Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor
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Free Music Notes for Confessions on a Dance Floor
Free Music Review: I'm in Love
Hit: 5 Stars
Madonna is an artist that constantly changes who she is. While she is still the Queen of Pop, her music style changes with each album. I like to think of her as a chameleon; you're never sure what she's going to do and Madonna never does the same thing twice.
Starting out with her pop albums (the self titled "Madonna" and "True Blue") she then switched her focus to sex (who could forget her album "Erotica"? Or her book "SEX"?). Then, after the birth of her children, her focus changed once again to electronica. This change in focus produced perhaps the best selling Madonna album ever: "Ray of Light".
After "Ray of Light" and another electronica folk album "Music" came "American Life". I love this album, but many claim it to be her one huge musical flop. It's a deeper album because Madonna attempted to make a statement and say something in her music.
It covered all sorts of ground but was trashed by fans and critics and fans alike. To appease them she put out "Remixed and Revisited" which sparked her "Reinvention Tour". This album, though only a short seven songs, was received much better than "American Life" because it was like the old Madonna had come back to sing again.
And then the dance floor was quiet for a bit. Many wondered if Madonna would continue her music career after such a devastating musical punch to the gut. Many thought it would be the last album of her career. I am ecstatic to report that the nay Sayers were wrong. Madonna is back with a vengeance and "Confessions on a Dance Floor" is the proof of that.
Perhaps her best album since "Ray of Light", Madonna has reinvented music once again. Taking her cues from music gone by, Madonna has created a non-stop dance album that just gets better each time you listen to it. It's disco mixed with beat and rhythm and you can't help but get up and dance to it. It's a nonstop dance album that just begs your body to move to its music. Gone is the dark haired Madonna of "American Life". Now a red haired siren leads us through a dance sensation.
There has been a lot of publicity about Madonna using a sample of music from ABBA ("Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)") but this serves well to give the album its starting point. "Hung Up" is an amazing dance track that makes you want to dance. The sample from ABBA gives it a life that flows through the album. Though there are no other samples of music in the rest of the songs, none are needed. After ABBA's help on the first song, Madonna is in comfortable shoes.
After listening to the album several times (it hasn't left my stereo since I bought it) I'd have to say that my favorite song is "Push". I'm pretty sure that this song is about her husband Guy Ritchie, but the message of the song is a great one. Some of the lyrics are as follows:
/you push me! /to go the extra mile/you push me!/when it's difficult to smile/you push me! /a better version of myself/you push me!/only you and no one else/you push me!
see the other point of view/you push me!/when there's nothing else to do
you push me!/when I think I know it all/You push me!/when I stumble and I fall/
Though the song at first sounds like a rocking dance tune, you have to stop and listen to the words to find the deeper message within the song. That is true of many of the songs on "Confessions on a Dance Floor". Though the tune makes you want to dance, the words will let you see into the world of Madonna and her confessions.
Another deep song on the album is "Isaac". It begins with incredible vocals by Yitzhak Sinwani that set the tune of this rocking track. The track is very much like a spiritual experience and is incredibly layered. It is one of the more spiritual tracks on the album, where Madonna comments on religion, heaven, hell and the forgiveness of God all in one song.
/Staring up into the heavens/In this hell that binds your hands/Will you sacrifice your comfort?/Make your way in a foreign land?/Wrestle with your darkness/Angels call your name/Can you hear what they're saying?/Will you ever be the same?/
One of my other favorite tracks is "Sorry". Though it is about a break up and forgiveness, it's an incredible track that makes you want to move. Everyone can relate to its words:
/I don't want to hear/I don't want to know/Please don't say you're sorry/I've heard it all before/And I can take care of myself/
Though it is one of the sadder songs on the album, it still makes you want to dance. It is deep because of its layers. You will only hear the message if you listen. I think that "Sorry" is an anthem for anyone that has ever had their heart broken and doesn't want it to be mended by petty words.
Of course, not all songs are deep on this album. "I Love New York" while lacking in lyrics, is simply a great dance track. It is they weakest lyrically on the album but is one of the best tracks for a rollicking good beat and will make you grin by the end of it. Madonna was just having good fun with this song. While loving New York isn't really a confession, it's a great dance track.
/I don't like cities/But I like New York/Other places/make me feel like a dork/Los Angeles is for/people who sleep/Paris and London/Baby you can keep/Other cities always make me mad/Other places always make me sad/No other city ever made glad except like New York/
Words cannot express how much I love this album. I think it is ten times better than "Ray of Light" because it's evident that Madonna is having fun here. I've listened to the album countless times already and, each and every time, it's just getting better. It's so layered that I hear something new each time I listen to it.
Madonna proves that, even though these are dance tracks, she is not just the Queen of Pop anymore.
Jamieson Wolf
Previously published at:
Linear Reflections: The Review Site
Free Music Review: One of 2006's Best Albums
Hit: 5 Stars
Late in the 1990s saw the rise of Post Grunge music. The elements of Post Grunge music contain simple chord progressions and gentle verses followed by louder choruses. For whatever reason, Post Grunge sounds became 2006's dominant form of music. Many longtime popular music fans have accused this type of music of being very "cookie cutter" and all sounding the same. While this movement was taking place, Disco was also going through a revival of some sorts on the dance club scene integrating many of the themes from the 1970s. For the most part, the revival was pretty stale with nothing groundbreaking and no big name artists participating in the revival - thus putting Disco in a similar "cookie cutter" mold. So along comes the controversial Madonna - who I felt had lost some of her musical edge in recent years. Madonna had been dabbling in techo style music in recent years, however on this album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor" - not only does Madonna get it right, but she adds a spark to both the Disco revival and the Pop music scene. It is this impact on the pop music scene that proves there is more to radio music than Post Grunge. She also come full circle in her career going back to her dance club roots. The result is so successful that this might be considered the best album of 2006 (while it was released in late 2005).
To give the album a feel of "dance club", Madonna employs fast tempo'd songs with a European Dance Club feel - with each song segueing into the next. As mentioned the tracks bring back a feel for the Disco revival - employing the classic bass sound found on many dance club songs. This album isn't going to demonstrate deep lyrics (although they are stronger than one might think) or intricate instrumentation. By going for a Dance Club sound, the mixing and engineering of the album. Much of the credit for creating this sound has to go to co-producer Stuart Price. Price is known for his remixing skills and has a lot of experience with techo-dance sounds. Ultimately, Madonna is going to deliver some powerful vocals that will put this album over the top.
Here is a quick song by song synopsis:
"Hung Up": This song takes a sample from Abba's "Gimme Gimme Gimme" and builds a very catchy "Euro Disco" sound around it. Madonna's vocals shine - particularly midway through the song when she sings "Don't cry for me...". That was a reference to her "Evita" role. The line "Time goes by slowly for those who wait" is a line from her 1989 duet with Prince on "Love Song".
"Get Together": For this song, the tempo is slightly slowed down. This song is the perfect "change of pace" song following the high-paced "Hung Up". The change of tempo is often done in dance clubs. While not a sample "Baby we can do it" reminds me of the SOS Band's "Take Your Time".
"Sorry": The European feel is really emphasized in this song with Madonna saying "I'm Sorry" in several different European languages at the beginning and end (she adds Hebrew at the end). The song then segues into more of a modern dance feel.
"Future Lovers": Many have said they hear a sampling of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" in this song. There definitely is a parallel as you hear a similar beat in the background, but I wouldn't call it a sample. Madonna makes use of spoken words at he beginning. Once again, this song employs a modern dance club spin.
"I Love New York": This Madonna's tribute to New York. She does take some shots at Los Angeles, London, and Paris. While the song is good, when she uses "Other places make me feel like a dork" - it was a reach for rhyming with "New York".
"Let It Will Be": The opening classical style chords sound a bit like "Papa Don't Preach", but then song slowly evolves into a high-tempo dance song. Great vocals by Madonna. Lyrically it might be the strongest song as Madonna puts a semi-autobiographical spin on things.
"Forbidden Love": The tempo slows for this song. Madonna employs some computer augmented voices throughout the song - giving it a haunting quality.
"Jump": This might be the best song on the collection. While not a sample, I can almost hear a bit of the faint background from the Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls". This song is high tempo and high energy - driven by Madonna's vocals. Lyrically this one is also good as again Madonna draws a lot from her own life experiences.
"How High": After the high energy "Jump", there is a slight down tempo. This song does use some computer augmented vocals as well. I found this one of the weaker tracks.
"Isaac": This song generated a lot of controversy with its Judaism connection. This song makes use of Hebrew chants. I found the use of the chants to be something different and out of the box. Listen to how Madonna positions her vocals along-side Yitzhak Sinwani's chant and words - its near flawless. The dance beat even employs a Jewish feel to it - and is high tempo again. Removing the controversy aside, it's a very solid track.
"Push": This probably is the most modern sounding dance song on this collection. Not a bad song, but I wouldn't put it among the album's strongest.
"Like It or Not": This song employs a funk-like beat to it. Once again Madonna comments on her own experiences and perceptions of what others think of her.
It's too bad the lyrics weren't included with this album. Overall, this album breaks the mold of the cookie-cutter music of the 2000's. It provides a retro style while incorporating some modern sounds and provides a true "dance club" sound. Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: This Album Is a Masterpiece Can I Give It 6 Stars. I love all the songs!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Don't Listen to the 1 star reviews they just hate Madonna and have not heard the album at all you can tell from their reviews. Nothing about the album but the artist Madonna. Now for a review of each song.
Hung Up: Great song which samples Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man after Midnight the 1979 hit my ABBA. There is one part in this song where it slows down and you can hear 80's sound more pronounced and you hear a clock ticking then going off with another alarm clock going off at the same time, very clever. It smoothly moves into the next song.
Get Together: The beginning sounds like Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper. She sings "Can we get together I really want to be with you" The songs gets a little fast toward the middle with again amazing 80's sounds blended in while she is singing. It ends the same way it beginns.
Sorry: She says Sorry in 5 different languages and you hear in the background "I heard it all before" repeated numerous times with each time it gets louder and she sings "I don't want to hear, I dont want to know, please dont say your sorry". She also sings "don't explain yourself cause talk is cheap" great words. Towards the end she sings forgive in a few different languages then in English. This is one of my favorite tracks and is supposed the second single.
Future Lovers: Very different sound from the whole album. This one was produced by Mirwais Ahmadzai who is credited for producing her Music and American Life album. She sings this songs in a very seductive voice and sings "would you like to try and come with me". She sings "give me evidence of this brilliance" referring to the love. This has a futuristic disco feel to it and the synthesizers they use do wonders for this song. This is also very dancebale track and one of my favorites and I hope it becomes a single too. This type of sound puts you in a trance. The music goes into I love New York and you can hear a little of Ray Of Light while blends into the next tune.
I Love New York: My favorite track. This is by far the most danceable track on this album. The beats are very intense and has a rock feel to it. This song is brilliant. The lyrics are funny. Madonna sings " I don't like cities but I like New York other places make me feel like a dork" At the end you hear cop sirens going off. She sings this song with an attitude and near the end she sings " get off of my street" several times, its just great!!
Let It Will Be: Oddly titled track beginns with the violin and is very similar to the beginning of Papa Don't Preach from the True Blue album. She sings about success and fame. The chorus part is great and I love this song.
Forbidden Love: This is the slowest track on the album but is not a ballad. This title can also be found on Madonna's Bedtime Stories Album but this one is a lot better. The vocoder is used and she sings "forbidden love are we supposed to be together" and then sings it without the vocoder. This song is also very emotional and sad. The ending ends with numbers being count backwards from 5 and during each one a love line is said. This is just a beautiful song. This songs slowly blends into Jump. The way is blends is is pure genious.
Jump: Starts extacly like the beginning of West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. This is just a fun song and she sings "Are you Ready to jump, just take my hand get ready to jump. When she sings these lines you seriously want to get up and jump. She also sings "I work and I fight till I find a place of my own" referring back to her early years in the 80's.
How High: The vocoder is used again and it has a robotic sound to it in the beginning. Madonna sings and questions her fame again as she did in Let It Will Be and sings" was it all worth it" and "should I carry on will it matter when I'm gone". This song has grown on me a lot and has a great beat to it. It was also produced by Mirwais and Bloodshy and Avant.
Issac: A masterpiece by itself. It starts of like similar to sounds you would hear in a lullaby story and then you hear a rabbi's chanting in the back. This song is obviously Kabbalah related. Madonna sings "wrestle with your darkness angels call your name can you hear what they are saying will you ever be the same" then you hear the chorus and the chanting again then she sings other versus and the chanting and the chorus follows through again. This songs usues quite a few sounds mixed in well expecially towards the end. There is a pounding sound an a few times near the end it's amazing then the chorus. It ends with a man talking.I find this song brilliant and hope it becomes a single. This track is the longest track a little more than 6 minutes, its brilliant though.
Push: Another genious pop blend from Issac. This song has a good hip hop feeling to it and if you listen to it it does have a little rap in it. Madonna sings "You push me" then in a hip hop rap fashion sings" to go the extra mile" and "when it's difficult to smile". This song she sings to her husband Guy Ritchie. The chorus is the best part and has such a happy feeling to it and is similar to "Don't Tell Me" from her Music Album.
Like It Or Not: A nice song to end this brilliant album. She sings "this is who I am you can like it or not you can love me or leave cause I'm never gonna stop". This song is mid tempo and not really fast. It ends beautifully with the guitars. Overall I give this album an A+. I dont skip any song. I would highly recommend it if you really want to dance hard!! Also don't forget to check out Madonna's American Life album a very underrated album indeed!
Free Music Review: I must LOVE IT!
Hit: 5 Stars
HUNG UP - We're all familiar with this hit, but hearing it on the car stereo on the way home was like hearing the song for the first time. The audio quality, depth, and beat were so incredible. The song is all over the radio right now, but really the album version is the only way to hear it. Definitely one of my fave tracks from the album. 10/10
GET TOGETHER - I just love the daft punk sound of this song, this should be a single. It really grows on you the more you listen. The driving bassline is brilliant, I love the segue from HUNG UP to this track, with a ringing alarm clock. In fact I've found it quite interesting how the songs connect to each other. Perhaps the line in GET TOGETHER "If it's bitter at the start, then it's sweeter in the end" should actually be "If it's brilliant at the start, then it's sweeter at the end." Great start to the album. 9/10
SORRY - As we know this is single #2, and deservedly so. I was already familiar with this one, but once again the actual CD quality is significantly better on the ears. M sounds somewhat akward when saying sorry in the asian languages midway through, but it's still a treat. The beat of the chorus reminds me of "Causing a Commotion" for some reason ("I've heard it all before"?) This track's a real "in your face f*cker" type of song, but with a true pop edge that only Madonna could pull off. 10/10
FUTURE LOVERS - The only Mirwais-produced track on the album, but it flows with the other songs very well. I love the spoken word at the beginning, and the infectiously repetitive "In the evidence of it's brilliance." A very futuristic sounding song, despite the Donna Summer sampling. I could see this being a MASSIVE club hit. "There's no love like the future, love" hehe! 9/10
I LOVE NY - A tourism jingle in the making? I think this is the most suprising song for me, I didn't have high expectations given the song title. The line "other places make me feel like a dork" has already been panned by some critics, but they can 'F' Off! This is the rockiest track on the album, but still fits with the "dance" theme. Love the line "Get off of my street" and the Texas/Golf dig at George W. Part of the mix sounds like some previous M remixes I've heard, which I love. Sirens to end, very NYC! 9/10
LET IT WILL BE - The title still confuses me, if someone can explain it to be that'd be nice, ha! Interesting that this song about the rise-and-fall of fame follows NY, which is where she initially became famous afterall. The strings are reminiscent of "Papa Don't Preach" and "Die Another Day." Love the part where she sings "Now watch me burn." 8/10
FORBIDDEN LOVE - Interesting sound at the beginning, somewhat ambiguous but nonetheless intriguing. The vocoder computerized vocals on this track are brilliant. A rave-worthy love song, the song really kicks halfway through. The chorus is surprisingly heartfelt, which is unusual for a techno track. Miles different from Madonna's other track called Forbidden Love. The segue into JUMP is the best IMO. 9/10
JUMP - My fave track on the album! A surefire hit. Love the line "my sistas and me..." My dad asked me if this was Madonna covering the Pointer Sisters song "Jump." I just laughed and shook my head. "Are you ready to jump? Get ready to jump, Don't ever look back, oh baby." 10/10
HOW HIGH - Thumping beat, heavy on the vocoder but it works. Doesn't sound much like Britney's "Toxic" despite the same producers. 8/10
ISAAC - The beginning sounded like it was from Evita, haha! But not once the arabic singer starts his chanting. Lyrically this one could have been off the RAY OF LIGHT album, especially with the Frozen-worthy mmmm-mmm-ing. This song is intoxicating though, the hebrew singer blends well with M's own words. It bothers me that people are simply labelling this Madonna's "Kabbalah" song. Simple minds. 9/10
PUSH - Is this written for Mr. Ritchie? Sure sounds like it. The chorus is great, really uplifting. But the verses seem too rushed and frenetic to me. Not sure I like the production on this one either. If you listen closely you can hear a sample from "Like a Prayer," although it's hard to tell. 8/10
LIKE IT OR NOT - Perhaps a fitting way to end the album, almost a message to her many nay-sayers. Comparing herself to Cleopatra and Mata Hari is a bit much, and the business with the snake is odd. The chorus almost sounds like finger-snapping blues to me, haha! Notice a (likely unintentional) Kylie reference with the line "Better the Devil that you know." This track sounds like it belongs on the Erotica album, given the similarities to FEVER. 8/10
Overall it's a brilliant album (9/10), very different from American Life and Music. Lyrically simplistic and less messages than in the past, but the overall consistentcy from track to track serves the album well. The songs sound almost pre-remixed, and they flow very well. You can put this CD on at a party and let it play all the way through, each track is a treasure in it's own right. A sticker on the packaging reads: 'A non-stop, all-dance tour de force!' Well put. Madonna has suceeded in making an album that's mainstream-friendly without being mainstream (by today's standards) at all.
Free Music Review: MADONNA DANCES HER WAY INTO MY HEART!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is my first Madonna album ive ever listened to and let me tell you it is AWESOME!! I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I BOUGHT THIS ALBUM- i had only heard "hung up" once- but i only heard half of it and i wasnt really all that into it! I was at the store going CRAZY on if i should buy Fall Out Boy's "take this to your grave" or Il Divo's deubt album. i really couldnt decide. for some weeks i had been eyeing that AMAZING album cover Madonna had! the pose was Awsome-and her Red Hair went Perfectly with the black background her outfit and those REALLY Colorful MADONNA letters! AND I BOUGHT IT! i dont know what drove me to buy it! i just bought it! i dont know why! i guess i just wanted to hear something diffrent! at FIRST i HATED THIS ALBUM! i was thinking of ways to get rid of it-because i didnt like it! at that time ALL of the songs sounded the same to me, and it wasnt becasuse of the fact that every song ends and starts the same.- the only song that i could tell apart from the rest was Hung Up. It took me bout 6 listens to really LOVE this album! and i am SO GLAD I GAVE IT A CHANCE!!!
MY Favorite songs are
Push
Sorry
Let it Will be
Get Togethet
Hung Up
1.Hung Up- A great upbeat song that is built around a sample of ABBA's "gimmie gimmie gimmie(a man after midnight) a great club song that will have you dancing all night long. If you like this song you'll love the A*Teens version of Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie(a man after midnight) DOWNLOAD IT NOW!!! 10/10
2.Get Together- I LOVE how this begins with that type of bell and then it quicly goes to this quiet but kind of Mysterious sounding synthizizer!This is a really GREAT SONG! 10/10
3.Sorry-I love how this song begins with the "i heard it all before" and MY FAVORITIST line is "i dont wanna hear, i dont wanna know" this song should definalty go to #1 and when it hits AT40 im gonna support it all the way!. In this song Madonna says im sorry in many diffrent languages. this song talks about how her man is nothing and that hes just wasting his time and hers saying "sorry". 10/10
4.Future Lovers-This song is kinda weird Madonna sounds like shes a computerized spa that instead of messeging you she hypnotyzes you into forgetting your problems.This song sounds very Futaristic. Although i REALLY dont like this song i have to give her props for sounding like a computer spa- that was just genius. 2/10
5.I love New York- Although the lyrics are very kinda dumb- they do help express how much she loves New York. i dont really like the beat and this song. 4/10
6.Let it will Be- I love this song. My favorite line is "just watch me burn" i love the beat and everything- a GREAT SONG. 10/10
7.Forbidden Love- It kinda sounds like shes saying For bein in Love instead of Forbidden Love. This is just another flaw in this album. Although it is better than "future lovers" and "i love new York" this is still another kinda sucky song. 4/10
8.Jump- i do NOT KNOW why she might be relesing this as another single- the chorus is so LAME it sound like if it was written by some 2nd grader."are you ready to jump/im ready to jump/get ready to jump oh baby/yes im ready to jump just take my hand" that is one of the lamest chorus i have EVER heard besides Ashanti's "Baby" I like how she sing the chorus but the lyrics just messed it up- the rest of this song is AMAZING- she shouldve definatley written a diffrent chorus for this song. 7/10
9.How High- In this song Madonna questions how the entratainment buisness will be without her, and just how high she's gotten. I LOVE the chorus because she did a really good job asing the questions and singing at the same time. 10/10
10.Isaac- although for some this might be a very weird and boring type of song but i love it! i love how she mixes her huuuuhuuuuhuuu with that middle-eastern sounding guy's imah-ninaloh-imah-ninanaeloh in the chorus. that guy's voice was a GREAT input in this really good song! 9/10
11.Push- MY DEFINATE FAVORITE SONG ON THIS ALBUM- This is Lyrically one of the best songs i had heard in a while. i LOVE THE BEAT AND THE Chorus! Madonna sings about how someone has pushed her through a lot and how she appriciates it! 10/10
12.Like it or Not- In this song Madonna explains that she is who she is and that dont dont try to change her because its not gonna happen, And that like it or not shes still gonna be that same person no matter what you do to try and stop her and no matter who you are."This is who I am/
You can like it or not/
You can love me or leave me/
Cause I'm never gonna stop". Although Like it or Not and Isaac may not be no so much of Dance songs like the rest ,they still prove to be VERY worthy in deserving to be in this TOUR DE FORCE Dance Album. 10/10
Although Confessions on a Dance Floor May not be the best Lyrically written album of 2005-It still provides REALLY GREAT LISTENS!!!
The Inside Album has really GREAT AND AMAZING Madonna pictures!!!
Final Grade 8/10