MDNA [CD]

This is an ok cd by Madonna but not her best. I only purchased it for the one song Masterpiece which is the best song on the album in my opinion, and also to complete my collection of Madonna cds. It isn't her best and some tracks sounded very samey. My sister has liked Madonna for yonks and when she borrowed it she wasn't impressed. It's ok and it was a fair price but to be honest you aint missing much by not owning it!!!!

It's been four years since the last Madonna studio album - the rather disappointing Hard Candy, which for the first time in her varied career didn't sound like a Madonna record. The first signs for MDNA weren't great: the lacklustre single Give Me All Your Luvin' sounded bland and weak...and this was supposed to be the album's lead single! Could the unthinkable have happened and Madonna lost her touch? Well, having listened to the finished article several times, I can state with some relief that Madonna is still very much firing on all cylinders - MDNA is her most rewarding album for years.

There are two sides to Madonna's music: firstly the irresistible dance floor pop of her classic hits such as Holiday, Into The Groove and Hung Up, and secondly the more serious, introspective side revealed on albums such as Like A Prayer and Ray Of Light. MDNA brings both sides together, with the first half of the album dominated by dance music and the second half containing generally slower, more personal material. It doesn't have the immediate appeal of her earliest records or the more recent Confessions On A Dance Floor; it takes time to appreciate, with Madonna surprising and challenging the listener as she does in all her best work.

Things start off simply enough, with the catchy dance pop of imminent second single Girl Gone Wild, which joins the breezy, uplifting Turn Up The Radio as the most obvious single choices. Some Girls starts abrasively but soon shifts into an infectious slice of electronica, with a slightly harder dance sound appearing on the track I'm Addicted. Dialling down the pace, Superstar is a sweet mid-paced love song (which may be a little saccharine for some). And of course there's Give Me All Your Luvin', which still sounds pretty feeble and rather out of place. For fans who love her poppier moments and her dance tracks, there's plenty here to enjoy.

It's no secret that William Orbit is one of MDNA's collaborators, and it's his contributions that provide the more intriguing, thoughtful songs on the album. I'm A Sinner is very reminiscent of his work with Madonna on Ray Of Light with it's "Wooh Wooh" hook, but the other Orbit material here covers new ground. Love Spent starts out with a folksy banjo strum, believe it or not, then turns into a wistful dance tune lamenting a former lover's materialism; Masterpiece is Latin-tinged and melancholy; Falling Free is a haunting ballad with an emotive, powerful vocal performance from Madonna. Perhaps the most striking track of all is Gang Bang, an astonishingly aggressive stream of invective that's like nothing else she's ever done, and I imagine will become something of a fan favourite. For me, as much as I enjoy the straightforward pop songs, these four tracks represent the album at it's best.

Apart from Give Me All Your Luvin', the one song I'm not entirely sold on is the funk flavoured I Don't Give A, perhaps because it is the only track to hark back to Hard Candy, and as a consequence it doesn't quite fit - although it's not a bad song by any means, and the lyrics are at least amusing.

So, where does MDNA fit in the Madonna Hall Of Fame? Well, it can't compare to the twin highlights of her career, Like A Prayer and Ray Of Light, but it's certainly right up among the best of the rest. Madonna's 12th studio album manages to satisfy the feet, the head and the heart...and all without a telephone hat or a meat dress in sight. Terrific stuff.

BONUS TRACKS: just a quick mention of the deluxe version's extra tracks: Beautiful Killer is a light mid-paced track which is pleasant but not outstanding; I F***** Up is perhaps the most personal song on the album, clearly detailing the breakdown of her marriage to Guy Ritchie - it's touching and the best of the extras (it should have been on the main album in fact). Best Friend covers similar territory but with a more electronic sound, and B-Day Song is a somewhat bizarre, almost Beatlesesque pop tune. There's also a remix of Give Me All Your Luvin' which does give the song some much-needed oomph. Fans will certainly want these extra songs, but the casual listener can probably live without them.

I have not followed Madonna's career every step of the way and although I have gradually accumulated several of her albums over the years I, by no means, own the whole collection. The hype surrounding the release MDNA was simply too great to ignore and consequently I pre-ordered the deluxe version of the album and eagerly awaited it's release date. I will now provide my initial impressions of the tracks:

1. Girl Gone Wild- The spoken word intro really does set the tone for the album and I cannot imagine a better opener. The lyrics are, of course, utterly banal, but does it really matter when the music is this catchy. As other reviewers have noted this does sound somewhat similar to her previous hit single `Celebration', but this track is probably even better and deserves to be a hit. 8.5/10

2. Gang Bang- Madonna is well-known for being very experimental and whilst many have commented that in recent years this experimentalism has been somewhat toned down there is no doubt that this track certainly flies in the face of that argument. It's pulsating beat signifies a dance track in a similar vein to the opener, however the spoken verses and chorus in which Madonna talks about shooting her lover in the head are not indicative of a typical dance track. It also features a dubstep breakdown and Madonna aggressively shouting later in the song. It's oddly great! 8/10

3. I'm Addicted- A high-paced, dancey track, which sounds brilliant turned up loud. Lyrically speaks of being addicted to someone's love and all the emotions that go with that. The title of the album `MDNA' is chanted repeatedly near the end of the track interspersed with the chorus. It's different, it's catchy, it once again sets a high standard. 8.5/10

4. Turn Up The Radio-This track is already being labelled as a `fan-favourite' and having given it a few listens I can definitely understand why. It's very radio-friendly and in that respect would be a good candidate for a future single. It's a dance-oriented track and retains the momentum and pace of the first few songs. 8/10

5. Give Me All Your Luvin'-The controversial first single. I actually quite like it although I can see why others have reservations. The cheerleader-esque chanting detracts from what is otherwise an uptempo and catchy pop-tune. Nicki Minaj makes her mark in the rap she contributes, MIA fails to have the same impact and her section passes by largely unnoticed. I don't necessarily think this will have the longevity of some of the other tracks on the album. 7.5/10

6. Some Girls-This is not a cover, but rather an original dance-track. Musically it's once again one of the more inventive numbers, however where Gang Bang triumphs this one doesn't have quite the same appeal for me. It feels a bit messy, and although there are elements of the track I like, overall it is one of the weaker tracks in my view. 5/10

7. Superstar- The reviews I have read thus far have levelled a lot of criticism at this track for its' genericism and clichéd lyrics. I, however, do not have the same reservations. It is hideously catchy and has an uplifting message about being in love captured in the chorus line `ooo la la you're my superstar, ooo la la love the way that you are'. It is certainly a shift away from the focus on Madonna's divorce which features elsewhere on the album, but it is one to sing-a-long to! One of my favourites. 9.5/10

8. I Don't Give A- The second track to feature a contribution from Nicki Minaj. In stark contrast to `Superstar' this one channels Madonna's anger about her divorce and the monetary issues surrounding it. Madonna rapping constitutes the verses and Minaj brings her trademark style to another rap towards the end of the track. This track works well in my view and the choir featured at the close of the song certainly add another dimension to what is already an interesting addition to the album. 8/10

9. I'm A Sinner-Madonna has tackled the issue of religion in varying ways over the years and this is the topic which features in this song. It's undeniably catchy particularly once the chorus kicks in and there are musical echoes of the song `Ray of Light'. The vocals veer from sedate to manic and that only adds to the mystery and intrigue of the track. It has grown on me on repeated listens and in my view is one of the best songs on the album. 9/10

10. Love Spent- This is the first of three tracks to slow the pace of the album. This could be described as an uptempo ballad if that's possible! That famous ABBA sampling from Hung Up features in a different format here and Madonna has created a completely different track surrounding the same musical sample. Lyrically this is possibly the strongest track on the album as Madonna. The only slight detracting feature is the overly electronically-enhanced vocals. 8.5/10

11. Masterpiece- This song also features as the soundtrack to WE the feature film Madonna has recently directed. This is a much more traditional ballad and it's nice to hear vocals which don't sound processed here. It's a love song plain and simple. Yet despite the more conventional musical and lyrical structure it still fits in well to the album as a whole and I really like it. 9/10

12. Falling Free-Almost every review I have read has singled this out as one of if not the album highlight. It begins with mystical synths and carries an air of mystery throughout. Vocally it's sublime, without doubt the best vocals on the entire collection. It is a very fitting way to end the standard edition of the album. It is also very melancholy which contrasts brilliantly with the anger and joy displayed elsewhere. Needless to say therefore I agree with the other reviews-it's simply fantastic. 9.5/10

DELUXE VERSION
13. Beautiful Killer- Often deluxe tracks are second-rate songs which weren't chosen for the standard version for a reason. Thankfully `Beautiful Killer' goes some way to allaying fears that this is the case on MDNA. A change of pace from `Falling Free', but nevertheless a catchy track which is very easy on the ear indeed. It isn't the most inventive song here, but it's pretty good! 8/10

14. I F*****d Up- This is another brutally honest song and a fantastic addition to the main album. In fact it probably deserved a place on the standard version. The song starts out as a song lamenting mistakes and wondering what could have been in a ballad, but it is sped up dramatically for the second verse and there is a wonderful beat running throughout. 9.5/10

15. B-Day Song- MIA pops up here again and her contribution is felt more here than in `Gimme All Your Luvin' `. Lyrically this is a return to banality and it certainly doesn't convey a deeper meaning. That said, however, musically it's pretty good and once again it doesn't feel like a second-rate track. 8.5/10

16. Best Friend- The seemingly autobiographical lyrics return for this song, which is probably the weakest original track on the deluxe section. That said though this is more a reflection of the strength of the other tracks than on this one in particularly. It isn't particularly memorable, but it's very listenable. 7.5/10

17. Gimme All Your Luvin' (Party Rock Remix feat. LMFAO)- In my opinion this remix doesn't match up to the original version. Segments of LMFAO songs are inserted at intervals and there is a different musical accompaniment. There is little more to be said on this one. 6.5/10

Therefore my overall ratings are for the standard version: 8.25/10, deluxe tracks: 8/10. Overall rating: 8.18, which therefore equates to 4 stars. There are a lot of really good tracks on here and best of all there are a great variety of songs, songs to dance to, songs which you can reflect upon and perhaps best of all songs which provide an insight into the goings-on and emotions of Madonna's life. I can therefore thoroughly recommend this album!