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| Hard Candy | 
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| Artist: Madonna
Label: WEA/Reprise
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy Used: $4.99
You Save: $13.99 (74%)
New (69) Used (37) from $4.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  477 reviews
Sales Rank: 209
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 093624988496
UPC: 093624988496
EAN: 0093624988496
ASIN: B0015D3Z4O
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Complete with original disc(s), case, and manual. In stock and ships right now! Case has some minor damage.
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| Customer Reviews:
 CHEEKY FUN April 29, 2008
14 out of 21 found this review helpful
It's hard to beat a hot dance track poured over sexy,suggestive lyrics... a trademark strength Madonna shows off well (with a wink) in her latest CD, Hard Candy which once again, delights/appalls the planet with a fashion-fetish-inspired cover crotch-shot...can YOU think of a better way to save the world's adorable orphans?!!!Her new sound is inspired by the "back in the day" hypnotic dance beats of the Philly/Soul-Train era club scene. Always living in the 'now', Madonna's usually bankable instincts to pick the "it" talent of the moment to enhance her musical output has kept her work well ahead of others in her over crowded genre...with ever younger, lip-glossed lolitas ready to arch their backs and coo for the masses and foaming-at-the-mouth-hungry to sign that zillion dollar contract! On Hard Candy,she's incorporated the urban R-n-B style sounds and sexy, macho-hip-hop energy of three hot music men Pharrell, Timbaland and Timberlake and by doing so, insured that her music stays current, fresh and vibrant. She admitted to having to share "diva-space" with the three younger, in-demand hotties (a first for her), but it paid off ,in spite of all the scheduling/ego dramas. The first three dance tracks totally hit the mark and are impossible not to move to followed by a few softer, but still very strong, tracks offers a perfect groovey-loungey mood. Upon repeated hearings,the tracks grow on you fast. Just don't overthink the lyrics,just enjoy it for what it is...what it's been.Afterall, "bubblegum" is always sold in a "candy shop".As she's stated in her promos for this CD, there's always room to have fun (and dance-damnit!) dispite all the negative energy in these chaotic times.I can easily see some of these tracks being played on and on and on during the endless pride marches, rally's and parties this june 08.The sugar-dance-pop loving target crowd all lit-up for a diva bragging " got no boundaries and no limits, if there's excitment put me in it, if it's against the law, arrest me, if you can handle it, undress me...give it 2 me" YEAH!!!! A very dancable, upbeat final CD after her 25 years at Warner. Sweet exit
 Madonna finally becomes self-parody May 5, 2008
14 out of 23 found this review helpful
One look at the tacky cover of this cd and we're transported back to the time of her "Sex" book, when Madonna loved to "shock us". Shocking people with her up-front sexuality was her primary talent. It certainly wasn't singing,although she could be quite good at times,with "Ray of Light" being her peak. Desperate to stay relevant she became in her career an expert on trend-hopping. So after the fizzy,dizzy Abba-sampled,disco-retread of "Confession on a Dance Floor"(and just how great were "Hung Up" and "Sorry"!)Madonna tries on another producer team, to keep up. If I were a devout Madonna fan(which I'm not)I'd actually be a little insulted by "Hard Candy". Totally phoned in,this cd sounds exactly what it is,a rushed affair to finish out her contract,and make a few bucks off of fans who would pay to hear her burp. But,the songs here will probably be greasing up dancefloors through the summer cause the djs need something to play and Madonna has certainly,if nothing else,become a brand. I think I'll go listen to "Frozen".
Ugh!!! May 13, 2008
14 out of 22 found this review helpful
What happened to the Madonna I used to love?
I have been a huge Madonna fan for many years and I was very excited for her when she made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But lately I have no idea what she's thinking.
Oh well, it's pretty obvious why she teamed up with Justin Timberlake with this one. She's simply selling out her long time fans, people who have supported her from the beginning, in an attempt to attract a new audience among the pre-pubescent, pre-teen types that would buy a bag of s**t if it had Justin Timberlake's name/logo on it.
The tracks on this album are simply awful and uninspiring and that's an understatement. It's like she's not even trying anymore. I haven't heard a single track that held my attention for more than a few seconds. The American Life album was bad, Confessions was okay with some redeeming qualities, but this album is worst than anything I have heard in a long time. I find it hard to believe that the woman who ruled the music industry in the 80's and 90's can't come up with a better attempt than this.
They say that the long term and repeated effects of Botox can cause mental instability. Hmmm . . . in Madonna's case, there could be some truth to that.
Perhaps it is time for her to retire.
Madonna's Worst Album June 8, 2008
14 out of 19 found this review helpful
Madonna has lost her magic, Hardy Candy is her most uninspired album to date. It seems as if she was just making an album for making an album. She hooks up with JT and all the biggest Hip Hop stars to win the U.S market, making something marketable but dull.
1. "Candy Shop". 3/10.Embarrasing song. Is this how a 50 year old shows her sexual maturity, by chanting lyrics as a 16 year old skank. Older woman can be sexy, specially when they transmit their maturity, think Kylie's "x", Goldfrapp " Supernatural", Bjork " Vesperstine, 3 albums about sex that are smart and original. What ever happend to the woman who made "Erotica"? Talking about sex albums.
2. "4 Minutes". 5/10.Madonna pimping JT. Gross. Madonna should be singing with Prince or even Kylie, someone equally great as her. Using the most popular youngster and producer of the moment, is an easy trick for a woman known for her innovative choices, think William Orbit or Mirwaiz.
3. "Give It To Me". 7/10. Although a little bit over produced, this is the only song that gets closer to Madonna's usual goodness. The "get stupid" part is a little bit painfull, plus Gwen Stefani did this kind of stuff.
4, "Heartbeat" 2/10. Terrible and unispired lyrics. "See my booty get down" Madonna chants. Great!
5. "Miles Away" 6/10. Similar to ballads such as "I Deserve It" or "Love Profusion", although the mediocre lyrics and monotonous production make it sink.
6. "She is not me" 3/10. Bad Lyrics, cheesy production. "She is not me, She doesn't have my name" , Duh.
7. "Incredidle" 4/10. " Just one of those things,When everything goes incredible, and all is beautiful" she sings. Is Rocco writing her lyrics?
8. " Beat Goes On" 5/10. Although unoriginal, its almost decent. The Kenya West cameo kind of kills it. Again Madonna trying too hard.
9. "Dance 2night" 5/10. Almost good. I kind of like the "You don't have to be rich and famous to be good" part but the rest is just moronic sexual inuendo between Madge and JT.
10. "Spanish Lesson". 1/10. We all know this sucks.
11. "Devil...." 2/10. So overproduced it almost explodes and not in a good way.
12. "Voices" 2/10. This sort of sounds like Michael Jackson " Dangerous" album, but in all the wrong places. This 90's retro song has almost acceptable lyrics but its so overstuffed that it becomes unlistenable.
If you are looking a good pop album for the summer go and get Kylie "X" or Robyn " Robyn". This album is utter crap, I wonder if Madonna even likes this?. I really hope Madonna redeems herself, her next album better be good.
Overwhelmingly Surprising April 29, 2008
13 out of 16 found this review helpful
To be honest, after hearing that Madonna had teamed up with Timbaland, I was rather apprehensive about the release of "Hard Candy". Admittedly, I am not entirely a hip-hop fan, although I did enjoy the album "Loose" by Nelly Furtado, also produced by Timbaland. "Hard Candy" was released a day earlier in South Africa (Sunday, 27 April) and, after listening to it, I can only say that Madonna has definitely exceeded my expectations. In fact, to be honest, the last album that made me smile this much was an album released almost two decades ago - "Like a Prayer". I could perhaps also throw "Ray of Light" in here too. Although Madonna has scored some major hits since "Like a Prayer", like "Vogue", "Deeper and Deeper", "Frozen", "Ray of Light", "Music" and "Hung Up", she has not since then produced an album as exhilarating as this. I thoroughly enjoyed "Confessions on a Dance Floor", but there were only really three or four potential singles from that album.
"Hard Candy", I can assure you, contains at least six potential singles, and that is no lie. I don't quite think it was accurate to describe "hip-hop" as the main influence on this album. Sure, there are definite hip-hop stimuli, but fans both old and young will find the material far more dance-oriented than it has been made out to be. In fact, there is something for everybody on "Hard Candy". Some tunes have a definite 80's groove, 70's disco and stomping 90's dance. Madonna has certainly proven her staying power with this album.
The album opens with the tune "Candy Shop". With no disrespect at all towards Madonna, this sounds very much like a track from Nelly Furtado, from her album "Loose". The song is definitely not the strongest on the album, but is indeed catchy with repeated lyrics declaring 'Sticky and sweet, sticky and sweet'.
"4 Minutes" was for me personally, a bit disappointing. I suppose I expected a bit more for a first single release. However, it has proven popular on the world charts, reaching the top 3 in more than 30 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, South Africa and France.
The third album track, "Give it to me", really put a smile on my face and will put a smile on the world charts too. It is undeniably catchy - a stomping dance track with a beguiling chorus that sticks permanently in your head. This is a definite third or fourth single release and will likely be a huge hit.
"Heartbeat" mixes hip-hop with both 80's synth and early 90's trip beats. Not a possible single, but the track is honest, in your face and hummable. Madonna also tests the upper realms of her pitch potential, and succeeds with ease.
"Miles Away" - oh wow! Beautiful guitar, deep grooves, alluring lyrics and oh so captivating. This is Madonna at her poetic best! 'You always love me more...miles away' is clearly an ode to her sometimes long-distance relationship with Guy Ritchie. This begs to be released as a single.
"She's Not Me" is a dig at some floozy who has clearly upset Madonna enough to proclaim that 'she doesn't have money; she'll never have what I have'. However, this description in no way illustrates what a breathtaking track this is - single number three or four without a doubt. This track sounds like something that could belong on a 'teen movie' soundtrack, especially towards the middle when we are greeted by a bubblegum, up-tempo surprise. It has incredibly catchy lyrics and the bassist deserves a gold medal. This is yet another stomping club track and fans of European singer, Mika, will also be very impressed. However, Madonna makes this 'single' her own.
"Incredible" is a synth-based, hip-hop-mixed, fresh tune. Definitely not a single but, again, could likely become catchy with time.
"Beat goes on" is, for sure, single release number two. What a fantastic job Madonna and Kayne West have done on this track. I'm apt to say that this is my favourite track on the album, and my favourite in many years. The chorus is so captivating, I have no doubt in my mind that this will be Madonna's biggest number one for many years. It's a beautiful dance groove that can simply be described as "mesmerising". If I do dare criticise this track, it would have to be the minute-long "rap" in the middle of the song, which appeared to be out of place.
The remaining four tracks, "Dance 2Night" (reminds me of Wham's "Young Guns (Go for it)", "Spanish Lesson" (the weakest track), "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Voices" can mostly be regarded as pleasing. The only possible single release here though would be "Devil Wouldn't Recognise You", a catchy ballad that gets better with each listen.
Well done, Madonna. She will indeed surprise many, many people with this album. This album might not be regarded as Madonna's best, but it certainly beats "Bedtime Stories", "Music" and "American Life". It has come at the right time, and is polished, immaculate and enthralling.
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