MM Vol 1 - 077 - Madonna

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Number 077

Madonna

"Ray Of Light"

(1998)

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Genre:Dance

Hey, if Cher can do it, so can fraggin Madonna* right? Right! and Madonna did it better quietly. Now I am not a real big "popsy" fan and Madonna never really "flicked my bic" musically. I felt she was more interested in her personality than her music and she has always been one of those artists in your face. However "Ray Of Light" was indeed that, a ray of light. Catchy tune, nice electronica sounds here and there and a completely different sound for her. I loved it back then and I still do and it certainly adds to Mellow Mix Volume 1. Will she ever be in** "The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time"? Hmmmm.

* As it turns out Madonna did it first, not Cher.

** Of course she is. Like I would leave her out.

Returning to pop after a four-year hiatus, Madonna enlisted respected techno producer William Orbit as her collaborator for Ray of Light, a self-conscious effort to stay abreast of contemporary trends. Unlike other veteran artists who attempted to come to terms with electronica, Madonna was always a dance artist, so it's no real shock to hear her sing over breakbeats, pulsating electronics, and blunted trip-hop beats. Still, it's mildly surprising that it works as well as it does, largely due to Madonna and Orbit's subtle attack. They've reigned in the beats, tamed electronica's eccentricities, and retained her flair for pop melodies, creating the first mainstream pop album that successfully embraces techno. Sonically, it's the most adventurous record she has made, but it's far from inaccessible, since the textures are alluring and the songs have a strong melodic foundation, whether it's the swirling title track, the meditative opener, "Substitute for Love," or the ballad "Frozen." For all of its attributes, there's a certain distance to Ray of Light, born of the carefully constructed productions and Madonna's newly mannered, technically precise singing. It all results in her most mature and restrained album, which is an easy achievement to admire, yet not necessarily an easy one to love. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

For Cher see Number 88

For Cher in "The Definitive 1000 songs" see Number 889

This song has a crowbarred rating of 79.1 out of 108 pts

Madonna - Ray of Light
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Tags:Madonna, 1998, Dance, Cher, William Orbit, Music, YouTube, Music Video, Crowbarred, New Zealand, Crowbarred Unleashed, The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time

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