Celebration?

Since today is my Birthday I figured I would blog about my favorite subject.

Madonna (bet y'all are shocked)

Madonna has said many times that she never looks back. I find that amazing because when I look back at her career I am dumb struck with amazement for this icon. How she started, where she has gone, and how after all these years, her songs still stand up to today’s music (if not surpass it)

This is why I was slightly disappointed with her latest ‘greatest hits’ collection ‘Celebration’.

My first gripe:

I honestly feel, for a greatest hits collection, you should include all songs that have reached the top 20 (either in the US or UK) or songs that are considered classics/become more appreciated since release.

So this would include a staggering list of songs. Perhaps 3 CD's:

‘Everybody’, ‘Burning Up’, ‘Holiday’, ‘Borderline’, ‘Lucky Star’, ‘Like a Virgin’, ‘Material Girl’, ‘Crazy for You’, ‘Angel’, ‘Into the Groove’, ‘Dress You Up’, ‘Gambler’, ‘Live to Tell’, ‘Papa Don’t Preach’, ‘True Blue’, ‘Open Your Heart’, ‘La Isla Bonita’, ‘Who’s That Girl’, ‘Causing a Commotion’, ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Express Yourself’, ‘Cherish’, ‘Oh Father’, ‘Keep it Together’, ‘Vogue’, ‘Hanky Panky’, ‘Justify My Love’, ‘Rescue Me’, ‘This Used to Be My Playground’, ‘Erotica’, ‘Deeper and Deeper’, ‘Bad Girl’, ‘Rain’, ‘I’ll Remember’, ‘Secret’, ‘Take a Bow’, ‘Bedtime Story’, ‘You’ll See’, ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Ray of Light’, ‘Drowned World/Substitute for Love’, ‘The Power of Goodbye’, ‘Beautiful Stranger’, ‘Music’, ‘Don’t Tell Me’, ‘What It Feels Like for a Girl’, ‘Die Another Day’, ‘American Life’, ‘Hollywood’, ‘Hung Up’, ‘Sorry’, ‘Get Together’, ‘4 Minutes’, ‘Give It 2 Me’.

Of course a bit of re-mastery would not go amiss, but don’t f*ck about too much with it.

My second gripe: Leave it in Chronological order as much as possible. One of the joys of that is to be able to listen to how she has evolved as an artist. The minute I up load it to my iPod it will be on permanent shuffle anyway – so don’t do it for me.
I love to hear the progression. How ‘La Isla Bonita’ paved the way for ‘Who’s That Girl’. How ‘Live to Tell’ led to the confessional ‘Like a Prayer’ album.
How the hardness of the ‘Erotica’ album led to the softness of ‘Bedtime Stories’ and how the track ‘Bedtime Story’ was a preview for what was coming on ‘Ray of Light’. Musically, hers is a story to be told in order. Do not ‘La Vie En Rose’ her discography for me.

Third gripe:

When many people (mainly fans) think of her greatest songs, many of us think about album tracks and some of her b-sides. Something she has never done is to give these largely forgotten songs a chance to shine on their own.

I would love to hear such songs that many people are not familiar with:

‘Ain’t No Big Deal’, ‘Revenge’, ‘Let Down Your Guard’, History’, ‘Triggering’, ‘Your Honesty’, ‘Gone Gone Gone’, ‘Supernatural’, ‘Goodbye to Innocence’, ‘Love Won’t Wait’, ‘Be Careful’, ‘The Game’ and ‘Super Pop’.

These would be great mixed along side some of her album tracks that are much loved :

‘Physical Attraction’, ‘Stay’, ‘White Heat’, ‘Where’s a Party’, ‘Look of Love’, ‘Till Death Do Us Part’, ‘Spanish Eyes’, ‘Secret Garden’, ‘Waiting’, ‘Thief of Heart’, ‘Inside of Me’, ‘Sanctuary’, ‘Candy Perfume Girl’, ‘Skin’, ‘Mer Girl’, ‘Impressive Instant’ ‘Nobody’s Perfect’, ‘Paradise (not for me)’, ‘Gone’, ‘Nothing Fails’, ‘X-Static Process’, ‘Mother and Father’, ‘Forbidden Love’, ‘Future Lovers’, ‘Let it Will Be’ .

Perhaps get together all b-sides and rarities and then have an online poll for fan favorite album tracks (like Bjork did) to mix in with them.

Fourth gripe:

Madonna has had forty number one dance tracks on Billboards charts.
It is about time for another dance anthology honey. If one thing can be assured, the dance remixes are going to kill on almost any single she releases.

She is known for dancing, and dance music. She constantly goes back to the music that made her, and I for one think it is about time that Madonna and dancing is celebrated.

Get a host of top line DJ’s and let them pick the tracks they want to remix, then once that is done, re-hire Stuart Price to blend them seamlessly into one long mother f*cking dance-a-thon.
She should ‘Celebrate’ the fact that although she may not have the same success on the Billboard hot 100 charts these days, she is still just as relevant in the night clubs of the world and only the really cool kids dance.

She could include:

‘Everybody’, ‘Holiday’, ‘Lucky Star’, ‘Into the Groove’, ‘Open Your Heart’, ‘Causing a Commotion’, ‘Spotlight’, ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Express Yourself’, ‘Keep it Together’, ‘Vogue’, ‘Rescue Me’, ‘Erotica’, ‘Deeper and Deeper’, ‘Fever’, ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Secret’, ‘Human Nature’, ‘Bedtime Story’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Ray of Light’, ‘Nothing Really Matters’, ‘Sky Fits Heaven’, ‘Beautiful Stranger’, ‘American Pie’, ‘Music’, ‘Don’t Tell Me’, ‘What It Feels Like for a Girl’, ‘Die Another Day’, ‘Impressive Instant’, ‘American Life’, ‘Hollywood’, ‘Nothing Fails’, ‘Love Profusion’, ‘Nobody Knows Me’, ‘Mother and Father’, ‘Hung Up’, ‘Sorry’, ‘Get Together’, ‘Jump’, ‘4 Minutes’, ‘Give It 2 Me’.

Last gripe:

She has been with Warner ever since she burst into Seymour Stein’s hospital room with her demo tape in 1982.
27 years later she is leaving them.
Give them a big thank you.

P.S. A video collection should include every single one EVER!


Regardless of what I think of 'Celebration' doesn't matter. What has mattered is that in my disappointment I have gone back and listened to her music and rediscovered over 25 years of pure magic and that is what we all need to remember.

"So much controversy has swirled around my career in this past decade that very little attention ever gets paid to my music. The songs are all but forgotten" - Madonna - Something to Remember liner note 1995