Madonna [Remaster] - Madonna (CD 2001)

What a debut! It s normally a shock when any artist s first release stuns (with the relative inexperience and all), but even more so that a low-key dance album from an unknown Michiganite could be so totally satisfying.

Probably tired of hearing mindless rote dance hits in the numerous clubs she frequented, Madonna set out to put her own spin on the formula, and does so surprisingly well. Given that dance music tends to be all thump, no tune, it s shocking to see the genuine quality of the vocal melodies on songs like Borderline and Lucky Star . The first six songs are incessantly catchy, fizzy dance beats percolating with energy and booming synth bass lines that drill into your brain and embed themselves for all eternity. Lucky Star boasts supremely catchy verses and a great chorus, while the mellower Borderline softens things up, but with four distinct and catchy melodies as Maddy puzzles over commitment issues.

Elsewhere, Burning Up simply rocks, with its sparse thumping beat host to a fantastically cheesy guitar solo, while breakthrough hit Holiday rests upon a chilled yet mighty groove with that Holiday! Celebrate! hookline. The most ironic thing however, is that the glue that holds this together is Madonna s voice. She may have a limited range, but she sings these songs to the best of her ability and fills each one with force and guts. When she announces that she s burnin up for your love , she sounds like she s going to explode unless you grab her right there and then. Her vocals stretch and sway, and she even rasps occasionally on the trickier areas but it just makes her sound more genuine, more convincing and more fun.

Even the filler on this album is great from the baroque romanticism and pleading chorus of I Know It through the insanely memorable refrain of Think Of Me . You d better think of me! she pouts don t worry, I certainly do. The only time the album moves away from its holy melody/hook/gutsy vocals trinity is on the last two tracks, which are more hardcore dance tunes. The sleazy Physical Attraction boasts some entertaining sounds and enough variation to keep it interesting throughout its seven-minute length, with wonderfully low-rent synths underscoring Madonna s equally trampy delivery. Closer Everybody is a bit of a weak ending but it s still okay, if harmed by being too long and having its high-pitched choral line looped a few too many times. Still, I thoroughly enjoy the first seven tracks they re just fun, and that kind of music does wonders sometimes. I d be hard pressed to pick apart this CD and examine exactly where the magic happens, but the combination of these grooves and Madonna s gutsy persona is a real winner. If all dance pop could be this good, I d be a very happy reviewer.

Other Madonna Reviews:
Like A Virgin
True Blue
Like A Prayer
Erotica
Bedtime Stories
Ray of Light
Music
American Life
Confessions On A Dance Floor