On my recent visit to Europe and hunting for record stores, I chanced upon the vinyl of ‘Like A Prayer’, an album I had been searching for many years, an album that I missed picking up way back on its release in India. When I found it at Miller Record store in Rome, I immediately kept it aside and alongwith a few others picked it up.

Out of all of Madonna’s albums, ‘Like a Prayer’ is her most explicit attempt at a major artistic statement. Even though it is apparent that she is trying to make a "serious" album, the kaleidoscopic variety of pop styles is quite dazzling. The album comes three years after her previous studio album ‘True Blue’.

Ranging from the deep funk of Express Yourself about female empowerment and Keep It Together which focuses on importance to keep the family together to the haunting Oh Father which talks about her relationship with her father and Like A Prayer, Madonna displays a commanding sense of song craft, making this her best and most consistent album.

Considered by many to be the Madonna's most mature effort of the 1980s, ‘Like a Prayer’ upped the ante of controversy with its gospel-infused title track and the singer's emotional confessions throughout. It is said that Madonna drew this landscape from her Catholic upbringing, as seen on the album's title track, which was also released as its lead single. The album also had hits with the peppy Cherish and Spanish Eyes.

In this her fourth studio album, the American singer and songwriter, worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the songs. The album uses live instrumentation and incorporates elements of dance, funk, gospel, and soul into a more general pop style.

The lyrics on the album deal with themes from Madonna's childhood and adolescence, such as the death of her mother in Promise to Try. Interestingly, the album was dedicated to her mother, who died when Madonna was young.

‘Like A Prayer’, co-produced with Patrick Leonard, hit #1 around the world upon its release in March of 1989. One of the pop icon's most mature and introspective efforts, the album's title track reached the top of the singles chart in both the U.S. and U.K. and was followed by four more U.S. hits: Express Yourself (#2), Cherish (#2), Oh Father (#20) and Keep It Together (#8). "Dear Jessie" was also released as a single in the U.K. and hit #5.

The album's videos earned seven MTV Video Music Award nominations, including best video of the year (Like A Prayer) and best female video (Express Yourself). In 1990, the video for Oh Father, directed by David Fincher, won the Grammy for best short form music video. ‘Like A Prayer’ has sold in excess of fifteen million copies around the world to date.

Label: Sire

Release: 21^st March, 1989

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira