American Life vs. Madame X

[Suedehead]

Given that we'll soon be getting her 2nd Stuart Price-assisted album, which of her two Mirwais-focused albums do you prefer?

 

[Suedehead]

It's actually not as easy I thought it would be. I listened to American Life in full for the first time in ages the other day and, whilst most of the time I have no desire to skip anything I was quite struck by the ridiculousness of some of it ("X-Static Process", "Mother & Father"). That being said, Madame X is a rather ... bloated record.

 

[Sardonicus]

I'm doing a relisten of all her OEUVRE in order & I've only gone as far as "True Blue" so I'll be PRIMED to answer this in a week or 2

 

[jivafox]

American Life. Easy (Ride)

 

[Sheena]

American Life. It's a good little album, if lacking in the consistent highs that its predecessors gave us. The lead single was the issue, but then we've been there before. It absolutely should have been Nothing Fails.

 

[funky]

American Life is messy but way more interesting as a whole.

 

[VoR]

Both have strong highs and unlistenable lows, but American Life is at least more concise. Madame X needs a good 5 tracks chopping.

 

[Halli]

American Life has 'Nothing Fails'

 

[RJN]

One of my favorite of her albums (American Life) vs an album I’ll never listen to again…

 

[Music]

American Life winning this unanimously

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

Both have strong highs and unlistenable lows, but American Life is at least more concise. Madame X needs a good 5 tracks chopping.

What's "unlistenable" on AL? Even I'm So Stupid is fine as an album track. And I truly hope you're not referring to Mother and Father

 

[Sheena]

What's "unlistenable" on AL? Even I'm So Stupid is fine as an album track. And I truly hope you're not referring to Mother and Father

In fairness to my learned friend, whilst I agree with you, there’s many who at the time couldn’t get over the “and in the process I forgot that I was special too” navel gazing…

I almost made the same point you did earlier but then thought “ah, hold on”.

 

[wildchild]

Never listened to Madame X that much but I love American Life! So many ”hidden gems” there like X-tatic Process, Nobody Knows Me and even Mother and Father. Putting on Nobody Knows Me right now!

 

[Loufoque]

American Life (song) is one of her best songs. And her best video. I will die on that hill. The only flaw was that she lost her nerve and cancelled the video.

 

[BoysForSeles]

American Life is a solid album, its problem was probably coming off the back of Ray Of Light and Music which obviously had some real career highlights on them.

Madame X was a missed opportunity, if she’d gone in harder with the Luso sounds and influences many of the tracks that she hinted at it would be a much better experience.

 

[funky]

"Hollywood" is a tuneless mess but I know mopsy is not in agreement with me about that one

I think someone told her that if she sang under the key for the chorus that it might sound quirky. It doesn't, it just sounds OUT OF TUNE. Just because it's a loud electro song doesn't make it OKAY!

I really don't like I'm "So Stupid" either. But the rest I can either stomach or actively like/love. "Nobody Knows Me" was, and remains, the highlight for me.

 

[Joseph]

easily American Life of the two

Mother And Father is still one of the dumbest things she put to tape though. I’m So Stupid is also a hard listen.

I used to dislike the album a lot but it has grown on me over the years.

 

[POP!]

American Life was a major disappointment for me at the time, since I had just discovered her catalog in 2002 pretty much, and everything up until then, was basically flawless. I remember only liking “Nothing Fails” my first listen.

Now, I kind of respect it as a body of work even if it still falls quite short of what came before it and lacks any real all time highs. I can listen to it front to back and enjoy it even though I rarely put it on.

Madame X, on the other hand, is a struggle for me to get through. As some have said, it’s bloated and I really can’t listen to some of the vocals on it. “God Control” and “Medellin” and some others are listenable if not enjoyable. And it does seem more of a vision/creative statement than anything she did since COADF. But yeah, nothing I would seek out on my own volition these days. So American Life it is.

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

In fairness to my learned friend, whilst I agree with you, there’s many who at the time couldn’t get over the “and in the process I forgot that I was special too” navel gazing…

I almost made the same point you did earlier but then thought “ah, hold on”.

I can forgive the clunky lyrics because she sounds amazing on X-Static Process, she still has that lovely warm tone that she lost after Confessions.

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

easily American Life of the two

Mother And Father is still one of the dumbest things she put to tape though. I’m So Stupid is also a hard listen.

I used to dislike the album a lot but it has grown on me over the years.

I adore Mother and Father, it was actually one of my highlights of the last tour.