"I'm Breathless"

[JustinTimes 761]

I've been listening to this album a lot lately, I wouldn't listen to I'm Going Bananas on its own, but listening to it when playing the album feels right. As much as I love Vogue, it shouldn't be on this album but I know why it is, so it makes sense.

[MaDöner Kebab 6,885]

"Concept album" is the perfect category for this. It’s definitely not a soundtrack album. It’s also not a Madonna album per se. It’s an album by "Breathless Mahoney", hence the title. If we view it as that it’s absolutely fantastic.

I do agree that some of the songs could have been even better than they already are through the use of live instruments. Still, He's a Man & Back in Businness stand out as two of my favorites from the album. There is some utter crap on the album like Now I'm Following You & Cry Baby and a dreadful ballad like What Can You Lose but other than that it’s quite great.

Is it as good as Madonna's actual studio albums? No. But it shouldn’t be compared to them since this album wasn’t made as a "Madonna" album.

[PlayPause 2,693]

I love it

[chaosmen1984mk 806]

I really really love I'm Breathless. In fact, it is the first Madonna cd that I bought back in 1999, a time when the Internet was still something new and incipient in my country and therefore I had almost no information about Madonna's songs or discography. I remember that the record store saleswoman showed me the 3 Madonna records she had available at the time: Like a Virgin, Bedtime Stories and I'm Breathless and I decided to choose the last one because I thought its cover was the most striking. And what a good choice I made because the album conquered me from the first to the last song until today, since it is part of my top 5 of the best Madonna albums.

Maybe that sound so new to me that I had never heard until then (Swing, Jazz), the songs performed in such a unique way and with a style that we don't usually hear on the radio (Crybaby, Now I'm following you) , the different shades of her voice that move between the most powerful (Back in Businesses, Sooner or Later, Hanky Panky), the softest (Something to Remember, What can you lose), the sexiest (Vogue) and even the most childish (Crybaby, (I'm going Bananas) make the word "singular" the adjective that best characterizes this beautiful album that would later inspire other music legends to release similar albums (Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, etc.)

The only bad thing about this album? That "I'm going Bananas" and "What can you lose" lasted so little.

[Markdonna 692]

Madonna’s first real curve ball of a record.

And I still love it to this day.

The Sondheim tracks are all killer and some of the other songs are so damn period I initially thought they were all covers.

And the lyrics are pointedly hilarious.  Even on Bananas.  “There’s bats in my belfry. Better make sure the straight jacket’s tight. Otherwise I might get myself free…”

Truly epic. This record remains a fascinating time capsule of Madonna.

People who didn’t get this album also failed to appreciate Madame X.

[androiduser 2,482]

my ex bf was proud that his Madonna-hating friend loved I'm Breathless.... I was like "Well, if he was wrong then, maybe he's wrong now too?"

[androiduser 2,482]

51 minutes ago, chaosmen1984mk said:

this beautiful album that would later inspire other music legends to release similar albums (Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, etc.)

 

but do we have any proof or even reason to believe that if it weren't for I'm Breathless, no other pop singer would be inspired by 30's jazz music?

[Honey Little 4,014]

1 hour ago, Markdonna said:

Madonna’s first real curve ball of a record.

And I still love it to this day.

The Sondheim tracks are all killer and some of the other songs are so damn period I initially thought they were all covers.

And the lyrics are pointedly hilarious.  Even on Bananas.  “There’s bats in my belfry. Better make sure the straight jacket’s tight. Otherwise I might get myself free…”

Truly epic. This record remains a fascinating time capsule of Madonna.

People who didn’t get this album also failed to appreciate Madame X.

Correct ✅ 

[Crozzauk 40]

I love it. He's a Man has always been a favourite of mine - such a vampish song, with one of her very best vocal performances.  I would love to hear a solo version of What Can You Lose. I think a LQ demo is circulating. Mandy Patinkin's vocals are a little too histrionic for my liking.

Im a bit confused though. I thought they did work with a longlist of musicians on this album? At the very least the Sondheim tracks.

Wikipedia has this: "  The singer and Leonard enlisted a ten-piece live band and jazz musicians.[23] The sessions took place at Johnny Yuma Recording and Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, California, and concluded by three weeks.[6] The songs on the album reflect Madonna's showgirl personality where her singing ranged from "rootsy, rocking" in nature to slow, "laid-back and soulful" vocals. A studied approach was evident in most of them, which O'Brien compared to "an actress playing a part and performing a vocal exercise in technique". Some of the songs had Madonna pitching her vocals and belting the notes only when necessary. A dryness was prevalent in most of the singing, which was required for the songs and the setting. Guy Pratt, who also played bass, said that the singer "was in character and started smoking. She actually ponced a cigarette off me. Her character smoked, so therefore she did."

[Blue Jean 15,316]

I absolutely love ‘I’m Going Bananas’

[Honey Little 4,014]

4 hours ago, Crozzauk said:

I love it. He's a Man has always been a favourite of mine - such a vampish song, with one of her very best vocal performances.  I would love to hear a solo version of What Can You Lose. I think a LQ demo is circulating. Mandy Patinkin's vocals are a little too histrionic for my liking.

Im a bit confused though. I thought they did work with a longlist of musicians on this album? At the very least the Sondheim tracks.

Wikipedia has this: "  The singer and Leonard enlisted a ten-piece live band and jazz musicians.[23] The sessions took place at Johnny Yuma Recording and Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, California, and concluded by three weeks.[6] The songs on the album reflect Madonna's showgirl personality where her singing ranged from "rootsy, rocking" in nature to slow, "laid-back and soulful" vocals. A studied approach was evident in most of them, which O'Brien compared to "an actress playing a part and performing a vocal exercise in technique". Some of the songs had Madonna pitching her vocals and belting the notes only when necessary. A dryness was prevalent in most of the singing, which was required for the songs and the setting. Guy Pratt, who also played bass, said that the singer "was in character and started smoking. She actually ponced a cigarette off me. Her character smoked, so therefore she did."

Maybe the live band tracks are in the vault and they chose to use the drum machine and synth production to give it a more modern feel to go along with Vogue.

[Rocco Comelon 5,260]

I love everything about this album. Maybe some of you here disliked Crybaby and I'm Going Bananas but for me they are just funny tracks or somewhat novelty. 

[into the erotico 978]

There was a time in '07 that a listened to this album throught and throught. A enjoy this persona of the 30's- 40's as well as the last song/tribute to the icons of the old Hollywood tha closes/encapsulates the album.

[maddy1111 1,618]

I have just bought I'm Breathless vinyl in some local Italian store, in absolute mint condition, still sealed (just a little dusty)! :-o 

... for like 10 euros 

This is what I call a deal! 

[Donna 16,595]

2 hours ago, maddy1111 said:

I have just bought I'm Breathless vinyl in some local Italian store, in absolute mint condition, still sealed (just a little dusty)! :-o 

... for like 10 euros 

This is what I call a deal! 

Is it the Yellow Vinyl? If so, that would be a steal. 

[maddy1111 1,618]

10 minutes ago, McDonna said:

Is it the Yellow Vinyl? If so, that would be a steal. 

No, it is "just" a black vinyl, but still.. Such low price surprised me for an unused, unopened, old vinyl

[Crozzauk 40]

I just gave it another listen today off the back of this thread, and there is definitely a live band, or at least live instruments on there. He's A Man has live drums, horns and keys. Sooner or later the same. I hate to say it, but this actually might be the most live album she's ever done, with the exception of Like A Prayer and Evita.

[Holger 1,191]

The tracks that appear in the movie are a exception, as is "Vogue".

But when you listen to the intros of He's A Man, Hanky Panky, Something To Remember and Cry Baby, you notice a very "cheap" keyboard sound, that IMO should be live orchestral music instead. At least I think they would sound even better with real musicans and not just a keyboard used.

[Lucky90210 741]

Her best album. For many reasons.

[Blue Jean 15,316]

8 hours ago, maddy1111 said:

No, it is "just" a black vinyl, but still.. Such low price surprised me for an unused, unopened, old vinyl

Don’t open it. Resell it.

[Blue Jean 15,316]

2 hours ago, Holger said:

The tracks that appear in the movie are a exception, as is "Vogue".

But when you listen to the intros of He's A Man, Hanky Panky, Something To Remember and Cry Baby, you notice a very "cheap" keyboard sound, that IMO should be live orchestral music instead. At least I think they would sound even better with real musicans and not just a keyboard used.

I don’t notice 

[itzjak 138]

I'm still wonder why Sooner Or Later has different lyrics in the Oscar performance, I love it by the way, at the time mexican singer Yuri, frequently labeled as "the mexican Madonna" release an big band album... like "Breathless"

[maddy1111 1,618]

5 hours ago, Blue Jean said:

Don’t open it. Resell it.

[Honey Little 4,014]

7 hours ago, Holger said:

The tracks that appear in the movie are a exception, as is "Vogue".

But when you listen to the intros of He's A Man, Hanky Panky, Something To Remember and Cry Baby, you notice a very "cheap" keyboard sound, that IMO should be live orchestral music instead. At least I think they would sound even better with real musicans and not just a keyboard used.

That would be really expensive to perform live on tour. And she always makes music in which she can perform live.

[mouse 438]

I love this album. This is one of my favorites. Hervoice is to die for on every track