American Life (Rmxs) [Single]

Madonna | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 29, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B00008VGK0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,202 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,760 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. American Life (Missy Elliot remix)

2. American Life (Oakenfold Downtempo remix)

3. American Life (Felix Da Housecat's Devin Dazzle Club mix)

4. American Life (Peter Rauhofer's American Anthem) (Part 1)

5. American Life (Peter Rauhofer's American Anthem) (Part 2)

6. Die Another Day (Richard Humpty Vission Electrofield Mix)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Judging by her current pose, the Material Girl has mutated into the Military Girl. Indeed, this time out Madonna launches an assault on the miscalculations of her past while also airing her grievances with a troubled world. Madonna has always jumped on trends, but, for the first time, she leaps and falls as she revisits the minimalist synth-pop that she helped define in the ‘80s and raps like Debbie Harry about lattes and nannies. She also divulges career and personal missteps that her audience recognized all along, and had already forgiven--or embraced. With the exception of the entrancing Bond film theme "Die Another Day," the music doesn't measure up to 1999's Ray of Light and '00's Music. And while Madonna has never been a stunning wordsmith, there is a distinction between the introspection on those albums and the self-absorption of American Life; the lyrics here often put one in mind of a cathartic letter one writes but never mails. --Beth Massa

Product Description

12 inch taken from her 2003 album American Life. Includes 5 versions of 'American Life' (Missy Elliott American Dream Remix, Oakenfold Downtempo Remix, Peter Rauhofer's American Anthem Part 1 & Part 2 & Felix Da Housecat's Devin Dazzle Club Mix) plus 'Die Another Day' (Richard Humpty Vission Electrofried Mix). Maverick.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

162 of 178 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Madonna: Post-Modern Pop Freedom Fighter, April 28, 2003

By 

Randy M. James (Hawthorne, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Life (Audio CD)

Part-requiem, part-rebirth, Madonna has released her tenth studio album AMERICAN LIFE. Armed with 11 songs, she reveals, admonishes, and shares her perspective on her career, life, and success - in the hope of imbuing and inspiring not only her fans, but the general public. She leaves the occasional jargon of RAY OF LIGHT back in 1998, favoring simple vocabulary, holding nothing back. She's angry ("I'm So Stupid"), world-weary ("Hollywood"), loving ("Nothing Fails"), even paranoid ("Nobody Knows Me"). In my review, I'll highlight these certain songs.

The title track begins the album. Already notorious in the papers regarding her decisions on how to market it, the song is a perfect start for the record, asserting the agenda of her latest project. Full of buzzing synths, syncopation changes, meandering melodies, and a cut-and-paste chorus, Madonna rails against the fallacy of the "American Dream". The composition sounds jarring and disjointed, but that's its purpose. Included is a satirical rap role-call of some of her employess and possessions. The fade-out features her voice manipulated into a macabre creature singing the refrain repeatedly "I live the American Dream."

"American Life" segues into "Hollywood", a Beatles-esque tune with an apocalyptic undercurrent. Using the famous town as a metaphor, her singing is simultaneously coy and venomous. Guitar chords augment the retro 808 beat and what sounds like (at one point), birds put through choppy filters, coming out clipped and incomplete. "Push the button, don't push the button!/Trip the station, change the channel!" Madonna challenges us as her voice drops into an unnaturally deep tone.

"I'm So Stupid" completes the first triptych of songs critiquing superficiality, glamour, and materialsim as aspirations and values. Brillantly, these songs also put to rest her "Material Girl" personae. A spunky beat, electric guitar, and a synth line created from Madonna's voice, comprise this dismayed and angry song. At times, the singer/songwriter yells and labels everyone "stupid" for "looking for something" - presumably, the wrong thing. She even assumes an adolescent tone calling herself "stupider than stupid".

"Nobody Knows Me" reveals Madonna's fear of a "social disease". What sounds like a dentist drill makes it way through this electro-funk dance song complete with a fierce beat, rubbery bass line, and memorable refrain: "I don't want no lies/I don't watch T.V./I don't waste my time/Reading magazines". Filtered through a vocoder, she finds solace in an understanding person in a world where "people trap your mind".

The centerpiece of the album, "Nothing Fails" is an affecting love song to her husband. Her feelings are best described in the fantastic climax, featuring a trio of gospel choir, a choir of Madonna, and the lead vocals: "I'm not religious/But I feel so moved/Makes we want to pray". Attesting to the transformative power of love, Madonna's sincerity is apparent more so than on any other song prior to this album.

The album ends with "Easy Ride", a Kabbalist song praising hard work, but ultimately leaving more questions than answers. Madonna has been quoted to saying that this album signifies the beginning, not the end that many percieve for her. "Easy Ride" further drives home that sentiment.

I recommend listening to AMERICAN LIFE while in a solitary place or state of mind. It's a frustrating, joyful, inquisitive, and intelligent, and rewarding experience.

The CD has recieved mixed reviews in the press. If there's one lesson both Madonna & the critics have taught me is to create my own opinion. A work of art is meant to be moving, candid, altruistic, full of emotion. If so, then personally, AMERICAN LIFE is a work of art.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Signs of a good album, August 13, 2005

By 

Jesse Andrew "dangerboy" (MInneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Life (Audio CD)

Twenty years after her debut album, Madonna releases her tenth studio album, American Life. The facts are grim. Die another day was the only track to break the Billboard top 40. The title track, American Life, had minimal airplay, and all the remaining singles were lucky to get any at all. The videos didn't fair any better. American Life was pulled before ever airing. Hollywood premiered on VH1, a station known more for airing videos by artists like Dave Matthews and Sting. Her final video, Love Profusion, only aired on the internet. The critics tore the album to pieces, declaring it to be self indulgent dribble, lyrically embarrassing, a sure sign that Madonna had finally lost her touch.
I'm here to disagree. This album has very gradually become one of my favorites. I will review each track and leave you to take what you want from this review.
The opening track, American Life, is probably the hardest track to swallow. The music is somewhat abrasive and disjointed. Their is a clashing of electro and folk that is present throughout the album. I think what makes this track work for me, is the fact that it is so startlingly not what you expect to hear. The lyrics aren't all that bad either. The rap is very corny, but it is done intentionally I think. This is not the first time Madonna has dabbled in rap. Remember Vogue? Bette Davis- we love you! I hope you remember, it was one of her most successful singles of all time. The fact that the video was pulled and a cheap imposter was used in it's place, kept this single from going anywhere. Madonna's videos are very much a huge part of the success of the singles. I saw this video in a club in Minneapolis. They had apparently downloaded it prior to it being pulled off the net. The video was wonderfully entertaining, and I could see very little to be offended by. The only somewhat shocking image, is the now famous shot of her tossing grenade into an audience at a fashion event. The grenade is caught by a Bush look-a-like and used to light a cigar. It's hardly the highlight of the video. THe images of Madonna dancing in a dirty women's restroom in army gear is fabulous. The scene where she crashes [literally!] a runway stage in a mini-cooper toting rifles is awesome. She does a little dance while rapping to a terrified looking audience.
Hollywood is one of the funner songs on the album. The video was definitely colorful. Her performance with Britney and Christina at the MTV awards was entertaining as well. The song isn't my favorite, but it's enjoyable. I do love the end where her voice is slowed gradually as she tells us to change the channel.
I'm so stupid is the ONLY track on the entire LP that hasn't grown on me. I guess I don't agree with her claim. The music is alright. I don't care much for the way she anunciates the word STUPID at times. That DOES sound stupid. It's the weakest track, in my ears, anyhow.
Love profusion, the last song to be released as a single, is a great track. It's light and positive. The mixes of this song are also lovely. The single is worth looking into if you haven't already. There are no edits, but the song is so wonderful, you don't really care too much.
Nobody knows me is my favorite track from this album. It's stellar. It's right in the middle of the LP and that's where it belongs. She performed this track during her re-invention tour, and even though she stood alone on the stage, it was one of my favorite performances. The song can do no wrong. I absolutely love the lyrics, the music, and even the CHER-like voice thing they've done to her vocals. Should've been a single all it's own. Oh well
Nothing fails. A great ballad. The gospel choir makes the song even better. 'Makes me wanna pray.' The lyrics are incredibly simple, but that doesn't make them bad. I think it was intentional of her to write her lyrics that way. I could be wrong of course. Maybe M was trying to be deep. "I'm in love with you, you silly thing" doesn't strike me as someone trying to be deep, however.
Intervention, I've been told, is a song about her son. It's a wonderful track as well. Definitely up there as one of my all time favorite Madonna tracks. Here, she is lyrically on the ball. Great song.
X-static process is very UN-Madonna, which can be a little unnerving. It totally sounds like a track written for someone else. Don't ask me who. It's one of those "I'm exposing myself emotionally" songs. It's good. I personally would have left it to be a b-side myself, if I were Madonna.
Mother and Father is another cool song. SHe has performed it acoustic in concert, and it's still cool. Here on the album it has a very disco feel to it. Her vocals are very different. She sings in a voice I don't think she's used before, and it's refreshing. Incidentally, in X-static process, she sings hitting much lower notes than i think I've ever heard her use before. I think the great thing about this album is that it shows that Madonna has finally realized what range she sounds best. She now knows her voice front and back, so to speak, and is using it more wisely. If you've seen any of her performances in the last year, you know what I mean. It's wonderful to hear her these days.
Die another day. What a FREAKIN awesome club track. All the mixes are to DIE for. This song is so fun to play while speeding down the interstate in sunglasses. People have 'complained' that this is the worst Bond song to be recorded. To that I say "Shut up."
Easy Ride closes the album, and like Gone on the previous release, it is a wise decision. What a cool song... So cool. It's on of those songs you listen all the way through, and then go, "Damn, I don't think I've ever heard a song quite like that before."

Madonna doesn't need to be in the mainstream to be a talented artist. In fact, the true talents rarely are. I like to think this is the reason Madonna is gradually and gracefully getting less radio airplay. She is making the music she wants, she is seeking out producers that don't sound like the billions of others out there. To that she gets props. I hope to hear more from this woman who has inspired me to do what the Hell I want, and say F*** you to those who think otherwise.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Q&A for this album, June 5, 2003

By 

Bruno Emanuel Silva (Barcarena, Portugal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Life (Audio CD)

I am sure there are a lot of people out there who are completely confused about this album due to all the critics that vary from sky-high to inferno levels, so I thought the time had come to present my personal answers to some very relevant and certainly common questions.

Q: What is the reason for such discrepancy between opinions?
A: This is an album totally different from anything she has done before. It mixes rap with techno and guitar acoustics. Her voice has also been distorted with a vocoder, and it sounds similar to the effects used in the "Paradise (Not for Me)" track. Well, some Madonna fans were just not ready for such a change, and those who enjoy this kind of tune are not regular Madonna purchasers, so it is possible this album will stay in a sort of a category limbo. Anyway, for many others (like me) "American Life" is a groundbreaking and inspiring change that defines a whole new musical genre.

Q: I was told the lyrics in this album stink. Is it true?
A: Let us say Madonna is one of the few artists (very few, even) who can afford to transport their very true feelings into their music. You will find no "baby don't you know, I love you so, so please don't go" kind of songs here. On the other hand, you'll have your ears filled up with sincere words that truly depict Madonna's life and feelings. If you're not ready to hear her complaint how stupid she was for being so materialistic and that she does not want to have it simple but rather to work like a bull, well ... stay away from this album. Again, my opinion is she deserves an ovation for being so damn courageous.

Q: This album is anti-american, so I feel compelled not to buy it. What about you?
A: This is possible the silliest affirmation ever. This is an album about her intimate feelings and has absolutely nothing to do with anti-Americanism. You'll only feel offended if, in your opinion, Americanism equals hypocrisy, irrational materialism and loss of innocence, because these are the values she speaks against. Even her self-censored video clip was antiwar, not anti-american, and there's a huge difference between these two positions.

Q: I've heard most of the tracks are bad, so is it really worth to buy it?
A: Let us say I used to hit my "skip" button about four times during the first hearings, but even the less sticky tunes start to grow in you after a while. It is certainly not a "hearer friendly" album for the Madonna habitués, but after you give it a few spins you'll find yourself mumbling the songs often during the day.

Q: So hey! Should I buy it, or what?
A: My (humble) opinion is ... yes! This album was not made to hit a sales record, so it is possible many commercial pop buyers will stay away from it as a Norah Jones fan would certainly stay away from an Iron Maiden record, but if you are musically open minded this is certainly an album worth discovering. And in these days, innovation alone deserves a five star review. There you go!