Maps of Music

American Life (2003)

Where the lyrics of American Life take you, and where it was really made.

The album was built around 9/11 and the Iraq war, yet its title track became a controversy over a video that was pulled from American channels.

Key places

Olympic Recording Studios, London (2003)

Recording site Olympic Studios — Madonna returned to Olympic Recording Studios in late 2002 to continue the sessions for American Life. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Sarm West Studios, London (2003)

Recording site Sarm Studios (London) — Sarm West Studios was one of the studios where Madonna returned in late 2002 to work on American Life. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Westlake Recording Studios, West Hollywood (2003)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — The album was mixed by Mark Spike Stent at Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood, California. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• American Life: ninth studio album by Madonna
• Released 21 April 2003 by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records
• Produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï
• Concept album on the American Dream and materialism
• Described as folktronica and eurotechno, influenced by acoustic music

Background

• Conceived after the 11 September 2001 attacks and the ensuing Iraq war of 2003
• Madonna wanted answers to her questions and a response to the 9/11 disaster
• Follows Music (2000), again made with Ahmadzaï
• Final studio album with Maverick Records, ending an eleven-year history with the label
• Madonna said she had come to see many of the things she valued as unimportant

Recording

• Sessions began in late 2001, then paused while Madonna filmed Swept Away and starred in the West End play Up for Grabs
• Returned to Olympic Recording Studios and Sarm West Studios in late 2002
• Sessions finished in London and Los Angeles in early 2003
• Mixing by Mark "Spike" Stent at Westlake Recording Studios, West Hollywood
• Mastering by Tim Young at Metropolis Studios, London
• String arrangement by Michael Colombier, conducted at AIR Studios

Cover

• Artwork by French design team M/M Paris
• Photographs by Craig McDean in January 2003, Los Angeles
• Madonna wears a beret, referencing Guevara's Guerrillero Heroico image
• Title written in blood-red with a punk rock style

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Madonna Louise Ciccone, born August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress.
• Raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township; moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue dance.
• Performed as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy before signing with Sire Records.
• Debut album Madonna (1983) brought her fame.

Career

• Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990) are among the best-selling albums of all time.
• Rolling Stone ranked Like a Prayer (1989), Ray of Light (1998), and Music (2000) among the greatest albums of all time.
• Known for continual reinvention and for works addressing social, political, sexual, and religious themes.
• Acting credits include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996), for which she won a Golden Globe.
• Founded the entertainment company Maverick (1992–2009), including Maverick Records.
• Is the best-selling female music artist of all time and the first female performer to accumulate US$1 billion from concerts.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, in her first year of eligibility.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly responded generally well, saying the album at its best offers blunt, questing and decisive music
• Dimitri Ebrlich of Vibe gave a positive review, saying Madonna "stayed still" on the album
• Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave a mixed review, calling it "difficult to listen to" but "consistent, uncompromising and unapologetic"
• Ben Ratliff of Rolling Stone gave three out of five stars
• Johny Davis of NME gave seven out of ten
• Ed Howard of Stylus Magazine gave a negative review, calling the album "about Madonna" instead of American culture
• Ian Young of BBC gave a negative review, calling the tunes "bland and weak"

Reappraisal

• Matthew Rettenmund wrote that many of the songs are on par with her best work
• The Guardian re-reviewed the album as a "brilliantly odd peek behind fame's velvet rope"
• Billboard staffers in 2015 called it an "uneven album" but "not as bad as some detractors would have you believe"
• Rolling Stone ranked it 26th on its January 2023 list of "50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists"

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 241,000 copies in its first week
• Fell 62% in its second week to 91,000 copies
• Certified Platinum by the RIAA for one million shipments in the US
• Debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 65,013 copies
• Certified Platinum by the BPI; 335,115 copies sold by July 2008
• Reached number one in 14 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States
• Ranked 32nd best-selling album of 2003, with about five million copies sold worldwide
• Nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 46th ceremony in 2004

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title track's video was pulled from American music channels after its anti-war content was read as unpatriotic; Madonna issued a statement saying it was not appropriate to air at that time.
• Madonna was the second artist in history to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 with a song based on internet sales alone, with the title track.
• The album's folk-inspired tracks "Intervention" and "X-Static Process" were written as love songs for Guy Ritchie, and "Nothing Fails" became the centerpiece.
• The album's counterfeit MP3 files, which carried a message from Madonna, were used to counter illegal downloads.
• Madonna's website was hacked and closed for about 15 hours after the attack.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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