Skip to main content

4. Madonna - American Life (2003)

It was kind of sad seeing Madonna in her Gap commercial earlier this fall. Not because she sold out (some artists are just sold out from the beginning), but because she was singing the lyrics to a new song, Hollywood, set to the music from an old one, Into The Groove. It was sad because it seemed to say that her new work just couldn't stand on its own.

I hate to be disappointed by artists I really like, but it's usually inevitable. Very few have a flawless catalog. Still, with your favorites, even if the album doesn't meet expectations, there's usually at least one transcendent moment that reminds you of why you love them so much. Yes Madonna has a few subpar albums, including Erotica, Bedtime Story, and Music, but each one of these had at least one classic song: Rain, Take A Bow, and What It Feels Like For A Girl.

When American Life came out this past spring, I listened to it a couple of times and put it on the shelf because, surprisingly, nothing hooked me in. But most records deserve a second chance...sometimes, depending on what's going on in your life, or the time of year, you just aren't ready. This has happened to me several times, most notably with Weezer's Pinkerton and more recently with Counting Crows' Hard Candy. So I decided to give Madonna a second chance.

I'm still not feelin' it.

My favorite Madonna album is Ray Of Light . The great thing about that album is that it still has Madonna's gift for pop intact, but adds lyrical depth. On American Life, the lyrics are introspective, but she seems to have forgotten the importance of melodies. At so many places, she subverts her pop sound just when she seems to have something going, "rapping" on the title track and repeating "fuck it," distorting her voice to sound like a man's on Hollywood, and letting her voice be ripped apart in I'm So Stupid.

It gets a little calmer from there, but probably too calm. X-Static Process could be a lullaby. Easy Ride wouldn't have been out of place on Ray Of Light, but it probably wouldn't have made the final cut. The only truly interesting song is Mother & Father, which sounds like Blondie and addresses Madonna's well known parental issues. Still, despite some really cool parts, the song just doesn't hold itself together.

In conclusion, the second worst criticism I can level at an album is that it's boring. The worst criticism is to say that I can't even find one song that I'd put on a mix CD. Such is the sad case here.

Rating: D
Fave Song: Mother & Father

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

12 by Weezer

Here's the drill: 12 songs to summarize an artist's career, in chronological order (of course). This one features... I decided to take an unconventional route for this 12 by, and pretend Weezer have already released a "greatest hits." Here's what I think that would look like:  1) "Buddy Holly", 2) "Undone - the Sweater Song", 3) "My Name Is Jonas", 4) "The Good Life", 5) "El Scorcho", 6) "Hash Pipe", 7) "Island in the Sun", 8) "Dope Nose", 9) "Keep Fishin'", 10) "Beverly Hills", 11) "We Are All On Drugs", 12) "Pork and Beans".  Here's a different take: 1. " Say It Ain't So"  (from Weezer , 1994)  A little bit heavy, a little bit catchy, quiet-loud dynamics. So basically, it's Pixies lite. The song is interesting lyrically because it's basically nonsense until the "Dear daddy..." bridge, which lets out a t
2 comments
Read more

12 by Vicious Vicious

Here's the drill: 12 songs to summarize an artist's career, in chronological order (of course). This one features... If you need a reference point for the work of Vicious Vicious mastermind Erik Appelwick, the most appropriate would be Beck. Like Mr. Hansen, Minnesota-based Appelwick has the ability to navigate between making you laugh and making you cry and making you want to dance, and embraces genres from country to R& B to folk to pop.  I've included songs from the two albums Appelwick did under the name Tropical Depression, because honestly there's not a lot of difference between that and Vicious Vicious.  I very literally  wrote the book  on Appelwick, so please feel confident you are hearing from an authority here.  If you have Amazon Music Unlimited, you can listen to an alternate version of list here  (sadly, not all of VV's music is on the service). 1. "Shake That Ass on the Dance Floor" (from Blood + Clover , 2003) A loungy, laconic come-on
Post a Comment
Read more

12 by Jenny Lewis

Here's the drill: 12 songs to summarize an artist's career, in chronological order (of course). This one features... Completely separate from Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis has put together an impressive oeuvre that is very difficult to winnow down to just 12 songs (if you include her work with Rilo Kiley, fuhgeddaboudit). But I've made what I feel is a valiant attempt. Because I admire Jenny's lyrics so much, I'm going to limit my commentary to a favorite couplet from the song. (If you have Amazon Music Unlimited, you can listen along here .) 1. "Rise Up With Fists!!!" (from Rabbit Fur Coat , 2005) "But you can wake up younger, under the knife / And you can wake up sounder, if you get analyzed." 2. "Melt Your Heart" (from  Rabbit Fur Coat , 2005) "It's like a valentine from your mother / It's bound to melt your heart." 3. "Born Secular" (from Rabbit Fur Coat , 2005) "God works in mysterious ways / And God give
Post a Comment
Read more