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hate her, but chances are you have some strong opinion of Madonna. If you've read my other chartopper columns it comes as no surprise that, for the past 20 years, I've adored her! And she continues to inspire me with each new album. For the next few months, in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the release of her very first record, I'll be looking back at Madonna's amazing career and talking about each release! We'll have some fun trivia with great prizes so stay tuned and please keep reading Chartoppers: Madonna! Email me at chris@fredflare.com. I'd love to hear your stories about Madonna! Xxoo, Chris Click here for Chartoppers: the 80’s! |
 "Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there…" Before I begin our discussion of Like a Prayer, I’d like to first chat about what Her Madgesty is up to these days. Our girl’s been busy! There’s the Gap commercial, the VMA kiss, the upcoming Britney duet, the Estée Lauder perfume ad that features "Love Profusion" and, of course, her new children’s book The English Roses. And we all thought Madonna was having a tough time with American Life but really she’s doing just fine! Did you catch M on O? I really enjoyed it! It was interesting that Oprah commented on how Madonna seemed more calm and happy than she had ever remembered. Mo agreed and spoke of her years of soul-searching as well as her studies of the Kabbalah. Although she was there to promote her new children’s book, it was here when she began speaking of her spirituality and personal growth that I thought she really began to shine. She said the Kabbalah has given her new tools to find purpose and responsibility in her actions. She also said it’s enhanced her relationships and her family life. This was a side of her I hadn’t really seen before. She even broke down in tears when Oprah – ever the heartstring puller that she is – brought out a guest to meet Madonna, a teen whose friend had died of cancer. Just before the friend’s death, her dreams were fulfilled when Madonna started phoning her… every day! I couldn’t believe it. How does someone like Madonna find time to call anyone, let alone a complete stranger, each and every day? That’s so not her motif… But I was wrong. Madonna’s different now. Even though all of her life experiences make her who she is, it wasn’t until the release of Like a Prayer, almost 15 long years ago, that we really saw Madonna had begun to change. This, her fourth studio album, was a chartopping, 10 million-selling success. But it was also a departure from the Madonna that we had known previously and it marked a dramatic change in her approach to making music. This is truly where her artistic and spiritual journey begins. The album was written directly about her life and sung from her heart. It wasn’t really about her image as much at first – her face wasn’t even on the album cover – but was more about her soul. In Like a Prayer she made music from personal experience, like her Catholic upbringing, her father, her marriage to Sean Penn, her family and the loss of her mother. The album liner notes even say, "This album is dedicated to my mother who taught me how to pray." It’s deep! I remember when the album first came out. I was on my way to Spring Break in Clearwater, Florida with a group of friends from college. We drove from Chicago straight through to the Sunshine State in my black Monte Carlo, while my new Like a Prayer cassette played non-stop in the car stereo, nearly a full 24 hours. I remember opening the tape for the first time and looking at her picture on the inside sleeve. I was taken back by Mo’s going-back-to-my-roots brunette look! Then I listened to her collection of songs and was touched by her beautiful voice and moving content. Maddy was maturing, but in the hottest way! That whole week on the beach I’d walk around with my boom box blaring "Express Yourself"… I thought I was so cool! It wasn’t until the release of Like a Prayer that the critics, who probably secretly loved her all along, really came out loud and proud in support of our girl! For the first time, she was considered a talented songwriter, even an artist. The rich emotional lyrics combined with smart dance tracks definitely got her some well-earned respect. People really embraced this record. Literally. The album was scented with patchouli, Madonna’s perfume du jour, and nearly gave you the feeling that she was right by your side. You’d hold it close to you. It even came packaged with an intimate message about AIDS, another first in the recording industry pioneered by the lady M. The packaging was amazing, the music stunning, the vocals hot and the message clear. All in all, I think many people would vote Like a Prayer the best Madonna record ever! So let’s get to my new fave thing to do. Let’s talk about each track and it’s AWESOMENESS!!! The playlist begins with a bang! "God?" Madonna asks at the start of her title track and first single. The controversial video for this song, directed by Mary Lambert of "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl" fame, showcased even further what was on Mo’s mind. Packed with all kinds of twisted religious iconography – burning crosses, bleeding eyes, stigmata and a black saint that Madonna kisses – it tells one hell of a crime story of mistaken identities, but was practically considered criminal in its own right. The content ruffled so many feathers that Pepsi pulled its highly publicized commercial featuring the song and Madonna herself. It only aired once. Despite all the controversy, "Like a Prayer" shot right to the top of the charts. Voted recently by Q magazine as the best Madonna single ever, "Like a Prayer" is a soulfully touching song about Madonna’s love for the mystery that could be God. Backed by the Andrae Crouch choir, it simply couldn’t be more stunning. And how many religious songs do you know of that also make you want to get up ‘n dance? Even my teen club at the time, Medusa’s in Chicago, played the remix of "Like a Prayer". It was practically unheard of then for underground Chicago House DJ’s to touch Madge until "Like a Prayer" came on the scene. Her voice really did take ‘em there! Next up on the record is mega-hit "Express Yourself". Here she opens with another question – "Do you believe in love?" – and then goes on to tell her girlz "Don’t go for second best!" This jam is a signature Madonna anthem in my book because it perfectly illustrates her spunky go-get-‘em drive that has inspired so many. The video for "Express Yourself" is amazing, too, and one of Madonna’s most popular as she blasts back on the scene as a power blonde. Based on Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Madonna plays a bored wife of a factory mogul. Tiring in her penthouse suite she finds hot love with a hunky factory worker. Meow! From her confident crotch-grabbing antics to her all-chained-up looks, the video asks, "Who’s got the power?!" Madonna’s goes all purple on the next track with her Prince duet "Love Song". Now don’t be confused by the title because… this is not a love song. It’s a duel between two music icons! Hmm, a battle between M and P… who do you think would win? From Paisley pride to a marriage falling apart, Madge continues her journey with the thrilling "Till Death Do Us Part". Here Madonna is clearly singing about her broke-down palace of marriage with Sean Penn. Even though it has a zippy melody, it’s a tragic song about an abusive relationship, both physically and mentally. This makes me think of Sean and Madonna’s wedding day, on that cliff in Malibu with the paparazzi helicopters hovering so close they couldn’t even hear each other’s vows. It’s kinda sad. And if you thought that was depressing Mo takes us right into "Promise to Try," a ballad exploring the loss of her mother. We see Madonna’s vulnerable side as she sings from a young girl’s point of view about not having Mom around anymore. Wipe your tears, crybabies! Madonna picks us up midway through Like a Prayer and delivers the crush smash "Cherish" to bring things uptempo. In this effervescent retro romp Madonna sings about a love so delicious and fun not even Romeo and Juliet could relate. With photographer Herb Ritts at the helm for his first time, the video for "Cherish" is a black and white clip of Madonna frolicking and posing on the beach while her hunk-a-licious mermen friends swim about at sea. There’s even a lil’ merbaby child that Mo befriends. Hey, the kid in the video thing is kind of big for Madge… Even though I’ve never seen the animated video for "Dear Jessie", it’s also clearly a hit with the kid set. Released as a single only in the UK, "Dear Jessie" evokes visions of childhood lullabies and fairytales using a horse-prancin’ melody. Here’s a sample of what "Dear Jessie" serves up: magic lanterns, rainbows and falling stars, pink elephants and lemonade, candy kisses, dancing moons, white turtle doves and sugarplum fingertips. Well, it’s kind of a drug-induced Lucky Charms but I’m sure Lola loves it! Just when you thought you were safe, Madonna goes right for the family unit jugular with the following two tracks, "Oh Father" and "Keep It Together". These are two of the most meaningful songs on the record for me, but more on that later. "Oh Father" finds Madonna exploring another abusive relationship, but this time it’s with Dad. Also written from the child’s perspective, she sings of pain and longing to escape but also has amazing perspective on the situation. She writes, "Sombody hurt you, too." In "Keep it Together" Maddy gets funky while exploring her need for family togetherness. After all, most people she’s come across just want something from her. Her family, though far from perfect, remains a touchstone of unconditional love. Madonna finishes up Like a Prayer with "Spanish Eyes" and "Act of Contrition". "Spanish Eyes" tells the story of a gang member’s early death and asks the question so many of us ask. How can God let his Children suffer? The deconstructed tune "Act of Contrition" has Mo at confession, of sorts, layered with the backtracking melody of "Like a Prayer". To backtrack myself a bit, I also have some confessions. As I write this column I find I’m estranged from my family. It’s that pesky Gay issue! I hope I’m not beating a dead horse by bringing it up again, but I’m just writing from my heart now. Listening to Like a Prayer recently and hearing "Oh Father" and "Keep it Together" really gave me a sinking feeling, like I might cry. Intellectually, I can say that I have perspective and understand the nature of my parents’ rejection but I’m not sure I’m able to forgive them just yet, or let go of the pain. I can only promise to try. 10/03/03 |
