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Rating:
When critics around the world proclaimed the beauty and sophistication of Madonna's new album, everyone was left speechless.
Her music had changed, her lyrics matured, and she had become a mother.
To this day, it remains her most mature album.
It was a surprise... many foreign artists, when trying to mature, often make their music fall into the ridiculous sooner than expected. But when I first listened to "Ray of Light," this feeling disappeared. I immediately bought the album and listened to it until I wore it out. It remains, in fact, one of the best pop albums in history, considered by
-VH1, among the 10 best albums in history.
-Rolling Stones, among the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Ray of Light has sold, to date, 17 million copies worldwide.
Madonna.
In this album, we hear Madonna after her performance in the musical "Evita". And you can tell.
Madonna sings extraordinarily. The songs don't follow a logical thread within the album; but all remain avant-garde even 11 years after the release of the CD. There are great melodies, especially: Frozen, Ray of Light, Skin, Sky Fits Heaven.
The Lyrics.
The album's lyrics are a big step forward. It talks about spirituality, life, motherhood, success, and love. There is also a song in Sanskrit, Shanti/Ashtangi, whose translation is provided below:
I pray at the lotus feet of the Supreme Indian Sage
Who teaches the greatest knowledge
Showing the way to know
The great awakening of happiness
That the jungle doctor
Capable of removing the poison of ignorance
Of conditioned existence
An incarnation of Adisesa
White in color with 1000 heads emitting rays
To him, I bow
Peace
The Music.
Techno is a world for relaxing, not something that serves to "explode" as we Westerners think. Trance rhythms blend with disco beats, while the percussions make the album's atmosphere calm and hypnotic. The best of the album is found especially in Frozen, Nothing Really Matters, and Skin.
Mer Girl.
The first time I listened to Mer Girl, I was a little disconcerted. Orbit's influence is stronger than ever in this song, where ambient rhythms form the background to a distressed and anguished voice. Then, reading the translation of the text, I imagined that the composition was initially born as poetry...
I fled from my home that cannot contain me
From my mother who haunts me, although she is dead
I fled from the noise and the silence
From the traffic in the streets
I fled into the forest, I fled into the trees
I ran and ran, I was searching for myself
Beyond the apple orchards and the woman who never speaks
On top of the hills, I fled into the cemetery
I held my breath, and thought of your death
And I saw the crumbled tombs
All the forgotten names
I tasted the rain, I tasted my tears
I cursed the angels, discovered my fears
And the ground gave way beneath my feet
And the earth grabbed me in its arms
The dark sky unfolded, blinding me
And I smelled her burning flesh
Her bones
Her decay
I ran and ran
I'm still running away.
Written by Madonna and William Orbit.
After all, this album is a gem of pop. An album that, when listened to, creates an atmosphere of relaxation around you. An album that announces Madonna's new image. An album that finally, after so many years of career, brings Grammy Awards to Madonna.
Tracklist:
- Drowned World/Substitute for Love
- Swim
- Ray of Light
- Candy Perfume Girl
- *Skin
- *Nothing Really Matters
- **Sky Fits Heaven
- Shanti/Ashtangi
- **Frozen
- **The Power of Goodbye
- **To Have & Not to Hold
- #Little Star
- Mer Girl
- **Has To be (Bonus Track)
Produced by Madonna and William Orbit
**Produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Patrick Leonard
*Produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Marius De Vries
#Produced by Madonna and Marius De Vries
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Swim (05:00)
Put your head on my shoulder baby
Things can't get any worse
Night is getting colder
Sometimes life feels like it's a curse
Bridge:
I can't carry these sins on my back
Don't wanna carry any more
I'm gonna carry this train off the track
I'm gonna swim to the ocean floor
Chorus:
Mmmmm
Crash to the other shore
Mmmmm
Swim to the ocean floor
Children killing children
While the students rape their teachers
Comets fly across the sky
While the churches burn their preachers
Bridge2:
We can't carry these sins on our back
Don't wanna carry any more
We're gonna carry this train off the track
We're gonna swim to the ocean floor
(chorus)
Let the water wash over you
Wash it all over you
Swim to the ocean floor
So that we can begin again
Wash away all our sins
Crash to the other shore
Mmmmmm
(bridge)
(chorus)
(bridge2)
Crash to the other shore
Swim to the ocean floor
Mmmmmm
03 Ray of Light (05:20)
Verse:
Zephyr in the sky at night I wonder
Do my tears of mourning sink beneath the sun
She's got herself a universe gone quickly
For the call of thunder threatens everyone
Chorus:
And I feel like I just got home
And I feel
And I feel like I just got home
And I feel
Faster than the speeding light she's flying
Trying to remember where it all began
She's got herself a little piece of heaven
Waiting for the time when Earth shall be as one
(Chorus)
Quicker than a ray of light
Quicker than a ray of light
Quicker than a ray of light
(Verse)
And I feel
Quicker than a ray of light
Then gone for
Someone else shall be there
Through the endless years
She's got herself a universe
She's got herself a universe
She's got herself a universe
And I feel
And I feel
And I feel like I just got home
And I feel
Quicker than a ray of light she's flying
Quicker than a ray of light I'm flying
05 Skin (06:21)
Chorus:
Do I know you from somewhere?
Why do you leave me wanting more?
Why do all the things I say
Sound like the stupid things I've said before?
[Put your hand on my skin]
[Put your hand on my skin]
[Put your hand on my skin]
Kiss me, I'm dying
Put your hand on my skin
I close my eyes
I need to make a connection
I'm walking on a thin line
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
(chorus)
Touch me, I'm trying
To see inside of your soul
I've got this thing
I want to make a correction
I'm not like this all the time
You've got this thing
You've got this thing
(chorus)
Kiss me, I'm dying
Put your hand on my skin
I close my eyes
I need to have your protection
I close my eyes
I close your eyes
[Kiss, kiss, kiss me]
(chorus, repeat)
Kiss me, I'm dying
Touch me, I'm trying, ohhh
I'm not like this all the time
I'm not like this all the time
Put your hand on my skin
Put your hand on my skin
Put your hand on my skin
Touch me, I'm trying, ohhh
Put your hand on my skin
Put your hand on my skin
I'm not like this all the time
I'm not like this all the time
I'm not like this all the time
06 Nothing Really Matters (04:27)
When I was very young
Nothing really mattered to me
But making myself happy
I was the only one
Now that I am grown
Everything's changed
I'll never be the same
Because of you
Chorus:
Nothing really matters
Love is all we need
Everything I give you
All comes back to me
Looking at my life
It's very clear to me
I lived so selfishly
I was the only one
I realize
That nobody wins
Something is ending
And something begins
(chorus, repeat)
Nothing takes the past away
Like the future
Nothing makes the darkness go
Like the light
You're shelter from the storm
Give me comfort in your arms
(chorus, repeat and fade)
07 Sky Fits Heaven (04:47)
Sky fits heaven so fly it
That's what the prophet said to me
Child fits mother so hold your baby tight
That's what my future could see
Fate fits karma so use it
That's what the wise man said to me
Love fits virtue so hold on to the light
That's what our future will be
Chorus:
Traveling down this road
Watching the signs as I go
I think I'll follow the sun
Isn't everyone just
Traveling down their own road
Watching the signs as they go
I think I'll follow my heart
It's a very good place to start
Traveling down my own road
Watching the signs as I go
Traveling down my own road
And I'm watching the signs as they go
Traveling, traveling
Watching the signs as I go
Hand fits giving so do it
That's what the Gospel said to me
Life fits living so let your judgments go
That's how our future should be
(chorus)
Traveling down my own road
Watching the signs as they go
Traveling down my own road
And I'm watching the signs as I go
Traveling, traveling
Watching the signs as I go
08 Shanti/Ashtangi (04:29)
Vunde gurunam caranaravinde
Sandarsita svatma sukhavabodhe
Nihsreyase jangalikayamane
Sansara halahala moha santyai
Hala hala
Ahahu purusakaram sankha cakrasi
Ahahu purusakaram sankha cakrasi
Dharinam dharinam sahasra sirasam
Dharinam dharinam sahasra sirasam
Vande
''(Translation:
I worship the gurus' lotus feet
Awakening the happiness of the self revealed
Beyond comparison, working like the jungle physician
To pacify loss of consciousness from the poison of existence
In the form of a man up to the shoulders
Holding a conch, discus and sword
Thousand headed, white
I bow respectfully
Peace)''
Om Shanti, Om Shanti
Shanti shanti
Shantay Om
Om Shanti, Om Shanti
Shanti shanti
Shantay Om
(REPEAT ENTIRE SONG)
09 Frozen (06:12)
You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be
You're frozen... when your heart's not open
You're so consumed with how much you get
You waste your time with hate and regret
You're broken... when your heart's not open
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... If I could melt your heart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... We'd never be apart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... Give yourself to me
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... You... hold... the key
Now there's no point in placing the blame
And you should know I'd suffer the same
If I lose you... my heart will be broken
Love is a bird... she needs to fly
Let all the hurt inside of you die
You're frozen... when your heart's not open
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... If I could melt your heart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... We'd never be apart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... Give yourself to me
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... You... hold... the key
You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be
You're frozen... when your heart's not open
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... If I could melt your heart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... We'd never be apart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... Give yourself to me
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... You... hold... the key
If I could melt your heart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... We'd never be apart
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... Give yourself to me
Mmm... Mmm... Mmm... You... hold... the key
If I could melt your heart
10 The Power of Good-Bye (04:12)
Your heart is not open, so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so
Freedom comes when you learn to let go
Creation comes when you learn to say no
You were my lesson, I had to learn
I was your fortress, you had to burn
Pain is a warning that something's wrong
I pray to God that it won't be long
Do you wanna go higher
There's nothing left to try
There's no place left to hide
There's no greater power
Than the power of goodbye
Your heart is not open, so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so
You were my lesson, I had to learn
I was your fortress
There's nothing left to lose
There's no more heart to bruise
There's no greater power
Than the power of goodbye
Learn...to...say...good...bye
I yearn...to...say...good...bye
There's nothing left to try
There's no more places to hide
There's no greater power
Than the power of goodbye
There's nothing left to lose
There's no more heart to bruise
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye
11 To Have and Not to Hold (05:22)
To have and not to hold
So hot, yet so cold
My heart is in your hand
And yet you never stand
Close enough for me to have my way
To love but not to keep
To laugh, not to weep
Your eyes, they go right through
And yet you never do
Anything to make me want to stay
Chorus:
Like a moth to a flame
Only I am to blame
Ba ba da ba ba ba
What can I do?
Ba ba da ba ba ba
I go straight to you
Ba ba da ba ba ba
I've been told
You're to have, not to hold
To look but not to see
To kiss but never be
The object of your desire
I'm walking on a wire
And there's no one at all
To break my fall
(chorus)
You're to have, not to hold
You're to have, not to hold
(chorus)
You're to have, not to hold
You're to have, not to hold
You're to have, not to hold
To break my heart
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Other reviews
By lovi
Madonna will never make an album like this again!
This album moves me, and that’s not a small thing for me.
By pluto1992
"There are few songs that give you chills (at least for me), and 'Ray of Light' is one of them."
"Quicker than a ray of light, I’m flying... Quicker than a ray of light, she’s flying."
By Darius
Ray Of Light represents, or should represent, the Summa of her artistic journey.
This album is a dedication to all those fanatical Madonna detractors who intend to deny the goodness of her art because of its extremely commercial and poppish side.
By theacrobat
Ray of Light is an innovative and experimental electronic-spiritual journey.
Simply, Madonna’s best album.
