Album Discussion "Madonna/The First Album"

These are always fun topics to do, we can do a new one each week or so.
Discuss favourite tracks, worst tracks, lyrics, video, single releases etc

Madonna/The First Album



Lucky Star
Borderline
Burning Up
I Know It
Holiday
Think of Me
Physical Attraction
Everybody

Lucky Star
The video rocks. My first experience of the "Madonna Look" in moving image. So sexy, so simple. Mwah.

Borderline
So-so song. The video's quite cool though.

Burning Up
It was my fave track for a while there, lol. Her performance on The Tube was cool.

I Know It
Not sure if I ever heard this one through to the end. Meh.

Holiday
Forgot what track this is. Must be filler. (lol)

Think of Me
I like the saxophone, nice touch.

Physical Attraction
It's tolerable. Cool rhythm, but her voice gives me the irrits. "Its a physical attrack-SHUUN. Chemical reaack-SHUUN." Awake now.

Everybody
I read about this track so often in books before I finally heard it, and boy was I disappointed. I also read a review once describing the video as "the best of her career". Boring stuff.

I remember hearing this album for the first time at a friends house. I would have been about 11?
By then I had already heard Like a Virgin and True Blue, but never knew this album existed.
I thought Lucky Star sounded kinda strange and the only song I recognised was Holiday.

1. Lucky Star
I love this track, its so sprite and sparkles. Perfect pop arrangement, simple but oozes a sexy bassline and hot flicking guitar licks.
And who can forget that norty little vixen on the video, showing that delicious little plump tummy and her dorky brother dancing in the background lol She knows how to work a camera, that's for sure. Shes fabulous and I want more. My favourite version of this was song is on the WTG tour. God she sounded so sexy and aggressive, and took this song to a whole new level for me.
Best Moment: The 45 second intro, that thumping bassline and those guitar licks.

2. Borderline
This is something that would have fit on Like a Virgin perfectly. In fact sometimes I lose my mind and look for it on my playlist under Like a Virgin.
Very catchy and totally cute. I love the video, its so polished and has a great plot line. Even in that awful hat, she looks gorgeous. I love how her personality shines through when she kicks the lampost (green flouro socks and stilettos!) in a huff when her boyfriend walks off.
Best Moment: 4.58 Holding that end note on "Come on baby, come on darling..yeeeeeeaaaaaah..."

3. Burning Up
Love the guitars on this one, a very 'rock' feel to this song. Its not one I seek out to listen to though. 2.58 and onwards is where the real passion comes out, shes uninhibited and going for gold, shes on fire and telling him alright. You just wanna grab the guy and tell him to put that fire out NOW.
The video was nothing to really write home about for me. I do wonder if it hurt being down on the gravel like that. I once fell out of a taxi and that ground is hard and scratchy. I like the 12" version on the Madonna remastered album. Sounds a little more 'fuller'.
Best Moment: 3.19-3.21 "uh-uh-uh!"

4. I Know It
Forgettable, throwaway filler for me. It doesn't even sound 'Madonna' IYKWIM. The beat arrangement is strange and the whole thing is oddly positioned. Kinda like polka music.
Best moment: Knowing Holiday was coming next!

5. Holiday
The one will NEVER die. Its always my favourite on tour and I cant imagine a Madonna concert without this old shoe. Its so perfect in every way, and I cant believe it was given to her at the last minute. What a stroke of luck that was. The perfect anthem. My favorite version has to be Blond Ambition, but Drowned World comes a close second! My only regret, no real video was ever made, despite the huge iconic song it is.
Best Moment: 0.33 where that 'twirly' little keyboard comes in.

6. Think of Me
The beat of this song reminds me of "Lets Hear it For the Boy". Even the keyboards are the same sound/key as that song. The sax is still hanging around from I know It. Its the second worst song after I Know It on this album for me.
Best Moment: 3.47-4.03 Guitar licks and bassline solo break.

7. Physical Attraction
My favourite off this entire album. So many fabulous aspects of this song I don't know where to start. I feel so blessed we get 6 minutes of this awesome song.
Lets start with the intro, 0.00 that awesome little lead in, how you you describe that sound? Like a record speeding up and then the bass kicks in. That bassline is simply killer, and the guitar licks s.e.x.y. Reminiscent of Lucky Star, or was Lucky Star inspired by this song?
The harmonies fit perfectly around Madonna, lending a smoky soul kinda feel. The spoken word break at 3.35 is the sexiest she's ever sounded. Even Erotica cant touch the honest sexuality and uninhibited confession she speaks here. If you close your eyes in the dark, you would swear shes right there, breathing this sexy confession in your ear. You can almost feel her warm breath on your neck. Confess it girl! You're damn right its nothing to be ashamed of!
This song gets me riled up in more ways than one. Some days I crank it up as loud as my neighbours will bear, and other times I put the headphones on and lie there with my eyes closed.
It took me years to appreciate this song. But one day it just hit me and I've been left a weak mess over it ever since.
Best Moment: 3.35 Spoken Word confession.

8. Everybody
Definitely a club song, I can see why it took off in the dance clubs. Its trancelike, with her faraway voice calling you to "let yourself go" on the dance floor. Her voice sounds a little sluggish though, almost robotic. Not one of my favourites or standout in anyway for me. I do love how its blended into Physical Attraction on You Can Dance though.
Best Moment: 4.41 The repetitive, ethereal ditty-like clarity bells ringing to urge you to get up before the song is over and you lose the moment forever.

We should add: Favourite Album Artwork.

So post a photo of the best artwork from this album "era". Can be the standard artwork, limited edition, reissue, single covers, CD designs, promo sleeves, etc. etc.

here's my fave from this era:

This has to be the worst pic of her from this era lol


This one follows a close second...


LOVE this look. That fisherman knit jersey was skody though.



Look what they did to her teeth...



My Queen! Who did this to you?! Next time just give them the handbag!


Simply gorgeous...

Quote :

Look what they did to her teeth...

Euwww, thats not real! That's a fanmade photo - someone took the black and white one and recoloured it and ... and ... filled in the gap in her teeth?! Blech! Here's the real one. *phewf*

I assumed this was a mock up for the album cover that was discarded? There were a few mock ups with album text and everything over the pics.

Fan art is exactly what it looks like though, awful! lol

Here's a treat for you: Outtake sheets!