I'm just here for the music.
09 August 2008 @ 03:41 ; 0 CommentsYou thrill me.
She needs no introduction. Everyone the world over knows her by only one name; that name synonymous with all things pop, all things great, all things over the top, all things controversial. She's Madonna! She's in fashion.
I'm not that such a big fan of Madonna. I mean, yes, I know her songs, and most of them are enjoyable pop. But I'm not what you would call a fanatic. I just enjoy her music. Because it brings the people together? Perhaps. Her best work, in my opinion, was Ray Of Light. Nothing could top that, pre and post. The lyrical content, the production... everything was just so well thought out and prepared lovingly and thoughtfully. And vocally it's her best still, since that album was done after her vocal training for Evita. There's no denying she can sing, of course, but Madonna is more known for her uptempos rather than her slow songs. Except for "Take A Bow". Now that's my favourite Madonna ballad.
So anyway I just finished watching The Confessions Tour that I acquired some time back and I must say, she never ceases to amaze me. Yes, she has never let anyone down. She is truly the cream of the crop, the top performer everyone else in the music industry (particularly solo female artistes) looks up to while, at the same time, try their best to topple her over. Fortunately not a lot has managed to reach the caliber that Madonna has managed to attain throughout her musical career.
Overall the tour was really fun! Wish I was there man. It looked so festive, so dancey, so wild, so energetic. Madonna truly gave it her all, and it really showed through. This being a tour in support of her previous album Confessions On A Dance Floor, naturally the songs being performed were given the dancey twist, that disco element, the futuristic sound. Stuart Price literally took all of the songs and ran away gleefully with them, coming up with slick, bass thumping productions that just won't allow you to sit down and take a breather.
The best part for me was when she came out to perform "Music" (SOOOOO FUNNNNN), and then continued on with "Erotica" (sick choreography!) and "La Isla Bonita" (SOOOOO FUNNNN redux). She seemed to be really having fun there, dancing, singing, giving it her all, smiling. The atmosphere was very festive, more like a party, since it's nearing the end. And of course, I can't deny the encore as well. I mean, it's "Hung Up"! Who can go wrong with that?! Also liking the thumpy update that was submitted to "Like A Virgin". Fitting with the setlist. (Did you know that the video projection for that performance - the one with the x-rays - were actually Madonna's? She had that little accident with the horse while preparing for this tour, and got a medical check up, and used the x rays for this song. Smart woman.)
However for all of its good points there were some low ones- namely the slow songs being performed. Hey, I have no problems with slowies, but it doesn't really fit with the whole theme of the tour, yes? They could have replaced "Live To Tell", "Drowned World" and "Paradise" with perhaps "Like A Prayer" and "Papa Don't Preach", by way of how they handled "Like A Virgin". Well maybe M decided to have those songs in to give herself a little breather. I can understand. I mean, if you continuously perform the upbeat ones eventually you'll just be too tired and out of breath to keep up. Overall I would rate it as four disco balls.
She's preparing for her Sticky & Sweet tour now, so we'll see how that one fares out. (Britney filmed a video! for it! So it
