Das now!-Archiv: now! N° 08, Mai 2002

Die achte Ausgabe des österreichischen Musik- und Pop-Kultur-Magazins now! vom Mai 2002. 

Am Cover: Moby. 100% now! Empfehlung: Jazzanova. Album des Monats: The Streets Original Pirate Material Interviews & Stories: Moby, The Streets, Sheryl Crow, Tom Waits, Badly Drawn Boy, Brandy, Sean Penn, Robert Stadlober, Pete Yorn, Sophie Ellis-Baxter, The Calling, Beverly Knight, Barbra Streisand, Die Sterne, Attwenger, Gentleman, Hubertus Hohenlohe, Puddle Of Mudd, Simple Minds, Rocko Schamoni.

Moderne Klassiker: The Specials The Specials. Jean-Pierre Jeunet Delicatessen. William Goldman Die Brautprinzessin. Talk now! Fragebogen: Patricia.

Das now! Magazin ist im now! Media Verlag erschienen, den ich 2001 mit drei Freunden, Hans, Bernie und Joe, gegründet hatte,. Als Herausgeber, Chefredakteur & Geschäftsführer fungierte meine Wenigkeit. In den kommenden zehn Jahren sollten noch 92 weitere Ausgaben von now! erscheinen.

Record Collection N° 18: Madonna “Like A Prayer” (Sire Records, 1989)

Madonna says: Fight the power. Express yourself. Preach your gospel.

Madonna’s fourth album Like A Prayer, co-produced and co-written by her long time musical partner Patrick Leonard, is one of her best, most controversial and most successful. It’s musically and lyrically remarkable strong and it’s also Madonna’s most personal long-player. Dealing with soul-searching issues like her conflict-prone catholic upbringing,  her troubled relationship with her father, her broken marriage with actor Sean Penn, her fight for sexual liberation and her life-long struggle to be a strong, independent woman in a man’s, man’s world.

No fillers, all killers here: The fulminant opening with the rousing gospel soul pop of the title song – triggering a big scandal, because of its bold offensiveness ignited the furor of the catholic church and right-wing conservatives alike. The self-empowerment hymn Express Yourself – and later in the same vein Keep It Together. The funky, freaky, irresistibly catchy Prince collaboration Love Song. The pure pop of Cherish. The beautiful, beatlesque Dear Jessie. Touching, heart-wrenching ballads like Till Death Do Us Part (a not amical good-bye to Sean Penn), Promise To Try, Oh Father and Spanish Eyes.

Thirty years later the impact of this album still is undiminished strong. Also, the original vinyl’s scent of patchouli still lingers on.

After this masterpiece Madonna would undertake the “Blond Ambition”-Tour in 1990, her best live show ever. Been there on 15^th July 1990 in Munich at the Olympia-Reitstadion, with my amore, the love of my life. We’ve were fascinated by Madonna all night long. It couldn’t get any better.

Madonna Like A Prayer, Sire Records, 1989