Like a Virgin (Audio Cassette) [Import]

 

 

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Madonna's second album was scheduled for a 1984 summer release but was shelved for the Christmas market so that Sire Records could continue mining hits from "Madonna" the first album, which was still experiencing strong sales due to "Borderline" and "Lucky Star" being in heavy rotation on MTV and the other music-video TV programs. While "Madonna" was an excellent debut and really captured the hedonistic spirit of the New York dance scene in the early '80s, by teaming up with veteran producer Nile Rogers, Madonna delivered my favorite album of hers of the decade (and third fave overall--behind "Music" and "Erotica"). What makes "Virgin" so much better than M's other '80s output is that even the non-singles are terrific, unlike the terrible filler found on "True Blue" like "Jimmy Jimmy" and "Loves Makes the World Go Round".

Rogers shades the album with a deliciously decadent, sophisticated-sounding pop-gloss that is the musical equivalent of silk sheets or expensive chocolates. This is especially evident on the love-gone-wrong numbers ("Pretender", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore") or where Madonna professes her undying devotion ("Shoo-Be-Doo", "Stay"). The production all-around is classy and flawless with lots of gorgeous, plucky strings and razor-sharp drumming.

If anything deserves to sound out-of-place here, it's the opening number. "Material Girl" has Madonna in the Betty Boop mode that would serve her well on later fare like "Santa Baby" and much of the "Dick Tracy" soundtrack. Still a catchy tune over 25 years later, I do admit it's probably my least favorite here due to overexposure. The title track doesn't get near as much airplay on retro stations these days as her other '80s hits, yet it's still one of the decades best female singles IMO. And I do prefer the original, uncluttered version here rather than the one with unnecessary bells and chimes that appeared on "The Immaculate Collection".

The remaining two tracks are fantastic slices of dance-pop. "Over and Over" is a rousing anthem for perseverance, but to truly appreciate it, I recommend you seek out the blistering extended remix found on "You Can Dance". The classy dance number "Dress You Up" was remixed for radio with a dated synthesized drum roll, but the original here with its fantastic four-beat opening is the only one you need to hear.

The original 12-inch versions of "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin" are included as bonus cuts. While "Material" has enough tweaks to make it interesting, "Virgin" should have been replaced with the 12-inch version of "Angel" which was remixed to sound like a live recording.

This is the album that made Madonna a superstar. It allowed her to grow as an artist as her vocals display a wider range and proved she could handle the ballads when called upon. FIVE STARS.

Like A Virgin (1984.) Madonna's second album.

Early in the eighties, Madonna came onto the musical scene with the single Everybody. Not long after its release, her 1983 debut LP was released. The LP contained a number of excellent tracks. But, while many of the songs it featured are revered as classics today, at its time of release it didn't do very much to put Madonna in the spotlight. She needed to release another album, and she did so the following year. 1985's Like A Virgin is the album that first brought Madonna the popularity she has had for so very long, and this is arguably her most popular album. Is it deserving of this reputation, or is it just an overrated release? Read on for my review of Like A Virgin.

To put it in the simplest terms possible, this IS an overrated album (and I personally like the lesser-known debut better), but it's an album that deserves to be overrated. There were many female pop singers trying to make it big in the eighties, and Madonna was one of the few whose music was worthwhile. This is the album that put her in the spotlight, and rightfully so. The title track is arguably the biggest hit of her entire career. And, of course, that's not the only hit. We've also got Material Girl and Dress You Up, both of which became extremely popular. But, much like her first LP, some of the best tracks on Madonna's sophomore effort are the tracks that were never very popular at all. Angel and Over And Over had some minor popularity, but sadly, they never became as popular as the really popular tracks featured on the album. That's a shame, because these songs feature the kind of upbeat, bouncy pop music that only the eighties incarnation of Madonna could ever shell out. She even serves up a ballad, Love Don't Live Here Anymore. One of the most interesting songs on the album is Shoo-Be-Doo, because it's the perfect balance between a pop hit and a ballad. This goes to show just how excellent her music is. The closers, Pretender and Stay, tend to go overlooked, even by Madonna fans. That's bites, because they are VERY good songs. The fact that they were featured as single B-Sides doesn't help their reputation any, either. In the end, Madonna's sophomore album is a damn fine piece of eighties pop music.

THIS TEXT REFERS EXCLUSIVELY TO THE WARNER REMASTERS EDITION OF THE ALBUM. Many of Madonna's albums were recently rereleased as part of the Warner Remasters series of album reissues. The liner notes have been expanded, the sound quality has been improved, and bonus tracks have been added! In the case of the Like A Virgin album, you get extended dance remixes of two of the tracks! That's pretty cool. Too bad they didn't put bonus tracks like this on their Van Halen reissues...

Like A Virgin is the album that shot Madonna straight up to instant popularity, and rightly so. She has shelled out a number of excellent albums over the years, and this is among the finest. They don't call her the Queen of Pop for nothing! If you're a fan of Madonna or eighties pop music in general, don't hesitate to add this one to your collection.

There I was, a shy, geeky spendthrifty 14-year-old. Then along came Madonna and Like a Virgin. Suddenly, I was a total Madonna addict, listening to this album religiously every day, buying every silly teen mag that even mentioned her, and--to the horror of my parents--covering all of my walls with Madonna posters. No other album has ever had such a influence on me. I was still shy and geeky, of course, but I was a changed person. Over the years, my Madonna worship waned but never disappeared. Going back and listening to this CD now, I am amazed at how great it sounds, and I enjoy the memories it stirs inside of me.

No one can deny how huge this album was. It made Madonna a superstar, and it sunk its anchors into both the album and single bestseller charts. The title track was of course a huge hit and represents to me a cultural phenomenon. Material Girl had an even larger impact, and many would argue the song basically defined the decade of the 80s; it certainly helped shape the decade. Dress You Up was just a fun song with a great beat; as things turned out, it was to a certain extent prophetic because Madonna basically did dress up great multitudes of young admirers copying the Madonna look. Angel was another big hit, largely because it was so easy to relate to. Anyone who has ever had a crush on someone knows exactly what Madonna is singing about here. Over and Over also charted, I believe; it lacks the substance of the other songs on the album, but both the words and the energizing music do encourage you to keep going in the face of setbacks. Love Don't Live Here Anymore is the true gem on here, though. I kept expecting it to be released as a single because I really believed it would be a huge hit. Some parts of the album are a little sugary, but this song proved that Madonna did have substance and a talented voice. She packed real emotion and power into her lyrics, and I have always found the song to be well nigh heartbreaking. As for the remaining songs, Shoo-Be-Doo and Pretender are somewhat formulaic and lack pizzazz, but Stay is a song I have always liked quite a bit. It has an emotional quality that I find compelling; I could do without the "scoop scoop" choruses, but overall I find it a song of significant merit.

Not everyone will associate this album with a personal paradigm shift of great personal importance (which is how I view it), but when you get down to brass tacks, the album has more than its fair share of great songs which remain fun and vibrant all these years later. These songs still energize and inspire me, and Love Don't Live Here Anymore still captivates me. For those who discovered Madonna in the 90s or more recently, these songs may sound simplistic or perhaps immature, but I believe that the eternal spirit, magic, and unparalleled success of Madonna can be traced back to its very source in Like A Virgin.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The must have Madonna CD
This CD is what made Madonna famous! There are lots of great songs on this album. You will enjoy it for sure... at least I did very much!

Published on Jun 29 2008 by Martine

5.0 out of 5 stars She's A Material Girl
This is the album that made Madonna a household name, and this is the album that made sure that the world outside of the U.S. know about her too. Read more

Published on May 31 2008 by Qian Song

5.0 out of 5 stars The album that defined my adolescence
There I was, a shy, geeky spendthrifty 14-year-old. Then along came Madonna and Like a Virgin. Suddenly, I was a total Madonna addict, listening to this album religiously every... Read more

Published on Jun 16 2006 by Daniel Jolley

3.0 out of 5 stars The album that created the star named Madonna
Previously to this album, Madonna released a self titled album, which wasn't too big until this album hit the market. Read more

Published on Mar 5 2005 by James

5.0 out of 5 stars Dedicated to virgins--but wonderfully lacking innocence!
As other reviewers before me have very perceptively noted, this IS without doubt one of the best albums of the 1980s. Read more

Published on July 14 2004 by Matthew G. Sherwin

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent sophomore effort
Like A Virgin (1984.) Madonna's second album.

Early in the eighties, Madonna came onto the musical scene with the single Everybody. Read more

Published on Jun 2 2004 by Taylor X

5.0 out of 5 stars Next to Thriller, Probably The Quintessential '80s' Album
Although her 1983 self - titled debut was a hit, Madonn had to wait until December of 1984 before she was a superstar. Read more

Published on Mar 13 2004 by anthony nasti

3.0 out of 5 stars not bad
This Album was produced by Nile Rodgers and his time was the 70s. If we listen to this album today we may think there was no technical possibilty to create quality pop music, but... Read more

Published on Mar 10 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars the "thriller" of her career
this album is excellent, it just flows great. I received this album as a gift in 1988 because I loved madonna's music videos so much as a little kid about 5 years old that time... Read more

Published on Feb 27 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a master piece!
This album is my second favorite Madonna album (the first being Madonna) this album is digitally remastered and it sounds perfect! Read more

Published on Feb 14 2004 by bob

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