True Blue - Madonna (CD 1986)

Probably the one and only Madonna album I have ever given any real thought to writing about was her third album, True Blue. I don t doubt for a minute that she has just about accomplished everything humanly possible in her career and that her contribution to the vast American music industry will, quite simply, never be matched, yet there is a definite lack of something that has been found in her work ever since this 1986 LP.

Like any decent artist should find, her life to the top, where she tilters now, was a bitter struggle. By the time, she compiled an album of Latin American pop ditties together, she had already seen her fair share of doing work simply for the money. No one, it seems, needs to get their kit off for some sleazy mag just to earn a buck to get into the music industry. Can you imagine recent X factor winner stooping to such levels? (What Simon Cowell might have asked from her will remain just to sing well in the final. ) So therefore, it would appear that Mads was truly, the last of a dying breed. There are performers who will do anything to make it big, but as that irritating line of a Meat Loaf track goes.. I Would Do Anything For Love But I Won t Do That The business just isn t the same anymore

After putting in enough sweat and tears getting somewhere, she had already packed in 19 UK single chart entries in the space of only three and a half years. A damn sight more than most bands can achieve in a life time. It was through this particular album that she turned the heads and the minds of the very establishment who had put her down as some airhead so far. She blatantly proved through her carefully chosen South American styles songs just how brazen she could be.

Whilst using a simple, yet stunning picture sleeve in a blue hue, she had created an album not yet produced by anyone else. Ditching her cut off gloves and layers of colourful rags, she chose a brighter, more professional style of clean cut out fits to show off her fantastically athletic figure and bright, white hair cut short in the mood of Marilyn Monroe in her heyday. She had been determined to write and work on her songs as apposed to her counterparts who were more than keen to just sit back and sing everyone else s work. She insisted on co producing and composing her work so she could get a feel on how and album was sweated out of an artist rather than recorded by a whole host of technical guys behind thick panes of glass.

From this shy, strictly brought up girl from Michigan, this album allowed her the gratitude and recognition equalled to any other hard working talented artist. She had cracked the proverbial nut through the making of this record. The media wiped the smirks from their faces and straightened their backs. Madonna had arrived.

Producing with Patrick Leonard and ex lover Stephen Bray, she styled an album that was to become a bench mark for her future work, not just on a financial scale but artistically and commercially. Released in July 1986, it heralded the height of Summer. It s charming, hot sun themes where ideal for the market of the year. It was fun, full of energy and life, just the woman herself. It was a wise marketing move to push the release of this album. Given it s departure from the factory a few months later, the impact of it would have been so great. As it was, it s success relied on how the sales had treated her with her previous to albums. The hastily rushed out self titled dance record hadn t been enough of the impact that she was starving for. Thankfully, a number one slot was waiting for her again (Like A Virgin was the first number one achiever.) Since the difference between Virgin and Blue was the question of number ones, the latter was considered the better of the two. Three number one singles dripped from the album like honey off a spoon. Still in effect, a primary dance album, the strong Latin/American theme gave it light, freedom to move and a soul within itself.

Whilst adding to the thrill of a new sound emerging from this artist came a political and social awareness. Touching on an even touchier subject of dealing with a pregnancy from a teenagers point of view, came the spirited, Papa Don t Preach. Using a thinly based story as the back drop for her accompanying video, Madonna managed to reach out to the young and reasonably desperate without offending anyone. Thus a good ploy to add to the growing numbers in her fan base and at the same time, bringing to the fore an issue that needed to be addressed.

The rather racy Open Your Heart, plays on another under the carpet subject of girlie clubs. Although the music is just a artistic crutch, it is her dealing with certain subjects through her lyrics that make the song stand out. Although there is nothing on this album to suggest that she could, at this point in her career, write anything by herself, her contribution, no matter how small, is still very much visible.
Writing along side keyboard player, Pat Leonard, she dedicated White Heat, to favourite actor Jimmy Cagney whilst also suing a short film cut from the film at the beginning of the track, each track styles at it s own speed, racing vigorously through each line like it s on some supermarket sweep. She understood quite clearly the need for get up and go full out, dance music. During the mid Eighties, we saw a boom in styles of dance and disco. It was about this time, that different branches of these genres started to take shape thus moving most dance away into RnB, leaving the path clear for the likes of Madonna.

Yet she even knew the importance of the statutory ballad. The kind that we either loathe or love. It was Live To Tell, that gave the ballad thing a whole new meaning. Without sounding dull and sickly to the point of throwing up over a Michael Bolton record, she took the lyrics of this piece and turned them into a determination for survival track. Leaving behind the usual dire guitar riff at the break, she keeps the tune sobering, yet simple and not covered too much in sweetly glitter. She takes us through a quick loop within in the album, pointing us in the right direction for minor, shallow songs. Two tracks appear here that need no analysing. Where s The Party, is about as interesting, subjectively as it gets that is then quickly followed by the empty, superfluous True Blue, both pretty songs in themselves, that need no delving into any heart or soul for deeper discovery.

The Strong Latin based La Isla Bonita, will stay firmly fixed in our minds as the one track that Chris Tarrant couldn t leave alone. Forever mentioning the misinterpreted line, young girl with eyes like potatoes, this track will fail to be ever taken seriously. Experiencing the dead heat of such a place where this track reminds us is bad enough, having to subject our burning skin to the musical version is another

Dedicating the whole album to her then husband Sean Penn, her rocky, media swamped marriage was increasingly on the rocks even though she describes him on the inner sleeve here, as the coolest guy in the world. I wonder what she says about Guy Ritchie, yet this piece, seems the most independent piece of work up to the date it was produced. It is the first album where she spreads her wings and flies, daringly towards an open window. She doesn t ooze the same girlie, and perhaps under age sex that she did in Like A Virgin, but what she does give us is talented composition and a notability for the outside world. She appears all the more professional, together and self composed through this album. All traits that continue through her recording career.

An important and very significant album all round, but yet dated in it s dance themes and lacks anything deeper than sea level. It doesn t matter as since her popularity has waned somewhat in recent years, this is an album that takes us back to that raw, unimaginable quality that was so attractive about her. Don t forget, we were smothered by a world in which she and she alone existed. Girls dressed like her (I did the bleached hair and pumps thing!) and guys just wanted to get into bed with her. We may not feel like that now after twenty years (thank God!) but we still look back through this album as to how it used to be



True Blue was remastered in 2001




Tracks include;

Papa Don t Preach
Open Your Heart
White Heat
Live To Tell
Where s The Party
True Blue
La Isla Bonita
Jimmy Jimmy
Love Makes The World Go Round.

Sire records 1986
sam19422 2006.
(sam1942 on Ciao/dooyoo)

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