Ray of Light

I was never a Madonna fan truthfully. Here and there I heard her music and it was never something I bothered to take seriously given the style. A few songs before Ray of Light I enjoyed like La Isla Bonita and Like a Prayer. Her first album had an appeal too, but I never bought it. Back in 1998, I saw Ray of Light title song on TV and was surprised by how much I liked it given it was Madonna of all people. My usual tastes were into prog rock, electronics and meditative, new age music. Today, I am a huge fan of Bollywood composer AR Rahman's film scores and songs given his eclectic genius.Coming back to Ray of Light, I heard the title song in a store a couple of weeks ago and reminded me of how much I enjoyed it back in 1998. For some reason, which I now regret, I never bought the full album back then. God, what a huge mistake.I go on YouTube and hear the whole album 21 years later and I am floored. I keep listening again and again and the love for the music keeps growing and growing. It is one of the most beautifully produced and musically satisfying pop albums I have ever heard. No fillers here for me. Every track is rich in sound and melody with the genius of electronic producer William Orbit making all the difference in the world for me. The sound designs that he and Madonna created are simply out of the world and do not sound outdated today in 2019. An album way ahead of its time back in 1998, these songs have literally captured me. My favorites are tracks 9-13, the final 5 of Frozen, Power of Goodbye, To Have not To Hold, Little Star and Mer Girl. Incredible soul, melody, flow and sound production.The lyrics are very personal, thoughtful and eloquent throughout, sharing a deep understanding of Madonna's personal transformation and new maturity after her daughter was born. There is so much she wants to say in this album and boy does she ever. The music amplifies her messages so powerfully. A couple of tracks like Candy Perfume Girl and Skin have the usual sultry lyrics, but even with those, the music is phenomenal. Guitar work throughout is very crafty and edgy with the electronics. Rhythm tracks are bold and very creatively put together creating a lot of dance friendly tracks in addition to the melody and soul. This album really scores high in all areas of sound, composition, arrangements, melody, rhythm and lyrics. Hardly any weaknesses. To me, it is a masterpiece. This is a must for audiophiles and a must to hear on good headphones. Simply brilliant.What makes this album even more special are the Indian, Middle Eastern influences throughout the tracks, especially in songs Swim, Skin, Shanti, Frozen, To Have Not To Hold. Being from India and big into the Indian music scene, this album hit home in such a beautiful way that was not obvious or too upfront. The meditative elements of Orbit's electronic programming gives such a beautiful Eastern flavor as well.Ray of Light is now an all time favorite and I never would have thought Madonna of all artists would be part of my all time favorites.Such an epic and beautiful album is very rare these days especially. I am going to savor this one for life. Thank you Madonna! Thank you William Orbit! Thank you to the entire team of Ray of Light. I am infinitely grateful.

Like most Madonna fans , I remember the release date like it was yesterday. 1998's Ray of Light is nothing short of brilliant. For Madonna, the 90's have had its share of ups and downs. From the backlash of the early 90's to seeing 1994's "Take a Bow" become her best selling single, to playing Evita, to having a child. Ray of Light seems to be the culmination of what she was going for in the 90's. Madonna has always strived to back up her beats with meaning, but all too often her singles are generally known for serving as big and flashy mirrors to reflect the fashion trends, sexuality and dance moves at the particular time. It wasn't really until 1986's True Blue and 1989's Like a Prayer (her best) that Madonna matured with her ever evolving music. Being the culture sponge that she is, it was only a matter of time before she leaped into what was supposed to be "The Next Big Thing" of the mid to late 90's: electronica. For those who have said this is new to her, in a way it is, the way it is used in the context of Ray of Light, an album centered around bubbly, beeping cyber pop. Madonna has always been sweet on the synth beats; the synthesizer became the backbone of her early hits like "Holiday", "Lucky Star", and "Like a Virgin". Ray's producer William Orbit has done remix work for her in the past on such singles as "Justify My Love" and "Erotica", and 1995's "Bedtime Story" was co-written by Bjork (who is one of the very few electronic artists that have supported Madonna's latest foray into rave culture)and like much of the Bedtime Stories album, was produced by Nellee Hooper, who has worked with Bjork on several of her albums and has also produced Soul II Soul. Ray of Light reads like a guidebook for any artist who strives for reinvention. It has been the formula that has worked (most of the time) for Madonna. Here, Madonna is warm, cuddly, and maternal. Gone is the teasing come ons, the polished, well calculated dance numbers, and the bitter feelings towards those who have put her down over the years, themes that have dominated much of the singer's work in the 1990's. Opening with "Drowned World (Substitute for Love)", the album's consistent theme is introspection. She warns of the trappings of fame on this song, and she will try to mimic the message on recent albums like 'American Life' and 'Confessions on a Dance Floor" and not get too far with it. Here, the slow ballad turns into a rocking, electro-folk tune that evokes a feeling of a world spun out of control by the spotlight. Madonna is impressive in her ability to counter feeling with dance music. "Ray of Light", is a party song at the end of the world, with a head spinning sound that leaves you breathless. "Frozen", the first single, is not in the least bit cold. Madonna's voice never sounded so good and the tribal/middle eastern beats make the perfect team. Coming off Evita, Ray's vocals are stunningly beauiful. I loved "Nothing Really Matter's and didn't understand why it was overlooked when it was released as the last single. Maybe the bizzarre geisha girl video had something to do with it. Still, its easily one of the album's most accessible dance songs. "Little Star" is a high tech digitalized lullabye that flourishes and takes shape, blossoming into a sweet song which somehow avoids being labeled as sap. One of the more interesting cuts is "Mer Girl", in which Madonna explores her mother's death and her own survival techniques that sounds like a poetry reading. It's dark, eerie, and a nice contrast to Ray of Light's slick, and embracing demeanor. Ray of Light is much more than a pop comeback, its a celebration of artistic growth and an overall classic record that is sure to stand the test of time.

Not that Madonna ever went away, but her couple of albums before Ray of Light, didn't impact the public as her 80s albums did. This album definitely gives you a sense of the rebirth of Madonna and self discovery. I'm sure it had a lot to do with her in having her daughter, a few years prior. At this time, Madonna was showing a more vulnerable and softer side. She wasn't so forthright and in your face with her music, visuals and sexuality. She and William Orbit really knocked it out of the part with this electronic album. It's not all dance either. There are some very beautiful ballads, where Madonna sounds gorgeous. Power of Goodbye is definitely a stand out ballad on this album. This album definitely set up her foray into music for her next few albums until she made a shift back to some pop albums and then R&B/Trap sounds. She truly is a chameleon in every sense because it doesn't seem there is one album that really is the same as the last. Possibly her follow up album MUSIC was the closest to what Ray of Light gave us. The title track is a great dance electronica song. Frozen, the lead single is another gorgeous mid tempo almost ballad like with gorgeous strings. She also worked with Rick Knowles and Pat Leonard (who produced some of her biggest hits in the 80's and early 90's). This is definitely a classic album from Madonna's huge catalog of great albums. This is a must have for any Madonna fan and a must listen to anyone who just enjoys her voice. No doubt, she can be quite a polarizing entertainer, but at the end of the day, she is a great musician specifically lyricist and all around stage performer.