Customer Reviews

Madonna - The Drowned World Tour

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Madonna has always been known to dazzle the eyes of her fans with her eye-catching music videos. Then the time came in for her to dazzle the eyes of her fans with her concert performances, which all started in 1985 when she put together The Virgin Tour 1985, her very first tour, which promoted the LIKE A VIRGIN album. 1987 was the time for Madonna's second tour entitled, The Who's That Girl Tour 1987, which promoted the original motion picture of the same name. 1990 was The Blonde Ambition Tour 1990, which promoted the LIKE A PRAYER album and the I'M BREATHLESS album. 1993 was The Girlie Show Years Tour 1993, which promoted the EROTICA album.

Now, eight years after The Girlie Show Years Tour 1993, Madonna has come back with The Drowned World Tour 2001, which promoted the MUSIC album. This televised concert, which was performed in Michigan, Madonna's homestate, on August 26, 2001, is nothing less than a classic. Although it is disappointing to see that she excludes almost all of her older material, she still made it a concert that everyone can enjoy. You all ask, 'How does she come up with these incredible ideas?'. The answer, ladies & gentlemen, the answer is: She's... Madonna.

The show starts with the band, including Donna DeLory and Niki Harris, standing in center stage looking at the audience as different pieces of Madonna's songs are played. The band takes their places and jams to the first song on the setlist, DROWNED WORLD (SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE). Madonna performs it so gracefully, while standing on a large platform, wearing a green & white top, where the sleeves and back are see-through material, a green & white flannel skirt, black pants underneath the skirt with red suspenders tied around her legs, complete with black shoes. After DROWNED WORLD (SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE), she goes into a dance-crazed performance of IMPRESSIVE INSTANT. After that, she grabs her trusty guitar and strums away to a rock version of CANDY PERFUME GIRL where she shouts F*CK OFF, MOTHERF*CKERS! After, she takes center stage and says, DO I MAKE YOU HORNY? as BEAUTIFUL STRANGER begins. RAY OF LIGHT is performed next and only Madonna can perform it with the energy shows here.

After, on the video back-drop screen, a special video of PARADISE (NOT FOR ME) is shown, where in the video, Madonna is shown as a GEISHA. As the video ends, Madonna takes the stage, wearing a black wig, a black JAPANESE GEISHA robe with red trim, as she performs an awesome rendition of FROZEN. After, she goes into a graceful performance of NOBODY'S PERFECT. After, she stand ontop of a fake tree, this time dressed in a red jumpsuit and black wig. This is still the GEISHA look, but she has something up her sleeve. She starts off with the first verse of MER GIRL, then goes in to the first verse and first chorus of SKY FITS HEAVEN, which then leads into a whole Japanese fighting sequence between her and her dancers. After the fight, Madonna takes the stage and finishes off MER GIRL.

After a costume change, Madonna takes the stage, dressed in a country-western outfit. She sits on a stack of hay, strumming on her acoustic as she performs I DESERVE IT. After that, she confidently sweeps through DON'T TELL ME. HUMAN NATURE follows, while she rides her ole mechanical bull. After that, she performs a song she had written herself entitled, THE FUNNY SONG (OH DEAR DADDY). After that, she gives a great rendition of SECRET, which then leads into a great rendition of GONE. Before I go on, let me point out that GONE was sometimes reversed with YOU'LL SEE. In some cities, including Michigan, Madonna performed GONE. Other cities, including my hometown, Philly, Madonna performed YOU'LL SEE.

She takes another costume change as two of her dancers waltz to an instrumental version of DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA. Madonna takes the stage, wearing a full-front black dress, black slacks and high-heeled shoes, complete with her hair tied into a bun, as she performs LO QUE SIENTE LA MUJER, a Spanish version of WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL. Then, with her acoustic guitar hand, she performs an amazing rendition of LA ISLA BONITA. The encores are HOLIDAY and MUSIC. Sorry, but you'll have to see it for yourselves, can't tell you everything. Buy it and prepare to be amazed. Below is the tour's setlist.

DROWNED WORLD (SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE)
IMPRESSIVE INSTANT
CANDY PERFUME GIRL
BEAUTIFUL STRANGER
RAY OF LIGHT
PARADISE (NOT FOR ME) (Video Interlude, costume change)
FROZEN
NOBODY'S PERFECT
MER GIRL/SKY FITS HEAVEN medley
I DESERVE IT
DON'T TELL ME
HUMAN NATURE
THE FUNNY SONG (OH DEAR DADDY)
SECRET
GONE or YOU'LL SEE
DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA (instrumental) dancers' interlude
LO QUE SIENTE LA MUJER (WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL)
LA ISLA BONITA
HOLIDAY
MUSIC

This tour was created in 2001 supporting the album GHV2
the album(s) supporting GHV2 are Bedtime Stories,Ray of Light,Music and not really The Next Best Thing.
The song created for this tour is called The Funny Song.WIERD NAME!

This DVD has a lot to offer the true Madonna fan as well as someone who wants to witness an amazing spectacle. As always, Madonna used the then top of the line staging equipment and techniques which made this a very sleak production. The set list was really invaluable and just goes without saying. A cool note to the big Madonna fans is that during La Isla Bonita, you can see Rosie O'Donnell in the front row taking pictures during the concert, which were used for the cover of the DVD. She is credited with photography on the back of the box.

I must say, this performance is a very well done and artistic one. However, one may not enjoy it...it has very few hits. The tour is basically filled with album fillers, no pun intended.

Madonna's singing voice is extremely weak in this DVD, and is almost never on key. Although I am a major Madonna fan, I am not blind and believe that in this particular performance (Detroit), her voice is practically unlistenable, unlike many of her other tours, where her voice is stronger (less professionally sung, but stronger).

Her voice in her new re-INVENTION tour, however, is far stronger and much more on key, which leads me to suspect that perhaps the voice problems on this DVD are reflective of Madonna's exhaustion near the end of her tour.

I must say, Madonna did NOT disappoint. Her dancing is superb, and one can understand that Madonna's voice is slightly overtrained, but her voice was just awful. However, despite all that, the show makes up for it in other areas, making it completely worth your money.

And if you can, catch her re-INVENTION tour. From most of the clips I've heard, her voice is amazingly strong and fresh.

This Madonna Show came free with my satellite and it was boring as can be. The DVD didn't fare any better. Here is Madonna at her all time lowest on stage. The production numbers are aweful to say the least. Watch Madonna re enact scenes stolen from anime cartoons as she swings like a monkey and faux fights Ninja style. Witness Madonna faux play an electric guitar in a way that would make Santana, Page and Hendrix squirm!!! This isn't far fetched since Madonna is doing this same boring number on her new Re Invention Tour. Maddy dancing with a stick??? Say it isn't so??? This show is an utter waste of time and money no matter what her blind fans will say. There is a time when we have to wake up and admit that some entertainers are over the hill and dried up. Madonna is absolutely no exeption. She is tired, old, very old to be doing this and her best days are completely done. Pack it Madonna we want our money back.

What can I say? Very enjoyable, a good show, She's still in the top of the music.

Madonna's Drowned World Tour is very different off all the concerts out there. She's a profesional and put the best on her shows.

Madonna is the most exciting pop performer out there!
She's the one that takes huge risks and just gives you something new everytime. Unlike others who continue to repeat the same dance routines for the same songs for every tour they embark on.
I've been heavily impressed with her tours ever since the blond ambition. But when I got the chance to see the drowned world tour on HBO, I just wasn't too impressed for the first time in so long!
It took me almost 2 yrs to get the drowned world on DVD and now I'm glad I did. I don't own any other madonna live concert DVDs and I'm happy to own this one at least.
I was very much impressed with the work of hamish hamilton who also worked on U2's tour back in 2001. He made this DVD very much worthwhile.
None of madonna's other concert DVDs are well edited like this one. when you watch the video screens that are being played during the concert, it pops up on your screen as you would be watching it thru your tv screen instead of thru the audience like on the HBO broadcast.
Take to mind that I was not too crazy about this tour as The Girlie Show was better in my opinion but just the way this DVD has been edited definitely made me change my mind.
What stops me from giving this DVD 5 stars is that it could've included more bonus features like behind the scenes access and tour rehearsal footage!

Mo never ceases to amaze with her concerts. She may disappoint with her interviews and shock with her personal life but no one can dispute that Madonna owns the world when she's on stage. Showing that she can compete with anyone under twenty, Madonna starts her show off with a rock sequence that would make Aerosmith pass out from jealousy. She once again uses her creativity to lure the audience in and we can't seem to get enough of the tasty, cherry filling Mo Ciccone pushes out in every song. Because this was a Madonna concert I expected to see some xxx material. Surprisingly she put on a pretty family-oriented show. She didn't curse or grab her crotch once ( if she did I don't remember ) and for Madonna that's saying a lot. Since her 1990 Blond Ambition tour she's toned her act down a lot if not her personal life. Maybe it's the fact that she's a mother now and on her way to being a musical legend that's changed her. It's good to know she hasn't lost her originality along the way. The Queen of Sleaze ( as we used to call her in the mid-90's ) leaves a mark of talent no one will ever be able to conquer. Madonna gives a heart stopping show full of excitement and downright, intense fun. This is not my favorite Mo concert by all means. I found Blond Ambition a lot more creative and The Girlie Show 1993 even more creative but Drowned speaks the language Madonna presented at the moment in 2001. She was drowning in self-worship and everlasting fame. She proved, if only for one night that she deserves it.

After the Blonde Ambition Tour, this remains her most impressive. The audience gets to see many different facets of Madonna the artist.
It has a philosophical twist to it that takes you on a journey touching upon subjects which are very thought-provoking, honest and spiritual.
This tour is an unusual one simply because she chose specifically not perform any of her earlier material, but the simple explanation to that may be because the whole show was a concept, a story that she wanted to tell, it is far too theatrical to rely on her earlier music, so specific tracks were chosen to be performed.
The show had some great choreography, great video sequences and performance art, and it rivals The Blonde Ambition in every single way except that there was a different, stronger and narcisstic Madonna on display with the Blonde Ambition.

Drowned World strikes a good balance between theatre and a more intimate, unplugged feel to the show which makes a good contrast.
Anyone wanting a less theatrical show got to see Madonna just sing without any other distractions going on but there was something in it for everyone unlike her other tours.

It's a good show, although it may only be to specific certain tastes as with everything Madonna does, but it is worth checking out. This tour has been such an inspiration for many artists too to follow everything from stage design and concept to the themes and music covered. It is well worth it.

Without a doubt, Madonnas best tour available on DVD!
This is truly a stunning show, and a welcome return. (This was her first world tour in 8 years, and boy, did she return in grand form!)

There are many incredible moments in this show, from the stunning opening sequence, Drowned World is a poignant moment. Madonna ups the ante very quickly with the fans dance favourite, Impressive Instant, moving from Beautiful Stranger on to the incredible Candy Perfume Girl. This is the first time you see Madonna play guitar, and competently so! This is a true rock/punk moment!
Ray of Light is so full of energy and she performs it really well!
Paradise Not For Me, a stunning song, is provided in video form (and what a video!) whilst a surreal dance movement is performed in mid-air by hanging dancers; during this Madonna is preparing for the next segment.

AND WHAT A SEGMENT!!!
The Japanese section is truly amazing. Frozen / Nobody's Perfect / Mer Girl and Sky Fits Heaven yells a brutal love story, the highlight of which is a truly extraordinary 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' inspired martial arts sequence during Sky Fits Heaven!
This sequence culminates with a sexy / perverse manga cartoon set to a dance remix of 'What if feels like for a girl'.

Then comes the country and western segment (visually mainly),
I Deserve It (Madonna dons her guitar again) / Don't Tell Me (allows for a fantastic dance sequence, and a show highlight) / Human Nature (see M ride an electronic bull) / The Funny Song (a joke song written for this segment) / Secret (guitar again) and the beautiful Gone.

This is followed by another costume change (the latin section), and she performs a very sexy spanish version of What It Feels Like for a Girl, doing a sexy tango with a female dancer, and another concert moment, La Isla Bonita, set in a Spanish Barrio - another chance for her to play guitar.

The last part of the concert is very energetic, finishing off in splendid form with Holiday and Music.

This truly is a fantastic show, and makes you realise what you missed for the last 8 years! The dancers are great, the use of the large screens is very effective, the segments are varied, each with true wow factor, and its interesting to see Madonna get more involved musically, by very competently playing guitar throughout the show.

WOW