Alan Ilagan

{Note: The Madonna Timeline is an ongoing feature, where I put the iPod on shuffle, and write a little anecdote on whatever was going on in my life when that Madonna song was released and/or came to prominence in my mind.}

The iPod has picked 1985’s ‘Angel’ for the next timeline song – I was ten when it came out. I don’t remember much about when I was ten, except for a handful of Madonna songs. Like most of the ‘Like A Virgin’ cuts, this reminds me of driving in the car with my Mom and my brother – it was his cassette tape, and it was on perpetual play.

Why am I standing on a cloud, every time you’re around?
And the sadness disappears, every time you are near…
You must be an angel, I can see it in your eyes,
Full of wonder and surprise,
And just now I realize…

It is a quintessentially-80’s trifle, all synths and breathy echoes, and Madonna’s delicious laughter. Easy on the ears and the mind, but the perfect microcosmic emoting of the wonder and joy of infatuation.

Walking down a crowded avenue
All the faces seem like nothing next to you
And I can’t hear the traffic rushing by,
Just the pounding of the heart and that’s why…

No one captures the exuberance, and, I would argue, the innocence, of the beginnings of love better than Madonna. Especially at this stage of her career, when all was still shiny and new – she had the perfect grasp of a pop song – centered around romance, founded on a wish and a prayer, and wedded to a catchy melody and driving beat.

Now I believe that dreams come true,
Cause you came when I wished for you.
This just can’t be coincidence,
The only way that this makes sense is that,
Ooh, you’re an angel…

Clouds just disappear…

Song #34: ‘Angel’ – 1985

{Note: The Madonna Timeline is an ongoing feature, where I put the iPod on shuffle, and write a little anecdote on whatever was going on in my life when that Madonna song was released and/or came to prominence in my mind.}

  
It doesn’t matter who you are,

It’s what you do that takes you far…

Funny that the iPod should choose ‘Over and Over’ at this time – one of my favorite bloggers, Amanda Talar, recently posted a FaceBook memory of Kids Incorporated – which I recall mostly for the fact that Martika sang this very song on the show.

My other memory of the song came a few years later, when Madonna released her non-stop dance remix collection, You Can Dance, in 1987. God, those synth drum machines sound so 80’s…  where are my neon day-glo leg-warmers? I won’t even mention the elaborate dance routines I worked out to this song’s seven-minute-plus dub version. (Have I embarrassed myself enough? Hey, it was the 80’s, and we all made a lot of mistakes back then.)

As an eleven-year-old boy, the lyrics meant less to me than the catchy hook and beats, but a bit of the sentiment must have gotten through, because as fragile and superficial as some would make me out to be, I’m pretty resilient – and I do get up again, over and over. Determination, ambition, hard work, inspiration, blood, sweat, and tears – I love that this song refuses to give up.

And here’s that exercise-inducing dub version – all seven-plus-minutes of it:

I’m not afraid to say I hear a different beat…

Song #12: ‘Over and Over’ – 1985/1987

This is Lady Gaga at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Sadly, the Alexander McQueen gown she is wearing was the only thing worth watching. The Lady was the only bit of glamour at the event, even if she didn’t perform. The much-hyped battle between Taylor Swift and Kanye West fizzled in the form of their two sad songs… zzzzz….

As I sat watching Chelsea Handler awkwardly handle hosting duties, I recalled how I used to anxiously await the Fall arrival of the VMAs. It was the only thing that made returning to school bearable. The excitement of the real rock-stars and their over-the-top bad behavior (not Britney and the other Mouseketeers), the wacky fashion choices (not the waxed Jersey Shore trash), and the surreal presenter pairings that MTV brilliantly (and sometimes dismally) orchestrated.

All of that edgy excitement was missing this year (though to be fair, the VMAs are usually hit-and-miss, with more off-years of late than on). What happened to the days of Madonna rolling around on the stage of Radio City Music Hall, writhing in a wedding dress hiked up just far enough to give a peek of her underwear, and singing “Like A Virgin” in ‘84? Where was the naughty dress-lifting and daring decolletage of Madonna’s Marie Antoinette finery for “Vogue” in ‘90? And what became of the unexpectedly jaw-dropping girl-on-girl-on-girl Britney/Madonna/Christina kiss in ‘04?

Alas, the common denominator was nowhere to be seen this year, so Lady Gaga had to shoulder the Madonna mantle, even if she didn’t perform. Her three outfits (and eight wins) were almost enough to keep me mildly interested, but I still had to switch to ‘Mad Men’ before the show was over.

That meant missing the main shot of the day – Gaga in a meat dress receiving one of her moon men from Cher (straight out of 1990, having turned back time through sheer iron will, countless operations, and God knows how many wardrobe tricks to keep everything in place).

No matter, I wouldn’t trade the tortured ruminations of Don Draper for the vapid VMAs – at least not until Ms. Ciccone makes her next triumphant return.

How wrong is it that I’m using this outfit as inspiration for what I’m wearing to our wedding celebration? This photo of Madonna (and her gone-too-soon shock-wave of blond hair) was taken by Patrick Demarchelier in 1989, just prior to the full-fledged blossoming of my love for her (which actually took place in 1991). Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Like A Virgin album and True Blue, and played them both to death, but 1991 was when I became slightly fanatical in my devotion. It’s only fitting that she plays some small part in my wedding.