LindsayBW's Full Review: Like a Virgin [Remaster] by Madonna
I'm sorry to do it again, but I have to. Please, bare with me. But let's use our imaginations. The year is 1984. Madonna is no longer a determined Detroit native destined to make it. She's a star. She got it with her self-titled debut. What to do now? Capitalize.
That's where Like A Virgin came in. Hot off the heels of her successful dance album, Maddy decided to go commercial on her sexed-up sophomore release. Like I stated in my previous review in this series, I can't tell you if this had an impact. All I can do is open up my ears to one of the material girl's most successful albums.
Everyone knows the first beats of this record instantly. With a hollow synth, heavy beat, and cheesy riff that sounds a bit like a watered down My Sharona, Maddy kicks off her sophomore effort with the classic Material Girl. The lyrics are about as shallow as a puddle, but the chorus is catchy. Our girl's vocals are a little bit off in this one. She doesn't have the right diction, and they just don't seem to float over the heavy electronic sounds like they did on her debut. And the Marilyn Monroe like hiccups? Not appealing. It's a little too watered down to be a good dance track. Overall, it's a pretty catchy tune though, even if it's not one of her best.
A creeping, high-pitched keyboard brings us into Angel. It's a more dancy track, and Maddy's vocals are spot on in this one. They soothe through the track with the huskiness we're all used to. The lyrics are pretty weak, but she's never been a masterful lyricist. The chorus is pretty catchy, and she lets it all rip vocally. Unfortunately, it doesn't age as well as some of her other tracks, but it's still got an undeniable catchiness and you can definitely move to it.
Next up is that megasmash, Like A Virgin. Alright, it's cheesy, and it's an 80s staple, but it's still a good song. This is some of the last times we get to see those tuned up vocals, flying through her high register with a sexy innocence. The 80s beat and build-up to the chorus works perfectly, especially with her "Ooh!"s and "Hey!"s. The production is spot on, it compliments her voice and accomplishes exactly what it's trying to. If you're looking to dance, it's a bit of a slow number, but it's still a good pop classic.
A faster dance beat brings us into Over And Over. The production in this one is flat-out lazy, borrowing nearly everything from her debut but the kitchen sink. Maddy sounds enthusiastic, but it's obvious this is filler. The chorus is still a pretty catchy hook, but otherwise, it's nearly forgettable.
One of my problems with Madonna's perky debut was the lack of any slow material. She makes up for it on the ballad Love Don't Live Here Anymore. This is one of the few tunes on Madonna's albums that ages gracefully, and if I didn't know better, I'd say it came straight out of her pre-Ray Of Light work. It boasts a faint orchestra and minimalistic accompiant, until a powerful, but relaxed beat kicks in midway through. Madge has been known for a lot of things, but her vocal power has never really been one of them. But she lets it rip in this one. Her subdued voice is emotional and heartfelt, and when she adlibs, it's got a determined charm to it. No one else can let their voice crack in the middle of a long note and make it work so well. This is definitely one of the Material Girl's better ballads.
That heavy 80s beat comes back in with a twinkling synth and a catchy tune on the classic Dress You Up. This is easily the most energetic number on this one, and it's got a fantastic dance quality. Maddy's vocal style varies very nicely on this one, with a husky, sexy vocal through the verses and a sweet, energetic tone in the classic chorus. "I'm gonna dress you up in my love! All over your body!" she energetically promises. It's all pretty cheesy, especially the guitar solo, but it all works really well as one of Madonna's all-time best.
The beginning of Shoo-Bee-Doo sounds so promising, with a lovely piano and uncharacteristically great vocals from Madonna. Her voice sounds beautifully serene, with strumming chords backing it. But it doesn't last long. That 80s-esque beat kicks in all too soon, making the whole thing seem a bit over the top. But those vocals don't lie; she sounds so sincere throughout this medtempo. Nothing really stands out here, but it's nice to hear a softer 80s tune, and it is quite charming.
That nice softness doesn't last long though, as we're introduced with that all-too-familiar 80s beat and synth on Pretender. The whole thing sounds like a redux of the debut, and what sounds fresh on that album, just sounds cliche on this one. There's nothing above mediocre on this track; the lyrics are middle of the road, the vocals are determined but nothing special, and it's far too slow to move around to. This one is a throw away.
I'm not sure what's up with the stomping effect thrown into this one, but the generally same beat brings us into Stay. This one blends together with the previous track very well, except in a different key and with a few different computerized effects thrown into the mix. The "Stay, stay darling!" chorus is pretty catchy, but nothing as memorable as some of the other tracks on this album. It's quite an unfortunate closer.
Like with the other Madonna remasters, since the albums are so short, we get some extra tracks. On this one it's two Extended Dance Mixes of Like A Virgin and Material Girl. Both add some of the most annoying effects in history. You know that effect on keyboards when you can make it sound like a very generic singing voice? That's a frequent in the first, being played speedily and sounding nearly laughable. The second is full of claps, whirs, and all kinds of weird things that make a mediocre song just suck. I would've been happy with 9 songs, thanks.
It's pretty obvious that Madonna went for the formulaic approach here. Elements from her spunky debut are borrowed left and right, making for a feeling of deja vu if you ever listen to them back to back (like I just did). Like with her previous effort, the limited number of tracks doesn't leave much room for filler, and it's a bit too abundant in this collection. There are a few pluses though: Madge exploring her softer side is definitely the most noteworthy. But overall, it's a bit of a disappointment after a dancably cheesy debut.
So why is it mandatory? The softer side is definitely the main calling. And, even if they are some of her weaker singles, this album boasts sum of Lady M's most successful works. Madonna wasn't always queen. This one helped earn her crown.
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