Music : In the Beginning

Rating: - BEFORE MADONNA BECAME THE LEGEND!
i agree with the reviewers. a madonna fan should have this one. your collection is not complete without "in the beginning" or "pre-madonna" or "beginnings 1980-1981." actually, these are all the same album, 9 (or 10) tracks recorded before she was able to ink a deal with sire records in 1982. madonna and her friend stepehen bray recorded these demos and presented them to record producers but were turned down (and look who's laughing now!).

yes, this is the real thing - not the trashy otto von wernher (whatever) songs that could have been curious collections if otto did not dip his finger in the original versions.

in this cd, stephen tells the story of madonna in his own perspective and how they were able to collect such a body of work. not just for the curious ones, this album includes the ORIGINAL versions of everybody and burning up (her early tracks), PLUS her supposedly first single, "aint no big deal." (although i agree that the reggie lucas-produced track that came out in 1983 really sounds better).

aside from these, you hear what madonna sounded during that time, and did she sound GREAT with songs like "crimes of passion" (an early into the groove rewrite) and "laugh to keep from crying" (very original), the original version of "stay" (the re-produced track from like a virgin are actually TWO songs: "stay" and "don't you know."

while "stay" was good, i like "don't you know better." it has a groove reminiscent of that period, and yet, it can jive with the new madonna sounds (jump, hung up, music).

"pre-madonna", looking back, is actually madonna's early and original immaculate conception. it somewhat predicted what she was to become (a superstar!) by the songs she earlier recorded.

just one comment: i hope this would again be re-released with a much better album art to give justice to madonna's stature. and maybe, a more complete and longer background story. that's the stuff legends are made of. and here, we're talking about the one and only madonna.

long live the queen....

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Rating: - Actually 3.5 stars
Well, there are 6 out of the 9 tracks on here that are good. This is a re-release of the Pre-Madonna album and the cover picture is just amazing! Being a Madonna fan, I had to pick this up. I was not dissapointed, but the other 3 tracks are just mediocre.

Good Songs:
* Everybody ('97)
* Ain't No Big Deal ('97)
* Burning Up
* Everybody ('81)
* Ain't No Big Deal ('81)
* Stay ('81)

Stay is my personal favourite. Crimes Of Passion, Don't You Know and Laugh To Keep From Crying are just okay tracks.

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Rating: - Same as pre-madonna without the extra track
I own the cd pre-madonna which was released by a company called harmony. This cd is the exact same except it doesn't have the track ain't no big deal 97 edit version. Also the songs are listed in different order than on pre-madonna. This cd is really great for madonna collectors. It's basically a blue print to her first album. A couple of the songs didn't make it to her first album but they should have. One of my favorites is crimes of passion which reminds of get into the groove. Ain't no big deal the 81 version is also awesome. Every song is great. As everyone else has been saying stay away from madonna the early years. That cd is very sorry. Someone gave me the cd & I swear it deserves to be burned. I only listened to it for 30 seconds & that was enough for me. I have had it for 3 yrs now & I haven't picked it up since.

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Rating: - Not an imitation. It's the real THANG!
So many imitation CD's have come out with supposed Madonna vocals before her success. Actually, a lot of them are the same CD with a different cover. This CD, however, truly is Madonna's voice with the original mixes and some updates. It comprises of many of her demos that she used to get a record deal.

If you have followed her career from the get-go, you are in for a treat! You will hear the original versions of "Stay" and "Burning Up." Different arrangements, intensities, etc. And the songs aren't bad! Avoid anything by Otto Von Werner (or whatever his name is). This is the CD with the real deal.

A great album that chronicles the evolution of a superstar and media queen! A must-have for fans that will not disappoint.

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Rating: - surprisingly good
If you think you know the early Madonna, you don't.

"In The Beginning" is a surprisingly solid collection of Madonna's early songwriting with partner Stephen Bray. Unlike the trademark "Minnie Mouse on helium" singing style of her first two albums, "In The Beginning" showcases a deep-voiced, sultry Madonna that will make you do a double-take at first listen.

Some of these songs made the cut to Madonna's first album... but in radically different forms. "Burning Up 1981" is a far cry from the familiar album and single version from 1983. Here you get a glimpse of what might have happened if Madonna had pursued a career in rock rather than dance music. "Everybody" is presented in two different versions here: the original dance version (not too much of a stretch from the familiar album version) and a 1997 reggae (yes, reggae) remix that Madonna probably would not have commissioned.

Getting back to the rock 'n' roll Madonna... "Laugh To Keep From Crying" could well be this album's standout song. Like "Burning Up 1981," "Laugh..." is guitar-driven rock. Not heavy metal by any means, but 80's girl-group rock. Somewhat like The Bangles, The Pretenders, or the Go-Gos. Lets you know that, had she wanted, Madonna could have been a rocker: she had the attitude, and the deeper voice she sings in here sounds strong, confident, and very effective.

The rest of the collection consists of additional unreleased tracks ("Crimes Of Passion," "Ain't No Big Deal" and "Don't You Know") that sound like the beginning of the 80's New York dance sound of Madonna's familiar early works. "Crimes of Passion" sounds like a preliminary version of "Into The Groove" (completely different lyrics, of course, but the musical arrangement has the same feeling as ITG).

If you're a hardcore Madonna fan, "In The Beginning" will show you an interesting dichotomy between the dancefloor diva that she became versus the rocker she easily could have been.