In 1984 (two years before this reviewer was even born), American singer Madonna released her debut self-titled album. Now, 20 years later, she is still writing, recording and performing music that has evolved and improved over time. "GHV2" collates the hit singles from albums "Erotica" (in 1992) through to "Music" (in 2000), and it's quite an experience. (NOTE: All but five tracks are shortened versions of their original counterparts. This must've been done to squeeze everything on a 70-minute CD.)The opener, "Deeper and Deeper", is clearly quite disco, but with the addition of Spanish flair come the bridge. Strings fill-out this high-energy track, with a passage of lyrics borrowed from a past single, "Vogue".
"Erotica" caused quite a stir when it was released in 1992, and it's clear why (though listeners today may be desensitised). Whilst still vaguely disco, it's heavy on the bass, and drops low. Patterned with moans, this is not a song for the kiddies, and even the choked sound of the strings gives the impression that they're not entirely at ease here. Lyrics include "If I take you from behind / push myself into your mind"... Make of those what you will.
"Human Nature" is cheeky and a bit bitter. The style is more R&B, with urban beat and hip keyboards, whilst the lyrics definitely give off the impression of not apologising for masturbation (eg. "Express yourself, don't repress yourself" whispered, and "Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex making appearances in the verses").
"Secret" also has an urban beat, but also includes the acoustic guitar (which opens the song), keyboards and strings (as well as a smidge of "porn guitar"). Said to be about transvestites, it includes the lyrics "Happiness lies in your hand" (which can be interpreted in different ways).
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is one of two tracks in this collection (the other being "Bedtime Story") that Madonna herself did not have a hand in writing. (The other 13 tracks she co-wrote, as well as practising production.) This song, written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, was part of the motion picture "Evita", of which Madonna played the starring role and won a Golden Globe for her efforts. Well orchestrated (can't go wrong with an orchestra), it's a slow tune, with flutes, humming, brass, as well as switching to a tango beat just before the coda.
"Bedtime Story" is a venture into trance-house music, a welcome addition from the creation of Nellee Hooper, Bjoerk and Marius DeVries. The music travels to another place, and the lyrics match the atmosphere ("Leaving logic and reason / to the arms of unconsciousness"). Different, but decidedly good.
"The Power of Good-bye" was from 1998's "Ray of Light" album, which was treated with the expert hands of Rick Nowles, Patrick Leonard and the more well known William Orbit. This bittersweet beauty of a track is a winner, with acoustic guitar, chimes and (always viewed upon favourably) strings.
"Beautiful Stranger" travels to the '60s, and was featured in the motion picture "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me". An upbeat, easily danceable track (i.e. may induce shoulder movement in listeners), Madonna fans may notice that it shares a similar style of sound to the track "Amazing" from 2000's "Music" album. The lyrics are rather confusing, though. In a passage we hear "To know you is to love you", and later we hear "I fell in love with a beautiful stranger". Now, let's not analyse too heavily on the theme of growing emotionally attached to a stranger. However, if one knows someone, then one is no longer a stranger. With that in mind, have another look at the two lines of lyrics aforementioned. Would it be that the stranger is no longer a stranger? (Maybe I think too much.)
"Frozen" was also from "Ray of Light". It's atmospherically disturbing and hauntingly beautiful, stroked with strings and fitted with chimes/xylophone (my musical knowledge is not yet trained enough to distinguish the difference between chimes and the xylophone in this track - my bad), and its stark and dark film clip fit in rather well when "Frozen" was released. This time listening six years on, it is still a stunning track.
"Take a Bow" was co-written by Babyface, best known in the '90s for his "click" style of music (music you can click the beat to). This is clearly evident in this pretty but bitter ballad, which makes use of keyboards, bells and strings. It is also a good example of how Madonna's voice has changed over the years, and what her vocal range is capable of. (How well do you remember the '80s?) She's obviously at her best when singing low, but the higher notes in some parts of this song aren't harsh on the ears either. If "Like a Virgin" was too chirpy for you, then you should be pleased to know that times have changed for the better.
"Ray of Light" has good intentions, but is not for everyone. Undoubtedly danceable (though definitely awkward for some), the energy mixes with various forms of what technology and electronics (quite possibly the same thing) have to offer. But not my cuppa tea.
"Don't Tell Me", however, is. It does for line-dancing what Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks and company couldn't quite pull off - make it reach a wider audience. (Line-dancing is fine every now and again, but when they are relatable to most of one's music...) This was from the album "Music", which marked the beginning of Madonna's collaboration with French producer/writer Mirwais Ahmadzai, who seems fond of mixing electronics into tracks. The song also includes the acoustic guitar with an important role to play, strings, an evident beat and synthesised vocals (another feature of Mirwais' works). But the un-synthesised vocals are strong, with Madonna singing in the range that she sings best.
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" takes a passage from the film "The Cement Garden" (at least I THINK it's a film - buggered if I know), and the lyrics of the whole track are pretty much explained by the song's title. American by birth, the UK influence on her life is evident whenever the word "what" is sung. (That is, the good people of the United Kingdom - or at least some of them - have the tendency to pronounce the "h" before the "w" in regards to words beginning with "wh".) But that point is probably irrelevant to the song, and probably won't be picked up by listeners unless they're looking for it, or are Australian. (We're a weird mob.)
"Drowned World / Substitute for Love" is simply beautiful, from the atmospheric introduction to the conclusion. As you can probably guess, it, too, was from "Ray of Light". This bittersweet track makes use of chimes/xylophone, an unnameable sound (my intellect only goes so far), the acoustic guitar and a tiny bit of piano. It's overall gentle and sad, but gets slightly angrier during the bridge. It closes with the line "This is my religion", which, although nice, is a bit difficult for me to understand (see intellect comment).
"Music" has a saunter/swagger that dares listeners to dance; music apparently being the tool to "make the people come together" (and also "make the bourgeoisie want to rebel", if you choose to believe that way). If you can handle the synthesised vocals, then you can definitely handle the funky guitars.
Sometimes you don't quite appreciate how much someone has done until you see it all in front of you. That is the beauty of greatest hits collections, or at least those of artists who have stuck around the music scene for so long. "GHV2" (the companion to the first hits collection, "The Immaculate Collection", which traced songs from 1984 to 1990) is not just for fans only. It'is for anyone interested in knowing what they may have missed out on, and re-discovering old(ish) favourites. Don't be embarrassed to have this as part of your music collection.
