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List Price: $10.98 | | Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Salesrank: 336866
Released: October 17, 1990 |
| Our Price: $4.99 |
| Used Price: $0.26 |
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| Media: Audio Cassette |
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Madonna Track Listing:
1. Lucky Star
2. Borderline
3. Burning Up
4. I Know It
5. Holiday
6. Think of Me
7. Physical Attraction
8. Everybody
9. Burning Up [12" Version]
10. Lucky Star ["New" Mix]
Editorial Review:
Madonna became a star upon the release of this, her self-titled debut. But because her stardom was thanks largely to her videos, which found her dressed provocatively and rolling around on the floor, most folks were all too willing to look past the overall quality of the album itself. Even with its somewhat dated keyboard textures and mechanized drum sounds, the album holds up incredibly well. There's "Borderline," which exudes a certain naiveté, something rarely associated with Madonna; "Holiday," which is sweet and celebratory; and "Lucky Star" a dance-floor classic. Songs like "Everybody" and "Burning Up" split the difference between dance music and new wave, which was popular at the time. That latter tune, in fact, contains a line that could be seen as a ready indicator of all that was to follow in Madonna's storied career. "Unlike the others, I'll do anything," she sings. "I'm not the same / I have no shame." No kidding. --Daniel Durchholz
Madonna Reviews:
Despite some Campy Lyrics - this Collection is Solid 
2005-06-30 - When the 1980s commenced and Disco's Demise had taken place, there were really two things that occurred. The first is that many of the styles and concepts of Disco had begun to incorporate into the Pop music landscape and had begun to influence some of the more mainstream genres. The other is that for all practical purposes, Disco had not vanished - but in actuality would go "underground". Disco would still exist, but in reality had morphed into what became the "80s Dance Movement". As with many "underground" music genres, the "80s Dance Movement" would soon rise to the surface. One artist who must get some major credit for bringing the "80s Dance Movement" to the back to the surface was Madonna. Madonna's debut album "Madonna" clearly would be the album that would play a role in bringing this "underground" movement back to the surface as well as catapult her own career. Along the way, this album would garner some commercial success - and by the way would be a pretty good album in its own right.
As for Madonna, I can't say I am a fan of hers. However, I do try to evaluate every album on its own merit. Normally I don't like a collection that is heavily influenced by Synthesizers and Drum Machines, but somehow Madonna finds a way to make this work. This is done through some creative use of other instrumentation - namely the incorporation of horns and guitars. On top of that, Madonna and Reggie Lucas (who wrote the songs the album) and the producers (Reggie Lucas, Jellybean Benitez, and Mark Kamins) find a creative way to get what I consider a very good Bass sound on several of the tracks. "Madonna" doesn't have the deepest lyrics. While I prefer an album with much deeper lyrics, once again Madonna finds a way to make this work for me. In a lot of ways, I would consider "Madonna" to be a concept album. Each of the eight original tracks deals with relationships - in varying degrees. In a lot of ways, the lyrics are campy ("Starlight Starbright" on "Lucky Star", "Burning Up for your Love" on "Burning Up", and "Holiday Celebrate" on "Holiday" are just some examples), but once again Madonna finds a way to make the lyrics work for me. Much of the reason why I feel Madonna gets things to work so well is because Reggie Lucas and Madonna herself seem to get the most out of her talents. The end result is that you feel Madonna's raw emotion on each of the tracks. Therefore, I must give Madonna a lot of credit.
Looking at each of the songs:
"Lucky Star": This song was a major hit. It's one of the songs with more of a Pop-Spin. The Synthesizers and Drum Machine make for the "Dance Club" feel of the song. This is a prime example of Madonna delivering the vocals with emotion - despite Campy lyrics. This is also a song in that utilizes some nice Bass chords on the song - giving it a solid feel.
"Borderline": Another song with a Pop-Spin that was a hit. More Synthesizers and Drum Machines. This song is highlighted by Madonna's vocal delivery. Madonna's emotion level seems completely genuine. I like how the background vocals on this song mesh with Madonna as well.
"Burning Up": This song also was a hit. While there are Synthesizers and Drum Machines, this is a song that has some nice guitar work. This is also another song where the Bass sound truly gives this song a very nice sound. My only knock is that this song is just a little too campy from a lyrical standpoint for my style.
"I Know It": This is probably the most underrated track on the collection. I really enjoyed this song. Like "Borderline", this song is dominated by Madonna's raw emotion on the vocals. In addition, this is another song in which there is a very nice Bass sound. Probably what sets this song apart from many of the other tracks are the use of horns. The horn sound seems to come along at the right points.
"Holiday": Another popular song. This song has a definite "Dance Club" feel, but also features Guitar and a natural Bass sound. Combining the Synthesizers with this Guitar and Bass seems to work. Like "Burning Up", the lyrics are just a little campy for me.
"Think of Me": This is another hidden gem on this collection. The opening to this song definitely sounds like the remnants of the Disco movement. The music of this song has an R&B sound. While Madonna doesn't have the R&B sound, the use of the background vocalists help blend Madonna nicely with the R&B melody. Once again - a very nice Bass track.
"Physical Attraction": Like "Think of Me", there are both remnants of the Disco movement and sounds of R&B. Again, the background vocalists help Madonna's vocals blend in with the R&B sound. The Bass sound once again solid. This is the longest track on the collection - and it clearly delivers.
"Everybody": This song brings the best of both worlds - the remnants of the Disco movement with the 80s Synth Pop sound. Madonna uses spoken vocals at the giving the song a nice twist. This song doesn't have as nice a Bass sound as the other tracks. This is probably the weakest song from a lyrical and musical standpoint, but it still isn't bad.
This collection includes remixes of "Burning Up" and "Everybody". The liner notes include the lyrics to the songs as well as musician and songwriting credits. After this album, Madonna's from an instrumentation standpoint would go much more mainstream - despite her "outrageous" antics that would follow. Overall, this album really surprised me. There aren't any bad tracks on this album - and it really seems to have held the test of time. I'd recommend this collection.
Dance and sing, get up and do your thing. 
2005-02-18 - Ah yes, Madonna's first album. When this album first came out in 1983, I doubt that anybody thought that she would go on to be the top female recording artist of all time. I remember at the time a lot of people thought that Cyndi Lauper would end up being the bigger star of the two. Funny how things turn out. Madonna first album was a dance album with a sound typical of the early '80s. Of the eight songs on the album, five were released as singles. "Lucky Star", "Borderline" and "Holiday" are of course classic hits. "Burning Up" and "Everybody" were flop singles, but they still are great songs. As for the other three songs: "Think of Me" and "Physical Attraction" are good songs; and "I Know It" is not a very good song. Madonna's singing ability was not fully developed at this point. She could carry a tune, but she didn't have much range. Somewhat suprisingly, Madonna wrote five of the eight songs on the album. She wrote them by herself, unlike in the future when she almost always wrote with a collaborator. This was a solid debut album that was underrated by most people at the time, but nowadays it can almost be considered a classic.
Where all started: Madonna's debut
2005-01-02 - This album is a classic, with singles as Lucky Star, Borderline, Burning Up and Everybody the world stared noticing Madonna first as a dance artist and also as a writer and producer since she help and wrote most of the songs in this album.
My personal favorite song here is the Classic HOLIDAY a feel-good song that has trandsance time and you can hear in almost all of her tours (including the re-invention tour), I would never get tired of listing this song, is one of my all-time favorites. Recommended if you are a Madonna fan, if not buy the compilations instead.
The best Madonna album
2004-05-06 - I've been a Madonna fan for years, and this is far and away my favorite Madonna album. Before Kaballah, babies and Britney, this is the Madonna we all fell madly in love with. Twenty-one years later, this album still sounds fresh and daring, unlike most of the junk coming out during that time. While not the best singer, Madonna sounds exciting on "Lucky Star," "Burning Up" and "Think of Me," as well as her breakout hit, "Holiday." Produced by Mtume's Reggie Lucas, one could argue this is a soul record - solid band, established R&B backing vocalists (Norma Jean Wright, Gwen Guthrie, etc.) and shiny, soulful hooks all set to a post-disco dance club groove. This album started a string of singles and albums that would score well on both the pop and R&B charts, a testament to her ability to bend genres. Always sexy, always soulful and always unpredictable, Madonna laid the golden foundation for her stellar career with this classic album. Truly essential and trend-setting, "Madonna" remains in the groove.
I had high expectations for this CD - And it surpassed them!
2003-12-27 - Madonna (1983.) Madonna's first album. This review refers to the Warner Remastered version.
For two decades, Madonna has been one of the biggest names in popular music - and with good reason. She has the ability to create pop songs that stand the test of time. In recent months I have been hearing a number of her eighties hits on my local eighties music station, so naturally I wanted to purchase her eighties hits compilation, entitled The Immaculate Collection. However, after reading a number of reviews for the collection stating it was lacking a few hits and many of the tracks featured were edits, I decided buying her albums would be a better move. I'd start with her debut. If I liked it, I'd buy additional albums. If not, I'd just stop there. And recently, I purchased her 1983 self-titled debut album. How does it measure up? Read on and find out.
Before I get into reviewing the individual album tracks, I need to make a statement - Madonna's backing band on this album is excellent. Although I had never heard of any of the musicians, they all do a great job of playing their respective instruments. These guys deserve some major credit. Madonna kicks the album off with what would go on to become one of her biggest hits - Lucky Star. The keyboard usage in this track is amazing, as are Madonna's vocals. One of the major reasons I opted for this album in favor of The Immaculate Collection is that the version of this song contained on the compilation was an edit - and I'm glad I made the choice I did. This full-length LP version is superior to the edit by far. The melodic pop-oriented tune, Borderline, comes next. This was another fairly popular track, and with good reason. The track is nothing short of excellent - especially the chorus. The piano is a very nice touch. Another big hit, Holiday, is also present. Of all the songs on the album, this is the one that gets played on the radio most often. It's a classic eighties pop tune that you'd have to be a fool not to love. But, like with any artist, there's more to Madonna than just her big hits. Burning Up, the albums third track, uses backing instrumentation similar to what you'd expect from an eighties Michael Jackson, and as usual, Madonna serves up a winner. The track heavily emphasizes the usage of bass and keyboards, which contribute to its excellence. I Know It, the next track, pairs a saxophone with synthesizers. As a number of other band in the eighties demonstrated, using these instruments properly will result in pure excellence. The chorus to this track is priceless! Why wasn't it a bigger hit? As with a number of artists out there, a constant theme in Madonna's songs was love, and two of her finest love songs, Think Of Me and Physical Attraction, can be found here. The former follows stylings similar to those found earlier on the album, while the latter has a slightly "darker" sound to it than the other tracks. The keyboards and synthesizers in this track, paired with Madonna's vocals, make for an excellent track. The bell is also a nice touch. Many reviewers have praised this song, appropriately enough. The final original album track is Everybody. This is probably the most obscure thing on the album, but that doesn't mean it's not excellent. The synthesizers in this track are exactly what you'd expect from the new wave bands of the day. This makes for an excellent closing track.
This reissue of the album is part of the Warner Remasters series, a series of classic album reissues by a number of artists. And for Madonna's debut, they put two bonus tracks on the album - alternative mixes of Burning Up and Lucky Star. These alternative mixes aren't all that different from the "normal" versions, but they're still a nice touch. Now, why couldn't Warner have put bonus tracks like this on their Van Halen reissues?
Overall, I feel that this is an excellent album. An artist's debut album is usually either a masterpiece of an album that captures the respective artist in their prime, or a desperate cry for help that the artist needs to find the right sound. Forunately, Madonna's debut is the former. This is one of the greatest triumphs of eighties pop music, no questions asked. Whether you're a casual or die-hard Madonna fan, I recommend buying the albums over The Immaculate Collection, since it features a number of edited tracks. Twenty years later, this album still stands the test of time. If you're a fan of eighties pop music, this is essential.
