tell" was the first of these reminders; written and recorded as the theme for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range (and cannily tied to a complete image overhaul featuring a sleek new Jean Seberg blonde gamine cut and more streamlined wardrobe), "Live To Tell" is a slow, atmospheric ballad unlike anything Madonna had recorded up to that point. Showing off her newly developed lower range, which would quickly become her strongest vocal asset, Madonna delivers one of her all-time strongest vocal performances, singing the slightly melodramatic lyrics with just the right blend of restraint and emotion. Patrick Leonard's wide-open, spacious production -- which even dispenses with drums at a couple of points, daring for such a dance-oriented artist -- perfectly suits his simple but effective tune, where the verses are merely connecting points between reiterations of the utterly beguiling melody of the chorus. "Live To Tell" belongs at the top of any reasonable list of big '80s ballads.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blue-mw0000190762 Review by Stephen Thomas ErlewineTrue Blue is the album where Madonna truly became Madonna the Superstar -- the endlessly ambitious, fearlessly provocative entertainer that knew how to outrage, spark debates, get good reviews -- and make good music while she's at it. To complain that True Blue is calculated is to not get Madonna -- that's a large part of what she does, and she is exceptional at it, but she also makes fine music. What's brilliant about True Blue is that she does both here, using the music to hook in critics just as she's baiting a mass audience with such masterstrokes as "Papa Don't Preach," where she defiantly states she's keeping her baby. It's easy to position anti-abortionism as feminism, but what's tricky is to transcend your status as a dance-pop diva by consciously recalling classic girl-group pop ("True Blue," "Jimmy Jimmy") to snag the critics, while deepening the dance grooves ("Open Your Heart," "Where's the Party"), touching on Latin rhythms ("La Isla Bonita"), making a plea for world peace ("Love Makes the World Go Round"), and delivering a tremendous ballad that rewrites the rules of adult contemporary crossover ("Live to Tell"). It's even harder to have the entire album play as an organic, cohesive work. Certainly, there's some calculation behind the entire thing, but what matters is the end result, one of the great dance-pop albums, a record that demonstrates Madonna's true skills as a songwriter, record-maker, provocateur, and entertainer through its wide reach, accomplishment, and sheer sense of fun.

Lol. My bad! I meant White Heat. No idea why mind kept going to LAP.

madonna 30 minutes ago Olga bathes in the moonlight! #hypebeast http://instagram.com/p/pQF5HImEf7/

madonna 5 hours ago Go Italy Go! na na na na na #just sayin http://instagram.com/p/pPpWJpGEeu/

WW Album Sales: 1..The Immaculate Collection......1990....28.200.000 2..True Blue......................1986....23.000.000 3..Like A Virgin..................1984....21.400.000 4..Ray Of Light...................1998....15.900.000 5..Like A Prayer..................1989....14.250.000 6..Music..........................2000....10.700.000 7..Something To Remember..........1995....10.000.000 8..Madonna/The First Album........1983.....9.350.000 9..Confessions On A Dance Floor...2005.....9.000.000 10.Bedtime Stories................1994.....7.450.000 11.I’mBreathless.................1990.....7.050.000 12.Erotica........................1992.....6.800.000 13.Evita..........................1996.....6.500.000 14.You Can Dance..................1987.....5.800.000 15.GHV2...........................2001.....5.700.000 16.Who’s That Girl................1987.....5.200.000 17.Hard Candy.....................2008.....3.800.000 18.American Life..................2003.....3.400.000 19.Celebration....................2009.....3.000.000 20.MDNA...........................2012.....1.900.000 21.Rebel Heart....................2015.......900.000 22.Remixed & Revisited............2003.......500.000 + 500.000 (other minor releases)>> TOTAL: ~200.000.000 VHS/DVDs & LIVE ALBUMS: 1..The Immaculate Collection......1990.....1.425.000 2..The Confessions Tour...........2007.....1.350.000 3..Ciao Italia – Live From Italy..1988.......750.000 4..I’m Going To Tell You A Secret.2006.......750.000 5..The Video Collection 93-99.....1999.......700.000 6..The Girlie Show Tour...........1994.......675.000 7..Drowned World Tour 2001........2001.......675.000 8..Truth Or Dare..................1991.......600.000 9..The Virgin Tour - Live.........1985.......550.000 10.Sticky & Sweet Tour............2010.......550.000 11.Madonna........................1984.......450.000 12.Celebration – The Video........2009.......450.000 13.Blond Ambition World Tour......1990.......400.000 14.MDNA World Tour................2013.......350.000 >> TOTAL: ~10.000.000 Source: https://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=110180

I luv luv this epic Madonna era. Didn't even know the album release date. Just happened to check out the local music store which was playing Love Song. Saw the nicely stacked True Blue cassettes and immediately bought one.

Same here. But I must have watched the Live in Japan and Ciao Italia LDs more than a 100 times by the time she started her Blond Ambition Tour.

Check out this EPIC June 7th, 1987 Madonna Who's That Girl World TourNew York Times Centerfold Pullout Ad

Madonna outtakes in Japan for the 'Who's That Girl' tour in 1987 photographed by Herb Ritts. Original in RS magazine

On this day in 1987, Madonna played the first date of her Who's That Girl World Tour at the Osaka Stadium. Start date June 14, 1987 End date September 6, 1987 Setlist [*]" Open Your Heart" [*]"Lucky Star" [*]"True Blue" [*]"Papa Don't Preach" [*]"White Heat" [*]"Causing a Commotion" [*]"The Look of Love" [*]Medley: [*]" Dress You Up" [*]"Material Girl" [*]"Like a Virgin" (contains excerpts from "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)") [*]"Where's the Party" [*]"Live to Tell" [*]"Into the Groove" [*]"La Isla Bonita" [*]"Who's That Girl" [*]"Holiday"

Today: Falling Free Rain Devil Wouldn't Recognize You

spinninrecords 3 days ago We-R-Superstars! More info next week! http://instagram.com/p/pG5E4IKg4i/

BB Radio 1 played "We-R-Superstars" again yesterday. Isn't it strange that they still label the song as "ID" (which means unknown artist in the music language). If it is Sander Kleinenberg's track, why the hell would they still label it as ID?

Lourdes Leon -- Super Gorgeous and Almost Legal, Too http://www.fishwrapper.com/post/2014/06/13/lourdes-leon-high-school-graduate-college-photos-pictures-evolution-madonna-mother/

Madonna's daughter Lourdes is all grown up http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/13/madonna-daughter-lourdes_n_5492886.html?&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067

One of my many favorites

I actually love the set list. Just wasn't too crazy about the choreography. At the time I felt she was on the guitar a little too much. But vocally, she was spot on. Maybe because I play guitar now, I find myself enjoying this show much more than when I saw it live then.