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Above: Photo of American Life Record Review

American Life Less [an album review]

source: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.hts/ae/music/albums/1892703

Excerpts:

[MAy 2, 2003] . . . for American Life, her 10th studio album (soundtracks for Dick Tracy and Evita included), Madonna has found a part unsuitable for her: victim.

The pop star once known as "the material girl" demonstrates hypocrisy in the title track, which addresses the excess of the American dream:

"I tried to be a boy/ I tried to be a girl/ I tried to be a mess/ I tried to be the best/ I guess I did it wrong/ That's why I wrote this song."

The lines are enough to make us gag as we wonder how we might be able to do it wrong the same multimillion-dollar way Madonna has.

. . . The disappointment of this album is its limited range: A couple of halfhearted dance songs supported by acoustic folk do not a Madonna album make.

. . . File this just below 1992's Erotica as the worst studio album by Madonna to date.

Grade: D