Did Madonna get away with RH?

[SeekingThrill 8,782]

RH was an improvement after HC and MDNA for some reasons.  Some loved it, some disliked it.  

In some way I was satisfied with it, even though I felt it was so dated and cheap production wise.

After Madame X,  it became even more obvious how cheap and dated RH was.

So, why aren't we talking about it? 

Yes, the leaks happened, but Madonna and her people reworked the album and finished it. Yet, it didn't feel finished. 

Was it intentional to make music with such production? Demo-ish style like on American Life?

The thing is AL production sounded good and still does, while RH simply sounded cheap and dated.

Just compare Unapologetic Bitch and Future.  

[Kuchisabishii 49,063]

I mean at the time it was great

[Snow 18,233]

Honestly I love Rebel Heart. I've only listened to a few Madonna albums, but this one was my clear favorite. 

A lot of people may think it hasn't aged well and that's a fair take, but not every album is gonna be timeless. Some albums are meant to capitalize on the moment and that's fine. 

[Princess Aurora 23,893]

I mean the Album Title Track and Ghosttown didn't age badly, the rest though  

[Kirjava 7,913]

Inside Out still fucking slays So do Devil Pray and Ghosttown. Honestly, most of the songs are fine. The ones that are cringy now were already cringy when the album came out.

So yeah, the album is a bit of a hit and miss. Overall I like it tho

41 minutes ago, Snow said:

 not every album is gonna be timeless.  Some albums are meant to capitalize on the moment and that's fine. 

This. Erotica sounds dated af, but it's one of her best albums imo.   Personally, I don't really get the "it sounds dated" argument. Who cares? A bop is a bop.

[plutoniano 15,144]

she did at the time but the album aged like milk. too many cooks in the kitchen, no clear direction, production sounds cheap on most tracks and some of those lyrics are

Still, i think theres a decent 12/13 track album lost in those 89 leaked songs

[Platinum Gold 1,145]

Could have been one of her best if not for those basic unfinished demos released. Even the lead sounds unfinished. It has no soul and is early alpha work.

[Living Dead Boy 2,901]

I remember hearing Living for Love and thinking the album would sound like that, modern pop with some 90s house influences. I wish it was.

I have to agree a lot of it sounds generic for the time it was created or like a demo version. That along with too many producers and no clear sound direction it's a mixed bag I tend to forget about. It's not a bad album but not one of her best either.

[BabyMario44 2,349]

I love the deluxe part of the album (S.3.X., Best Night, Messiah and title track) , but from the standard track, i only like Joan Of Arc. I like the demo versions of Iconic and Back That Up, but i think RH would be better if she put Queen, Heaven, Revolution, Score, Take A Day and Freedom to the tracklist

 

8 hours ago, SeekingThrill said:

RH was an improvement after HC and MDNA for some reasons.  Some loved it, some disliked it.  

Sis, Hard Candy was a SERVE! 

[SeekingThrill 8,782]

11 hours ago, Kirjava said:

1. Inside Out still fucking slays So do Devil Pray and Ghosttown. Honestly, most of the songs are fine. The ones that are cringy now were already cringy when the album came out.

This. Erotica sounds dated af, but it's one of her best albums imo.   Personally, I don't really get the "it sounds dated" argument. Who cares? A bop is a bop.

1. I was only pointing out how the production sounded cheap and dated. I didn't imply that songs are bad in general. Just the production.

 

2. Of course, every album sounds like a decade it belongs to. When I called RH dated, I meant it sounded dated even in 2015. It was like an album from the late 2000s. 

And being dated isn't the main issue. It is the album's cheap production. 

[SeekingThrill 8,782]

11 hours ago, Princess Aurora said:

I mean the Album Title Track and Ghosttown didn't age badly, the rest though  

 

12 hours ago, Snow said:

A lot of people may think it hasn't aged well and that's a fair take, but not every album is gonna be timeless. Some albums are meant to capitalize on the moment and that's fine. 

Like I said in the previous post, I meant it sounded dated on arrival. It felt like a late 2000's album.

Maybe the "dated" sound isn't really an issue, maybe it is just the cheap production. 

[SeekingThrill 8,782]

9 hours ago, plutoniano said:

she did at the time but the album aged like milk. too many cooks in the kitchen, no clear direction, production sounds cheap on most tracks and some of those lyrics are

Still, i think theres a decent 12/13 track album lost in those 89 leaked songs

Yes. She should have selected less songs and made them perfect.

9 hours ago, The Sorcerer said:

Could have been one of her best if not for those basic unfinished demos released. Even the lead sounds unfinished. It has no soul and is early alpha work.

 

[Platinum Gold 1,145]

5 hours ago, SeekingThrill said:

Yes. She should have selected less songs and made them perfect.

 

Scrap sex, holy water and bring never let you go, this demo alone as unfinished as it is, is better than most of the album.

most demos also sound better than the album versions, it's just outrageous.

A re-release, a start from zero, using those lyrics and the double-record idea, would me awesome, GP is unaware of that album anyway.

[Ruthless Love 6,665]

Rebel Heart, conceptually, had possibilities to being a return-to-form for Madonna.
However, the "rebel" side of the album was not as interesting or strong as the "heart" side.

Also did not help to have multiple leaks from the album's sessions, as well as information, to be leaked online months prior to its release.

[Shego 31,139]

All her 80's work, most of her 90s work, Hard Candy, MDNA sound dated. Sound dated doesn't equal being bad. Rebel Heart is has some of her best lyrics, it's a decent record.

[Joanna 1,030]

I still think it’s a decent album but it’s wayyyy too long and messy, I’d axe like half of it 

[Platinum Gold 1,145]

listening to inside out again, its ok, but could be so much much better if finished.