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Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
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Track Listings
| 1. Drowned World/Substitute For Love |
| 2. Swim |
| 3. Ray Of Light |
| 4. Candy Perfume Girl |
| 5. Skin |
| 6. Nothing Really Matters |
| 7. Sky Fits Heaven |
| 8. Shanti/Ashtangi |
| 9. Frozen |
| 10. The Power Of Good-Bye |
| 11. To Have And Not To Hold |
| 12. Little Star |
| 13. Mer Girl |
Product Description
From Amazon.co.uk
Never underestimate Madonna's power of persuasion: by nearly all critical accounts, Ray of Light, Madonna's first album of new material since 1994's Bedtime Stories, and her first since motherhood, is her richest, most accomplished record yet. While Ray of Light is being tagged as Madonna's big leap into electronica, it's important to note two things: first, her music has always had close ties to dance culture, and, second, her collaborator William Orbit is no Chemical Brother. Though it has all the latest blips, bleeps, and crackles electronica has to offer, Ray of Light is still largely an adult album, completely within Madonna's realm. Still, Orbit's tasteful sonic constructions provide Madonna with her most adventurous, hippest musical backdrop ever. What's more, the arrangements and production are understated enough to highlight an even bigger development: fresh from singing lessons on the Evita set, Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity have never been stronger. But larger pipes don't necessarily make for deeper, truer music. Never a master lyricist, Madonna's words have worked best when they've practically been slogans ("Vogue," "Express Yourself"). This time she goes for more emotional depth, and even tries her hand at ethno-techno-mysticism ("Shanti/Ashtangi"). She largely stumbles, however. The tone conveyed on songs like "Nothing Really Matters" is a self-centred pat on the back that belies her claim to a newly found altruism. It's enough to make you wonder, now that Madonna's given up being our material girl, if maybe she's set her sights on becoming the centre of our spiritual world too. --Roni Sarig
Product Description
MADONNA Ray Of Light (1998 German 13-track CD album featuring the hits Frozen & Ray Of Light picture sleeve)
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE Landmark Album of Her Career,
By
This review is from: Ray of Light (Audio CD)
In writing this review, I am able to understand how some fans feel frustrated and say that no matter what, Madonna can't win. On the one hand, "Ray of Light" is perhaps her greatest artistic achievement and the point in which she was finally able to solidify herself as a genuine "real player" in the music biz--but while I admire this album for its' artistic merits and innovative use of electronica, I can't say it's one of my favorites by her because it's simpy not FUN like alot of the rest of her catalog. I think it's best to say you need to be in a certain frame of mind to truly appreciate "Ray of Light". This is Madonna as Earth Mother--no dominatrix gear, Marilyn-bleached locks or feather boas. This is the point where she officially entered the second phase of her career (fans and critics definitely split her legacy into pre-ROL and post-ROL categories); the lyrics have her reflecting on past mistakes and regrets and future hopes--all this introspective insight no doubt brought on in the wake of Lourdes' birth.I'm still not a fan of the recent MDNA album save for two tracks, and it's ironic upon revisiting "Ray" that it sounds more age-appropriate for her NOW even though it's fourteen years old already. The fact that most of this material would not seem out on place on contemporary radio is either a testament to the fact that Madonna was way ahead of the curve with this one, or that pop culture has really not evolved much in the last fifteen years. On paper, it sounds like a hodgepodge but the album is surprisingly cohesive from the dreamlike, otherwordly "Drowned World (Substitute for Love") and "Frozen" to futuristic dance numbers "Ray of Light" and "Nothing Really Matters" to World-Beat flavoured "Skin" and "Shanti/Ashtangi". There's the trippy "Candy Perfume Girl", sorrowful "The Power of Goodbye" and haunting "Mer Girl". The latter half of the album is almost operatic and really shows off the vocal training Madonna endured to prepare for "Evita" a few years earlier. Like I said, not my favorite album of hers, but THE landmark album of her career and one that helped shape the direction of pop music for the Millenium. I still prefer the genius folk-electronica hybrid of 2000's "Music" over this because it's not as dark and moody, but "Ray of Light" still gets a Four-and-a-Half Stars here.
5.0 out of 5 stars
MUSICAL MATURITY,
By
This review is from: Ray of Light (Audio CD)
Madonna is pure talent. She can sing, dance, act, direct, choreograph, write, photograph and influence fashion. An astute business person, there is really nothing she can't do.This excellent collection features high caliber songs that are not only fun to dance to, but thought provoking. The title song, "Ray of Light" is truly a masterpiece. I love it! This is without a doubt the best collection Madonna has ever done. I also like the spiritual themes in many of her more recent songs. I have a lot of respect for Madonna, her talent and this collection in particular. This is such a treat.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ray of Light dazzles while Frozen is heartbreak incarnate,
By NYC Music Lover "CWP" (New Rochelle, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ray of Light (Audio CD)
Maybe it's where we all are at at a given moment in time, but I went back to Ray of Light after the September 11th tragedy, and I found consolation and grieving both within this album. I feel that each song is a small gem constituting a great piece of work by America's pre-eminent pop star. Next to Britney Spears, Brandy and other wanna-be's, Madonna has the "legs" to remain on the top of her game. But lest we think it's all a cynical marketing ploy, if you follow her own life story, each of her albums is a reflection of her own life journey. I am not sure how Music fits into that picture, but all the previous albums parallel events of Madonna's personal life pretty clearly. Most of us would agree that Madonna's motherhood had a major impact on her music making at the time of "Ray of Light" and its recording. I feel that her music's generation comes from that experience. That's why the level of feeling is so palpable in a song like Frozen, and the sense of wonder and simultaneous bewilderment come through in the title cut. No matter what you feel about her as a person, the album Ray of Light is an authentic masterwork from the one woman who survived Pop Music's vissitudes and multiple low points in the 80's and 90's, and has lived to tell new and more provoking stories. I can't help but think that Madonna will be rocking into her 60's, just like the fabled Tina Turner strutted her considerable gifts and wondrous person well into her 60's as well. Dance on Madonna!
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