Ray of Light, Part 2: Tracks 1-4

Welcome to the second installment of my Madonna series! For Part 1: An Introduction, click here.

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The subversion is evident from the start: in “Drowned World/Substitute for Love,” Madonna mentions the trappings of stardom, including “trinkets I can buy,” a “heart to steal,” and so on, all of which prove hollow after a time. She also manages to criticize herself for coveting them and buying into the illusion. She would later refer back to this song in “American Life” (American Life), taking the criticism to a more militant and universal level. Oddly, she would also backslide after more than a decade, proudly listing acquisitions in “I Don’t Give A” while simultaneously decrying monetary greed in “Love Spent” (both tracks, MDNA). 

On a purely confessional level, there are also similarities between “Drowned World” and one of Madonna’s most enduring tunes, “Live to Tell” (True Blue); in a way, it even seems that the singer may finally be revealing the secret she mentioned in that song. Later, she would bring herself to a more relatable level when she released “What It Feels Like for a Girl” (Music), substituting personal anecdotes like “I suffered fools so gladly” with “Hurt that’s not supposed to show” and “Could you be a little weak?” To a lesser extent, “Drowned World” also hearkens back to “Survival” (Bedtime Stories), wherein Madonna admits that she has been “up and down and all around,” similar to the way she discusses “travel[ing] around the world, looking for a home” in “Drowned World.”

“Swim” expands Madonna’s scope a bit and finds her looking outward, rather than inward, and commenting on the events she sees happening in the larger population. Here she advocates that the listener “Let the water wash over you, / wash it all over you […] / so that we can begin again, / wash away all our sin,” which sentiment has its roots in “Love Makes the World Go Round” (True Blue), where Madonna instructs the audience to “take a stand! / Reach out for someone’s hand.”  The purifying acts she describes may be delivered in different ways--“Love Makes the World Go Round” in a sunny fashion, “Swim” in a more frustrated one--but they are decidedly linked. Later, Madonna would revisit this theme in “4 Minutes” (Hard Candy), her duet with Justin Timberlake. In this case, music is the redemptive force, as one might expect it to be where a singer is concerned. The more cutting remarks--such as those about “children killing children”--heard in “Swim” would also be replicated in another environment when Madonna released “Hollywood” (American Life) as a single, mocking society’s tendency to be “bored with the concept of right and wrong.” All of this is in line with Madonna’s declaration in the documentary Truth or Dare that she is “interested in […] pushing people’s buttons and being provocative and being political.”

Although Madonna would not use a folk-inspired structure on an album until American Life, her political nature on “Swim,” combined with her decision to do a partial cover of Curtiss Maldoon’s folksy “Sepheryn,” which she turned into “Ray of Light,” set her on the path. Rather than stick to the acoustic guitar-based, tempo-switching tendencies of “Sepheryn,” though, Madonna chose to add her own beats and lyrics, bringing the ’60s tune up to date. In order to do this, she referred back to some of her earlier dance hits. For example, the central predicament of “Where’s the Party” (True Blue), which is that Madonna wants to “free [her] soul” and “lose control,” went unsolved until “Ray of Light,” when she finally feels that she “just got home.” She was then able to sustain this sense of belonging through her next several albums, culminating with another dance anthem, “Heartbeat” (Hard Candy), which extols the virtues of being on the floor at the club.

It is also worth noting that “Swim” and “Ray of Light” are both connected to Madonna’s early, enduring hit “Holiday” (Madonna). The earlier track makes a strong case for “[taking] just one day out of life” to recharge and re-center ourselves as well as “put[ting] your troubles down” and, consequently, ties itself to the themes of renewal on Ray of Light. Unlike “Swim,” however, the raucous joyfulness of “Ray of Light” can be heard later in “Celebration” (Celebration), which essentially serves as a sequel to “Holiday.”

Although “Candy Perfume Girl” is not as exuberant as “Ray of Light,” it too can be traced to other songs. First and foremost, it shares DNA with “Burning Up” (Madonna). Each has a rock-influenced sound, featuring electric guitars in addition to synthesizers. Later on, Madonna would refer back to this usage in “Give Me All Your Luvin’” (MDNA), if in a peppier fashion. But, true to the spirit of Ray of Light, no matter the antecedent or descendant, “Candy Perfume Girl” is less accessible than Madonna’s other love songs. The lyrical inheritance shows most clearly in “Impressive Instant” (Music), with lines like “I’m in a trance” calling to mind Madonna’s mention of “The sacred nerve is magic poison” in “Candy Perfume Girl.” Additionally, previous lyrical connections can be made with “Sanctuary” (Bedtime Stories), with its dreamy imagery, references to water, and a near-obsessive subtext. Even so, “Candy Perfume Girl” is a less disturbing song than “Sanctuary,” which also has a bearing on the track following “Candy Perfume Girl.”

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For Part 3: Tracks 5-8, come back on Friday!

For Part 4: Tracks 9-13, come back next Tuesday!

For Part 5: The Conclusion, come back next Thursday!

Ray of Light, Part 1: An Introduction

As I mentioned last week, I'll be sharing the text of a paper I presented at a popular culture conference over the weekend. Since it's too long to give in a single post, I'll spread it out across the next two weeks. Enjoy this first installment, and come back to read the rest!

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Something weird happened to Madonna in the ’90s.

After the creative and commercial success of Like a Prayer in 1989 and her first greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, in 1990, Ms. Ciccone chose to open an envelope she’d been pushing since the inception of her career. The flesh bomb that resulted was the one-two punch of Erotica, her 1992 album, and Sex, a limited-edition book that came packaged in a shiny wrapper, not unlike a condom. This is the same woman who, during an interview with David Letterman in 1994, asked him, “Why are you so obsessed with my sex life?” and then prodded him to smell the pair of panties she’d given him. Although she did rein it in with the soft-core Bedtime Stories in 1994, the masturbatory video for “Take a Bow,” while shot in artful sepia, showed she had no intention of backing down completely.

But then came the fallow period. Aside from her appearance in Evita in 1996, the one tangible thing Madonna produced between 1994 and 1998 was the old/new compilation Something to Remember in 1995, only three tracks of which were fresh. Part of this is thanks to the arrival of her first child, Lourdes, in late 1996. Of course she took time to be a new mother, but it was out of character for a woman who, traditionally, had been full-steam ahead to disappear for such a stretch. Little did the world know what she had in store. 

There was nothing particularly subversive about Madonna until Ray of Light. In order to be subversive, one must work within the confines of his or her medium in a sly, smart way: a wink here, a nod there, an inversion from time to time. The closest she got pre-1998 was in “Deeper and Deeper” (Erotica) when she pulled a line from “Vogue” (I’m Breathless) to highlight the rest of the song. Otherwise, she was, for the most part, a double-middle-finger girl, shoving her sexuality and outrageousness in her audience’s face. In fact, if not for a handful of key tracks in the early- and mid-1990s--“Rain” (Erotica) and “I’ll Remember” (With Honors) chief among them--she may have ceased to be radio- and video-viable. After all, this is the woman who cut a track called “Where Life Begins” (Erotica), a five-and-a-half-minute ode to cunnilingus.

When Ray of Light dropped in 1998, however, listeners heard more of what had been hinted at in select cuts from Like a Prayer, Erotica, and Bedtime Stories: introspection and reflection. Ray of Light was both revolutionary and revelatory, showcasing a side of Madonna the public had rarely seen. In these thirteen tracks, Madonna reinvented herself yet again, this time as a serious singer with concerns both worldly and personal, spiritual and mental. This album would become the lynchpin of her career, a gateway between her early years and her later output.

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For Part 2: Tracks 1-4, come back on Wednesday!

For Part 3: Tracks 5-8, come back on Friday!

For Part 4: Tracks 9-13, come back next Tuesday!

For Part 5: The Conclusion, come back next Thursday!

Everybody Talk About Pop Culture

Sometimes, I get to do really fun things.

This weekend is one of those times. I'm off to present a paper at a conference, and this will be my third time doing so. The people involved in this extravaganza are basically the best: academic nerds and geeks who, like me, find endless things to say about popular culture, to the point where all our friends are sick of hearing it. (Not coincidentally, that's why we have to gather ourselves together once a year--to give those near and dear to us a bit of a respite.) This year, I'm "gonna have a celebration," as it were, and talk about the Queen of Pop herself, her Madgesty: Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone.

That's right, kids. It's "all Madonna, all the time," as they would say on KUNT (and for the record, I JUST NOW figured out that's what the call letters are; I used to think the DJ said, "KUMD").

My basic premise is this: Ray of Light was--and remains--the lynchpin of Madonna's career, the central hub of her musical output. Like the stylized sun imprinted on the disc itself, the 13 tracks of her seventh studio album (out of 12 so far) serve as spokes connecting the past with the future. From the opening line to the final note, a listener (i.e., me) can make arguments to support this thesis.

When I return from said conference, I'll be sharing my paper in its entirety with you over the course of two weeks (so as to break it up into bloggable chunks) and with the added bonus of links to a few of the songs and articles I cite. It's sort of my way of "dress[ing] you up in my love" of Madonna's music. I hope y'all are ready, because it can get a little intense when I get into that groove. 

Okay, I'm done with the jokes, if only because I've learned, through a great deal of recent personal experience with Madonna's '80s oeuvre, that it's all fun and games until everything starts to sound like synth keyboards.  Tune in starting on Monday for the full Ray of Light treatment!

-Cate-

...

I hate ellipses. They are the worst and I would like you to stop using them. Some people agree. They're particularly upsetting to me in written dialogue (as in books) and are right up there with double punctuation (??/!!/?!), which is sloppy writing at best.

That is all.

-Cate-

Cate Has (Unfavorable) Opinions About Amazon

Tax evasion. Monopolizing. Stock prices out of line with actual profits. Predatory business practices. This all sounds pretty diabolical, yeah? But if you shop through Amazon, you're supporting these things.

My friends all know that I have opinions about things, and that some of those opinions are strong. This is one of my strongest ones. Normally, I don't spend much time discussing it online, because I'm not a business blogger. However, given that I muse about writing and books, I feel this is a germane topic.

I won't say much, beyond the fact that I believe Amazon is an evil empire engaging in activities that are detrimental to publishers and writers--particularly emerging writers and small presses, who stand to lose more in a deal like this. Amazon also harms local businesses by taking money (and tax dollars) out of communities. Moreover, Amazon is less than friendly to its own warehouse workers, while CEO Jeff Bezos is worth over $25 billion (of course, this isn't an uncommon dichotomy in corporations, but it's worth noting as our middle class continues to shrink).

Yes, I enjoy free shipping as much as the next girl, and I have been known to turn to Amazon in times of desperation, such as locating essential research materials. However, I realize that it is important, now more than ever, to be a conscientious consumer and hope you will do the same.

</editorializing>

-Cate-

I Went to College, or, Feminists Ruin Everything

You remember over the summer how I had all those opinions about Twilight? Well, buckle your seat belts, kids, because that was nothing compared to what I'm about to say.

One of my friends recently shared--and, in her own commentary, refuted--an article called, "6 Reasons (+2) to NOT Send Your Daughter to College." There are tons of things in here worth responding to, so of course I'm going to do that.

Let me preface this by saying that everyone must choose his or her own path in life, and if a person believes in a certain thing, I'm down, so long as it isn't detrimental to other human beings or the world in a larger sense. Having said that, I believe that the things Mr. Alleman writes in his article are dangerous and backward, which is why I'm choosing to make a rebuttal. There is some introductory material to the post, and I've decided to address the points contained therein, rather than the 6 (+2) items mentioned in his title. 

First, Alleman writes, "Today, anyone can learn anything they want with the vast library system across the country and with the easy access of the internet. So the real reason girls go to college is for a degree, not an education." Surely this isn't true of all women, but my mother and I went to college in order to get an education in our chosen fields, which led to degrees--five between the two of us. I'm reasonably certain Mom could not have learned how to be first a nurse and then a social worker from a library or the Internet, had it been available when she was in school. 

Furthermore, I'm satisfied with the education I received while pursuing my undergraduate degree, as I attended a liberal arts institution that taught all of its students to be well-rounded individuals, and I would hate to have pursued my passions without the invaluable guidance I received from my professors. Not only that, but the friendships I made in college are very important to me, and I know I never would have met these people in the library in my hometown, which is where Alleman would prefer I live until someone married me. (NB: my parents like me, but I don't think they would have wanted me hanging around and twiddling my thumbs for the past nine years.)

In the same paragraph, Alleman mentions that, "College may be necessary for the provider of a family depending on the vocation God is calling them to or for those who are called to the Priesthood, both of which are intended for men." I hate three things about this assumption of Alleman's: first, that marriage should be allocated for heterosexuals only; second, that every marriage necessarily leads to children; and third, that there are things "intended for men" only. 

I'm sure that lady politicians, lady astronauts, lady scientists, lady writers, and other ladies with jobs would be thrilled to know that people they don't even know are judging them for 1) being ladies and 2) daring to do important jobs that are "meant" for the guys. Alleman continues on by saying, "The Church teaches that husbands and wives are of equal dignity, but with different roles." He sounds like someone who never got the message that "separate but equal" never allows for true equality. 

Alleman then says of the ministry with which he's invovled, "We believe in women making wise prudent choices for themselves.  The indoctrination of the feminist culture and the practicing of a sexually promiscuous lifestyle severely cloud, practically blind that good judgment." THOSE DAMN FEMINISTS, RUINING EVERYTHING. Oh, wait. 

Meanwhile, I'd like to think that I am capable of being reasonably coherent in my decision making processes, in spite of my long servitude as a student in a higher education setting. More than that, because I care about my friends, I want to believe that they can do the same. Lady Gaga sums up how I feel about being told otherwise:

Scheiße, indeed.

I'll quote a huge chunk of one of Alleman's paragraphs here and attempt to respond to all of it:

Generally women will marry and have children so are gifted by God with the natural abilities to nurture (feed and raise) as well as educate children.  Today’s society has a very accessible conduit for that ability that is very conducive to family life:  homeschooling.  Educating and caring for children is the most valuable calling of a married woman and requires accomplished abilities.  These are no small matters.  But mothers often say they could not stand to be with their children all day.  What?  Just stop and think about that sad sad statement.  If that is the case, why did they have children?

Let's work backward, shall we? Why did they have children? Because they were "gifted by God with the natural abilities to nurture [...] as well as educate children," apparently, or at least indoctrinated to believe that they had no choice but to give birth, because someone told them that contraception is sinful, except that it's actually good for the world, not only in terms of empowerment for women but also in terms of the reduction of STD cases. 

But the most offensive thing to me in this block quote is the part where Alleman asserts that "Educating and caring for children is the most valuable calling of a married woman." Never mind any ambition she might have for herself, never mind supporting her spouse, never mind taking care of her own well-being first. None of that matters, amirite?

In his last paragraph before he starts in on the actual list of reasons not to send your daughter to college, Alleman writes about women afraid of their husbands leaving them, "the possibility of being left in such a state would make a woman MUCH more careful about the man she decides to marry.  Think about it.  If you know you're throwing your COMPLETE trust and future on a man, you'll want one you can certainly rely on." Unfortunately, Alleman's logic is not sound here, because all adults should know that they can only rely on themselves one hundred percent. 

Besides, I'm sure that the majority of people seriously consider their decision to wed and take the step in good faith. As the saying goes, shit happens, and the fact is, people change. Divorce isn't always caused by unreliability. Sometimes life throws things at us that send us on different trajectories than our spouses. Sometimes you grow apart. There is no shame in realizing these limitations and addressing them; if the problem cannot be solved, no one should be afraid to fix things by divorcing. 

I know, I know. There I go with my logic. As Cher Horowitz would say,

Other people who are wiser, or at least funnier, than I am have already responded to this issue, of course. I realize I'm not doing much good by adding my voice to the din, but damn, it feels good to get this off my chest.

And since I'm really riled up, I thought I'd show you where some of that attitude comes from. Below, you'll see my mother's response to the whole article:

1. I am glad I sent you to public schools and didn't home school you. Less stress on you (and me) to prove that you were well educated.
2. Although I went to a Catholic University (which BTW promoted the education of women), I felt I came away better knowing myself and what was best for myself AND my family.
3. I am so glad I didn't subject you to all the bullshit in this article and sent you to a Presbyterian college where you learned to (even more than you had previously) think for yourself.
4. And finally, I cannot imagine you EVER marrying an idiot of ANY variety.
5. And your father agrees. He is also happy to see that stupidity is not solely concentrated with one particular religious group.

In case anyone was wondering, my parents are kind of awesome, and I thank them for not being crazy. At least, not in a religious sense.

-Cate-

PS Mom asked me to make sure that I tell you she was educated at the aforementioned Catholic university by the Felician Sisters. On their North American website, they say that they strive "to live as women of hope in a world so greatly in need of hope." They also note that they try to "lead and teach in our institutions of higher learning, where students come to receive a distinctively Felician Franciscan education--where they are inspired by Franciscan values, encouraged to be intellectually curious, and dedicated to serving others. Each school embraces and celebrates its commitment to service, remaining continually responsive to the needs of its students while giving them opportunities to serve the needs of others by always challenging students to extend their reach." I don't see anything in there about teaching only men. Do you?

PPS On a minor note, I'm not sure why the formatting here is all jacked. I fought with the post for two days in an attempt to make the font a normal size, but it wasn't meant to be. Apologies!

Coming Home

Some of you know that I grew up in Michigan. In elementary school, I thought I was exotic for having been born in North Carolina. But then I met N, who had spent a significant chunk of her childhood in Mexico, and S, who I think came from Illinois but looked as if she'd arrived straight from Bollywood. They were the exotic ones. They were the (not actually foreign) foreigners, and for awhile, I realized how normal I was.

Funny thing about that, though. When I returned to North Carolina--the prodigal daughter--eighteen years after my departure, I felt strange all over again, as though I was entering a foreign land. Of course, I was, in a way--crossing the Mason-Dixon Line always means something, though I still haven't worked out what it is, exactly. Being a suburban girl meant I was a little out of place in my new rural surroundings. Unfortunately, I still wasn't an expat.

The good news is that I know now that America is a big, exciting place that allows for people of all types, which is a cool thing, when you think about it. The better news is that I know now that I am both Northern and Southern; suburban and rural; and all Cate, all the time, no matter where I am. And if that means being less than exotic, or even downright commonplace, that's okay. Besides, it means I sound like this, which truly cracks me up.

-Cate-