Disco de Madonna: “Die Another Day [Maxi Single]”

Madonna continually renews herself in every piece of work she does, as most artists should, she captures the essence of what going out on limbs can do for careers and talent.

DAD is just another stepping stone for Madge. The maxi-single packs nearly an hour of remixed music. Fans will ultimately recognize the remix act of Barry Harris and Chris Cox otherwise known as Thunderpuss. Their contribution melts the beats of the original with a much faster uptake, resulting in a dance club smash. It will be no surprise when this version takes the #1 spot on Billboards dance charts. Do be aware that this version is not a typical Thunderpuss remix. The remix doesn't evoke that much of a dance floor smash, but it will become one because it is Madonna.

The recent electronica band, Dirty Vegas, submits a remix, it is interesting to note that Madonna chose an established band to do a remix. A wise choice it was indeed!

The remixers are almost all entrirely new, so if you are a collector of Madonna remixers, this is a good deal for those to see different remix styles.

All in all, another typical Madonna remix, however, one that you can listen to and not get bored with.

There's a reason Madonna has been at the top of the charts for twenty years, it's called TALENT. That voice just gets better with age. If you are a Madonna fan, or if you just like great dance tracks, get the cd.

Although some people have a different opinion, I think this song works great as a James Bond theme. Also, Madonna looks fantastic in the cd cover photograph. She's got a sexy 60's British look as if she walked right out of an Avengers episode. In fact, I would have bought the cd just for the photograph.

I've gotta' hand it to Madonna. She's been around for almost 20 years, and charts in the Top 40 with almost every single she releases. Her newest offering, the title song for the 20th James Bond film, is no exception.

"Die Another Day" is a trippy, thumping, techno-beat song that is reminiscent of her previous "Music" release (the 2000 album, and, more precisely, it's title track). There is a thin, but powerful beat which carries the song throughout, some stutter effects for good measure, and a lot of twirly-synth effects, typical of a Madonna/Mirwais production. It is a good, solid, techno song, and, of course, includes a good amount of strings, so that one won't totally forget that it is a Bond song that they are listening to.

The radio edit is just the right length. The other versions are each quite distinct, though not all to my tastes. My favorite remixes are by Dirty Vegas and Brother Brown. Dirty Vegas creates a fresh, clean sound for their club version, and Brother Brown adds a thumpier base line, and, in my opinion, a slightly more Bond-esque vibe.

That the Bond producers chose Madonna as their film's songstress was an inspired choice. She hasn't let them down here. It has been said that her "Die Another Day" doesn't sound enough like a Bond song. That, to me, is a good thing. After 40 years, the venerable super spy series needed a bit of reinvention in this department. And if there's one person out there in the world of music who can successfully pull off reinvention - it is Madonna.

Madonna's latest, DIE ANOTHER DAY, is perhaps the most experimental dance song she's ever released as a single. It sounds great on the radio and definitely grows on you over time, even though it's a simple song lyrically. The remixes included here are pretty cool and varied, although they become repetitive when the entire CD is played. Yet another winner from the great Madonna. This single also made history when it entered the US Top 10...it became her 35th Top 10 single, putting her ahead of the Beatles (34 top 10 songs) and into second place for most Top 10 songs ever (only Elvis is ahead of her with 38). She's supposed to release a new full-length CD next year, and if DIE ANOTHER DAY is any indicator, it should be great.

While Madonna herself was not necessarily a surprising choice as the singer of the most recent James Bond theme, this song certainly is. Another collaboration of Madonna and French techno artist Mirwais, "Die Another Day" is a minimalist techno-pop creation reminiscent of Madonna's 2000 hit "Music" (which also featured Mirwais as co-writer and co-producer). Eschewing the traditional diva vocals and heavy orchestration that characterizes many Bond themes, Madonna has given us a bleep-heavy theme with lyrics that are either cryptic or nonsensical (I haven't decided yet).

The remixes on the single actually overshadow the main mix in terms of their production quality and drama. My favorite so far is by techno act Dirty Vegas: a 10-minute, kinetic, not-gonna-stop club epic. Felix Da Housecat provides an intriguing electro-heavy remix perfect for casual listening or slow grooves. Deepsky gives us a trance-infected dance mix that relies heavily on dramatic string swells. Brother Brown's mix is a dub-like remix good for transitions in-between other, stronger mixes.

I fault the single only for the Thunderpuss mix. Thunderpuss has done fantastic mixes in the past, most notably for Amber's club smash "Sexual." However, this remix is a train wreck of epic proportions, lacking any strength or cohesion or sense of transition between motifs. How quickly the mighty have fallen.

All in all, a good single, and worth buying for any Madonna fan.