Ray of Light

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Editorial reviews

Album Description
Vinyl edition of her 1998 & latest smash album --unavailableon this format in the U.S. Features the hit 'Frozen' & thetitle track. Black wax. The sleeves include full lyrics. AMaverick/ Warner Brothers release.

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Amazon.com essential recording
Never underestimate Madonna's power of persuasion: By nearly all critical accounts, Ray of Light, Madonna's first album of new material since 1994's Bedtime Stories, and her first since motherhood, is her richest, most accomplished record yet. While Ray of Light is being tagged as Madonna's big leap into electronica, it's important to note two things: First, her music has always had close ties to dance culture, and, second, her collaborator William Orbit is no Chemical Brother. Though it has all the latest blips, bleeps, and crackles electronica has to offer, Ray of Light is still largely an adult album, completely within Madonna's realm. Still, Orbit's tasteful sonic constructions provide Madonna with her most adventurous, hippest musical backdrop ever. What's more, the arrangements and production are understated enough to highlight an even bigger development: Fresh from singing lessons on the Evita set, Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity have never been stronger. But larger pipes don't necessarily make for deeper, truer music. Never a master lyricist, Madonna's words have worked best when they've practically been slogans ("Vogue," "Express Yourself"). This time she goes for more emotional depth, and even tries her hand at ethno-techno-mysticism ("Shanti/Ashtangi"). She largely stumbles, however. The tone conveyed on songs like "Nothing Really Matters" is a self-centered pat on the back that belies her claim to a newfound altruism. It's enough to make you wonder, now that Madonna's given up being our material girl, if maybe she's set her sights on becoming the center of our spiritual world too. --Roni Sarig

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-12-09 rating:
One of her best albums
This is definitely one of Madonna's best albums. After a four-year hiatus from releasing a studio album and giving birth to her daughter, Madonna comes back with more great music. This heavily electronica influenced album is a great mixture of upbeat dance tunes and smooth ballads. Out of all her albums, her voice sounds the best on this one.

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review by: miss-lovelygirl date: 2008-11-29 rating:
Stands Time & Shines Electro-Bright!
This is a true classic Madonna album that highlights many unique spiritual and moving emotions never before conveyed on any other album--Ray of Light Fashion! There are songs that reach the depths of your soul in ways no other artist can dare compete as they are Madonna's unique life experiences! The beauty of this overall listening is how each song takes you on a journey of highs and lows yet all bring much peace, joy, and even uplifting dance moods! The co-producer William Orbit definitely infused much electronica techno effects worth mentioning to those who like dance music with some electronic sounds combined! The blue in the artwork is like the reflections of water--rebirth of Madonna's spiritual awakening [after her first child Lourdes]. No matter how much time passes this album never looses its elegance, class, distinction but most of all messages behind the music. It's not about having wealth or material things but about discovering your beauty from within and in the non-material things.

There are songs like "Nothing Really Matters" showing how love is really all you need--And what you do comes back to you [Karma]. There's a part in the song she sings, "Nothing takes the past away like the future" also displaying much light despite haunting past darkness! There is "Frozen" a true favorite of mine showing how sometimes the object of affection is not responsive yet the meaning is simple--Open your heart. She touches the single person in the extra bonus track "Has To Be" providing hope that there has to be someone out there in the world of romance. And the strength that shines is how darkness can't destroy but instead reinforces power to overcome. The song titled, "The Power Of Goodbye" is another attention grabber as she once again describes how love can definitely have an impact but letting go is the key to having freedom.

For those who prefer dance type songs there are many to choose from including Sky Fits Heaven, Ray of Light, and Swim to name a few. A song I find very different would be "To Have And Not To Hold" as there are times where you want something but it's not possible to "really" attain it--sort of like you can see but you can't touch. "Shanti/Ashangi" has a nice peaceful aura that soothes the soul and can bring a joy indescribable. The song was inspired by the Sanskrit prayers that she does before yoga and are meant to give a feeling of "bliss and happiness".

The moods are fast, slow, dance, and at times just very deep and emotional. Never before has any other artist displayed such an impacting album filled with so much lyrical depth, musical genius, and true devotion in producing! Overall, this is a beautiful enlightening spiritual awakening Madonna shines through to her fans and the new listeners who want to experience much peace, happiness, growth and at the same time have fun to dance to or just enjoy! It's Madonna's passing of her enlightening spiritual journeys that go through stars in the Earth, emotions in water, fire, air, but most of all music!

Fame, fortune, and money are not Madonna's messages--these things are not what equate to happiness. And songs like "Drowned World Substitute For Love" are just one example of how being rich, obsessing over material things or sex, drugs, or addictions don't bring the answers to being happy! She takes you on a ride through the techno-infused music to feelings that go down to the core thus impacting thousands of fans over the globe and wanting to know more of what is next to come!!!!

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review by: date: 2008-11-03 rating:
Well Done, Madonna
There are more than a few sublime moments on this album and it was hard for me to beleive the style and lyrical stance on this album were coming from Madonna when I first heard it. Wow, this one gave me a new respect for her, not that I was ever an 80s Madonna fan. But really, this is a nice album and you just get the feeling that the artist is being true to her time in life, and has broadened - there's a more spiritual vibe (not preachy or over-done as the Amazon review seems to imply, but subtly and tastefully executed and with all the emotional depth that you'd expect of a superstar of her stature - or perhaps I should say with MORE emotional depth than I expected! Electronica suits her well. It almost adds a psychedelic dimension. I enjoy this kind of music, at once accessible and sophisticated. It'll get in your bones too, don't worry about that - well, only took me ten years to discover this album! If by some freak of nature, you haven't yet, you're in for a treat I think, whether you liked 80s Madonna or not (and I never was a fan) - this album would fit well in any collection, and they're selling for the price of the postage on Amazon..

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review by: date: 2008-10-31 rating:
A True Visionary!!!
Ray of light is a powerful excursion into a cosmic world of amazing depth. William Orbit is a genius. Madonna has never sounded better. The songs are very spiritual and playful. This album represents two artists at top of their game. Madonna and william Orbit are a great combination. I hope they do another album together. Ray of light is HIGHLY reccommended!!!


review by: BevisButts date: 2008-09-08 rating:
Not Madonna's greatest achievement
The "Mother Of Reinvention" reinvented herself noticeably for this album, but unfortunately it just doesn't work in this case. Not that it's completely worthless (the title track, the beautiful "The Power Of Goodbye" and "Little Star" are worth hearing), but this overlong album is largely uncharacteristic for Madonna, lacking the all-out feelgoodness of her 1st 2 albums and the robust maturity of ones like "True Blue" and "Like A Prayer." Her average singing ability is not at its best here, much of the album is rather bland both lyrically and melodically, and it's filled with too many weird techno sounds that make it even more strange.

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