Melodic wasteland? Putting the emphasis on other things than the
(sacrosanct) melody, such as (cursed) rhythm, timbre and texture?
I personally enjoy and value most Madonna's songs. From a pop composer's
point of view, many of them come close to perfection : (deceitfully) simple
yet inventive while keeping up with trends, they just stick. Who, even
reluctantly, never mentally registered at least substantial shreds of
"Holiday", "True Blue", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Virgin", "Like a prayer"
or "Beautiful stranger"? Harmonically speaking, her first world hit
"Holiday" simply goes down in history as one new popular chord progression
at the time it was created, exactly the way Eagles' "Hotel California" had
had it one decade earlier. Furthermore, successfully hewing a catchy
original melody, not dull rhythmically, in a not systematically pure major
or minor scale mode, out of a few notes kept within easy singing range,
tallied to a repetitive harmonic canvas looping on a basic 4/4 meter at 120
bpm (that is, making the most out of the least) is to me admirable, and in
that respect too "Holiday" proves exemplary (So at the end of the day,
whether you like it or not, "Holiday" is a pop standard, it can't be
helped).
I ask then, by whose supreme decree should a melody be spread out in range
and complex in change to escape Wasteland?
Talking about Madonna's voice shortcomings and the possible studio
compensatory devices at play in her takes, who cares, as long as the outcome
is pleasing to a slew of listener's ears (count me in)? Perhaps another
singer would have made a technically better job out of it, who knows? (Every
second top 40 cover band singer around the world has already largely tapped
from Madonna's repertoire anyway, so avid volunteers would rush in in droves
for a potential cover hit) Fact is, she recorded the songs in the first
place, seemingly convincingly enough for those to be forever branded as
"her" songs in many a listener's subconscious. To put it plain: her songs
look good on her. True, it is all tailored up work, and if the shoe fits,
wear it. But she looks good on them too. There are those listening
occurrences where an operatic voice barging in, splashing up every
neighbouring sound with its rattling overtones, is all but needed. Whether
due to vocal limitations or not, Madonna's rather laid-back, unassuming
singing has that welcome discrete, unobtrusive touch fit for keeping all
other song elements in balance (rhythm section, textures, arrangement
counter-chants, background vocals, lyrics rendition). Even if disparaging
her for an alleged want of vocal skills, you cannot complain about Madonna's
shrills, for she never dreamt to attempt them! She hardly ever forces her
way up, down, or as little as pushes her sound forward, instinctively
steering away from those troubled waters as the careful skipper she is! I
guess a token of good taste, of mere concern for the public buying her
records and attending her concerts, in one word, of grace?
BJJA
|
|  |
