Ray of Light

by Madonna

Overview

"Ray of Light" returned Madonna's music to where it sounds best -- on the dancefloors. Madonna, with William Orbits's assistance, fashioned electronica into pop music with the album and single Ray of Light. Like "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer," "Ray of Light," which became a Top Five hit in the U.S., is often considered to be one of her crowning artistic achievements. Two singles were released for the song, one being a two-track and the other, the maxi-single, with four. The two track single had a B-side, "Has to Be," which was only found on the Japanese pressing of Ray of Light (the album). That B-side was not included on the maxi-single (in order to make the fans buy both), but the maxi-single did include four great remixes from the day's top DJs. The first remix, the "Sasha Ultra Violet Mix," is an almost 11-minute pop-electronica tour de force, almost resembling drum'n'bass in some instances. The William Orbit "Liquid Mix" gives the song a 1960s rock/go-go spin, almost foreshadowing the feeling which "Beautiful Stranger" perfected one year later. The final remix, the Victor Calderone "Club Mix," makes the song into more of a techno/house/club anthem. As always, Madonna employs the top DJs, remixers, and producers in order to give her songs the best remixes possible, and, on this single, she succeeds again. However, to have included single edits, and perhaps "Has to Be," would have made it a more complete and satisfying package. ~ Jose Promis

Product Details

Release Date:	06/23/1998
Label:	Warner Alliance / Warner Bros.
UPC:	0093624452324

Tracks

1. Ray of Light
2. Ray of Light [Sasha Ultra Violet Mix]
3. Ray of Light [William Orbit Liquid Mix]
4. Ray of Light [Victor Calderone Club Mix]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Madonna   Primary Artist,Vocals
Mac Quayle   Keyboards

Technical Credits

William Orbit   Audio Production,Composer,Producer,Remixing,Remix Engineer
Madonna   Audio Production,Composer,Producer
Pat McCarthy   Engineer
Victor Calderone   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Remix Engineer
Dave Reitzas   Engineer
Mark Endert   Engineer
Mike Dean   Mastering
Kevin Reagan   Design,Art Direction
Dave Saronson   Engineer
Jon Englesby   Engineer
Dave Curtis   Composer
Curtiss Maldoon   Composer
Dave Curtiss   Composer
Mario Testino   Photography
Christine Leach   Composer
Matt Silva   Engineer
John Gallo   Assistant Engineer
Sasha   Engineer,Remixing,Remix Engineer,Engineer,Remix Engineer
Clive Maldoon   Composer
Sean Solymar   Assistant Mastering Engineer
Ted Jensen   Mastering
Patrick Leonard   Composer
Patrick McCarthy   Engineer

Editorial Reviews

Madonna, the ultimate disco diva, goes back to her roots with Ray of Light, her most booty-shaking album since Erotica (1992). While the record does offer a few mild, melodic songs, most of the tracks are high-voltage affairs, powered by so much electronica that the vibe pulses like a strobe-lit dance floor. On "Shanti/Ashtangi" the Material Mom even brings a bit of Bhangra -- Punjabi dance music -- to the musical mainstream. Release date: March 1998.

barnesandnoble.com

Ray of Light is the first self-conscious album in Madonna's catalog, the first time that she genuinely seems worried about keeping up with the times. In some ways, she had good reason to worry. At the time she released Ray of Light, she hadn't released an album of new material in four years; during that time, she revamped her image, scoring her first successful movie role in Evita and becoming a mother. All of these superficially indicated that she was out of touch with contemporary dance culture, but Madonna decided to hit back at those suspicions hard, enlisting respected techno producer William Orbit to helm Ray of Light. Unlike other veteran artists who tried to come to terms with "electronica" (U2, Robbie Robertson), Madonna was always a dance artist, so it's no real shock to hear her sing over breakbeats, pulsating electronics and blunted trip-hop beats. What is a shock is that it works. Part of the reason behind the album's success is that Madonna and Orbit haven't gone for full-out techno. They've reigned in the beats, tamed electronica's eccentricities and retained her flair for pop melodies, creating the first mainstream pop album that comes to terms with techno. Sonically, it's the most adventurous record she has made, but it's far from inaccessible, since many of the songs have strong melodic hooks, whether it's the swirling title track, the meditative opener "Substitute for Love" or the ballad "Frozen." However, there's a certain distance to the music. Madonna had singing lessons for Evita, and the lessons stuck -- her performance on Ray of Light is her most mannered, technically precise singing on record. Combined with the stylish, detached electronic music and self-consciously mature lyrics, the singing helps make Ray of Light the most mature and restrained album in Madonna's catalog. And while that's an easy achievement to admire, it's not necessarily an easy one to love. -- All-Music Guide

Stephen Thomas Erlewine