Madonna

Bedtime Stories

Coming back to this album

Review Score:

(8/10)
I'm a big Madonna fan, but I don't automatically like everything she does just because it's Madonna. I have to say, this is the Madonna album I always come back to. To me it's where I had wanted her to go since her first album. I like her doing R&B. I have a DJ gig where I play music from The Brand New Heavies, Soul II Soul, Lisa Stansfield, Joss Stone, Craig David, etc and this fits right in. I love it when I throw on I'D RATHER BE YOUR LOVER or SURVIVAL and people start bopping in their seats trying to figure out if it's new Madonna music or old Madonna they'd never heard before. I usually go from Brandy's I WANNA BE DOWN right into INSIDE OF ME.

I think this album was highly underrated and I, too, am surprised by the fact that some of the best songs on here never made it to radio or even to live performances. If you have a karaoke button on your Awia stereo, hit it when you play FORBIDDEN LOVE and her vocal goes into the background and Babyface is whispering loud and clear "Don't go near the fire, don't go in the dark, don't give into your desire, he will only break your heart." It's pretty cool. I'd love to see her venture back into this genre. I thought it suited her well. BEDTIME STORY and SANCTUARY do seem a bit out of place on this album, but they were a definite foretelling of RAY OF LIGHT.

People love and hate her for her diversity. She has done R&B, Pop, Electronica, Rock, dabbled in country, Show tunes, and has some of the most striking ballads of our time. We forget that she writes & produces most of her music. That takes some talent.

I love that I've been able to give this album a second life in the club where I DJ. I'm thinking of buying a few used copies to give away as prizes.

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