Limited double 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by Madonna, originally released on February 22, 1998. A departure from her previous work, Ray of Light is an electronica, dance and techno-pop album which incorporates several genres, including ambient, trip hop and house music. Vocally, the album saw Madonna sing with greater breadth and a fuller tone. Mystical themes are also strongly present in both lyrics and music as a result of Madonna embracing Kabbalah, her study of Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as her daily practice of Hatha Yoga. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from a total of six nominations. Commercially, the album peaked at #1 in many countries, such as Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. On the US Billboard 200, the album debuted and peaked at #2, with the biggest first week sales by a female artist at the time. Ray of Light has sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.
Relentlessly contemporary, RAY OF LIGHT pairs Madonna with producer William Orbit, an electronics wizard who has worked with major R&B acts and even such modern rockers as Blur and Depeche Mode. Reportedly, Madonna tried to snare Liam Howlett of high-strung techno-rockers the Prodigy into the project--Howlett claims to have turned her down. But the more dextrous, less in-your-face Orbit was probably a better choice anyway. He provides a dizzying array of soundscapes, incorporating everything from psychedelic-rock guitar to dub-reggae echo and cold, cutting techno beats for what critics are calling Madonna's most committed performance in years.
From the slow chill of the album's first single, "Frozen," to the disco-like title track, RAY OF LIGHT finds Madonna embracing the club beats that are her roots while still teetering on the edge of dance-club vogue. It also finds the singer, who has become a mother since her last studio album, in a long-untapped spiritual mode. When the inevitable comparisons are made to Madonna's previous standard-bearer, 1989's LIKE A PRAYER, that may well be the reason.
Personnel: Madonna (vocals); William Orbit (guitar, electronics); Mark Moreau (guitar); Pablo Cook (flute); Marius De Vries (keyboards, programming); Fergus Gerrand (drums, percussion); Steve Sidelnyk (programming); Donna DeLory, Niki Harris (background vocals).
- Format: Vinyl
- Released: 10/11/2016
- Genre: Pop / Electronic
- Heavyweight, 180 Gram vinyl
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Tracks
| A1 | Drowned World/Substitute For Love | 5:09 |
| A2 | Swim | 5:00 |
| A3 | Ray Of Light | 5:21 |
| B1 | Candy Perfume Girl | 4:34 |
| B2 | Skin | 6:22 |
| B3 | Nothing Really Matters | 4:27 |
| C1 | Sky Fits Heaven | 4:48 |
| C2 | Shanti/Ashtangi | 4:29 |
| C3 | Frozen | 6:12 |
| C4 | The Power Of Good-Bye | 4:10 |
| D1 | To Have And Not To Hold | 5:23 |
| D2 | Little Star | 5:18 |
| D3 | Mer Girl | 5:32 |
