American Life - Madonna

Posted : 1 week ago at Dec 8 13:35

American Life is an album about what it is like being, arguably, the world’s most famous woman. Dark, complicated and insular, it’s not an easy album to work through the first, second or even tenth listen. Yet, I find that it offers more than a few rewards once you submerse yourself throughout the work. It’s far from her worst album (that’s still True Blue). Yes, too often the songs detour off into clumsy, awkward and downright ridiculous experimentation – the raps on both “American Life” and “Mother and Father” are embarrassing, the nursery rhyme of “Nobody Knows Me” takes the sting out of the song, the chorus of “Easy Ride” is awful – but tracks like “Hollywood” and “Nothing Fails” are dark and beautiful respectively. But let’s go back to the ...Read more

Posted : 2 years, 11 months ago at Jan 20 9:48

Madonna's 'American Life' didn't have a particularly welcome reception by the critics when it first came out, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I put the record on. After giving it numerous spins, however, I can safely say that it is one of most moving albums in the Madonna catalogue. If it is flawed in any way, for its moments of awkwardness or whatever, it seems that the whole is only strengthened by this fact. As masterful as albums like 'Like a Prayer' may be, they contain little barbed wire which actually tears at you and forces you to listen twice, as this record does. A moving, honest and vital record in the Madonalogue - dare I say essential?

Rating : 10/10