Madonna - Like a Virgin
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Free Music Notes for Like a Virgin
Free Music Review: Madonna Breaks Through
Hit: 5 Stars
In early 1984, Madonna was just another singer with a few hits. With the release of "Like A Virgin", she became the icon her fans know and love. The title track and "Material Girl" are still two of her best known songs. The album has more than that, though! "Material Girl" is the opening song, and you can't help but think of the video when you hear it. A classic. Next up is another single, "Angel" that is somewhat forgotten. It's a nice midtempo song with great singing from Madge. This is followed by the title track. Ahh, yes, who hasn't heard this one? Quintessential 80's for sure. Madonna's first number one is really good, even if it is a little dated. The music on this remastered version sounds great, too. Next up is "Over and Over", a fun,uptemo song. After that is "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", famously released on single 12 years later. It is the hidden gem of the album, proving the depth in Madonna's voice and her ability to sing a good ballad (although "Crazy For You" soon proved this too). "Dress You Up" is next, and is another memorable uptempo song, one of the best on the album."Shoo-Bee-Doo" follows, and although it may have a silly title and a few silly lyrics, it's a very good slow song. Next are two pretty good uptempo numbers, "Pretender" and "Stay". The album is finished off with the really good 12" versions of "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl". Overall, this isn't Madonna's best work, but it is really fun and shows why she became huge. An essential album of the eighties and a perfect addition to any Madonna collection.Free Music Review: the exception that prooves the rule
Hit: 5 Stars
Many recording artists have fallen victim to the Sophmore Slump. They release a great debut, and expectations for a follow up are high. They are rushed into the studio to record another smash hit album. And it bombs. It happens all the time. This, I can assure you, is the exception that prooves that rule. Hooks galore, incredibly tight music ( courtesy mostly of the Chic rhythm section, plus producer/guitarist Nile Rodgers ) catchy choruses, provocative ( for their time ) lyrics. The album cover is brilliant in both its aesthetic beauty ( the sepia tone photo is a classic ) and its blatant attempt to stun and shock ( Madonna, in a wedding dress, with a belt buckle that says "Boy Toy", I am sure made parents across America wonder what was inside this album their teens were bringing home.)This remains Madonna's best selling album and for good reason. No less than four hit singles. And the album cuts are great too. The ballad "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" ( a cover of an old Rose Royce hit) contains one of her best vocal performances, and "Shoo Be Doo", despite its rather puerile lyrics, has a great vocal hook. She would go on to loftier critical success ( eventually winning the coveted Grammy for Pop Album of the Year for her "Ray of Light" ) but this is the real begining of Madonna Mania. This remastered edition doesn't really add much in the way of sonic improvement ( it was originally digitally recorded anyway ) but does contain the 12" mixes of the two best known singles, the title track, and "Material Girl". If you are one of the very few who don't have this already, and are a fan of pop music, I can wholeheartedly recommend "Like A Virgin".Free Music Review: Like A Virgin -- Madonna's second album
Hit: 5 Stars
Released in 1984. Copies sold:- 20,000,000.
Like A Virgin was released a year after Madonna's debut, Madonna, but it has sold double more copies than that album! Like A Virgin is also a better album than her first, mainly because of the more mature lyrics. Madonna also scored her first number one single here, which was Like A Virgin. And she deserved it! This album is a Madonna classic which I recommend to any beginners or fans. Madonna also started gathering bigger hits from this album.
1. Material Girl (4:01). #2 in the US. 10/10
2. Angel (3:56). #5 in the US. 9/10
3. Like A Virgin {3:38). #1 in the US. 10/10
4. Over And Over (4:11). 10/10
5. Love Don't Live Here Anymore (4:47). 10/10
6. Dress You Up (4:01). #5 in the US. 10/10
7. Shoo-Bee-Doo (5:17). 10/10
8. Pretender (4:31). 10/10
9. Stay (4:07). 10/10
10. Like A Virgin (Extended Dance Remix) (6:08). 10/10
11. Material Girl (Extended Dance Remix) (6:07). 10/10
I rated ten of these songs ten points because I thought they were all brilliant, and I rated Angel nine because I didn't think it was lyrically as good as the other songs on the album. My favourite songs on this album are definately Dress You Up, Stay and Like A Virgin. Like A Virgin is a classic Madonna song and definately one of her best, and Dress You Up and Stay are extremely fun to listen to! Like her first album, the last two tracks on this one come only with the re-mastered version, and the remixes are worth hearing, even if the originals are better. Recommended!
Free Music Review: Like a Virgin
Hit: 5 Stars
Madonna did not experience a sophomore slump with this album - in fact this is the one that launched her into pop superstardom!
Her risque performance of the title track on the MTV awards show heightened anticipation for the album and the clever video for MATERIAL GIRL (a song with a strong opening drum beat & bass backing) helped cement her place as an icon.
I've found though that my favorite tracks are the ones that Madonna co-wrote or wrote by herself:
SHOO BEE-DOO - ballad that begins with a sweet acoustic vocal from Madonna and kicks into a doo-wopish sound; I can't hear this track enough even to this day;
OVER & OVER - love the lyrics of this song "and if at first you don't succeed, here's some advice that you should heed - you get up again, over & over..."
ANGEL - whispery vocals on this mid-tempo track
I also give Madonna props for taking on a classic r&b track, LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE - she really sings her heart out and although not as good as the original, she surely made it her own
The only song that I really don't like is PRETENDER and while STAY is ok, I just don't like it as much as I love tracks 1 - 7. Just as with her debut, listening to this album transports me back to a happier time in my life and I can't help but smile as I reminisce while listening to the music.
Free Music Review: Awesome Sophomore Effort
Hit: 5 Stars
Usually the second album by the artist, especially if the debut was a hit, isn't as good. This one is definitely the exception to the rule. I think it's nearly as good as her first album. I remember seeing her on the MTV Video Awards in 1984 prancing around in a wedding dress, and thinking "Wow, that is so cool." I thought it was especially cool (and disturbing to the parents) that the word 'virgin' was in the title. Back then, it was almost considered to be dirty. So I went out and bought this album on tape soon after. Like her first one, I was not at all disappointed. I loved nearly every song, especially her cover of Rose Royce's "Love Don't Live Here Anymore". Usually a cover version isn't as good as the original, but hers blew Rose Royce's version out of the water. This was one song I rewound and listened to several times. That one and "Angel" which I really liked too, and thought didn't get nearly enough airplay as it should have.
I wasn't as crazy about the last three songs--"Shoo-Bee-Doo", "Pretender" & "Stay" but I'll listen to them anyway. I recently bought the CD version so I could rip the songs and put them on my MP3 player. Of course, like twenty years ago (Holy cow, has it really been that long? It seems like yesterday to me!) I still enjoy the songs.