The Best Greatest Hits Package

[WokeUpInMedellin 1,557]

It paid off. I think it's helped get a lot of younger fans (like myself in 2016) interested in her vast catalogue of hits.

[BoyToyMark 346]

On 2/27/2024 at 3:43 AM, WokeUpInMedellin said:

I don't know what you gays stay on about regarding the "errors" of Celebration. Do you listen to it on something other than Spotify? I've listened on Spotify a million times and never noticed anything off. Sounds great.

I don't think it matters if I'm gay or not, but there are some audio errors on the first pressings that have been amended. 

Erotica had an extra quarter of a bar of music where it should've cut after the middle 8. Which could've been avoided if they just used the Album edit.

Cherish had a cut where she sung, 'Can't get away I won't let to' instead of, 'I could never forget to'. Which could've been all avoided if they just used the 7" single version.

Music still has pops and clicks throughout which could be fixed on streaming if they just merge it from the album.

Edit: Dress You Up also still has the first two seconds of the intro cut off. Thank you for @Blue Jeanreminding me

[Blue Jean 15,254]

13 hours ago, Prayer said:

To be fair with "Celebration", it's true Warner did an amazing marketing campaign for it, I remember it was everywhere when it was out: press, physical ads, digital ads, all covered. They invested a lot with that release (marketing wise). And she personally did "Rolling Stone" (an interview looking back wasn't that usual for her back then), Letterman and a couple more.

She still promoted MDNA Skin more than any compilation 

[Blue Jean 15,254]

4 hours ago, BoyToyMark said:

I don't think it matters if I'm gay or not, but there are some audio errors on the first pressings that have been amended. 

Erotica had an extra quarter of a bar of music where it should've cut after the middle 8. Which could've been avoided if they just used the Album edit.

Cherish had a cut where she sung, 'Can't get away I won't let to' instead of, 'I could never forget to'. Which could've been all avoided if they just used the 7" single version.

And 'Music' still has pops and clicks throughout which could be fixed on streaming if they just merge it from the album.

The intro of Dress You Up was also messed up

[Honey Little 3,996]

I do

The best version of into the groove is from the 12 “ Angel at 45 speed. 
 

all the other digital versions don’t seem to sound as good. The remaster on celebration was not good. It somehow ruined it.

[EgoRod 5,450]

6 hours ago, Blue Jean said:

The intro of Dress You Up was also messed up

yeah but those were new edits, like EY and Everybody so they never fixed them

[Blue Jean 15,254]

11 minutes ago, EgoRod said:

yeah but those were new edits, like EY and Everybody so they never fixed them

Hmm the Dress You Up one sounded like a fuck up to me more than an edit

[Dita-84 50]

The immaculate collection imo is the absolute best Madonna greatest hits package. Although, it is rather lacking now due to where in time it stops.

The GHV2 and Celebration releases were just messy. GHV2 was an obvious cash grab where the track list was all over the place, amazing songs missed out and no incentive for fans to purchase. Deeper and Deeper was a random first song. It should have been Erotica, or perhaps Music and going in reverse order.

I do like Celebration, however the track listing is once again quite random. It was criminal to not release a 3 disc edition for the fans - 80s, 90s, 00s. 

Does anybody know what has happened to all the deluxe releases we were promised a few years ago? 

Edited February 29 by Dita-84 (see edit history)

[EgoRod 5,450]

23 minutes ago, Blue Jean said:

Hmm the Dress You Up one sounded like a fuck up to me more than an edit

well yeah so it's the EY weird video edit but local but album but nothing. But I think they stayed on place regarded as exclusive edits rather than fucked ups

[EgoRod 5,450]

20 minutes ago, Dita-84 said:

Does anybody know what has happened to all the deluxe releases we were promised a few years ago? 

#soon

[Anapausis 5,912]

32 minutes ago, Dita-84 said:

The immaculate collection imo is the absolute best Madonna greatest hits package. Although, it is rather lacking now due to where in time it stops.

The GHV2 and Celebration releases were just messy. GHV2 was an obvious cash grab where the track list was all over the place, amazing songs missed out and no incentive for fans to purchase. Deeper and Deeper was a random first song. It should have been Erotica, or perhaps Music and going in reverse order.

I do like Celebration, however the track listing is once again quite random. It was criminal to not release a 3 disc edition for the fans - 80s, 90s, 00s. 

Does anybody know what has happened to all the deluxe releases we were promised a few years ago? 

Oh gosh didn't know Infinity has suddenly become a SayHey experience. Oh well, maybe "suddenly" isn't the right word to choose here.

[BoyToyMark 346]

7 hours ago, Blue Jean said:

She still promoted MDNA Skin more than any compilation 

Hahahaha so true. Although Celebration did get a couple of interviews.

[Dita-84 50]

16 minutes ago, Anapausis said:

Oh gosh didn't know Infinity has suddenly become a SayHey experience. Oh well, maybe "suddenly" isn't the right word to choose here.

[Prayer 14,361]

1 hour ago, Blue Jean said:

Hmm the Dress You Up one sounded like a fuck up to me more than an edit

I think it was definitely an edit. If you push the volume all the way up on the original album version, the third beat has some residual noise/something there, just before the fourth one. Like a little click*. I guess with the 2009 treatment/boost that became too obvious and they just chopped it all completely the first three beats.

Weird to start off with the last beat though, a normal edit would have been taking out the four of them completely and just start with a bang. But: "Celebration" album, everyone.

* "Like A Virgin", the album, was recorded with live musicians so there's little things like that here and there, like the infamous "fan" smack on "Material Girl".

[steady75 9,570]

There is no way in hell someone, anyone would have purposely removed three clicks form the beginning of Dress You Up. No body listened to the whole compilation before going to press and thought . "you know what this needs? The first three beats chopped from Dress You Up. Nothing else,,,just that. I think it would really set it off"

 I think it's clearly a fuck up and probably  time stamp edit issue as it's the first track on the CD. Abysmal. 

[Anapausis 5,912]

Dear @Dita-84,

My complain is about how M fans cannot understand the vision M has had about her work, I say, the blurred lines that she expect us to decipher once we get familiarized to her mindset.

About GHV2: it was clear to M's vision then she wanted to do to GHV2 what people expected her after being disappointed to "no hits!" Drowned World Tour setlist. She tried to do an "alternate hit-driven version" of what DWT was. Of course, with only these hits, because at that time they were the only ones she was akin to. The tracklist order follow a very similar narrative to DWT's. Believe it or not.

About Celebration: she was just saying yes to Warner to leave them out. She recorded new songs (as well as new takes from old leftovers) just to please them. I really bet she even wanted that tracklist. It was just, "ok, you want this from me, this is what the contract says, so ok I'll do this and I move away from you by front door." She was just focused to Jesus Luz and S&ST Round II.

I really get GHV2 was her vision by then, and we as her fans should respect her and admit what she had in mind and Celebration was her notcurring at all, after all, it was a thing she had to deliver so she would not have to leave label to "not pendant issues."

Of course we as fans have the full right to disagree to Madonna's mindset as we aren't her; but saying things are out of order without getting the full pic behind them is to do what SayHeyers do to Kylie and her work.

We don't need to say ok to everything M does; we only should get why M had this thing in mind by that time, after all, we support her, otherwise we'd be stanning other people.

I hope I have been the clearer possible.

[Dita-84 50]

16 minutes ago, Anapausis said:

Dear @Dita-84,

My complain is about how M fans cannot understand the vision M has had about her work, I say, the blurred lines that she expect us to decipher once we get familiarized to her mindset.

About GHV2: it was clear to M's vision then she wanted to do to GHV2 what people expected her after being disappointed to "no hits!" Drowned World Tour setlist. She tried to do an "alternate hit-driven version" of what DWT was. Of course, with only these hits, because at that time they were the only ones she was akin to. The tracklist order follow a very similar narrative to DWT's. Believe it or not.

About Celebration: she was just saying yes to Warner to leave them out. She recorded new songs (as well as new takes from old leftovers) just to please them. I really bet she even wanted that tracklist. It was just, "ok, you want this from me, this is what the contract says, so ok I'll do this and I move away from you by front door." She was just focused to Jesus Luz and S&ST Round II.

I really get GHV2 was her vision by then, and we as her fans should respect her and admit what she had in mind and Celebration was her notcurring at all, after all, it was a thing she had to deliver so she would not have to leave label to "not pendant issues."

Of course we as fans have the full right to disagree to Madonna's mindset as we aren't her; but saying things are out of order without getting the full pic behind them is to do what SayHeyers do to Kylie and her work.

We don't need to say ok to everything M does; we only should get why M had this thing in mind by that time, after all, we support her, otherwise we'd be stanning other people.

I hope I have been the clearer possible.

To me it didn't seem like there was any 'vision' for GHV2. It was a release I feel was forced upon her by her record label. I don't disagree with fans who may have been disappointed by the release. It was a lazy cobbled together selection of existing songs with no new tracks, no new photos, nothing. It's difficult to understand a vision when there is nothing seemingly creative about the project. I did like the promotional posters around the time though.

Of course, this is only my opinion and interpretation. 

Edited February 29 by Dita-84 (see edit history)

[Blue Jean 15,254]

I think she definitely put a lot of thought into the GHV2 tracklist. But it was done at a time when her head so far up her own arse she couldn’t see how bad her choices were. I don’t think Madonna today would choose this track list at all. And no, we do not have to respect her “vision.” This release has been forgotten completely with good reason.

For all its flaws Celebration did include mostly the right songs and it’s a pretty comprehensive collection still to this day for a newbie fan to explore her hits. Guy O surveyed the fans quite a bit for that one and that is how Who’s That Girl ended up on there. He also swapped the Immaculate version of Like a Prayer for the album version and stuff like that upon fan suggestions. So it could have been a lot worse.

[Blue Jean 15,254]

27 minutes ago, Anapausis said:

Dear @Dita-84,

My complain is about how M fans cannot understand the vision M has had about her work, I say, the blurred lines that she expect us to decipher once we get familiarized to her mindset.

About GHV2: it was clear to M's vision then she wanted to do to GHV2 what people expected her after being disappointed to "no hits!" Drowned World Tour setlist. She tried to do an "alternate hit-driven version" of what DWT was. Of course, with only these hits, because at that time they were the only ones she was akin to. The tracklist order follow a very similar narrative to DWT's. Believe it or not.

About Celebration: she was just saying yes to Warner to leave them out. She recorded new songs (as well as new takes from old leftovers) just to please them. I really bet she even wanted that tracklist. It was just, "ok, you want this from me, this is what the contract says, so ok I'll do this and I move away from you by front door." She was just focused to Jesus Luz and S&ST Round II.

I really get GHV2 was her vision by then, and we as her fans should respect her and admit what she had in mind and Celebration was her notcurring at all, after all, it was a thing she had to deliver so she would not have to leave label to "not pendant issues."

Of course we as fans have the full right to disagree to Madonna's mindset as we aren't her; but saying things are out of order without getting the full pic behind them is to do what SayHeyers do to Kylie and her work.

We don't need to say ok to everything M does; we only should get why M had this thing in mind by that time, after all, we support her, otherwise we'd be stanning other people.

I hope I have been the clearer possible.

Say Hey is full of lunatics and trolls 

[gst6662000 293]

1 hour ago, EgoRod said:

#soon

Really???

[Dita-84 50]

9 minutes ago, Blue Jean said:

I think she definitely put a lot of thought into the GHV2 tracklist. But it was done at a time when her head so far up her own arse she couldn’t see how bad her choices were. I don’t think Madonna today would choose this track list at all. And no, we do not have to respect her “vision.” This release has been forgotten completely with good reason.

For all its flaws Celebration did include mostly the right songs and it’s a pretty comprehensive collection still to this day for a newbie fan to explore her hits. Guy O surveyed the fans quite a bit for that one and that is how Who’s That Girl ended up on there. He also swapped the Immaculate version of Like a Prayer for the album version and stuff like that upon fan suggestions. So it could have been a lot worse.

I think it was an intriguing release, although mainly because the era it was trying to celebrate was full of such amazing singles, with such an eclectic diverse range of styles. This for me, is why the release was so disappointing. If the track list had perhaps gone chronological, or in reverse order, either starting with Erotica or Music, and had perhaps also included Rain, Nothing Really Matters, and one new song, then for me it would have fared better. 

[Anapausis 5,912]

I guess Madonna should have been more explicit to what she wanted to every release she does instead of expecting her fans to read the underlines.

GHV2 was at a moment of her contract to Warner where she had just renewed to them, as Music was indeed the first thing released through this new contract, and she had the opportunity to do a Immaculate Collection Vol 2 putting Rain, Fever, I'll Remember, Nothing Really Matters, etc., etc. Why she didn't?

Because she had a 'vision' to GHV2. To me it's clear that nothing on it seemed forced or done by contract. If she did this way she'd had a GH really appealing to public and fans, with a chronologic order tracklist, more singles and fresh new tracks.

The release day to GHV2, same day as the VHS and DVD for DWT, and also including the same Japanese references (as the katakana words which M thought were her actual name) showcases that both projects were very linked from the start.

To M, it was kind of she were presenting a "soundtrack" to Drowned World Tour's official register as she was adamant by then to never offer live albums.

GHV2 tracklist, in that order, again, show a narrative very similar to the flow of the DWT, kind of if M reworked the tour to hits.

It's obviously a case of interpretation and opinion, but, as Taylor has got used her fanbase to easter eggs here and there, I believe Madonna has delivered her "easter eggs" much prior to Taylor. That's because lots of what M does seem nonsensical to most fans, let alone the GP.

Aftet all, just like she sings:

Nobody knows me, nobody knows me, nobody knows me, like you know me.

By the way, it's just interesting that this song got started to be written right to same timeframe as during the lukewarm repercussion and reaction to GHV2.

[Blue Jean 15,254]

55 minutes ago, Dita-84 said:

I think it was an intriguing release, although mainly because the era it was trying to celebrate was full of such amazing singles, with such an eclectic diverse range of styles. This for me, is why the release was so disappointing. If the track list had perhaps gone chronological, or in reverse order, either starting with Erotica or Music, and had perhaps also included Rain, Nothing Really Matters, and one new song, then for me it would have fared better. 

The order of the songs is actually the main issue. It’s unlistenable. Even this song selection could be so much better if the sequencing worked.

[Anapausis 5,912]

The will of quoting a certain person I have put on my ignore list...

...Anyways I'm not Kim Jong-Un the Supreme Leader to have my opinion taken as set in stone...

...nor they are.

So, to the unhappy to GHV2, I will give you the same Madonna words I did to Celebration debbie downers: DO IT BETTER.

The amount of Madonna bootlegged GH's popped up by the time GHV2 came around may satisfy you better than the actual official product; I myself have one of them.

Do you too, Kim Jong-Un the Supreme Leader??

[steady75 9,570]

I think the proximity of GHV2 to Something To Remember would have been her main issue. She was probably somewhat forced to do Something To Remember after the success of Take A Bow and thought she could bear it as long as the ballads framed her well enough for her getting Evita.

"You want me to do a ballad greatest hits to soften my image and warm my self to Joe Public again because things have soured? Ok if I must"

 

five years later she's on top of the world again, After grafting her bollox off for Evita , then having a child and hustling her ass non stop on Ray Of Light, Music, The Next Best Thing and the Austin Powers theme song she really didn't see the point. She was back on top criticaly, commercially, a mother in a happy and fruitful relationship, with a full reinvention of both image, lifestyle and public perception and Warner want to pull the Greatest Hits lever again after she'd just worked her ass off for five years to stop her being resigned from a legacy artist?

I can imagine she wanted to tell them to fuck right off. So she tweaked the track list for maximum profit and said that's all the effort I'm willing to make.

I have absolutely no doubt that at that time Warner would have actually asked for a full retrospective Greatest Hits and Madonna probably told them to suck her punani.

BTW A full career double disc retrospective in 2001 is actually a cute thread concept.