Review 1 of Many: Madonna's Confessions.

Although this review may be a bit late, seeing since this album was originally released back in 2005, Madonna has since released another album, Hard Candy, I feel that this album deserves a mention in my review section due to the fact that this is what I personally feel is a key Madonna, and general Dance album. Confessions On A Dancefloor is the sort of album that slithers into your soul and takes even the most shy of dancers to the floor to dance the night away, even if you're not a fan of Madonna this is a essential album for anyone who enjoys pop and dance music.

The album is a 12-track non-stop dance anthem. From start (the irresistible Hung Up) to finish (Like It Or Not) Madonna pumps out hit after hit. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know the albums lead single, Hung Up - which is arguably also the best track on the album. It's this reviewers opinion that it's perhaps tied for the top spot.


Hung Up feels like a trip back to the glory days of disco, which is no doubt due to Madonna using the music Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie by ABBA as the main aura of this song. It's catchy lyrics, steady tempo and rhythm makes it an easy song for people to remember and dance to. Perhaps too, the video for the song sticks in peoples mind, with dear old Madge wearing some very pink clothing.

Once the clock strikes, we spiral out of Hung Up and into Get Together. Get Together is one of the slower songs on this album, however it's still every-bit as danceable as the rest of the album. Lyrically, this is stronger than Hung Up and deals with a sense of desire for a relationship that cannot happen, no matter how hard the two lovers try.

Sorry is up next, which starts off with Madonna apologizing in many different languages before the music really kicks in, but once it does we get a funky beat with a very catchy chorus. The song does get a little bit repetitive nearer the end but it is still a great track that works best when listening to the entire album in order.

"I'm gonna tell you, about love" whispers Madonna in the beginning of the next track, Future Lovers. Perhaps her advice on love is not the best, given the current state of her "relationship" with Guy Ritchie (well, lack thereof relationship now). Relationships aside. Future Lovers is a standout on this album, the song has a very upbeat and fun aura around it. Some of the better lyrical work appears on this song, and again, it's a very easy to dance the night away to song. Got the right amount of dance and slowed down verses.

Texans may be slightly offended by the next song. Madonna seems to think that it's the place to go to golf, however, she does love New York, infact, this song is dedicated to the big city. I Love New York is a staple favourite of mine. NY fans of her must have had a ball when she sung this song live infront of them. She proudly claims "If you can't handle the heat, then get off my street". The song kicks ass, although lyrically there could be some improvements "other places make me feel like a dork" - come now Madge, we expected something a bit better from you!

Let It Will Be is up next and one of the more subdued songs of the album. However the tempo picks up after the first minute and continues a steady pace throughout the rest of the song. I have to say that this song has never been a particular favourite of mine. It's far from bad, but it's just not nearly as memorable as other songs on this album are.

Forbidden Love speaks of exactly that, forbidden love. This is another great track while it has a slower pace than some of the other tracks, it suits the mood of the song, it's got a deep sound, it's suttle and it's sexy. It's the sort of song you want to dance with your homosexual partner with at a Christian ball. It's very much a song written about loving the one you cannot have.

After a countdown at the end of Forbidden Love, we get ready to Jump to the next song. This is my favourite song off of this album, and perhaps favourite Madonna song in general. I'm not entirely sure what attracts me to this song. It's not the most lyrically powerful song of hers, it's not her most controversial song, nor is it her best dance song. What I think attracts me to this song is the strength it contains. Everything about this song is about well, jumping outside the boundries. Tear away from the norm, go and do something crazy and live your life. The music video to this song is impressive as well, featuring some very awesome profession jumpers jumping across Tokyo, Japan. The sound of Jump is just as inspiring as the lyrics, it's uplifiting, it's positive and fun.

You say jump, I say How High? Perhaps unintentional is the listing of these tracks, having Jump, then How High straight after. Regardless, How High is a song in which we have Madonna talking about her rise to fame (and perhaps notoriety) and whats comes along with fame. The song seems quite reflective, and perhaps also dark, compared to the mostly happy and upbeat majority of the album. The chorus of "Was it all worth it? How did I earn it? Nobody's Perfect, I guess I deserved it" is an obvious nod to the bad rap Madge gets in many publications for her religious, political and sexual views. The song itself is quite synth heavy and has a decent amount of "thumpa thumpa" to grind your body to.

You might get confused by Issac, as most of us don't understand what he's singing. This song struck me completely out of the blue when I first heard it. While it's got a great dance beat to it, it hasn't really got a real chorus to it besides Madonna humming. The song itself mainly deals with the idea of redemption and well, confessions of sins. Aptly fitting for the album considering it's name.

Pushing Issac aside comes another one of the singles from this album, Push. The lyrics behind Push are very much ones that seem to show Madonna thanking someone who convinced her to keep pushing boundries, whether they be societies or her own personal ones. Again, Push is a inspiriational song that makes you want to keep on pushing through whatever problems you have, for a better tomorrow.

Sadly, we end the album with the final track, Like It Or Not. When we get to track 12 we know the rides over, and it's come too fast. This hand-clapping, hip grinding song concludes the album beautifully. The lyrics are strong, confident and kick-ass. They fill us, the listener with the strength that lies within Madonna. It's also very much a girl-power song. Madonna's adament she's still the best in this song - "You can love me, or leave me, cause i'm never gonna stop, no no". No one would dare stop you Madonna. The song fades out with an acoustic guitar playing slowing down till it stops, and thus, Confessions On A Dancefloor is finished.

That is, until of course, you listen to Confessions Remixed. Seven remixes of songs from the Confessions On A Dancefloor album, including the dance-club essential, Hung Up (Extended Vocal/Dub mix).

Overall, Confessions On A Dancefloor is an album that has yet to make me feel tired of it. I may not listen to it for a couple of months and then find that listening to it is just as exciting and enjoyable as it was when I first heard it. This review may indeed be late, but if you have yet to hear this album. I cannot recommend highly enough that you go out and purchase this album, it's absolutely fantastic.

Day 1 of the new job....prospects optimistic?

Well today was the first day of my new job. Working for Teletech, in turn for Meridian Energy. I must say watching the 'inspirational video' called "fish" was enlightening, if only for the fact it's confirmed I never want to work in a fish shop, especially if there's loud heterosexual men singing and yelling to the fish and it's customers.

So yeah, crappy videos aside work wasn't too bad. Met all the other newbies who thankfully seem as completely confused and unenthusiastic as each other. I'm sorry but I don't think that electricity is that much of an overly exciting industry to work in. Thankfully some of the managers/leaders there admitted this. I am sure i'll enjoy it once I get onto the phones and actually do work. It's sitting around in a pseudo classroom environment that does my head in. In saying that though, studying can be a lot less tedious than work. I may end up returning to studies after this job, I have not yet decided. Why don't you help me, my readers? I treasure (hahah) your opinions on my future.

So now I am at home where it is very hot and I am lazing on bed enjoying some downtime. I hear there is talk at Madison/TelstraClear about renogociations about the contracts. Hrmm....if a better offer came up there I would be very tempted to return....Currently i'm listening to Garbage. They seem to be a relatively forgotten band which is a shame because Shirley Manson is perhaps the one woman i'd turn straight for. She's such a delightfully sexy little Scot.


Well, I shall sign this off for now, I will go prepare some food for tonight. Stuffed chicken with roast veges and salad. Tasty.


PS. I just sneezed.

I finally found it!

Okay, so some of you will know this. But ever since New Years Eve I have been scouting around trying to find a song that played at the bar I was at. James' friend Tom dragged us willingly to the dancefloor to dance to it. I knew I had heard the song before and figured it simply must've been on one of my Ministry of Sound albums. Searched through all of them and couldn't find it.


Somehow though, I missed a mix of it on the 2009 Annual, and when listening to it in it's entirety last night, I heard that familiar intro that was all I could remember of the name of the song. So I quickly grabbed my laptop once our guests had left for the night and searched the name of the song, and managed to find it. The song is Infinity 2008 - by Josh Guru Project. It is awesome, and you should listen to it.


Now to go organise the day and enjoy the lovely lovely heat!

Popping my blog's cherry.

So, here we are at the very first post of my blog. How exciting. The possibilities for this blog are somewhat endless.....unless I post porn and get it taken down for violating the terms and conditions of blogspot.

So, lets start with a bit of a backstory of me. Most people who will read this, IF anyone reads this, know who I am and what i'm all about. So, my name is Michael, 20 years old, and almost 21. Out and proud homosexualist. Not so much a camp scene queen, but isn't afraid to admit who he is. Born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand but now living down in Christchurch for a while. Half Italian and half New Zealander. 30% concentrate. 70% of your daily recommended intake of awesome. No trans fats.

So whats been happening in my life lately? Well lets recap the last week or so!

This time last week I was out shopping with my cousin Beth back in Auckland, having attended my grandfathers funeral the day before. It was quite a depressing experience, losing my last grandparent. I had never known my grandparents on my fathers side of the family, or my biologicial grandfather. However, genetics aside, my step-grandfather was around since before I was born so he was my grandfather in everyway except biological. I think more depressing was the fact that the only time that I do get to see my extended family is for funerals. I guess this is a trend that happens with more than just my family. Still it was great to see my cousins. Especially to see Beth who I haven't seen in ages. I've always regretted not seeing much of her, or her sister Laura in the last few years. We used to see each other at least once a year but haven't seen much of them since the start of the new millenium. Hopefully we can retifcy this. My sister and I took her out to Spookers which was an asbolute ball, best time i've ever been there. That corn-field is terrifyingly awesome.

Once I was back from my brief visit to Auckland, it was off to Quail Island down in the Banks Pennisula (anyone else noticed how similar that word is to penis?). A fantastic little trip that was. It's a former leper colony, as well as where they used to train the dogs before taking them to the Antartic. Got a bit sunburnt after this expedition though. Oh well, the weather by the time we got back to Christchurch had changed faster than it takes McDonalds to make your burger. We experienced the most amazing mini-storm I had ever seen. Hail, forked lightning, flooding, thunder and snap-freezing temperatures. Was amazing, and damaging. The roof began leaking in the kitchen again, and the ice froze the roofs. Not very often can you get sunburnt, and frozen roofs on the same day.


I think this is enough for the first post of my blog. Lets see where my mind will wander next. I'm thinking I might do some reviews of albums and movies as well as updates on my world. Oh and sex. I shall post lots on my perspectives of sex too. Enjoy readers, if you choose to continue on, it's gonna be a wild ride.