By now I'm sure everyone knows and has heard one track if not more from Madonna's new album MDNA. Having spent a little time listening to all the tracks I thought I'd write my own review of them. So if you'd like to know what I think then read on ...
Girl Gone Wild ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
I was immediately turned off by the spoken religious references at the start of the song and cropped those out straight away. Really, it wasn't required. The music for the track is good, but lyrics like "girls just want to have fun" have already been well used. The lyrics are repetitive and not very imaginative. I expected more from this track. Loved the music, hated everything else about it.
Gang Bang ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
This started off as a really interesting track but didn't really get any where. "fish out of water", "bat out of hell" again more poor lyrics. No regrets about shooting your lover in the head etc, it had all makings of being a great track but again another let down. The music takes a while to get going, but like the previous song the music makes up for the poor lyrics once again (well almost). Lots more talking at the end of the track that really isn't required with very dark images. My least favorite track on the whole album just too dark and slightly disturbing for my taste.
I'm Addicted ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
At last something interesting. Great music on this track. Once again lyrics are a little repetitive but for this track that's forgivable. It's the kind of track that will get your ass moving on the dance floor and I'm looking forward to hearing some remixes of this specific track as I'm pretty certain they are going to be awesome, although lets hope they crop out the spoken reference to "MDNA" at the end of the track which are the only spoiler on this song. No need for it, not even linked to the song in any way, just a piss poor attempt at "mental suggestion" that falls flat.
Turn Up the Radio ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
A feel good song that many people will relate to and again another one that I'm really looking forward to hearing the remixes for. One of the better tracks on the Album although I wish there was a stronger beat behind it so I'm hoping that the remixes will really help this track shine.
Some Girls ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Another good track this time with a good beat behind it. This is one of the stand out tracks on the album for me and again another that many people will be able to relate to. Great music and great lyrics.
Superstar ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
This is a little hit and miss for me. Pretty simply and repetitive lyrics and lots of "oh la la" throughout the track. Many people will like it simply because they can join in the refrain when it gets played.The music like the lyrics is pretty simple as well, nothing to really recommend it and I wouldn't have missed it if it had been left off the album.
I Don't Give a (feat. Nicki Minaj) ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Another good track, strong fast lyrics. That said the music for the track never really gets a chance to take off which it could have with this track and taken it from being good to being great. Nicki adds some additional depth to this track as well although it doesn't really do much to showcase her own talent and seems more of an after thought rather than an active collaboration between two artists. The only spoiler for me is when artists reference themselves by name in the song, which this does.
I'm a Sinner ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I hate this song. Sorry, but religious references in songs just irritate the hell out of me and this track is loaded with them. The concept of the song "I'm a sinner" was a really good one and this could have been taken in a different direction and been fantastic. The music is good its just a shame that the lyrics are are so bad. This for me is one of the tracks on the album that missed that mark. That said I'm sure it will go down a treat in a catholic girls school which I hope is the only place it ever gets any airtime.
Love Spent ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
As this track started playing I immediately sat up and took notice. This is another great track, great music and lyrics. This is another one that I'm looking forward to hearing the remixes for as its got loads of potential.
Masterpiece ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Time to slow it down, but this is a great song as well. Absolutely great lyrics. This is one of the tracks that really stood out for me.
Falling Free
Falling Free ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Another slow song, and again more thought given to the lyrics and content of the song. For me Masterpiece is the better track but this still grabbed my attention. It's slower again that masterpiece and gets even slower towards the end of the track and fades out to die which I guess is intentional given subject matter.
Beautiful Killer ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
The music for this track is actually not bad, but its totally let down by the lyrics and subject matter. "Can't really talk with a gun in my mouth" as one of the lines go. If only that was "sing" we might have been spared this particular track.
I Fucked Up ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
With a song title like this I have to admit that my expectations high to start. Music and lyrics are actually pretty good so it didn't disappoint. Definitely one that you'll want on your play list for those moments when you have to admit that you lived up to the track title.
B-Day Song (feat. M.I.A) ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Crap. This is one of those REALLY annoying songs that is going to be an instant hit. It's self indulgent pop rubbish that is going to get loads of radio air play simply because its a birthday song. This is not worthy of Madonna, not even even at her worst. Saying I hope I never hear it again would be a waste of time so I'm gearing myself up for lots of cringing over the next couple of years until it fades away like a bad memory.
Best Friend ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Another good track, and something that I'm sure many people will be able to relate to. Good lyrics and music and another remix that I'm really looking forward too.
Give Me All Your Luvin (Party Rock Remix) ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Not the best remix but way better than the original track. This at least pumps it up a little and is definitely much easier to listen to despite the annoying cheer and my second pet hate which is when artists refer to themselves by name in a song. That said, this version is way better and for people like me who didn't like the original you might find yourself more drawn to this version simply because the beat is way better.
Love Spent (Acoustic Version) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I already liked this track but fell in love with this version instantly and think this version is actually better. I hope when the remixes start surfacing that this version gets the attention it really deserves.
So, that's it. My take on MNDA the album. It's a little hit and miss but overall not bad. Many people will say this is her best Album (those would be the annoying love anything Madonna does even if its utter rubbish cause we don't care we love everything Madonna crowd) but I don't think so, its different yes but not Madonna at her best. There's some great tracks in this album but they are in the minority. That said they sill help to pull the album together. I'm really looking forward to a number of remixes from this album as there are a few tracks on it that with the right treatment will be outstanding.
Wether you love it, hate it, or are on the fence over it, enjoy!.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
MDNA a Track by Track Review
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Madonna is back with MDNA
Madonna is back and launching a new album titled "MDNA" which she give the world a sample of during the Super Bowl half time show recently. Yes apart from many songs that have been etched into the subconscious of a generation such as "Vogue" and "Hey Mr. DJ" fans where also treated to a new song hot of the new album called "Give me all your Luvin". Don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan but this track is …
... irritating with its schoolgirl nasally chorus cheer of "L-U-V Madonna". And if this is the first single, which you would expect to set the tone for the whole album then I'm nervous about what I'm going to hear when my pre-ordered copy arrives.
The new single features Nicki MInaj and M.I.A doing a little out dated rap in the middle which just adds that extra element of annoyance. I can only hope that when the remixes surface that someone turns this into something more listenable. I appreciate that may be asking a little too much at this stage given what they have to work with but I live in hope.
In the meantime, everyone seems to be praising the song for no other reason than its a new Madonna single with Facebook comments acclaiming "Madonna's back". For an artist that has blazed a trail through the music industry and left us with some startling images and music in her wake this new single (in my opinion) falls well sort of the mark. There's simply nothing new about it, it's all been done before and from an artist like Madonna, forgive me if my expectations are a tad higher than everyone else's, I really did expect a whole lot more.
This new single is simply not Madonna at her best, not even close.
I am still hopeful that the actual album is better and will reserve judgement on that, but so far the first single (which incidentally is free if you pre-order your album on iTunes) has failed to impress me. I guess its a little like time index 3.31 in the Superbowl show below, a stumble before we get back on track.
Madonna's Superbowl XLVI Halftime Show (HD)
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
iPhone 5 ..... or not?
I've been waiting patiently for the iPhone to become the phone that has always been expected of it. While its true there have been numerous innovations as a result of the iPhone the problem is most of those came with the very first generation and there has been little improvement ever since.
We’ve seen better battery life, better design form factor, but most of the improvements since the first generation are to fix design flaws that many people have taken to jailbreaking their phones to correct to begin with.
Apple is just too slow to respond to what people want and .....
..... it seems that its absorbing some of the better apps that you can install on a jailbroken phone into its firmware to compensate.
Lets take the latest phone the iPhone 4S. It’s got a faster processor and Siri and that’s pretty much about the sum total of the innovation there. It has a notification screen which is nice, but there are better apps out there if your phone is jailbroken as lets face it the notification screen is pretty basic and really not much use.
Even Siri is pretty useless if the truth be told and after everyone who owns an iPhone 4S has gotten tired of asking “Who’s your daddy” I’m pretty sure Siri doesn’t get used much thereafter.
Meanwhile in the background the android phone market being open source has come along in leaps and bounds and I reckon it won’t be long before it surpasses the iPhone in terms of functionality and capability. In fact many people would argue (somewhat successfully too) that this is already the case.
So I’ve decided that I am going to wait until the release of the iPhone 5 before deciding if I will continue to support it. If that isn’t everything I expect in a phone and more then I’ll be dropping out of the iPhone yearly upgrade cycle (which in itself is becoming slightly annoying), jumping onboard the android mother ship and not looking back.
So heads up Apple, it’s really time to pull the finger out and innovate because if you continue at this same lack-luster pace then my prediction is that Android phones will surpass iPhone sales in 2012.
And while we are on the subject of a lack of innovation Steve Jobs once joked that soon everyone would be wearing the iPod nano as a watch. Well there’s a new player in town called “I’m Watch” which is set to take control of that particular market as well. It is everything that the iPod nano (as a watch) could have been but isn’t and is definitely one to watch. Oh and guess what, it’s android based too.
I’m seriously beginning to wonder if Apple has lost the plot.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Christmas and the Winter Solstic
Yule , or the Winter Solstice to give it its correct title was around long before Christianity emerged. It was celebrated by those that followed the old ways or as they are referred to today, Pagans.
In fact many Christmas festivals are held on dates that cover-up Pagan festivals in what was a blatant attempt to eradicate them completely by the Christian church. Christmas as the Christian community refer to this time in the calendar is just one such example.
Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) which is celebrated between Dec 23-25th is when ....
....the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, the sun's "rebirth" was celebrated with much joy.
On this night, our ancestors celebrated the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth. From this day forward, the days would become longer.
Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider. Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun. The boughs were symbolic of immortality (evergreens were sacred to the Celts because they did not "die" thereby representing the eternal aspect of the Divine). The wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life.
Holly and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes, in hopes Nature Sprites would come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to visit the residents. Mistletoe was also hung as decoration. It represented the seed of the Divine, and at Midwinter, the Druids would travel deep into the forest to harvest it. Many of this has been carried over into the Christian celebration of Christmas.
The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the Solstice festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze by a piece of last years log, (held onto for just this purpose).
The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice. Today we still have the 12 days before and after Christmas, again a carry over from the Pagan Winter Solstice celebration.
In fact many customs created around Yule are identified with Christmas today. If you decorate your home with a Yule tree (Christmas tree), holly or candles, you are following them even if you don’t know it. Even Santa Claus otherwise known as Kris Kringle isn’t something new, he was in fact the Germanic pagan God of Yule.
As you celebrate Christmas this year take a little time out to understand what that celebration is really about and where many of the symbols and traditions have really come from.
Some More Information
Deities of Yule:
All Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses. The best known would be the Dagda, and Brighid, the daughter of the Dagda. Brighid taught the smiths the arts of fire tending and the secrets of metal work. Brighid's flame, like the flame of the new light, pierces the darkness of the spirit and mind, while the Dagda's cauldron assures that Nature will always provide for all the children.
Symbolism of Yule:
Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future.
Symbols of Yule:
Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus.
Herbs of Yule:
Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.
Foods of Yule:
Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).
Incense of Yule:
Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.
Colors of Yule:
Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.
Stones of Yule:
Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.
Activities of Yule:
Caroling, wassailing the trees, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule
Spellworkings of Yule:
Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.
Deities of Yule:
Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Mabon.
