REVIEW : Celebration

The words 'Greatest Hits' can be bandied around these days for pretty much anyone who's had two lacklustre albums and a handful of minor chart hits. Record companies bang them out to keep interest in the artist in between studio albums (or after their deal's gone belly-up). But Madonna's 'Celebration' (the greatest hits signifying the end of her incredible 25 year plus relationship with recorded music giant Warner Music) is a hard act for any artist, new or old, to follow.
Just three songs into the first disc - the Abba-sampling 'Hung Up', the Mirwais-produced 'Music' and the classic 'Vogue' - and you begin to realise just how one woman has managed to stay atop her game for so long, not merely following the latest trends, but creating them.
Songs like 'Holiday', 'Like A Virgin', 'Everybody' and 'Into The Groove' still sound so fresh today and are all songs that have defined a generation.
The undeniably brilliant 'Like A Prayer' caused much controversy back when it was released in the late '80s - no-one would bat an eyelid at a black Jesus these days - he turns up in burnt pieces of toast the world over. It too is a classic.
The William Orbit produced 'Ray Of Light' is still as fresh as a daisy, 'Express Yourself' takes us back to the time when Madonna was experimenting with the iconic blonde 'do', discovering hot men and licking milk from a bowl. We don't care what anyone else says, we love 'Borderline', even if it is about orgasm, 'Bedtime Stories' first single 'Secret' reminds us how much we loved the set when it was first released some 15 years ago and 'Erotica' and 'Justify My Love' are still as hot, sticky and sexy as ever.
When disc two begins with with a flurry of Madge's essential older works ('Dress You Up', 'Material Girl', 'La Isla Bonita', 'Papa Don't Preach', 'Lucky Star' and 'Burning Up') you know this is a greatest hits in the purest, truest sense of the term. Each and every song here is iconic.
Which is why we're a little puzzled the powers that be called this collection 'Celebration' rather than the rumoured 'Iconography'. Because apart from the new tracks included, every single track on the double disc is proof of the indelible mark that this one woman has left on the pop music scene throughout the past 27 years. She is an icon, she is Madonna and she is the Queen.