Ciccone & Auden

The more I hear Madonna, the more I start to "appreciate" her.  Even when my sister was playing her tapes all the time when we were younger, I never really disliked her. There are some bonafide musical instincts running through that diva's body, and lately I've been in tune with some of them. Case in point: "True Blue" superimposes two melodies on top of each other, one exuberant, one a little melancholy..."this time I know it's true love."  It's a pretty unique combination with a nice effect. OK, the bridge isn't outstanding, nor are the overdone 80s production values, but there is still plenty to groove to.  Couple that with her duet on "Take a Bow," and you have two fairly harmonically sophisticated songs.  I'm not to the point where I'll buy one of her albums, but I won't run out of the supermarket either.  Some of you may be laughing, so I'll let one poet's words fill in for my defense:

Behind the corpse in the reservoir, behind the ghost on the links,
Behind the lady who dances and the man who madly drinks,
Under the look of fatigue, the attack of the migraine and the sigh
There is always another story, there is more than meets the eye.

           -- W.H. Auden (Twelve Songs)

Comments

[Rich Copley]

I'm not laughing Bryant, though nearing 40, I am also a bona fide original Madge fan. Yes, the initial draw was the "Lucky Star" video -- give me a break, I was 14. But listening to her over the years, you stop attributing a lot of the sophistication you speak of to producers alone and realize there is a genuine musician under all the pop and flash, and the faux British accent (you're from Detroit, babe). Go ahead Bryant, buy an album. I'd recommend "The Immaculate Collection" or "Music."

BTW, I am seeing Chicago Opera Theatre artistic director Alexander Platt conduct the Lexington Philharmonic Friday night. We had a good chat Tuesday morning.

[joshi]

say 5 hail mary's and sin no more. whats next - wham?

[Brian]

I don't know Bryant, I'd be careful. There was rumor floating around that the dreaded "Madonna Destruct
Chip" has been secretly installed on most stereos made since the 80's, which(again this is all rumor) activates when more than 3 Madonna songs are played in a row, and apparently does serious damage to the internal workings of the stereo. The Beatles "Lady Madonna" is excluded from this. More recent versions of this "chip" have also included Brittany Spears and Jessica Simpson songs. LMAO.

What can I say, it's Friday.

Brian

[Bryant]

well fellas, all i can say is keep your ears open and you'll continue to surprise yourself.

[Brian]

To use a Keosauqua quote from some unknown source in my youth, "Whatever floats your boat".

To prove the point, I will confess to owning a Garth Brooks CD, and actually enjoying it occasionally. I'm afraid however, I must remain a material virgin. :-)

Love the Auden quote, that's from one of the middle songs I think isn't it?

I sent this to your Dad a couple of weeks ago, I still occasionally fancy myself a bit of a poet.

Rhyme

There once was a time,
When modern day rhyme,
Was exactly, just as it said.
But today, however,
What appears the most clever,
Is to write it as prose instead.

The reason it seems,
For the use of such schemes,
Has to do with freedom of thought.
Tho’ I think it much sweeter,
To use rhyme and meter,
There’s a school which thinks one ought not.

I’m not here to say,
That there’s only one way,
To express those thoughts in your head.
But if one takes the time,
To establish the rhyme,
The results are more readily read.

A blue water lake,
Knows what shape it must take,
Be it oblong and narrow, or round,
And its beauty is more
Enhanced by the shore,
Than constrained by how it is bound.

Bryant, reading your blog and interacting a bit reminds me so much of long discussions with friends in college. I have to tell you, I enjoy it emensely and have no basically no other avenue to pursue such dialogue. Thanks for graciously reading and responding.

Brian

[Bryant]

Well done on the poem, Brian. It's didactic too. Rhyme and meter *is* so much sweeter.

Glad you've found some things of interest on here.