All Madonna
really wanted was to be treated as a serious artist, who knew? Surely her ever
exposed navel and her “Like a Virgin” persona wouldn’t have suggested as such,
but no, Madonna is a serious, and more importantly, talented, artist. And it’s
not just a proclamation, she insists on it, so much to the point of ditching
the shallow values of her early 80s persona and thickens her vocals, adds the
funk, brings in the choir, and starts to fully broaden her stylistic range. She
was edging away from the disco flavors of her debut before, but “Like a Prayer”
completely shatters the mold she dug herself in. The starting guitar riff in the
title track is a clear statement that Madonna is much more serious than she led
us to believe. She rejects the idea that love can be bought in “Express
Yourself” (huh?), she includes the exquisite piano ballad “Promise to Try”
(huh?!), and she brings in Prince in “Love Song” which proves she can work with other artists and still
make the duet her own (what?!). From start to finish, “Like a Prayer” holds
Madonna’s most consistent and accomplished music. In 1989, as the teen-dance
pop craze comes to a fizzle, she rides this wave and delivers exactly what the
times need: a bold, artistic statement that provides breadth for mainstream
music. Also, in her conquest to prove her vocal talent, she delivers the first
album that’s closer to an actual artform. “Like a Prayer” is structured very
much like a work of art, filled with different colors, genres, and moods. It
all comes in a rush of brilliance, found prominently in “Like a Prayer”, “Cherish”,
and “Dear Jessie”, the latter of which contains a string arrangement that was
pulled right out of the classical era. And while this album definitely has its
lows, mostly the closer “Act of Contrition” and that fore-mentioned Prince
duet, overall, “Like a Prayer” overcomes its struggles and ultimately proves
that when it comes to art filled and meaningful pop, nobody can do it better
than Madonna.
Recommended
Tracks in Bold:
1. Like a Prayer 2. Express
Yourself 3. Love Song
4. Till
Death Do Us Part 5. Promise to Try 6. Cherish
7. Dear Jessie 8. Oh
Father 9. Keep it Together
10.
Spanish Eyes 11. Act of
Contrition
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