Like a Prayer

This is the definitive 'pop' album, and one of Madonna's best (as I don't count Ray Of Light as a pure 'pop' album). Here is a track by track review:

LIKE A PRAYER - an earthy, gospel-influenced track, easily one of the best pop songs ever. It has a very live feel to it - 5/5

EXPRESS YOURSELF - another live sounding track, this track renounces the former materialism of Material Girl, but grates slightly after time - 3.5/5

LOVE SONG - duet with Price, Love Song is Like A Prayer's worst moment; bland, boring and dated - 1/5

TILL DEATH DO US PART - almost a contradiction, this track deals with the breakdown of marriage and domestic abuse, while backed by an uptempo, jolly melody. A grower - 4/5

PROMISE TO TRY - a greatly personal track about her mother's death, this haunting ballad is a standout - 5/5

CHERISH - in stark contrast to the serious tone of the album is Cherish: light, poppy, but lyrically mature, this a perfect summer tune - 5/5

DEAR JESSIE - the most innovative track on Like A Prayer, this is reminiscant of the psychadelic 60s era, with a break in the middle and change of pace - 4.5/5

OH FATHER - full with allusions to religion and paternal relationships, this beautiful ballad is easily Madonna's greatest ever song - 5+/5

KEEP IT TOGETHER - like Till Death Do Us Part, this is lyrically serious underpinned with an uptempo instrumentation. A grower - 4/5

PRAY FOR SPANISH EYES - another haunting ballad, this Latin-infused track, makes previous Spanish attempt La Isla Bonita from three years previously sound positively tacky - 4.5/5

ACT OF CONTRITION - rivalling Mer Girl and Paradise (Not For Me) as Madonna's spookiest song, Act Of Contrition sees her talking over a reversed Like A Prayer, culminating in her screaming, "what do you mean it's not on the computer!!!" - 5/5

Overall, a great effort, only dwarfed by later effort Ray Of Light, Like A Prayer is a must-have album.

Like A Prayer is the album that proved Madonna could make pop music- believable, heartfelt and chockoblock full of emotion.

From the Beatlesesque little girl lost feel on Dear Jessie to the heartbreaking ballad of regret and fatherly love/hate- Oh Father- each track is adult pop at its finest.

Keep It Together and Express Yourself send you spinning from the tearful songs and back onto the dancefloor! That's the great thing about this terrific album, it has a song for each mood.

If you got into Madonna via Ray Of Light and you need some classic Madonna tunes to keep you listening until Music is released, then Like A Prayer is for you!

If you don't already own it, why not? Like Michael Jackson's Off The Wall, this classic album proved Madonna's worth as an artiste and a musical icon.

Cherish this.

In March, 1989 Madonnas long-awaited, Like A Prayer was released to the public and critics eagerly sharpened their pencils. Multiply produced by the pop diva herself, Steve Bray and Patrick Leonard, the album would encapsulate a striking of mixture of styles that ranged from Pop, Dance, Soul and even on occasions, Gospel. Like A Prayer (1989) quite possibly was her greatest album of the 1980's.

The title track, Like A Prayer had startling undertones of spiritual and religious commentary that was both profound but controversial in its day where the stunning video of this classic where Madonna is seen dancing in front of several burning crosses was banned from T.V after just one screening. Still Madonna had made her mark and this fantastic classic raced to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite steering into a gospel sound, the song is still highly sexually charged, highly danceable whilst she is backed by a string of angelic sounding gospel singers that was conducted by Andre Couch which merley heightened its blatant spiritual nature. One of Madonnas most definitive classics!

The undertones of hot, pulsating funk on the playful, Express Yourself proved that Madonna hadn't lost her impeccable touch for making great, infectious, jamming dance musi. The track would become a cross-Atlantic Top 10 seller.

The album then takes a plunge with the surprisingly dire, Love Story on which she duetted with dynamic pop singer, Prince. Love Story is a blatant waste of opportunity as these are such fine and diverse talents that were amongst the most important figures of twentieth century music. The mid-tempo beat careers along at a sleepy pace and petters out in nothing. Prince orchestrated the song and merley seemed like some sort of experiment on his part as its the only song that lets the album down.

The compelling, Till Death Do Us Part was a song where Madonna seemingly confronted her own personal demons. Listen to the lyrics and they could almost be a direct message to her first husband Sean Penn. Their turbulent marrage was still very much lingering in her mind and its as though she is deliberately singing the song for him to hear. Madonna neatly glides along the windy, complex music arrangements and sounds utterly magnificent in the process.

Madonna has always possessed the incredible and uncanny ability to turn personal experience and traumas into art. Promise To Try is a hauntingly atmospheric ballad that is both mellow and soothing in its content whilst on Oh Father, Madonna sounds as though she is exploring and trying to analyse her complex relationship with her father. The pain and confusion in her voice simmers out on this touching number and can move you to tears with her breath-taking and vulnreable sounding vocal performance.

Cherish is a delightful confection of radio-friendly pop that returns to Madonnas more traditional, earlier sound. The melody is tight and punchy giving it an overly infectious feel whilst Madonnas tone sounds playful and angelic. Her sassy charm truly ignites this recording and it soon became a big seller on the U.K and U.S Pop charts.

One of the adventurous offerings on here is the sugary but compelling, Dear Jessie which is utterly glorious from its fantastically arranged and highly origanal musical arrangements. Unsurprisingly, Dear Jessie with its fun, happy content became another huge hit in Madonnas already large catologue.

Keep It Together is a nifty slice of commercial-flavoured dance-pop which Madonna delivers with style and finesse but one of the other highlights on the album is then served with the spiritual, Pray For The Spanish Eyes which is both atmospheric and reflective. This leads to the final of the album with the experimental, Act Of Contrition which has Madonna quietly uttering a prayer over an edgy, stark rock guirtar with a choirs background chants played backwards. This method was used by acts such as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles in the 1960's to create that ultimate psychedelic effect. Certainly one of her more diverse offerings here.

On the whole, Like A Prayer ranks as one of her all-time timeless, classic albums. Highly consistent and good solid work, this enjoyed extravagent sales figures and critics rightly haled this as a masterpiece! Fantastic!!!