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
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