Like a Prayer - Madonna (CD 1989)

It's all too often that an artist is contrived. You can't really blame them though. They start out with a formula that works, and follow that formula for an album or two until everyone tires of it and they have to try something new. They usually then sink to the bottom and are never heard of again. But if anybody can break the curse, it's Madonna.

This was Madonna's fourth album. All three of her previous works had great pop tracks, but followed a specific formulas that made them good pop albums, but never a flat out great album. After 1986's decent True Blue, Madge took some time off to divorce Sean Penn and get her head together. When she returned, it was only in eleven short tracks, but it was in a phenomenal way.

From the first choir like sounds of Like A Prayer, and Madonna's haunting, gentle vocals, you know you're in for a treat. After listening to all of Madonna's albums, the manufactured 80s beat gets a bit old, but it sounds fresh as newly cut grass in this one. This song goes back and forth between the laid-back and serene verses and the dancy chorus, where Madonna sings "When you call my name, it's like a little prayer." The choir is a nice touch, especially when they start to adlib their way through the bridge later in the song. It's a great song, with phenomneal energy. It also stirred up a world of controversy with the video, which lost Madonna a Pepsi contract and gained her a new legion of fans. This is probably Maddy's best single of the 80s.

The momentum is still up when we go into the trumpeteer sound of Express Yourself, and Madonna's classic "C'mon, girls! Do you believe in love? 'Cuz I've got something to say about it! And it goes a little something like this!" This song was later remixed, and on this album it's full of synthesizer sounds and brass. Even though the remix is superior, this is a great song regardless. It's full of energy and a determined chorus "You know, you know, you've got to make him express how he feels and then you'll know his love is real!" It's a far cry from Material Girl, and it's a Madonna that's much easier to understand. This song is fantastic.

The album takes one of it's only dives on Love Song, a duet with Prince. These two were the most controversial artists of the time, hooking up for a duet. Unfortunately, the two didn't record the song together, and it's somewhat obvious as they're out of sync. There's no real definite style, and the song just severely lacks much energy. It's probably better on anything than on Like A Virgin, but still somewhat out of place on this disc.

It's strange how well the next track, 'Till Death Do Us Part works. Usually the heavy drum machine beat and the snyths turn me off, but it works so well in this one, with the busy production and poignant lyrics. This song seems so autobiographical, considering Madge's very public marraige to Sean Penn had just ended. Regardless of whether or not it's true, this song is amazing. "Our luck is running out of time, you're not in love with me anymore. I wish that it would change, but it won't, 'cuz you don't love me no more." The heavy lyrical content over the somewhat perky beat is a very successful combination.

The beginning of Promise To Try reminds me a lot of the beginning of Shoo-Bee-Doo. That song started with lovely piano chords and gorgeous vocals from Madge, only to be ruined by that beat. Madonna must have read all of our minds, because she creates the haunting piano ballad she was capable of here. The melody is beautiful, with simple chords and amazing vocals you wouldn't expect from the girl who was supposedly "all image." And the lyrics are amazingly heartfelt, honest, sincere. "Will she see me cry when I stumble and fall? Does she hear my voice in the night when I call?" This song is superb. Amazing. I don't use this term loosely, but this song deserves it: perfect.

After such a serious tone on our last two tracks, Maddy knows how to deliver us something light hearted and fun with the poppy classic Cherish. This song is like a rich man's True Blue; the frothy, doo-wop sound is much more successful on this sweet number. "Oh, baby, I'll perish the thought of leaving, I never would." Regardless of it's laid-back content, Maddy still delivers with sincere vocals and it's obvious throughout this song (and the entire album) that she really loves this material. This is a classic, fun, sincere pop number, and easily one of her best.

Madonna keeps the morale high on the string-backed Dear Jessie. The lyrics don't really make sense in this song, but they paint a carefree mental picture with the laid-back child-like accompiant. This song takes some odd turns, which makes it work very well, because it doesn't go exactly where you expect it to. Midway through it takes a very strange turn and completely changes tempo, which for some reason, reminds me a lot of I Am The Walrus. It could have been what she was going for with the nonsense lyrics and all. It's even got the trumpeteer back-up. Overall, this is a good, experimantal song, and it works really well.

From the last happy strings, we are brought into something that's not so happy, as a gliding piano brings us into Oh Father. Madonna's vocals are lovely with all their flaws on this song. This is a very personal song, which is why it's so great, because you get to hear her with pure, raw, real emotion. "It's funny that way. You can get used to the tears and the pain. What a child will believe... you never loved me." This was our first look into Madonna's relationship with her single father, and it's chilling and personal, as she frees herself from his grip. This song is beautiful.

Not everything about her family is bad though. Madonna insists her and her siblings Keep It Together. This song opens with a beat that can only be described as kickin'. (Please, hold all gunfire until the end of the review.) This song has got a bit of a cheesy melody, but it's got a great message of not forgetting that family is always family. It's nice to see a different perspective of loving her family. This is a good pop song, and scarily enough, the closest this album comes to filler. Which is saying a lot, because it's good.

A lovely guitar and slow, sultry beat bring us into Pray For Spanish Eyes, a slower song with sincere vocals and good production. I absolutely adore Maddy's vocals on the chorus of this song. The notes are a bit out of her reach, but her voice sounds gorgeously real at this moment, with its emotional reaching. It's just like the lyrical content of the song. This song has great lyrics, my favorite being: "And if there is a Christ, he'll come tonight to pray for Spanish eyes." This song has been criticised before, but I think it's amazing.

The last "song" on this disc isn't a song at all. It's more of a mixture of sound effects, instruments, and all kinds of different stuff. It's got an interesting electric guitar and Like A Prayer played backward, to make Act Of Contrition. I know nothing about Catholicism, but apparently this is a prayer that Catholics do, and that Madonna absolutely ruins. I think it's a pretty interesting way to end the album, with Madonna's spoken word and honest vocals, and final shouting of "What do you mean it's not in the computer?!" None of it makes any sense to me, but it's still interesting, to say the least.

This is Madonna's first masterpiece. There are flaws on this album, but they fit into it like a glove, like she meant for them to be there. Every song is an emotional journey, even the songs that are about love or parades. This is mandatory even if you're not a Madonna fan. Madonna went out of the 80s with a bang. Perhaps that's why there's a crown on the cover; with this, she earned her crown as the Queen of Pop.

Other Reviews In This Series
The Fluffy Debut
The Formulaic Sophomore Explosion
The Radio Friendly Lovey Dovey Stuff
The Hormonal Backlash
The Cozy R&B Comeback
The Electronic Maternal Masterpiece
The Foray Into Folktronica
The Directionless Acoustic Experiment