New Madonna CD Recaptures Best Instincts Of Her Early Work

At fifty-three, is she "Like A (Matronly) Virgin"?

Madonna's latest CD, cleverly titled "MDNA", has gotten some pretty lackluster feedback from the critics. Fortunate for me, I learned from "Siskel And Ebert" by the time I was fifteen that critics are inexplicably over-rated. (As I am not a critic but rather a "writer", you encouraged to overrate me.)

The discounting reviews are missing a central point here...

This woman has never been a musical genius. She is a marketing phenomenon; to her own credit. It's not as if this is the latest album from America's finest musician, such that there is an enormous peak for her to take some catastrophic fall from. Context, people!

Few vocal "artists" have lasted this long and offered above-average output; hers has even been gutsy at times when not leaning on her unexceptional sexuality as a crutch. (Time to destroy another pop culture myth: Madonna was never as hot as we felt obligated to view her as.) So here, she's put out an album that really recaptures some of the fun, frivolousness, bounce, and brashness that made albums such as "Like A Virgin" such a guilty pleasure.

Few artists are  able to reconnect with the same energy that fired their early work. As illustrated by Madonna's "MDNA", when they do, its a really gratifying fusion of the past and present. The original fire from the past combines with a modern sensibility which results in a return to form worth celebrating. And I say that as someone who has never been a fan. My final thought on this CD?

Get it. Get up. Dance.

"El Tryst"

This was an experimentation with loop-based music writing software. Based upon this initial experience, it is not a songwriting solution but rather a musical tool which is best used to spark new ideas. Because the user selects from short bits of pre-recorded musical patterns, the primary responsibility is in selecting those patterns and arranging them so that it sounds good, has structure, and a compelling direction.

In this regard, one is riffing off bits that someone else has written. So the ingredients themselves are not original. But like with cooking, it's in how those same ingredients are combined and nurtured; making one peppercorn steak dog scraps, and the other a masterpiece of fine dining.

Using loop-based software is not a purist's approach. It does have limitations. The sounds do not have the truth of acoustic instruments; one cannot play dynamic or interpretation into them. However, it's a fun way to generate ideas that can be translated into a more organic composition. And that's the way I used it on "El Tryst". It's a starting point from which I might rewrite notes and musical passages, change sound levels, and edit as if a short story's rough draft. Here, then, is the "first draft". Should I complete it in the future, I may post the final version for comparison.