Virgin on the brilliant! (Like A Virgin - Madonna)

Member Name: aebone

Product:	Like A Virgin - Madonna
Date:	23/08/01 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great songs, Cheerful and tuneful

Disadvantages: So difficult to rate!!!!

I have reviewed a good many Madonna albums here now, and it never gets any easier you know. None of them are bad (although I was never fond of ‘I’m Breathless’) but how do you compare them all to each other??? This is not Madonna’s best effort, but it certainly made sure of her Superstar status, and it is pretty damn good. Released in 1984 on SIRE it spawned the hits ‘Like A Virgin’ and ‘Material Girl’ (which was from the film ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’). It is another ‘80s soundtrack’, tuneful, cheerful and great to sing along to whilst standing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush. Produced by Nile Rogers, the 9 songs last just under 45 minutes. As a warning, this is one of the ‘squeakier’ Madonna records. Many people have said she sounds very girly on her early stuff. Whilst I think it sounds very fine, yes indeed it does sound a little girly in places.

It opens with the highly funky ‘Material Girl’, cutesy with synths winding in and out of the rhythm. In fact one of Madonna’s many nicknames was spawned from this song. I believe I have even referred to her as the Material Girl a few times. If you don’t know this song then you were obviously hiding away in the 80s.

‘Angel’ is a four minute wonder. Opening with a tinkling synth and a laugh (or even a giggle) from the lovely lady, it is another upbeat number. About love….it is almost sickening in places if you really listen to those lyrics…but superb all the same.

Next we have a fantastic song. ‘Like A Virgin’. It is so good we may even have believed that Madonna was a virgin….well almost! A taboo-busting song using that metaphor for the fresh new love thing that happens in life. Frothy and exquisite, there’s the meaningful drum beat, and the synth melody running through. A little squeak before that chorus we all know so well. Is i
t possible to describe this song and give it justice? No, I don’t think so. “Mwwwah sweetie, mwwwah!!!!”

‘Over and Over’ follows. A bouncy little number, with a rhythm which could almost send you into a trance. Made to dance to, it was in fact included as a remix on the later ‘You can Dance’ album. I don’t personally think its my favourite song on the album, but many people just love it. Nice background vocals too.

Track 5 on the album is the classic ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’. Opens with the bass synth, and then we have the strings and the voice of Madonna, which sounds its most mature yet. It sounds like she means this song, at times I fear she may break into a little sob…which of course doesn’t happen. From the beginning, it winds up and flowers into the rest of the song. A persistent beat in the background and some spooky background vocals popping up now and then. Lovely.

‘Into the Groove’ is one of those songs that goes on at a club or disco and everyone gets on the floor to boogie…albeit in the sad 80s way. It was made for dancing to. Great beat, great synths in the background. And Madonna sounds good. Again I find it difficult to do such a song justice. You MUST know the song and I bet you love it.

A meaningful drum beating throws us into ‘Dress You Up’, another great song. The music is soooo good, in that 80s way you understand. Tinkling synths appear now and then, and there’s a funky bass guitar. Madonna sounds a little more squeaky than she has done the previous few songs.

‘Shoo-bee-doo’ is indeed very shooo-bee-doo. I couldn’t describe it any other way. It is a much softer song, with a piano and a hint of strings to start with…it almost seems to stall. And then it does…but only to start up again with drums and tinkling synths again. I think this is one of my least
favourite songs on the album, but I think Madonna sounds good, and it is not that bad at all.

Then we move to ‘Pretender’. A drum roll and some more jangling synths. Interesting that on this album Madonna has male backing singers. It is a refreshing change to go back and listen to, as we are now so used to hearing Delory and co in the background on her records. She sounds quite meaningful in this record, and she almost spits out some of the lyrics.

Finally we end with ‘Stay’. Crashing intro that sounds a bit like fireworks going off. Synths littered everywhere, as is expected on any 80s record. They are not harsh though, very tasteful and they sound great. Madonna pleads ‘Stay, stay darling!’ and we really want to after this song, but that it. The album is over.

It certainly leaves you wanting more. It also leaves you feeling cheerful, a little warm glow inside, reminding you of simpler times when all you had to worry about was what you would be wearing when you next went out to dance to ‘Into the Groove’. This is happy music indeed. Of high importance in her career, it is a fine effort…and a great follow on to the debut album. There are a couple of weaker songs in here, so I won’t give it a 5 star rating….much as I would love to with most of Madonna’s music! But it is certainly well above average…I shall give it 4 out of 5, even though its worth about 4.5. Listen and love!

If you like this then take a listen to the first album, with its similar snappy style. In fact if you like this any Madonna album is worth a listen. She truly rocks.

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