Madonna - Like a Prayer
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Free Music Notes for Like a Prayer
Free Music Review: Becoming the Queen of Pop
Hit: 5 Stars
While Madonna's first albums were full of #1 hits and good beats, it wasn't until 1989 with Madonna's fourth studio album, Like A Prayer that she became a true music artist. Madonna made strong statements on this album and made a true artistic statement with "Oh Father" and with the album's controversial music videos. Madonna had balls to challenge people's morals with the wonderful "Like A Prayer" music video in which she danced in a field of burning crosses, made out with a black saint in church, and dropped a knife to reveal the stigmata on her hand. Madonna proved once and for all she was an artist. In fact, the Catholic church and the Vatican were outraged by the song and video, and threatened to boycott Pepsi for using Madonna and the song in thier ad.
1. Like A Prayer- This is truly one of the artists greatest achievments EVER. You almost wonder if the song is spirit-driven, in the way that it cleverly combines sex and religion together. These are some very creative lyrics. No wonder this song shot to no. 1 on the Billboard hot 100 along with this album, which sold over 4.2 million in the US alone and 17 million worldwide.
2. Express Yourself- No longer the matiriel girl, Madonna sings about wanting a man who is good for you, not one who can buy you nice things. The video showed Madonna acting like a man herself and being completely in control. She said herself about the video, "The theme is that P*ssy rules the world." The song went straight to no. 2.
3. Love Song- Madge fell into a slump with this duet with Prince. It had potential, but certainly fell short, becoming the album's only shortcoming.
4. 'Till Death Do Us Part- Madonna sang this heartfelt ballad about her abusive relationship with actor Sean Penn whom she had been married to. It's a rather sad song about a woman who can't leave her husband, set to a pop beat.
5. This ballad introduces the sad story of Madonna's mother, Madonna, who passed away when Madge was young. You can feel the loneliness of a sad child in this song in need of love and affectin.
6. The album becomes upbeat once again with the pure pop love balled, "Cherish". The song was so popular it shot straight to no. 2. This song is so upbeat and happy it could make the darkest heart feel all warm inside.
7. Dear Jessie- This is a sweet song written to a child, telling her to dream. It makes one feel like a child again themselves, lieing asleep being comforted and held.
8. Oh Father- After Dear Jessie, the harsh sadness and reality of what most children felt as a child sinks in. "Oh Father" tells the heartbreaking truth of a child hated and psychologically abused by thier father. I cried the first time I heard it as I never felt loved by my father as well. The song went to no. 20 on Billboard. It's dark and somber video captured the loneliness which exists in every child, the need to be loved.
9. After singing about family troubles, we move into the top 10 hit about keeping in touch with family. You can tell that Madonna was very close with her siblings.
10. Spanish Eyes- One must wonder how this beautiful song about the Spanish mafia made it onto this mainstream album. It brings back the religios elements which deeply influenced Madonna on this album and in her life. "And if there is a Christ, He'll come tonight, to pray for Spanish Eyes."
11. Act of Contrition- This last song is a confession of loyalty to Jesus Christ, and speaks of having a reservation in Heaven. However, at the end Madonna screams, "What do you mean it's not in the computer?!!!" Apparently, she had no reservation. A perfect way to end a very religious album.
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Free Music Review: Her first controversial album
Hit: 5 Stars
I really like the songs on here. This is where the public starts to scrutinize Madonna because of the portrayal of her having sex with a black saint in the "Like a Prayer" video, and the way she was scantily clad in her "Express Yourself" video. Actually I like controversey, so this album suits me well. This is a great album, with a good number of hits. "Express Yourself" is a song that I've lived by for many years. "Like a Prayer" was a song that I really liked when it came out, back when religion was important to me. "Cherish" is a beautiful song, and I love the video to it. I was a rebellious teenager when this album came out, so "Oh Father" was a song I sort of identified with. I am also a big Prince fan, so when I first heard "Love Song", I thought it was the totally coolest duet I had ever heard. In my later teen years "Spanish Eyes" became a favorite of mine because I was questioning the validity of christianity. "Act of Contrition" is one of my personal favorites because it is so funny - she starts out saying a prayer, then a loud electric guitar drowns her out, and it sounds like "Like a Prayer" being played backwards. She then sings a prayerful song which abruptly ends when either a) she realizes that her song was left unfinished or b) tells the people at the pearly gates that she has a reservation and then yells "What do you mean it's not in the computer?!" I love it!Free Music Review: "I know for sure his heart is here with me..."
Hit: 5 Stars
Madonna's Like A Prayer is my second favorite album, my first being Ray of Light. Like A Prayer is a classic, Madonna bares her soul on every track. Her songwriting is strong here, standout tracks include: the title-track, Til Death Do Us Part, Cherish, Promise to Try, Spanish Eyes, and Oh Father. Love Song is also fresh and entertaining (a deut with Prince). The first time I heard Promise to Try I wept like a baby, so heartbreaking, the song is about her mother's death. Like A Prayer is pure genius, the perfect album to end the decade she entered in as an artist. Of course the best song is Cherish, could this song be any cuter? All hail Madonna!Free Music Review: A Blockbuster Success For The Queen Of Pop
Hit: 5 Stars
In March, 1989 Madonnas long-awaited, Like A Prayer was released to the public and critics eagerly sharpened their pencils. Multiply produced by the pop diva herself, Steve Bray and Patrick Leonard, the album would encapsulate a striking of mixture of styles that ranged from Pop, Dance, Soul and even on occasions, Gospel. Like A Prayer (1989) quite possibly was her greatest album of the 1980's.
The title track, Like A Prayer had startling undertones of spiritual and religious commentary that was both profound but controversial in its day where the stunning video of this classic where Madonna is seen dancing in front of several burning crosses was banned from T.V after just one screening. Still Madonna had made her mark and this fantastic classic raced to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite steering into a gospel sound, the song is still highly sexually charged, highly danceable whilst she is backed by a string of angelic sounding gospel singers that was conducted by Andre Couch which merley heightened its blatant spiritual nature. One of Madonnas most definitive classics!
The undertones of hot, pulsating funk on the playful, Express Yourself proved that Madonna hadn't lost her impeccable touch for making great, infectious, jamming dance musi. The track would become a cross-Atlantic Top 10 seller.
The album then takes a plunge with the surprisingly dire, Love Story on which she duetted with dynamic pop singer, Prince. Love Story is a blatant waste of opportunity as these are such fine and diverse talents that were amongst the most important figures of twentieth century music. The mid-tempo beat careers along at a sleepy pace and petters out in nothing. Prince orchestrated the song and merley seemed like some sort of experiment on his part as its the only song that lets the album down.
The compelling, Till Death Do Us Part was a song where Madonna seemingly confronted her own personal demons. Listen to the lyrics and they could almost be a direct message to her first husband Sean Penn. Their turbulent marrage was still very much lingering in her mind and its as though she is deliberately singing the song for him to hear. Madonna neatly glides along the windy, complex music arrangements and sounds utterly magnificent in the process.
Madonna has always possessed the incredible and uncanny ability to turn personal experience and traumas into art. Promise To Try is a hauntingly atmospheric ballad that is both mellow and soothing in its content whilst on Oh Father, Madonna sounds as though she is exploring and trying to analyse her complex relationship with her father. The pain and confusion in her voice simmers out on this touching number and can move you to tears with her breath-taking and vulnreable sounding vocal performance.
Cherish is a delightful confection of radio-friendly pop that returns to Madonnas more traditional, earlier sound. The melody is tight and punchy giving it an overly infectious feel whilst Madonnas tone sounds playful and angelic. Her sassy charm truly ignites this recording and it soon became a big seller on the U.K and U.S Pop charts.
One of the adventurous offerings on here is the sugary but compelling, Dear Jessie which is utterly glorious from its fantastically arranged and highly origanal musical arrangements. Unsurprisingly, Dear Jessie with its fun, happy content became another huge hit in Madonnas already large catologue.
Keep It Together is a nifty slice of commercial-flavoured dance-pop which Madonna delivers with style and finesse but one of the other highlights on the album is then served with the spiritual, Pray For The Spanish Eyes which is both atmospheric and reflective. This leads to the final of the album with the experimental, Act Of Contrition which has Madonna quietly uttering a prayer over an edgy, stark rock guirtar with a choirs background chants played backwards. This method was used by acts such as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles in the 1960's to create that ultimate psychedelic effect. Certainly one of her more diverse offerings here.
On the whole, Like A Prayer ranks as one of her all-time timeless, classic albums. Highly consistent and good solid work, this enjoyed extravagent sales figures and critics rightly haled this as a masterpiece! Fantastic!!!
Free Music Review: Great Album
Hit: 5 Stars
First off...this is a great Madonna album but it was way overrated.There a few fillers on this album.The highlights of this album include Cherish(my fav.),Like A Prayer,Oh Father,Promise To Try,Keep It Together,and Dear Jessie.....Express Yourself I think is one of the worst songs Madonna has ever recorded....I just cannot get myself to like it.But as for that track the rest of the album is good...Make sure you pick up a copy of it!