Madonna - Confessions on the Dancefloor

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Project 05
Posted: 07 January 2005
madonnalicious has received some news about Madonna's upcoming projects for 2005 - remember these are in the early stages and may or may not be finalised:

The two tracks Madonna has completed with Stuart Price are titled Haunted and If You Were Here. It is not know whether these tracks will make it onto her pending album, which has the current working title of Project 05.

The collaboration with Missy Elliot was on a track called Cali Dreams and is about the cost of fame. The track is not a duet as such, as Madonna is only providing backing vocals. It has yet to be decided if the track will be included on Missy's new album.

Madonna has also reaching out for another producer for her next album, calling on Emilio Estefan Jr. to work out a demo for her. Madonna wants a Latin track for her next album and is a big fan of Estefan's work.

Talks for the movie Streets of Paris are warming up. However, word is that Cate Blanchett is also interested in the role that Madonna has her eyes on. Jean-Baptiste Modino is currently not in the running to be director.

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Nog meer details over 2 nieuwe songs...
07-01-2005 - 19:50 - bron: www.drownedmadonna.com

DrowedMadonna heeft vanavond nog meer informatie geplaatst over de 2 songs die Madonna met Stuart Price heeft opgenomen.

Haunted
Een ballad met veel strings en "Moroccan percussion".
Een stukje van de songtekst: “And I’m haunted/by the visions in the grieving room/daddies working hard/never saw the clouded doom/eclipsing his broken heart”

If You Were Here
Word omschreven als "very techno acid but with a trip hop twist, unlike anything Madonna has recorded before".
Songtekst: “If you were here/everything would be much easier/If you were here/Damn I’d be happier/If you/If you/If you were here”

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"I Love New York"
08-01-2005 - 17:30 - bron: www.drownedmadonna.com

Tijdens de Re-Invention Tour gingen er geruchten dat Madonna tussendoor de tourdata aan het werk was aan een nieuw(e) nummer(s). DrownedMadonna vermeld vandaag op haar website dat één van die liedjes de titel "I Love New York" heeft. En er komen op een later tijdstip nog meer details op DrownedMadona over dit nieuwe Madonna nummer.

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Clearly a lot of effort has been put into the costumes which Madonna will be wearing in her new music video. But there is one person who is less-than-impressed at what her mum is wearing - Madge's eight-year-old daughter Lourdes.
Mum arrived in a smart black get-up before putting on some cleavage bearing frocks. The 46-year-old Like A Virgin singer spent more time changing her outfits than actually singing when she recorded the film in West London. But then she is a Material Girl.

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As reported yesterday from the news media, madonna.nu has now learned that Madonna's hush hush shoot on Friday was both a shoot for a new music video as well as a photoshoot with a new photographer. We don't have the info about who is directing the video, but we do know that Madonna did another photoshoot last week with a very well known photographer!

In sum, we have two new photoshoots and a brand new music video coming up!

Production on all new Madonna projects are in full swing and we will be getting a lot more from Madonna very soon!

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Madonna's official website www.madonna.com have published this piece of Album Teaser Alert:

If you haven't heard that Madonna is back in the studio recording, then you might be living under a rock! Chatter & speculation about the new album has been non-stop. What will be the theme of the album? Who does Madonna collaborate with? When will the album be released? Fans everywhere are dying to find out the truth. At this time, Madonna.com can confirm that Madonna is busy in the studio collaborating with new producers that she has never worked with before. Can't confirm any names yet, but stay tuned to Madonna.com for more insider information.

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Madonna to launch new perfume
Posted: 04 June 2005

Madonna has signed a £5 million deal to launch her own range of perfume. She hopes to have the new fragrence on sale before Christmas around the time her new album hits the stores.

It will be advertised in magazines and on TV and Steven Klein is meant to have shot the press campaign.

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We've just heard that the final title of Madonna's documentary is the exciting "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret"

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Madonna wants to go back to her roots, so she's planning to get into the groove on her next album. "It's all dance music," she revealed recently. "No ballads, no slow songs."
The Material Mom has been working on her 10th studio album with several collaborators, some of whom have lent a helping hand before, such as French producer Mirwais Ahmadzai, who lent his retro-electro style to both Music and American Life, as well as Stuart Price, her musical director on the Reinvention Tour who popped up on American Life by co-writing "X-Static Process." His '80s electro-pop sound will be showcased even more prominently on the upcoming, still-untitled album, she said, because she did "a lot" of it with Price (a.k.a. Jacques Lu Cont).

But Madonna isn't just tapping into the well of the tried and true - she's also borrowing a bit from Britney by experimenting with a duo of Swedish producer-songwriters known as Bloodshy & Avant (Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Pontus "Avant" Winnberg), who made a name for themselves by writing and producing Spears' "Toxic."

Madonna's album is due in late November, and she plans to tour by next summer.

From MTV News

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Op dinsdag 5 juli 2005 20:13 schreef schatje het volgende:
Ik geloof je wel hoor. Ik wilde het niet in twijfel brengen .

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Enige idee wanneer de Reinvention tour op DVD wordt uitgebracht?

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There's always things I know that I unfortunately can't share (yet) so for now here is what I'll say (although admittedly it's not much):

Things are quiet at the moment. The album is in the post-production phase. Trust that most of the tracklists floating about are in fact fake. As far as I've been told, it's still as I posted before. The RIT DVD and the new album will launch at same time or near to each other in November. There is a small chance that it [the album] could still be pushed to 2006 but this is unlikely as Madonna is determined to force the release this year even if Warner doesn't want to.

As for the doc, what a mess! Madonna is still pushing for a theatre release even if only a limited theatre release (ex. film festivals) but it's looking like it might (although not confirmed) go straight to DVD. (This is what Madonna meant in her recent interview when she said she wasn't sure if her new album would be first or her movie.)

I'll share more when I can, we just need to be patient. Trust me, last time I said new info would be coming soon, it did. I'm not saying that to promote myself, I'm just trying to build excitement that good things are indeed on the horizon so we just need to wait!

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MadonnaTribe has heard some fresh and exclusive news about Madonna's upcoming album.

The Queen of Pop is currently in Los Angeles mixing her album with Stuart Price and the first single to be released from the new album is called "Hung Up".

In mid-August Madonna will shoot the album cover in the UK with Steven Klein who will also direct her new video, also shot in August and also in the UK.

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REGRESSION.

On July 14 fellow fansite Madonna.nu exclusively revealed that photographer Steven Klein is teaming up again with Madonna for her upcoming album.

DrownedMadonna can add more details .The shooting of the new Madonna album cover has the working title , "REGRESSION" , which is still subjected to change.

The shoot is scheduled to last 2 days. It's still unsure if it will take place in Los Angeles or London.If the schedule fits his agenda , graphic designer Giovanni Bianco will join the Creative Team.

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Madonna.com is happy to announce the name of the first single off of the new album is called HUNG UP (produced by Stuart Price). The album, Confessions on a Dancefloor, will be released this fall. Stay logged in to Madonna.com for more exciting album news!

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* Album release date is now set to november 15th!
* No release date for the single yet
* The album artwork will be shot in LA by Steven Klein on August the 11th
(ed. previous news also stated that the video will be directed by Steven Klein, so maybe it's a combined session).
* Madonna is NO way working with Christina Aguilera or Gwen Stefani on her own upcoming record or their upcoming records!

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This is from Jeanette Walls column, The Scoop, on MSNBC.COM:

Don’t believe those reports that Madonna is teaming up with Christina Aguilera. “Christina is working on an album in the [same] building [as Madonna] but they have not seen each other,” Madonna’s spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, tells The Scoop. She went on to debunk another rumor. “Gwen Stefani is not guesting on the record either. It’s all Madonna, all the time — a total dance record called 'Confessions on a Dance Floor.' No ballads, no messages. Her fans will go insane when they hear it. It’s back to Madonna the queen of the dance floor.”

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Op vrijdag 29 juli 2005 10:59 schreef mineo39-76 het volgende:
Mooi nieuws over Madonna! Ik ben een eerste uur fan (Holiday) Heb haar maar 3 keer live gezien maar heb wel al haar LP's, 12 inches en CD's, ook enkele DVD's.

Over DVD's gesproken... De "Blond Ambition Tour 1990" DVD die sinds kort in de winkel ligt...
Wat een aanfluiting zeg! Tis gewoon een illigaal opgenomen concert met belabberd beeld en geluid

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A few weeks ago Madonna.com reported that HUNG UP is going to be the first single off the new album. We are now happy to tell you that HUNG UP will debut at radio on October 17th!

Not only that, but Madonna.com is pleased to announce the release date for Madonna's new All Dance Album. Madonna fans all over the world can rejoice, because the album release date is currently scheduled for November 15, 2005! Put your dancing shoes on and plan a date with your best friends to the clubs, because October & November are going to rule!

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Madonna is returning to her roots with the club-friendly Confessions on a Dancefloor, due November 15th. For her tenth studio album, the follow-up to 2003's American Life, the pop legend worked closely with British producer Stuart Price (a.k.a. DJ Jacques Lu Cont) at his London apartment.

Price met Madonna later in her career, playing keyboards on her last two tours -- "I was a bit too young to be a fan in the Eighties," he says, laughing. She approached him after last year's Re-Invention Tour, when she began work on a music-driven screenplay, bringing him onboard to create a sound she called "future disco." The idea for Confessions came from those sessions.

"We live real near each other in London, and we could just send ideas back and forth and get together and work on stuff," Price says. "The creative process was very short. There were a couple of weeks in London at my studio where we were doing a song every day."

At night, the producer would test out the tracks during his club gigs. "Whenever I was DJ'ing, I'd take dub or instrumental versions out with me," Price says. "I had my camera with me, and the next day I'd tell Madonna, 'This is what a thousand people in Liverpool looked like last night dancing to our song.' You can work on a song for twelve hours, but I guarantee you'll know within the first ten seconds of putting it on at a club whether it works or not. So these songs were tested on unwitting subjects throughout Europe."

But Price insists that he and Madonna did not blindly trust the club scene, wanting to create something more lasting. "There's a bit of a danger with dance music that you can create something that's cool but doesn't have much substance to it," he admits. "Every few months, a club record comes along that hits a nerve with people, and they connect to it. They don't know why, but there is something magical in it. That's what we were trying to make."

The first single is the uptempo synth-disco jam "Hung Up," which Price calls "a big feel-good song. You put it on and you want to get in your car, turn it up and drive around smiling."

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Madonna was recovering at home on Wednesday after suffering several broken bones in a riding accident at her country estate, her spokeswoman said. "She is recovering at home," Barbara Charone said. "We don't have any other update at this stage."

The singer was rushed to a local hospital in Salisbury by film director Ritchie yesterday and later discharged. She is due to release her new album "Confessions on a Dancefloor" in November. Charone said she did not expect Madonna's injuries, which will take weeks to heal, to affect the launch or promotion of the record. "As far as I know, nothing's been affected," Charone said.

From Yahoo! News

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Madonna is "in great spirits" Wednesday after breaking several bones during a horse-riding accident the previous day, her rep tells People.
"Madonna is doing great. She's up and in great spirits. She's not feeling that bad. She's getting around," her publicist Liz Rosenberg says.

Madonna has a dance CD due for release this November. It's not anticipated that the spill will prevent her from promoting it, said Rosenberg, who told People: "I'm sure she'll be very restless. She's usually doing lots of things at once." So will she get back on the horse and ride again? "Knowing her, she'll be riding next week," says Rosenberg. "She is a fearless girl."

From People News

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20-08-2005 - Mad for Maddy

What does a megastar need when she's under the weather? Why, a little ego-stroking, of course...

And Madonna's pals have been doing just that since the singer fell off her horse this week.

Stuart Price, who produced her new album Confessions On A Dancefloor, sent snaps of fans dancing to her tunes in Ibiza to cheer her up. A spy says: "Stuart DJ'd at Thursdays at Space and played some tracks.

"The floor went wild so he sent some pics on his phone to her saying: 'Here's 1,000 people going mad to your tune!' She loved it." Well, it sure beats grapes

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"I want people to jump out of their seats" Never one to understate, those were the exact words Madonna used to describe the songs on her upcoming album, -"Confessions On a Dance Floor". The 12 delicious tunes of pure 'unapologetic dance music' including the single "Hung Up" (out Oct.17th) is scheduled to be released on November 15th on Warner Bros. Records. This time out, the original Queen of Dance Music returns to where she began and kicks it up a few extra notches.

"It's in her blood" says Madonna's co-producer/partner in crime, DJ and Madonna musical director, Stuart Price. "She has a dance halo over her head. We made this record without any preconceived notions. It was straight from the gut - unencumbered -not over edited - very spontaneous, concluded Price.

If 'Confessions' were equated to a new dance step, it would a stunning blend of musical styles with one foot in the roots of early disco (a la Girogio Moroder/Abba on ecstacy) and the other foot gloriously ensconced in the future of music - a dance step that could only be accomplished by one artist.

Confessions on a Dance Floor is all about having a good time straight through and non stop." says America's ultimate Dancing Queen.

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Drowned Madonna can reveal another track from Madonna's "Confessions on a Dancefloor".

It’s called "JUMP"

So far, the real tracks from "Confessions on a Dancefloor" already revealed are:

- Hung Up
- Get Together
- Sorry
- Future Lovers
- Forbidden Love
- Jump
- I Love New York

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Op zondag 18 september 2005 14:41 schreef John.R.Cash het volgende:
Niet alle disco is van het nivo van Kylie toch? Je kan ook goede dansmuziek maken. Ray of Light was ook gehoorlijk dance georienteerd maar een mega goed album....

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Warner Nederland heeft MadonnaNed de officiële releasedata laten weten voor de nieuwe single en het album:

'Hung Up': 17 oktober als download
'Hung Up': 4 november als cd-single
'Confessions On A Dance Floor': 11 november

Met dank aan Warner Nederland

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Johann, the man behind Icon magazine and the Official Madonna Fanclub, has spoken for the first time about Madonna's new album. In the forum on the official fanclub website he said the following:

"Ok, so I'm gonna give you just a few clues because I want you to discover the whole thing on your own, which is so much better when it comes to a new album, right? It is Upbeat, Energetic. It's all about dance because let's face, she is the one who taught us how to express ourselves!! What I can say is that it will get your adrenaline going from the very first notes. And last, but not least, once you'll have heard the songs, they won't get out of your head for days. It's pure Madonna through and through. It will make you wanna dance instantly, that's for sure!!!"

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With the listening parties where people from the music industry are invited to have a closer encounter with Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor taking place these days, the first comments and reports about how the new album by the Queen of Pop sounds like start circulating.

We've already heard that but it's great news to learn that also non-fans consider he album amazing, some of the best Madonna has ever done.
"Confessions" is indeed completely dance through and through, the slowest song (although still dance) being "Isaac", a track that features Madonna chanting back and forth together with a male voice, in a way very similar to the chanting on Donna DeLory's The Lover And The Beloved.
Thanks to torontoboy for posting this in our Forum - click here to join the discussion..

On another track Madonna is reported being literally groaning at the beginning and before the song goes into a proper electro trance beat that was off the hook. "I have good feelings about this album!" - our source reports.

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The world will be watching on November 3rd, 2005 when Madonna performs the first single off of her new album for the first time in front of an audience! Madonna.com is announcing that Madonna will be onstage in Lisbon singing Hung Up at the 2005 Europe Music Awards. Further promotional events are being scheduled for the week of November 7 in Europe. Stay tuned to Madonna.com for more information on the upcoming events!

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MadonnaTribe has just received news that the Limited Edition for Madonna's new album "Confessions On A Dance Floor" is set to contain a Bonus Track not included in the regular album release.

According to the current listings of Warner Music Group, the bonus track will be called "Fighting Spirit"

Details about the Limited Edition have not been announced yet, but it is understood that it will contain a one-month introductory membership to Madonna's fan club.

Warner has also changed the release date for the album's Limited Edition, that is now set for December 13 2005.
"Confessions" will be released as CD, LP, Limited Edition CD and Digital Music Download.

The album will receive a massive TV and print advertising campaign, and street, online and club marketing will be extensive.

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If someone knows how to boost excitement, that is Madonna. Fans have been waiting for her re-Invention Tour documentary to be released for almost one year now, and all of a sudden the announcement came of the MTV Premiere next week.
As if it wasn't enough, a 10 minutes preview clip has been made available for streaming yesterday on VH1's VSpot, and the Madonna fans simply went crazy.

This special preview for "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" seems really to capture the essence of the Madonna tour experience and after watching it you will only ask for more.
It starts with a sequence where Madonna and musical director Stuart Price work on the intro sequence of the show set to "The Beast Within" - you'll hear Madonna describing the excerpt from the book of revelation and saying "Kinda scary..."

The scene moves then at the beginning of the process with the dancer's audtions with Madonna and Jamie King where you will see some bits of one of the rehearsed songs, "Die Another Day" and you'll finally see the joy of the selected dancers, who look like unknown, excited and a bit scared guys, nothing like the ones you'll meet on stage a few weeks later.

Some incredible footage for the show rehearsals at the Los Angeles Forum are also part of this preview, with gems like "I'm So Stupid" that was rehearsed in a rock version but didn't make the final setlist, and a bit of a totally unreleased mix of "Material Girl".
You will also see Madonna talking to the dancers who are going to impersonate the different religious characters that appear on the stage catwalk at the beginning of "American Life", rehearsing "Nobody Knows Me", "Vogue" and more, Madonna explaining why she needs a real scottish bagpiper and a relaxed moment with her children visiting their mum during a break.

Madonna always look extermely cool and relaxed, but you can clearly see that the time is near as we watch her in her car a few hours before the opening night.
The clip features footage filmed in black and white, a reminiscence of her first tour documentary on the 1990 Blond Ambition Tour, as well as parts filmed in colour.

Animated captions handwritten by Madonna herself describe moments and people throughout the movie, in a very catchy way that becomes an instantly recognisable trademark of this new cinematic adventure.

The clip is currently available on www.vh1.com in their VSpot section and the full documentary will premiere in New York City on Tuesday and broadcast on MTV on Friday night in the US.

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Latest on COADF Limited Edition, according to Amazon.

According to Amazon, "Confessions On A Dance Floor" Special Edition includes:

40 Page Picture Book

80 Page Blank ’Journal’ Book (includes some diary entries from Madonna)

1 Bonus Track (Fighting Spirit)

Fan Club Membership

Slip Case

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Op dinsdag 11 oktober 2005 10:51 schreef SCH het volgende:
Rabbijnen boos om song Madonna


Een song op het nieuwe album van Madonna heeft tot kritiek geleid van enkele rabbijnen. Het nummer, Isaac, gaat over Yitzhak Luria, een 16e eeuwse joodse kabbala-rabbijn. De rabbijnen vinden dat Madonna de naam van Luria misbruikt, aldus The New York Daily News van maandag.

Madonna is een fervent aanhanger van kabbala, een eeuwenoude joodse mystieke stroming. Onlangs nam ze de Hebreeuwse naam Esther aan.

Volgens rabbijn Rafael Cohen verbiedt de joodse wetgeving het gebruik van de naam van de heilige rabbijn voor winstdoeleinden. ''Haar daad is echt onaanvaardbaar. Ik voel slechts medelijden omdat ze er later van de hemelen voor gestraft zal worden.''

Madonna's album Confessions on a Dance Floor komt half november uit.

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ANYONE who thought MADONNA might have abdicated as the Queen of Pop can kneel at her throne once more.

I’m the first journo IN THE WORLD to have heard her new album – and it is an absolute belter.

Confessions On A Dance Floor wipes the, er, floor with her critically acclaimed CDs such as Ray Of Light. It is an hour of pure electronic dance/pop heaven.

Madonna says: “I want people to jump out of their seats. It’s about having a good time straight through and non-stop.”

And she’s absolutely right about that. There are no gaps between tracks so listening feels like you are having a private DJ session at the Ministry Of Sound.

I can’t find a weak track, and I’m confident the album will be hailed a masterpiece on its November 14 release.

Below is my track-by-track guide, with ratings out of ten.

Confessions On A Dance Floor
Track by Track

HUNG UP: Featuring a sample from Abba’s Gimme Gimme Gimme this is a massive floor filler and a clear No1 single.

While there’s no way on earth a straight bloke could be seen dead dancing to this camp tune it will go down a storm when she performs it at London’s G.A.Y. nightclub next month. 9

GET TOGETHER: Upbeat track which borrows the bass line from the Stardust dance classic Music Sounds Better With You. She sings, “Do you believe we can change the future?” 8

SORRY: One of the best tracks on the album and likely to be the second single. You’ll recognise the infectious bass line on the chorus as it’s a sample from The Jacksons’ 1981 hit Can You Feel It.

The opening features Madonna saying “sorry” in lots of different languages. 10

FUTURE LOVERS: Madonna wrote this with Mirwais Ahmadzai, who produced her No1 album, Music.

It’s heavy on synths and you can spot a sample from the Donna Summer/Moroder club anthem I Feel Love. 9

I LOVE NEW YORK: Banging dance tune with lyrics featuring a pop at George Bush and his home state. She sings: “If you don’t like my attitude then you can just f off. Just go to Texas, that’s where they play golf.”

The chorus is: “Los Angeles is for those who sleep, Paris and London baby you can keep, No other city will make me dance like New York” 10

LET IT WILL BE: Oddly titled track uses the string opening from Papa Don’t Preach played on a synth. The track is reminiscent of Ray Of Light.

An Eighties-sounding string of chords takes the track into the following number. 10

FORBIDDEN LOVE: This is Kraftwerk inspired and features computer generated, vocoder style vocals.

It sounds very Eighties and is slightly slower than the rest of the album (there are no ballads at all on the CD). 8

JUMP: Features classic Madonna vocals and is reminiscent of Into The Groove. She sings: “The only thing you can depend on is your family.” 9

HOW HIGH: All about Madonna analysing and evaluating her fame and success. She sings: “It’s funny I spent my whole life wanting to be talked about, Was it all worth it? I guess I deserve it, How high are the stakes?” 10

ISAAC: By far my favourite track — a stunning combination of wild rhythms, a hypnotic jewish chant and loads of strings and guitars. The ending is borrowed from Die Another Day. I defy anyone to not be blown away by this track. 11

PUSH: A love song for Madonna’s husband Guy. It’s got a funky La Isla Bonita vibe about it and is ear-marked as a possible single.

She sings about Guy: “I owe it all to you, It’s because you push me, Keep on pushing like nobody.” 10

LIKE IT OR NOT: A bit like her hit Fever, this song is once again Madonna analysing herself and saying, take me as I am.

She sings: “You can call me a sinner or a saint, This is who I am, You can like it or not, You can love me or leave me, But I’m never going to stop.”

This track completes the album beautifully with a classical guitar ending. Quite clever to put out a wholly electronic album – and close it with an acoustic guitar. 10

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From DrownedMadonna:

Review of Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Our Friend John just send us his review of Confessions on a Dance Floor:

Well after much speculation, I finally heard Confessions on a Dance Floor this afternoon.

The official listening party was at the swanky Soho Hotel in London, made up mainly of journalists and media luvvies.

As soon as I got there, I could see huge posters, specially made promotional wall hangings (one including flashing lights) and a couple of giant disco balls (No, not Jimmy Mac’s).

Unlike the American Life playback, no phones or bags were allowed in the screening room, but annoyingly the lights were turned off as moving logos and graphics were played on the cinema screen for each track. And it’s bloody hard to write in the dark, let alone read it back afterwards. So bear with me.

Before I continue, this review is based on one hearing of the album only. I’ll probably change my opinion when I hear the album again on some tracks, but for now, this is just what I reckon to each song. So when you all hear the album, don’t crucify me for being off the mark with this write-up!

I’m also very harsh with my marks out of ten on all records – I’m not going to give Madonna 10/10 for everything, like I wouldn’t with any other song by any other artist that I hear.

So without further ado, I present my review of Confessions On A Dancefloor.

Hung Up
You’ve all heard the album version of this, so there’s no point in me telling you about it. I love it, it’s a great opener. 9/10

Get Together
As the clock ticking of Hung Up goes from that song to this, it begins with an alarm clock ringing and what sounds like a siren. With a heavy bass, the vocals fade in and out and there’s more than a hint of Music Sounds Better With You to start with, but not the whole way through, and the drum sounds like its played backwards in places.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” she asks.
The vocal style reminds me a little of Substitute For Love, very gentle and melodic, at odds with the instrumental.
“Do you believe we can change the future,” she asks.
The dance beat comes in and out throughout, which sets the style for much of the album. When it comes back, it’s with the line ‘it’s all an illusion, there’s too much confusion.’
The rhythmic beat is like a heartbeat, I really like this track. 8/10

Sorry
As Get Together fades out with orchestration, Sorry begins with her saying sorry in a variety of different languages. Muffled vocals and the words ‘I’ve heard it all before’ (which appear a lot in this song) repeat to a climax until the chorus kicks the song off properly. There are shades of The Jackson’s Can You Feel It, but this sounds more like the Tamperers version from a few years back. To me, it uses the vocal style of Words.
The song fades out and she says sorry in English, then more languages and builds up background vocals of ‘I heard it all before’ repeated again and again until the chorus re-appears.
The end fades out with the words ‘Don’t explain yourself cos talk is cheap, I don’t wanna hear, I don’t wanna know’. The last words are vocodered and slowed down as it launches into Future Lovers.
Another strong song, and worthy of a single. 8/10

Future Lovers
Obvious references to Donna Summer’s I Feel Love here, and oddly, Kylie’s Light Years! It takes a while to build up and kicks off with spoken vocals and a strong synth line. It’s a strong album track, but for me, no single. The vibe is very ambient trance.
‘I’m going to tell you about love’ she preaches, ‘There’s no love like future love’.
There’s also loads of weird vocal affects, she sounds like she’s singing ‘give me evidence of its brilliance,’ but I’m not sure. This is a very Goldfrapp meets Kylie style song. A perfect title for it, as its very futuristic. Like most other songs, the synths burst in and out, go quiet, build up and crashes back into your ears. She’s singing at least three things at once in parts with layers of vocals. 7/10

I Love New York
This is a strange kettle of fish. Odd lyrics, a strong dance beat, kind of catchy but kind of cold.
“Other places make me feel like a dork” she rhymes. “LA is for people who sleep. Paris and London baby you can keep.”
It tanks along for a couple of verses and choruses before she repeats the words ‘baby you can keep’ over and over again til it fades out. “If you don’t like my attitude you can F-off’ – no Fuck, just an ‘f’.
“New York is not for little pussies who scream.” Fair enough, Madge.
Some of the lyrics are partly sung, partly spoken. With some prudent editing, this could be a single. Not an immediate one for me though. It ends with an instrumental of the song and police sirens, with orchestral stabs like Die Another Day. 7/10

Let It Will Be
Nope, not a Beatles cover but a real Euro-pop style track, one of only couple of pop-based songs on the album. There’s more of a diversity of chords to this, a faint glimmer of Love Profusion with a 70s style disco beat. The lyrics are a bit banal, and the orchestration stays strong throughout. But it’s one of my favourites. 9/10

Forbidden Love
As Let It Will Be Fades out to just vocals and orchestra, Forbidden Love begins with a strange almost Japanese like intro, just a synth then vocals under the influence of the vocoder, a bit Daft Punk-ish. Actually, it could have easily come from a Royksopp album as its very ambient. I thought I heard shades of the Scissor Sisters’ Comfortably Numb in the instrumentation. Although I could be just deaf.
“Just one kiss, just one touch, just one look” she pleads. Again, not a single ,but an OK album track. 7/10

Jump
This ironically jumps out at you, I adore the start of this track, a thumping 1970s bassline, spoken intro vocals. It’s the most retro track on the album.
“Just get ready to jump, take my hand” she asks, and I’m with her the whole way down. Synths, a handclapping machine, and lyrics about how you can only rely on your family. It’s a sequel (lyrically) to Keep It Together. A nice positive message. 8/10

How High
Ohh, this is a dark little bastard. Vocoders again, robotic-like vocals, like Stuart Price used in his remix of Missy Elliot’s Out Of Control’.
It’s an aggressive, angry start, with self questioning lyrics like ‘Was It Worth It seeing my name in lights?’ In places, vocally she sounds like Texas’s Sharleen Spiteri. She questions ‘Will any of this matter when I’m gone?’’
Yes Madge, it probably will. This has the potential for some great remixes. Once again, there’s shades of Die another Day orchestration meets Studio 54. 8/10

Isaac
This is the one I was looking forward to hearing the most, and it’s certainly the most unique track on the whole record. It starts off like a classical tune, with plucked violin strings, followed by a man chanting; he keeps coming back throughout. The guitars come in, fast drum beats and spiritual lyrics like ‘May angels call your name til you hear what they are saying.”
There’s Eastern influences in this, and this to me, is an amalgamation of Don’t Tell Me, Ashanti and Die Another Day. She also uses the ‘mmmmm’ bits from Frozen. It’s very hard to explain. It’s not a single, and although it works, I think after a while I’ll be skipping over it. 7/10 (for now)

Push
Wow. Here the pace changes, its sharp, phat, hip hop drums meet electronica are not what you are expecting. It’s the slowest song, she repeats the words ‘you push me’ over and over. The verses have sparse very dark music behind them, but the chorus is totally different, it’s incredibly uplifting. It’s a very unusual record, but one that I love.
“Every move I make, every step I take, everything I do, because you push me.”
Again, some of the instruments at times appear to be played backwards. My favourite track on the record, but it will divide a lot of you. 10/10

Like It Or Not
I didn’t. Once again starting orchestrally, sounding like a classical song, the Goldfrapp style beat kicks in and it goes in a different direction. ‘Celebrate me for who I am’ she yells. It’s an attack on the people who dislike her, albeit a very kaballistic version. “Your names will never hurt” she says defiantly.
It’s full of spiritual bible references, and some tragic lyrics. The worst being ‘ I’ll be the garden, you’ll be the snake, all of my fruit are for you to take.” Oh Christ, it’s the tree of life all over again isn’t it? It ends with classical guitars and is not the best song to end an album with. I don’t think much of this, although it could be a grower. 5/10

Johnny’s final word:
So there you have it. I’m tired after hearing it, it’s exhausting. It’s so well layered, I imagine hearing new things every time I play it. It’s not as fun as I thought it would (for fun, see uplifting tracks like Cherish) but it’s very clever and very enjoyable.
You’ll see Stuart Price has a formula, built up intro, verses, choruses, fade out, fade back and end with synths and orchestras. But nothing on this sounds tired or old, it’s fresh and it’s a bloody good listen. Final rating: it’s up there with the best, you won’t be disappointed. A solid 8/10.

PS: The goody bag was a black bag, complete with a promo CD single, mouse mat, turntable slip mat, pixie sized T-shirt, press pack and poster. Not great

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From MadonnaTribe:

A review from the album by D-Reporter

Our reader D-Reporter had the chance to be among the lucky guests at the pre listening of Madonna's new album held today in London and he wants to share the experience in this exclusive report he wrote for our readers to enjoy.

From me to all you Tribers! I just got back from the album playback in London. Press and record company guests sat in a cinema to listen to the first play in the UK.
All I can say is that I've been a Madonna fan since day one.... and it's blown me away. It's completely not what I thought it would be. It tests, it provokes and it pushes you to the limits. It's also one of her simplest ever albums.

Lyrics are fairly light throughout. Stuart Price and the rest of the guys have made this album with M that will prove she's yet again pushing barriers.
It is political at times but more than anything it made everyone want to get up and dance.
Madonna's PR Barbara Charone was literally swaying with every track - it was hilarious. As far as I'm concerned this is her best album since Ray Of Light.
It's the album we've all hoped for. New, original and amazingly cool.

Hung Up
Take a sample of Abba's Gimme Gimme Gimme and add a tonne of camp disco grooves. It's definitely the most commercial song for release. It's completely out there and the perfect first single. After hearing the rest of the tracks on COADF I realised Hung Up was just the tip of the iceberg. Fantastic song, but for fans the album delivers more.

Get Together
Trippy and trancy but chilled at the same time. This wouldn't be out of place in Ibiza's Mambo bar for sunset. I've been to Ibiza alot and this would be perfect for chilling out and dancing on the beach at sunset. Close your eyes and you are literally in another place. She sings: "Do you believe in love at first sight?" and "If it's bitter at the start then it's sweeter in the end."

Sorry
Very commercial, up beat and definitely written about someone she's never ever going to forgive!
All the lyrics were aimed at someone Madonna clearly doesn't like that much. "Save your words because you've gone too far," she sings. You really get the feeling that it's about someone who's trying to apologise but will never succeed in getting through to someone.

Future Lovers
Really good track which makes you go for it from the start. Really Donna Summer-esque and makes you want to get up and dance. It will do great in the clubs. There's a lot of moaning and groaning in the song and alot of spoken vocals towards the beginning with that Erotica style yearn in her voice. Very happy song. She says at the beginning: "I'm going to tell you about love. Would you like to try?"

I Love New York
Ok, she got political with this one. She's kicking George Bush's butt and the chorus is literally thew most catchy chorus on the album I think. Even though it's so upbeat it really feels like quite a sinister song and there's something dirty about it. I think there was a big point to be made about New York being a place where she started and where she loves.

Let It Will Be
If anyone has heard of Faithless (which I'm sure you all have) then it's alot like there style. Heavy bass lines teamed together with really trippy funky house grooves. The vocals are really raw for this track and it sounds great. Her voice is great and they've left in all the gasping Madonna does for breath before singing which gives the song a really raw feel.

Forbidden Love
It's so Scissor Sisters style with a heavy Japanese style twang. Heavily synthesized vocals make this song rough and ready and it really gets you going. It's nothing like the last Forbidden love that's for sure!
There is quite a chilled feel to it underneath all the music - I liked this one and the beginning is great.

Jump
This track does exactly what it says on the can - makes you want to jump. Madonna sings: "I'm ready to jump. Just take my hand, are you ready?" Everyone in the playback was literally getting up and wanting groove for this one. Jo Whiley was there and she loved this one too.

How High
Extremely clubby and up-beat with lyrics referring to her old days of wanting fame and fortune. She's talking about how selfish and self centred she once was as she entered the music industry. It's actually really cool to know that she's learnt so much growing older in the industry and that she's able to put this into such a good track.

Isaac
I hate to say it - but Victoria Newton was right about this one in The Sun. The best song on the album! It starts with this overwhelming burst of Israeli chanting which is teamed together with fast rhythms and loads of strings.
It blew me away listening to it. It does a bit of chanting and then a burst of her. It really should be a single - but whether it could be released and overcome the industry who would probably be slightly against having all the chanting on commercial airwaves.

Push
This one has a really heavy 80s vibe that sounds so up to date and on the mark. It's really uplifting and will take you back to the days of shoulder pads, bubble perms and bangles. It has a scratchy record vibe at one point.
She sings: "You Push Me" and then bursts into a quickly spoken bit. It's hard to explain but it works.

Like It Or Not
Heavily influenced by her cover of Fever as everyone has been saying in the press. It's uncanny how much it's been lifted for this new song. It's sultry, stylish and lyrics that tell you not to mess with the her because she'll be tracking you down otherwise.
She says: "You can like me or leave me coz I'm never gonna stop." It must be a real finger up at all the people that slate her for keeping going and pushing the button.

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Op woensdag 26 oktober 2005 03:35 schreef Hapertje het volgende:
De back cover is cool!

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Op zaterdag 29 oktober 2005 01:14 schreef Haaibaaike het volgende:
Ik heb Madonna klein stukje gezien bij Pulse !
Peter had afgelopen woensdag een interview met haar. In Londen..
En ze lieten maar een klein voorproefje van zien.
Over twee weken komt er een extra lange Madonna special zei Peter vd Vorst