Pretender1978

The best for me are True Blue (US) Erotica and AL The worst is a toss up between confessions and HC, but confessions is more of a mess, HC at least still has a bit of irony. I's a pity that since MDNA we have the multiple cover thing, which makes them a bit less iconic, here the MDNA one I absolutely hate, graphically it's not a pretty picture. The negative spaces are too big for such an obscured image, the deluxe version however is gorgeous. I have the same problem with MX, I hate the cheap font on the lips, but the font used on the blonde cover is stunning etc.

How incredibly boring that this thread has become yet another trite discussion on M's live vocals, when one's ability to sing is a much bigger subject. On that note the whole title of this thread already suggests a negative point of view. To me M was always a great singer in her delivery, it's already there on songs like PA, Stay, CFY ut becomes truelly powerful on True Blue, especially its first half. Than LAP and IB arre the highlight of her raw and very emotive soulful vocals. Evita put a bit of a dent in her singing personality (I had difficulty recognizing her voice) and ufortunately that still lingers on ROL. Of course the vocals there are good but they are so controlled there is very little space for emotion. Music and AL are among my favorite M vocals, after that technology takes over and it's hard to find that urgency in her voice. We had to wait until MX for a real proper delivery (even with all the autotune the emotion is still there.

Yes yes yes to new music, but only if she has something to say or feels the need to record. Those albums inbetween confessions and MX are so forgettable. I would love for her to do a way more experimental route and release an album of eclectic sound recordings rather than another attempt at pop music. I could listen all day to those hallway videos when she was living in Lisbon, just her raw voice in beautiful acoustics, and maybe Arca can throw in some destruction in the back ground

I love this ongoing debate among fans wether or not it's an original album or a soundtrack. I agree with you that of course it's both. I just always feel that fans don't want it to be part of her album discography because it's not as contemporary as the rest of her catalogue. Talk to a Prince fan and tell them Purple Rain doesn't count as an album, or Parade for that matter. Not sure though if she wanted additional songs in the movie as she only started writing and recording long after shooting was done. The three Sondheim tracks are also rearranged and re recorded for the album.

Thank you for pointing this out! Most iconic M looks are stripped back, almost cartoon like. Funny enough the Lacroix corset was already a bit fussy to begin with (compared with the other costumes from RIT, though it's absolutely beautiful) I think the red negligee is actually a fantastic costume

Isn't it also a bit sad for al these minor celebrities to have to release these biographies for a quick buck and all anyone is ever interested in is what little tidbits you have to share about celebrities bigger than you. I have very little words for the hypocracy which is RuPaul, just that I once bought into the idea that he was sincere and not this conservative self serving capitalist

So a look she gave you made you feel all that? Wow, maybe do a little check in with your own self esteem lady Ru if you want to give that much power to what you fear other people think of you (and write about it 40 year later lol)

What's so frustrating is that there are plenty of examples of deluxe editions done right for way way smaller artists. Bands like durad duran did fantatsic box sets on all their albums, Smashing Pumpkins release 10 disc expansions of their records with artwork that is carefully curated from the archives. One thing about all the vinyl releases is the really shoddy artwork on most re releases, the fonts etc look like they are scanned from a cd format and then blown up. It's just something I can't spend money on. For boxsets it would have been so great to have something that archives the era, both in what was released as well as the unreleased stuff. The original album, cleaned up, not remastered into this brick wall of sound but just a bit more clear and louder, then with the original artwork (something like the japanese vinyl recreations would be great) then a faux cd maxi single on cd in cardsleeve for every single which tracklists different single and maxi releases and adds bonus mixes, all in artwork close to the original. Of course an extra disc with new artwork that focusses on unreleased material (depending on the album this can be extended to two discs and focus on demos or promo mixes etc) And it goes without saying that the whole thing is housed in an actual box that includes an extensive booklet with pictures and interviews with collaborators.

I like them all apart from the mirrored catsuit, that one I really hate, it makes her look weird and I rarely like her in silver. Also I didn't realize before that it is a near exact copy of a Lady Gaga costume by Tom Ford, so that probably explains why it didn't read iconic Madonna to me in the first place.

I think from LAP throughout BS the single covers are near perfection. I thought rehashing the same concept for confessions and music was actually kind of lame. Compared to Erotica, DAD, BG, Rain, BBB, those are all fantastic covers, even Fever, which is kind of a weird one tbh felt like it fit right in using the bodoni font and current colors.

I adore the Meisel one, the picture is great and I loved the font. Lol at the time I thought it was new, never realised that it was from italian vogue and used in D&D until later. For Rain I also much prefer the Herb Ritts cover over the UK one.

Oh dear, another M release another meltdown

On a different not, how often do these auctioned events get cancelled I wonder, and do the artists compensate the money as it is all for charity? Did we ever find out who won the bidding on the studio visit during the making of MX, or did that too never happen?

Lol I tried listen to it but had to stop two line sinto the first chorus, just pointless fodder to me

Rain Rain Rain I only wish they updated the background with the two waterfall walls from the video instead of the frozen footage. Frozen is about a devide between lovers, one lover trying to convince the other to give in to their love. Rain is about feeling the outpoor of love from the other (the audience) Rain is bliss, is contentment, completion. Frozen is angst, hunger and desperation. I've said it before, but to start the show with "nothing really matters, love is all we need" and closing with "wash away my sorrow, take away my pain, your love's coming down like rain" is to me the perfect cycle. Also as a tryptich going into the future (BS, ROL, R) Rain is so much more modern and fresh