Madonna, I Love You...Always...

I know what your thinking: 'Gee John, how predictable is it that you LOVE MADONNA?' Well, my affection for Ms. Ciccone does go back to 1982, when I first heard Madonna singing on the radio. That was when I was 12 years old. I was starting high school. The 80's were in full swing. MTV was on the air for only a year. That was when music was FUN. That was when music had 'a good beat and you could dance to it.' Oh, the good old days! My love for Madonna goes beyond my love for her music. And its not as simple as 'she understands me thru her music.' There have been times in my life when things were not going well and I needed some encouragement that things were gonna be okay. And without warning, a Madonna song would come out that would put things in perspective. Yes I do believe that pop music is the soundtrack to one's life. But more importantly, I understand Madonna and her music.

In the beginning, I needed music to call my own. I needed to connect to an artist that was doing something new and different. My parents had Presley, the Beatles, Sinatra. In the 70's it was Donna Summers and Disco. Its no wonder I love dance music. So when I first heard EVERYBODY, it sounded familiar but I knew it was new. With this song I was intrigued. With her 3rd single HOLIDAY, I was hooked. A song that still sounds amazing. It is one of the best written pop songs. It has elements of Disco, Doo-Wop and classic R&B soul. It just sounds great. During the 80's we know Madonna was making a name for herself. First thru her music, and then thru her actions. With the release of her 2nd album, Like A Virgin, Madonna Mania was born. Dancing in a wedding dress on MTV. Releasing old nude pictures in Playboy AND Penthouse. Her relationship with Sean Penn. It was the beginning of Wanna-Be's. But for me, I was truly invested in the music. Like A Virgin was released when I was going thru puberty in high school. I was also questioning my sexuality. It was a scary time. I did feel like I was losing my mind. Somehow I was able to get thru another day. Somehow I survived and I was able to 'live to tell' my tale.

During the late 80's and 90's, Madonna's music changed. It was emotional. It was personal. It got deep. I started paying more attention to the lyrics. It was now about life and its challenges. It was about the choices we make and the consequences from them. It was about pain, remorse and growth. Two of my favorite Madonna songs are ballads: 1986's Live To Tell and 1994's Take A Bow. With Live To Tell, its not about the singing, its about the emotional pain expressed. At the time critics said that Madonna was not a great singer, but she knew how to sing a song and get the emotional heart of a song expressed. The version of Live To Tell  that I love is the live version from Madonna'a 1987 Who's That Girl World Tour. It is such an emotional and powerful performance. Madonna delivers every line from this song with such conviction and pain. The ending of this performance is so haunting. Take a look and listen to this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dEzeZzob0&feature=related

In 1994, I was trying to fill the void that was created from a failed relationship. I meet this guy that was wrong on every level: he had no job, he was a pot-head, a drug dealer, was attached to another guy and was emotionally empty. But for what-ever reason, he wanted to be with me and I thought that was enough to maintain a relationship. Well, that quickly got tired and old. I needed to end the relationship, somehow, in a way that he would know why I was ending the relationship. I heard Take A Bow on the radio. I studied the lyrics to the song. It expressed exactly what I was feeling at the time. This is was my 'Dear John' song to my ex. I made a copy of the song onto a cassette tape (Back in the day we used to make 'mix-tapes'...a playlist of songs that expressed our feelings...how very 1994!) I went over to the guy's apartment and left the cassette in his mailbox. For five days he tried calling me. Over and over. Over and over. Over and over. Then he stopped calling. I think he finally got the clue. Whenever I hear this song I think about that time in my life. Nowadays I'm friends with 'the other guy'. Funny how things work out in the end. Take A Bow is not only a beautiful song, but it has a beautiful video for it. Take A Bow is considered Madonna's best charted song. Take a look at it here:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDeiovnCv1o

In the late 90's, Madonna started to get political in her music. She had something importat to say. Some of her fans listen, alot didn't. I did. I understood what she was saying: Stop the Violence, Stop the Fighting, Save Mother Earth, Rock The Vote, Love One Another, We Are All One. In 1998, she released her Ray of Light album. What was the 'Ray of Light'? Was it God? Hope? Faith? The Beginning? The End? For me, it was about taking responsibilty for my actions. It was about making a change in my life. I was now 30 years old. I was growing up. I'm still a kid at heart at times, but I know my limits now. I love how this soing has a pyschodelic sound to it. And when performed live, the song rocks! Here Madonna sings the song at the Live Earth concert from 2007:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmJTPe_MG1s

In 2003, Madonna released her most political album American Life. She was tired of war, she was tired of President Bush's policies. She was screaming for change. Again no one listened. But at that point she didn't care. It was more about making a statment and taking a stand instead of selling cd's and making a buck. I like that. I like that a lot. To this day, I think American Life is an under-rated and mis-understood album. Maybe in 20 years, people will understand it or maybe not. The important fact is that I understand it now.

In the past 5 years, Madonna has gone back to her dance roots and party vibe. Her last two albums, Confessions on a Dance Floor and Hard Candy, are all about the 'groove'. With a touch of personal interspect. On Confessions, she is on a dancing spritual journey, searching for her Nirvana. On Hard Candy, she accepts the failure of a long-distance celebrity marriage. Not what you expect when it comes to dance music, but that's Madonna.

Well as you can tell, I have deep respect and love for Madonna. Its not because she makes me dance and sing, its because she also makes me think. Some artists are meant to do the same thing over and over, without evolving and growing as an artist. Madonna has not 're-invented' herself over the years, she has evolved. She keeps pushing her artist mind and puts out music that's meant to be dance to and analized. Madonna has longed proven she is not a one-trick pony. And she is far from over. I think Madonna still has a lot to say. And I'll be here waiting to hear what she has to say and dancing to her beat. Which by the way is also my beat. Strike A Pose. Live To Tell. Holiday. Celebrate. Love Makes The World Go Round.

John