Madonna Music Monday - Who's That Girl Tour - July 31st 1987

Today is a very special day. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the 1st concert I ever attended. And that concert was the Chicago stop of Madonna's 1987 Who's That Girl World Tour. On a warm Friday night, my cousin and I headed to Chicago's Soldier Field football stadium. This is where my admiration for Madonna was cemented. Before this concert, I was a big Madonna fan. I was listening to her albums and watching her videos on MTV. But it wasn't until seeing Madonna LIVE in concert did I know that I would become a life-long fan. I have seen Madonna on every tour since 1987, except for The Girlie Show Tour which did not come thru Chicago. And I will continue to see Madonna in concert as long as she keeps performing. So to celebrate this milestone I have selected a few videos of Madonna performing on this tour. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed them these last 30 years!!! #QueenOfPop























John

The Rebel Heart Tour DVD Preview - Madonna Music Monday

So on September 28th 2015, Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour come to Chicago. And my love for Madonna knows no limit. This has to be one of the best concerts Madonna has had in years. Madonna's last two tours, Sticky & Sweet and MDNA, while great were both on the DARK side. It was clear Madonna had some serious emotions and issues to get off her chest in the years after her divorce from Guy Ritchie. But now it seems Madonna might be in a better place. This tour was fun, happy, sexy, energetic and personal. Madonna seem connected to the audience more than she has in the past. She recollected how she made the film A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN in Chicago. She recalled how she had fun times in town, back in the day. The most revealing thing about the concert was Madonna's VOICE. Amidst all the lights, stage sets, video projections and dancing, her voice stood out and took center stage for every moment. With out question, this is the best Madonna has SOUNDED in concert (and yes, she is singing LIVE!!), and at certain moments her singing gave the audience CHILLS. So let me do a song-by-song review of this AMAZING concert. I will be including video/audio clips for your enjoyment.

The concert is divided into four sections. The first is the JOAN OF ARC/SAMURAI section...

INTRO / ICONIC - This has to be one of the most powerful openings in recent Madonna tours...the opening video features a samurai army and a Joan of Arc Madonna saving a beaten up Glamour Madonna...it  also features boxer Mike Tyson reprising his part from the same song...this launches into Madonna's appearance from the rafters in a steel cage...what follows is simply FLAWLESS...here is video of how the concert begins:

Bitch I'm Madonna - Next came the latest single from REBEL HEART...this song has grown on me since the 1st time I heard it...its fun and in your face, just like Madonna is now...

Burning Up - Madonna has gotten way better with her guitar skills and this song totally proves it...this song literally BURNS in concert...

Holy Water - a new religious tinged song from REBEL HEART, Madonna plays with the LAST SUPPER imagery...complete with pole-dancing nuns...



Devil Pray - another religious themed song from Rebel Heart, this song has a stronger message that I can relate...I'm glad she performed this song in concert...



The second section of the concert was themed ROCKABILLY MEETS TOKYO...

Messiah - yet another religious based song from REBEL HEART...are you sensing a theme here? But this song is so beautiful...I wished Madonna had performed this song instead of using it as an interlude for her to do a costume change...maybe on the next tour...



Next came BODY SHOP...probably not one of my fave songs from the Rebel Heart era, but I understand why this song was performed in concert...



Now Body Shop leads into a Madonna classic: TRUE BLUE...I was so happy to hear this song again...LIVE in concert...this song sounds so amazing...I'm glad Madonna is re-visiting her classic songs...I LOVE how Madonna says "Chicago" at the beginning of this performance...She really loves Chicago...



After a laid-back, acoustic version of True Blue, we get into party mood...next comes a pumped-up version of DEEPER & DEEPER...a blast from the past...this version sounds INTENSE...I LOVE IT!!!



Next comes an amazing performance...HeartBreak City is combined with Love Don't Live Here Anymore....Madonna sure knows how to create an emotional set list...these two songs go together BEAUTIFULLY...this was one of the many highlights of the Rebel Heart Tour...



And now comes a crowd-pleaser: LIKE A VIRGIN...this is a fun performance...just Madonna, alone on stage, singing her heart out and having fun...now if you listen carefully, Madonna yells out "ASSHOLE" to someone in the audience,...I wonder what caused her to say this...luckily this happens at the very beginning of the song...



Now comes my favorite portion of the Rebel Heart Tour: the LATIN / GYPSY section...

This section begins with another musical interlude, this time featuring S.E.X and Justify My Love...this is a very sensual performance...the dancers do an amazing routine...I love the backing visuals created for this interlude...this is only a tease of what is to come....


Next comes one of Madonna's latest hits, LIVIN' FOR LOVE...this is the remix version of the song that is performed...as much as I love this song, it seems to be cursed when performed...Madonna has tripped over her cape, tripped on stage and had stage malfunctions...in Chicago, the moving stage and stairs almost pushed Madonna back down the runway stairs...but this is still an amazing performance...



Next comes one of my all-time favorite Madonna songs: LA ISLA BONITA...one of the things I love about Madonna is how she has Latin themed, sounding songs...this song was the 1st time Madonna went "Latin"...I hope she will always sing this song in concert...



After La Isla Bonita come an AWESOME medley: DRESS YOU UP-INTO THE GROOVE-LUCKY STAR...when this tour started, this medley also included Everybody...why this medley was cut down, I have no reason...I'm sure it was for timing reasons...I hope the DVD version does include Everybody, but if not that's okay...I also loved the visuals and costumes used during this song...but more importantly, these songs sounded GREAT together...



Next came ANOTHER favorite song of mine: WHO'S THAT GIRL...OMG...I can't believe that Madonna sang this song in Chicago...IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE...this was the surprise performance of the night...Thank You Madonna for singing this song...



Then came ANOTHER surprise performance: GHOSTTOWN...Madonna had been singing this song on and off in other cities and I was really hoping Madonna would sing this in Chicago...AND SHE DID!!!!....this is without question one of Madonna's BEST SONGS...EVER...I have always been a fan of Madonna's ballads...and this song is the best she has ever recorded...this song is simply gorgeous...this acoustic version just brought tears to my eyes...you can tell the crowd was happy to hear this song...I could listen to this performance non-stop for hours....



And now to bring this section to a close, we come to the title track of the tour: REBEL HEART...this song is a love song to Madonna's fans...I loved how Madonna incorporated fan-created artwork in the backing visuals for this performance...I have to say that Rebel Heart is a great collection of songs...and this tour proves it...plus Madonna sounded her best on this tour...she just keeps getting better and better vocally...



And now comes the final section of this tour: PARTY / FLAPPER...

This section starts out with another interlude: ILLUMINATI...this performance featured all the male dancers in a CRAZY routine...this took "pole dancing" to an extreme lever...you can tell this was inspired by those crazy French-Canadians over at Cirque du Soleil...but this performance took my breath away at one point...see if you can see what I mean (HINT: it happens at the 2:40 mark in the video below...



And now the party begins with MUSIC...this starts out very Jazzy...but then it kicks into high gear...I love the excitement from this performance...



Music then mixes directly into CANDY SHOP...now I have admitted before that when I first heard this song I was not a big fan of it...but over the course of three tours, this song has gotten better with time...and without question, the version performed on this tour us THE BEST...OMG YES...this is the one song I am really looking forward to on the official DVD & CD...



Next we get another Madonna classic: MATERIAL GIRL...this tour sure has a great mix of classic, chart hits and new songs...this new arrangement is really fun...another crowd pleaser...



Next Madonna brings the show down to a slow burn...what happens next is simply DIVINE...Madonna sings the French classic LA VIE EN ROSE...this performance just has three elements to it: Madonna, a ukulele and the audience...and its BRILLIANT...



And now we're almost close to the end of the show...so lets go crazy...Madonna now sings a fun song from the Rebel Heart album: UNAPOLOGETIC BITCH...this is another song that needed to grow on me...but after seeing Madonna perform this on Jimmy Fallon I finally "got the song"...its at this point of the show where Madonna would bring a "celebrity" on stage...in Chicago, that honor went to drag superstar Britney Bitch (as performed by Derrick Barry of Las Vegas)...



And now comes the worst part of the show: The Finale...in this case its a great one featuring HOLIDAY....without question, one of Madonna's best songs...its always a crowd favorite when perform in concert...and this was no exception...


I can't wait for this concert to be released later this year...I hope Madonna releases the full audio of the concert along with the video....this was truly one of my favorite Madonna tours...this might be in my top three Madonna tours...I look forward to Madonna's next album...and tour!!!

I'd like to Thank Nicklas Dahlgren for the use of his video links...you can see his other Madonna videos HERE...ENJOY!!!

John

Madonna Music Monday - Rebel Heart Tour Edition - 09/28/2015

Well it's finally here. Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour hits Chicago at 8pm tonight. To say that I am way beyond EXCITED to see this show tonight is an under-statement. Whenever I see Madonna in concert, its always a moving experience. And I'm hoping tonight is no exception. Of the many songs being performed on this tour, I really hope Madonna performs GHOSTTOWN tonight (she has been going back and forth with Who's That Girl and this song). So as a preview to tonight's show, with fingers crossed, here is Madonna singing the amazing song that is Ghosttown. ENJOY!!!

Ghosttown (Live at Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY)09-19-15




John

Madonna Music Monday - 05/04/15

Today I want to share the video to what is without question the best Madonna song from her new album REBEL HEART. Actually I think this song is one of Madonna's best songs in a long time. The video for this song was released a couple weeks ago and I've been watching it over and over. This song has some of Madonna's best lyrics. Madonna is in great voice. Plus she looks AMAZING in this video. So here is the video to Madonna's latest single, GHOSTTOWN. Enjoy!




John

Madonna Musica Martes - 03/10/2015

Today is THE DAY! Madonna's 13th studio album REBEL HEART was released. I've already been listening to 9 songs that were previously released. Today the remaining 10 songs were released. So after listening to the entire album all day, I have decided to do a review of REBEL HEART based on my first impressions. The songs are graded using a report-card rating system. The ratings are in order of the album track listing.

Living For Love - What more can I say about this song? An instant Madonna classic. A great production that supports some of Madonna's best lyrics. This is the Madonna we all love and worship. A+++

Devil Pray - This is a good mid-tempo song. One of the many religious songs featured on REBEL HEART. This song should get plenty of air play. B++

Ghosttown - Without question, one of Madonna's best ballads in YEARS!!! This lush, powerful and amazing song is the perfect fit for Madonna. Everyone loves a great Madonna dance song, but for me Madonna is at her best singing ballads. This is proof positive of that. This is my favorite song from the album. A+++

Unapologetic Bitch - Is there something better than a Madonna dance track? Maybe a song where she trash-talks about her personal life. This song about her recent failed relationship hits it right on the head. I like the reggae flavor of this song. B

Illuminati - A different sound and vibe for Madonna. With classic Madonna rap lyrics, this song really sticks out from the album. B+

Bitch I'm Madonna - Ok, I get what's going on with this song but I just don't like it. Its just too hyper of a pace for me, I like the Nicki Minaj rap, but maybe I've just had enough of the Madonna/Minaj duets. My least favorite song of the album. D

Hold Tight - Another great production and Madonna sounding beautifully. This better become a radio hit. Madonna really is sounding great on this album. A

Joan of Arc - From the solo acoustic guitar intro and Madonna's bare voice, this song is just GORGEOUS!!! Again, Madonna + Ballad = BRILLIANT SONG. A+++

ICONIC - Featuring an intro by none other than fighter Mike Tyson, this is a great anthem song. No one but Madonna can sing these lyrics and have weight with them. The rap assist from Chance The Rapper is nice. A+

HeartBreakCity - Another ballad featuring a piano intro, beautiful lyrics and Madonna's wonderful voice. This is the music that I love to hear from Madonna. The angry lyrics are just perfect. If you ever decided to date Madonna and the relationship turns bad, beware that she might write a song like this about your relationship for the whole world to hear. A+

Body Shop - I get what this innuendo-filled song is about. Its a nice mid-tempo song, but the lyrics, for now, are just not doing it for me. Maybe this song will grow on me over time. We'll see. C+

Holy Water - Another faith-based song. But at least this song has a mean groove to it. The appearance of VOGUE lyrics is cute and does not distract from the song. Oh Yeah, this song is gonna send the Vatican & the Pope into a TIZZY! LOL!!! B

Inside Out - Another mid-tempo song. Nothing too crazy, not too simple. It's an easy-paced song for Madonna. B

Wash All Over Me - Another piano laden song. This is what I have been waiting for. Madonna needed to put out more great ballads. I'm so happy she did. A

Best Night - Another slow jam. Another straight-forward song. The various sound elements bring Art of Noise into mind. I will be listening to this song over and over. A

Veni Vidi Vici - This is the one song I was really looking forward to and it doesn't disappoint. This song features references to various classic Madonna songs. This also doesn't distract from the power of the song. It only provides further proof what an AMAZING musical legacy Madonna has created over the years. RESPECT!!! A+

S.E.X. - What would a Madonna album be without one song song about sex??? I like this laid back track. Its not an instant 'win' for me. Yet. Maybe after more listens I will find a connection to this song. We'll see. B

Messiah - Yes, another faith-based song. Yes, another song with a piano intro and Madonna's bare vocals. BUT I LOVE IT!!! This is Madonna's most romantic album. This album was originally meant to be a double-album. One side was gonna feature the REBEL songs and the other side would feature the HEART songs. This is one of those HEART songs. Thank You Madonna! A+

Rebel Heart - The final and title track of the album. With a sound the calls to mind her cover classic American Pie, this song fully sums up all the parts of this album. The Good, The Bad, The Saint, The Sinner. The Public, The Private. The Rebel, The Heart. A perfect end to what will be considered one of Madonna's best albums. A+++

John

Madonna Musica Miercoles - 03/04/2015

Well it looks like the promotion machine for Madonna's upcoming album release, REBEL HEART, is in full swing. Madonna has been making various TV appearances overseas this week. In addition, its been announced that Madonna will be the sole musical guest for a full week on The Ellen Show. This will be AMAZING!!! In the meantime, here is video from her recent visit on France's Le Grand Journal TV show.

The 1st video is what I consider to be one of Madonna's best ballad in YEARS. GHOSTTOWN is a gorgeous song, beautifully song with deep lyrics. I can't stop listening to this song. It's been on a continuous loop on my MP3 player.

The 2nd video is the latest performance of LIVING FOR LOVE, a great song that is a classic in the making. The lyrics are very personal to me, as I feel they represent how I feel at this stage in my life. Hand it to Madonna, she knows how to provide a PERFECT soundtrack to my life. This live version is a new remix of the song.

From these songs, it looks as thou REBEL HEART is shaping up to be one of Madonna's best albums!!!

Enjoy!!! #RebelHeart #Living ForLove #QueenOfPop


 



John

Madonna Music Monday - 01/26/2015

It's Monday, so it must be time for some Madonna music. I recently came across am AMAZING smash-up video. It's a video that combines two performances of Madonna's great dance-floor classic, VOGUE. The Madonna portion comes from 2012's MDNA World Tour. The second portion is Rihanna's version of VOGUE as performed at the 2008 Fashion Awards. Now I was not aware that Rihanna had covered this song. So when I saw this video pop-up on Facebook, I was really surprised. The person who made this video did a great job of not only combining the two sets of vocals and videos, but also providing some great re-mix elements. Plus making this a black & white video really brings to mind the original VOGUE video. So for today's video, here is Madonna and Rihanna doing double-duty on one the greatest dance songs ever produced. Here is VOGUE!!! Enjoy!




John

Madonna Musica Martes - 11/11/2014

Last week was a very important anniversary in Madonna's career. It was the 30th anniversary of Madonna's classic hit song, LIKE A VIRGIN. It will probably be the milestone song of Madonna's legacy. You would think that Madonna would distance herself from this 80's Classic. But as you can see, it remains one of Madonna's staples in her various concerts over the years. From 1984 up thru 2012, Madonna has performed various variations of the pop classic. Regardless of what version you enjoy of Like A Virgin, it's still an amazing song. So for today's posting, I have put together a play-list of the various live performances of Like A Virgin from over the years. Enjoy!!!



























John

Madonna Music Monday - 10/06/2014

As you know, I'm a big Madonna fan. A really HUGE Madonna fan. But there seems to be an even bigger fan than me. Glen O'Neil over at Coponfilms is a movie fan, especially films by Quentin Tarantino. As you remember at the beginning of Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino's 1st film, a group of crooks gather at a diner discussing the meaning behind Madonna's classic song LIKE A VIRGIN. Well Coponfilms decided to make their own LIKE A VIRGIN video, using clips of dialog from all of Tarantino's films. The result is quite funny (especially the x-rated dialog clips used instead of the Madonna's original lyrics) and entertaining. So for today's video, here is Coponfilms' version of the great Madonna song. Enjoy!!!

 LIKE A VIRGIN - SUNG BY QUENTIN TARANTINO MOVIES

 

 John

Madonna Music Monday - 09/22/2014

So last week was the 14th anniversary of the release of Madonna's 8th studio album, MUSIC. A high-point in Madonna's discography, it spawned three hit singles. The title track was a Number One hit single in 25 countries. So to celebrate this anniversary, here is the live performance of MUSIC from Madonna's 2001 Drowned World Tour. Enjoy!

Madonna - Music - Drowned World Tour Live 2001




John

Madonna Music Monday - 09/15/2014

30 years ago this week, THIS happened on MTV...I think we all know what happened next. ENJOY!!!




John

Madonna Music Monday - 07/28/2014

On July 27th, 1983 the world was officially introduced to MADONNA, the artist and the debut album of the same name. In honor of that special day, let's go back to where it all started. Here is Madonna's 1st video for her debut single, Everybody. ENJOY!!!

 Madonna - Everybody (Video)

 

John

Madonna Musica Miercoles - 03/26/2014

Last weekend was the 25th anniversary that Madonna's LIKE A PRAYER album was released. This incredible album is one of Madonna's best. Conceptually, musically, emotionally. There is not one false note in this collection of songs. From the power-anthem of Express Yourself, the importance of family in Keep It Together, the cheerful hope of love in Cherish, the sorrowful Promise To Try and the spirituality of the title track. This album produce six hit songs. It produce the best Madonna tour. And this album vaulted Madonna's ICON status onto another level. So let's go back in time, to the Summer of 1990 when Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour was traveling around the world. This live performance is without question in a league of its own. Here is Madonna "confessing" herself in performance. This is Like A Prayer, live in concert. Enjoy!

 Madonna - Like A Prayer (Live - Blond Ambition Tour)

 

John

Madonna Music Monday - 02/03/2014

Okay, you knew I had to share this today. While I am fan of Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, last night's Super Bowl Half-Time Show just didn't "Do It" for me. So I had to listen/watch the GREATEST Half-Time Show ever produced. Here is Madonna doing her best at the 2012 Super Bowl. Enjoy!!!

 Madonna Super Bowl Half Time Show HD (2012)

 

John

Madonna Music Monday - 01/27/2014

What more can I say? History was made at last night's GRAMMY Awards Show. Words cannot express my feelings about this performance. It just needs to be seen, over and over again.

 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert, Trombone Shorty, Queen Latifah & Madonna performing "Same Love" at The 2014 Grammy's

 

And as a bonus, here's the original version of Madonna's powerful message. Enjoy!

 

 John

Madonna Music Monday - 01/20/2014

It's a new year. Hopefully there will be new Madonna music this year. Rumor has it that Madonna will be performing on this year's Grammies show with Beyonce. Let's see what happens. But in the meantime, here is a great cover of one of Madonna's 1st hit songs. Here is Capital Cities performing HOLIDAY during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. ENJOY!!!

Capital Cities - Holiday (LIVE) - New Year's Rockin' Eve 2014

 

 John

Madonna Music Monday - 12/02/2013

Due to recent events and that yesterday was December 1st, World AIDS Day, I thought I would share a specific Madonna song. In 1993, Madonna was on her fourth world tour promoting her 5th studio album EROTICA. One of the songs from this album is the AIDS themed song, In This Life. Dedicated to two friends who had died from the illness, Madonna performs an emotional tribute with this song. Dedicate to those who we have lost and to those living with AIDS today. Don't Give Up...

 Madonna - In This Life (The Girlie Show)

 

John

Madonna Musica Martes - 11/12/2013

One of the interesting things that happened with Madonna's last tour, various 'fan videos' started popping up. This is when someone would edit a bunch of fan-filmed You Tube videos into one video that closely resembled an professional-looking video. So for today, I am sharing a great fan-made video. Here is the live version of I'm Addicted, as featured on Madonna's 2012 MDNA Tour. Enjoy!!! Madonna - I'm Addicted [ MDNA TOUR ] [FAN VIDEO] John

Madonna Music Monday - 11/04/2013

Today I just wanted to share one of my favorite Madonna songs. I love the sound of this song, the lyrics and the beautiful video. This song gets little radio airplay, which is a shame. I think its one of Madonna's best vocals. So since we just ended the Halloween season, I though this would be a great way to say Good-Bye to Halloween 2013. Here is FROZEN from the 1998 Ray of Light album. Enjoy!

 Madonna - Frozen

 

 John

Madonna Music Monday - 09/30/2013

So last weekend I was running around New York, Manhattan to be exact. So I realized that this was the 20th anniversary of my 1st trip to New York. So I decided to visit a lot of my old 'haunts'. The places I used to hang out at with my friends. I used to visit New York a lot in the early 90's. Those were great, fun, crazy times. But, like everything else, things change. So of course I thought this song would be fitting. Here is Madonna's beautiful ballad, This Used To Be My Playground, from the very funny film A League of Their Own. Enjoy!!!

Madonna - This Used To Be My Playground (Video)



John