Released: 2005
First Thoughts: This could be really good or really bad. I don't really remember what I thought about most of these songs, aside from hating "Isaac." It's never been among my favorite Madonna albums, so you'll probably all hate me since I think most people on here worship it.
Purchase: A couple years ago at FYE, about halfway through my trek through Madonna's discography.
Playthrough: Hung Up is more fun than I remembered it being. I knew it was good, but it's actually really great.
Get Together is also way better than I remember. I've always liked it, but listening to it now, it's fucking IMMENSE! Maybe this album is finally clicking for me?
Sorry isn't doing that much for me. It's a bit of a jam and - I'm probably going to say this a lot in this thread - good driving music, but it doesn't scream "I AM A GREAT SONG AND YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO ME OVER AND OVER" like the first two do. Well, I guess Hung Up doesn't really do that either, but it comes closer.
Future Lovers is okay. It's not a choon, but the "in the evidence of its brilliance" bit gets stuck in my head once in a while, and it's good fun.
I Love New York! DIS MY JAM! I actually forgot this was on the album, or I wouldn't have been so fearful of not liking it when I started. The first (and only) time I've been to New York, I listened to this as we went over the George Washington Bridge, so that's what I always think of now when I hear it. But on its own merits, it's one of my favorites from the album, if not the favorite. It's kind of stupid, but I love it anyway. It's a bop. And "If you don't like my attitude, then you can eff off! / Just go to Texas, isn't that where they golf?" is one of my favorite Madonna lyrics. So shady. (Would've been better if she actually said "fuck," though. "Eff" just sounds out of place.)
Let It Will Be is a little nothingy, but it has a good beat.
Forbidden Love is nice enough, but I don't recognize it at all, so I probably won't remember it after this play-through, either. The most boring song on the album so far for sure, but not a bad one for that. Most of the time, I've been paying attention to the synth line from Jump running throughout the song and waiting for the transition to that. My God, this song drags on, doesn't it? Seems way longer than just over four minutes!
Okay, finally I'm on to Jump. This is the most Madonna-ish song on the album in my opinion - sounds kind of like a cross between Keep It Together and Lucky Star, and I'd rank it between those two in quality level (Lucky Star being the best, obviously). It sounds like it belongs on a movie soundtrack, so I'm surprised that, according to Wikipedia, it hasn't been used in anything but an episode of Ugly Betty. (Which reminds me, I've got the first two seasons of Ugly Betty on DVD and I really, really need to watch them, but that's beside the point.) Jump is a good song, but actually not as good as I remembered it being, the opposite of almost everything else thus far. It's making me subconsciously tap my toes, though!
How High is a bit shit, isn't it?
Isaac. Oh my fucking God. One of the most irritating Madonna songs ever.
Push is all right but awfully basic. Definitely sounds like a generic Stuart Price track.
Like It or Not is really cool. Reminds me of Kylie's Slow somehow, but much slower (ha) and, frankly, way, way better. It just kind of slinks along. I only started appreciating it after Madge quoted it while giving Anderson Cooper a GLAAD award, but I should have done so earlier.
Verdict: I still don't think this is the great Madonna album, as so many people seem to, but I think better of it now than before I began. Mostly the lesson I take from it is that I've vastly underrated Get Together.
Standout: No surprises here, "Get Together"!
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