Retro Spins: Madonna - True Blue

After her highly successful Like A Virgin album (1984), sold out world tours throughout 1985, a box office smash (Desparately Seeking Susan), and a shocking announcment and wedding to Sean Penn that same year, everyone waited on baited breath to see what Madonna would do next. The answer came in the form of 1986's True Blue.

With hits, True Blue, Papa Don't Preach, La Isla Bonita, Live To Tell, and Open Your Heart, the Material Girl proved to the world she was here to stay. Despite her marriage, she was also far from done with oozing sexuality at every oppoprtunity, and with the aid of MTV, delivered in spades.

Though I would consider True Blue an album worthy of listening to from start to finish, what I will also say is that the hits come off as feeling far supior to the others, which feel like fillers. Wheras the hits feel polished, and finely tuned, the remaining tracks feel rather dated in comparison. Very early synthpop style, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but stand out, and not in a good way, among the rest. They feel like they're there to fill space, and if I had one complaint with True Blue, that would be it.

Regardless, there's no denying the impact of the album, and it certinaly proved that Madonna was the queen of pop. In retrospect, I imagine it would be difficult to fathaom where she would go from there, or how she could possibly do better. Of course, that was shown very clearly by 1989's Like A Prayer, where a far more mature Madonna emerged.

But...We're not here to talk about that, and sadly, short of singing the praises of True Blue, there's not much more to say.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below. 

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 29, 1989

 

Retro Spins: Madonna - Like A Virgin

Before I start this, let's just get the obvious out of the way. We all know this album is going to be solid. It catapulted Madonna into super stardom and remains one of her most highly successful albums of all time. So let's not all act surprised by me stating the obvious that Like A Virgin is fantastic.

I mean, if you're here asking, "Who's Madonna," I have to ask, "What rock have you been living under?"

This is not the first time I've listened to this album, and in truth, it probably won't be the last - If I have many more years ahead of me that is. Because I probably can't share much with anyone reading this post that they don't already know. So instead I'll discuss my version of preference.

Unlike other albums, which I look to have the original USA version of, when listening to Like A Virgin, I favor the 1985 UK re-released CD. The reason being, this versions includes a bonus track, Madonna's 1986 smash hit, Get Into The Groove.

This song was originally written and recorded for the purposes of being used in the film, Desperately Seeking Susan, also starring Madonna. However, it was never included on the film's soundtrack, nor on the singer's 1986 follow up album, True Blue. Though a CD singles did get released in foreign countries, for USA fans with no connections to the UK or Germany, a vinyl single was your only option.

To further amplify the scarcity of a digital version of the song, it wasn't included on the 2001 remaster of the USA released album and when it got included on the singer's 1986 compilation album, You Can Dance, it was in an eight (plus) minute remixed format. You could finally get the song on a CD in the USA on The Immaculate Collection, released in 1990, and I suppose, for what it's worth, that's an acceptable album to have. That is, if you're in to greatest hits.

For me, and long story short, I suggest you just stick with the 1986 UK re-released version. You not only get the song, but also the entire Like A Virgin album.

Well, it appears that this post turned into a long winded breakdown of one song, and one that wasn't even on the original album at that. Oh well. For what it's worth, Like A Virgin is a fantastic album. It has its hits, big ones, but also its misses. Songs like Over And Over, Love Don't Live Here Anymore, Shoo-Bee-Doo, Pretender and Stay don't really do it for me, but they're so outweighed by Material Girl, Angel, Like A Virgin and Dress You Up, that you really don't tend to care. At least I didn't.

If you collect any form of physical media music, this is an album that should definitely be in your collection - Just get the UK re-released 1986 version. You know, if I haven't beaten that point in hard enough yet. 

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Retro Spins: Madonna - Like A Prayer

Madonna and I both share a birthday and it just so happens to be today. However, unlike Madonna, I don't have more money than I know what to do with, nor a million adoring fans. That's cool though. I'm fine with that.

The Queen of Pop dominated the 80's with albums such as, Like A Virgin, True Blue and more, and finished the decade with a bang when she released her 1989 Like A Prayer. Much like her prior albums, Like A Prayer provided plenty of controversial imagery and subjective lyrics to send all sorts of activists into an uproar. Despite this, the album stepped forward as one of her best and propelled Madonna to be named "Artist Of The Decade".

However, it's not 1989 anymore. Over twenty years have passed, and the question now becomes, "Does it stand the test of time?" Is Like A Prayer just as solid an album today as it was deemed to be in the last year of the 80's?

As the guitar riff signaling the beginning of the title track flared through the speakers, I admittedly got giddy. I was excited to dive into the album and was already being sucked in. This was cemented with the haunting voice of Madonna singing, "Life is a mystery..." From there, it took off into familiar and friendly territory. 

Express yourself was up next and once again I was happy to hear a familiar and great track...

...Then track three started and slapped me upside the head. Wait...Madonna did a duet with Prince? Why was I not aware of this? How did I miss this? What the heck?!?!?! While Love Song isn't the strongest I've heard from both Madonna and Prince, I dug it. It was awesome to hear the two together. It was also great just to hear something from Prince I'd never heard before. As I looked into the track further, I found out that Prince contributed other music to the album, including the above noted guitar riff for the opening to Like A Prayer.

As I was soaking in the above information about Prince, I also had an ear finely tuned to the deep lyrics of Promise To Try. It was a solid song but kind of depressing at the same time. Fortunately, the tempo kicked up with Cherish for the following track. It's kind of hard not to like that one. I mean, you really have to be trying.

The last half(ish) of the album kept up the momentum and good music, but didn't really hit as high a note as the first part. Still, it was an excellent and well rounded listening session. Like A Prayer definitely stands the test of time and still remains one of the best in Madonna's catalog.

Before wrapping this post up, I wanted to just mention that there will be a few more posts today, so check back for those periodically.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Madonna - Who's That Girl

Madonna gets credit in her discography on Wikipedia for being the woman behind the soundtrack to Who's That Girl. However, the reality of it is she only contributed four of the nine songs. Granted that's a lot, but it doesn't constitute as her album in my book if it's not 100% her.

Four years in the slammer for a crime she didn't commit haven't dampened Nikki Finn's spirits. Nor her determination. The spunky parolee sets out to clear her name - and sets the Big Apple spinning in deliriously funny ways that have everyone asking "Who's That Girl?"

"That girl" is also Madonna, the singer-song-writer-actress whose stunning achievements - including more than 30-million albums sold, a starring role in the perennial favorite Desperately Seeking Susan and the Rolling Stone Reader's Poll selection as 1986's "Best Female Singer" and "Sexiest Female Rock Artist" - make her one of today's most recognizable stars. As Nikki, Madonna displays all her talents, singing four terrific songs (Causing a Commotion, The Look of Love, Can't Stop and the smash-hit title tune) from the top-selling Who's That Girl soundtrack LP and giving a charismatic "watch-that-girl" performance. "Madonna is sexy and funny - a very engaging comedian" says Vincent Canby of The New York Times.

Griffin Dunne (After Hours) co-stars as a "Yuppy-class" Mr Mile Time who encounters life-changing wild times when his straight-and-narrow path leads him to zany Nikki - and zanier escapades.

Who's That Girl. It's not a question. It's the answer if you're looking for fun-and-music-filled entertainment with a screwball Bringing Up Baby and What's Up, Doc? twist! - Back of the original VHS

Madonna's solo work is definitely far superior to that of this soundtrack. Out of the four songs she contributed, two were good. As for the other songs, I actually only ended up liking one other track; Michael Davidson's Turn It Up.

While I did make it to the very last song of this soundtrack, I have to admit Coatie Mundi's El Coco Loco (So So Bad) got so annoying I finally had to turn it off. At six minutes and twenty-three seconds, it was just too much nonsense.

If there was one good thing to come from listening to this album, it was that it made me want to find some new good music. I ended up hopping over to ebay and picking up two Corey Hart CD's, three from Bananarama, one from Cameo and another from Kim Carnes. So I suppose it wasn't a total loss investing some time into listening to this soundtrack.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Madonna - Madonna

Madonna
Madonna
1983

I don't hate this album. I really don't. It's a great debut for Madonna, the queen of *$&^# pop.

Everything starts out with Madonna's hit, Lucky Star, and from there leads into another chart topper of hers, Borderline. There are a couple tracks I'd never heard before between that and Holiday, and then the album finishes off with a few more which were new to me.

Overall, it was pleasant to listen to...But...

The impression I came away with was the hits are the hits, and there's a reason for that. By no means was the album hard on the ears. It just wasn't memorable beyond Lucky Star, Borderline and Holiday - For me any way.

For certain it was a great start for the things to come from Madonna, and you can hear it in the tracks how she's developing her own sound which would become a staple across future albums throughout the 80's.

Having been someone who has only really focused on Madonna's hits over the years, it's great to be taking the opportunity to listen to career spanning tunes from her. I definitely look forward to hearing more, which won't be a problem considering, as of this writing, the only album I don't own from her is Rebel Heart. Why I've amassed such a collection of CD's, but never taken the opportunity is baffling, but an easy question to answer. Simply stated, I have a ton of CD's, and I'm trying to get through them all. More will come from Madonna in the future here at Retro Spins / The Toy Box.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Dick Tracy (Playmates Toys)

Dick Tracy
Playmates Toys
1990

Disney banked hard on the 1990 Dick Tracy film starring pretty much everyone they could find in Hollywood at the time to play a role. The cast was a power house ensemble of big names including Warren Beatty, Dick Van Dyke, Dustin Hoffman, James Caan, Kathy Bates, Madonna, Al Pacino and Catherine O'Hara. With its unique sets built from the ground up, fantastic mat paintings and backdrops and music by Danny Elfman, Stephen Sondheim and Madonna, one would expect nothing short of a blockbuster hit.

Part of the marketing for the film involved a massive line of action figures from Playmates Toys - Fourteen of them to be exact, and two vehicles.

What was surprising about the line was that there were no duplicate figures. Each one was a different character - Though it was disappointing that we only got a Dick Tracy figure without his famous yellow coat.

Al "Big Boy" Caprice*Dick Tracy*Flattop

Influence*Itchy

 

Lips Manlis*Mumbles*Pruneface

Sam Catchem*Shoulders

 

Before you rush into buying Dick Tracy figures, you need to make sure you're ready for the investment. While most of the figures will cost you between fifteen and twenty-five dollars, obtaining The Blank is going to set you back anywhere from $500.00 to $1,000.00. It was short packed in cases when the series first hit store shelves, and since then has only gotten more scarce. Believe it or not, it's even more difficult to find one loose than it is to find one in the package.

The Blank*The Brow

The Rodent*The Tramp

 

Police Squad Car*Big Boy's Getaway Car

Though it was met with mostly positive reviews, The box office dollars that followed weren't sufficient in Disney's eyes to warrant a sequel. It was probably for the best as Beatty soon found himself in a head butting match with Tribune Media Services - The company in which Beatty originally purchased the film and TV rights from in 1985. Tribune was accused of underhandedly attempting to regain the rights back, and from it came a lawsuit that would last almost a decade (2002 - 2011). In 2011 a district court judge ruled that Beatty had fulfilled his obligations ensuring he would retain the rights. Since then Beatty claims a sequel will see the light of day in the future, but says he won't discuss anything further because it's, "Dumb talking about movies before you make them."

Join us next time when we take a look at John Lennon - The New York Years!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Madonna Starring in Desperately Seeking Susan (Vital Toys)

Madonna Starring in Desperately Seeking Susan
Vital Toys
2004

Madonna (Pink)*Madonna (White)*Madonna (Red)

Join us next time when we take a look at Saturday Night Live 25th!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.