Published on May 4, 1997
One of the factors that made Madonna’s
Erotica a flop was the excess coherence. The songs were all
good in their own way, but slapped together they sounded like one
long monotonous song; installed side by side, “Fever” and “Deeper
And Deeper” had titles that even rhymed.
Whether it was intentional or not, it didn’t work commerically,
and listening to it is a tedious process because every single song
needs special attention at first listening to make an impression.
When Maverick Records announced that
Bedtime Stories was going to be a ballad album, I more or
less suspected
Erotica II: Dubbed Extra Lyrics. But
Stories, with the help of several producer-songwriters in
staggered listing, shows that Material … err, Madonna has learned
her lesson. And an excellent pupil she is.
Madonna ballads are characterized as carefully sculptured
melodies, various yet obvious moods, and that comfortable voice
which never has a problem with sincerity. A good example would be
one of the best tracks on the album, “Human Nature”; you can hear
the expression on her face.
Most noticeable in the collaborators roster is Babyface, who
lends his R&B talents to “Forbidden Love” and “Take A Bow”, but
the gimmic lyrics (usage of words as melody over meaning) make them
tired fast. Dave “Jam” Hall makes a slightly better impression but
his workings with Mariah Carey has rubbed off on “Love Tried To
Welcome Me” and “Inside Of Me”; Carey could get away with it
because of her voice and on-the-spot jazz impro style, but Madonna
needs better melodies.
The best tracks are with Dallas Austin, whom Babyface had
recommended to Madonna during the planning stages of the album.
Without borrowing from his former productions (which includes TLC
and Boyz II Men), Austin and Madonna produce “Survival”, “Secret”
and “Sanctuary” which are in every way songs Madonna was meant to
sing. Not only are the samples the best on the entire album,
Madonna breathes life into every note which makes the ballads
enjoyable still after fifty turns each on my CD player.
It’s true that Madonna may not need to prove her artistic
ability by releasing another album like
Like A Prayer, but expectations have never been quite so
high for Madonna before that album.
Bedtime Stories is an excellent album, but I’m prejudiced
with the knowledge that she can do so much more.