Madge started writing for Ray Of Light in 1997, right around the time when she started embracing Kabbalah and began her journey into Hinduism and yoga. While she originally worked on material with Babyface, she was not happy with the direction, which lead to collaborating with Rick Nowels, who had credits on Stevie Nicks and Celine Dion's albums. Also not 100% satisfied (the partnership lead to three songs on the album "The Power of Good-Bye," "To Have and Not to Hold," and "Little Star"), it is with William Orbit that Madonna finally found the sound she had imagined. Ray Of Light dropped in 1998, and the album immediately struck it big with fans and critics alike. It is marked as the first major release to tap into the electronica movement happening at the time, and techno-pop, ambient, trip hop, and house influences abound. It was an adventurous feat for an artist of Madonna's stature, and almost 20 years later, the layers of synths and samples that drive the songs on the album sound fresh as ever. Highlights include: "Ray Of Light," "Nothing Really Matters," "Frozen," "Shanti/Ashtangi," and the aforementioned tracks. This is the 2017 reissue on 180g vinyl.

• 180g reissue
• music label: Warner Records 2016

reviewed by enbee 02/2017