11 Jan 2002

madonna: greatest hits volume 2

This album is the natural complement to the undoubted Queen of Pop's first greatest hits volume - 1991's The Immaculate Collection.

If I weren't deliberately looking for Greatest Hits Volume 2 (or GHV2 for short), I would have missed it at first glance. It's just unlike any Madonna album to not have a huge poster slapped on the store's display window announcing its arrival.

Apparently, subtlety is what Madonna's GHV2 is all about. Just look at the cover art—you can only see half her face. Look closer and you'll see that GHV2 is imprinted right in her eye. If it wasn't for the sticker on the plastic wrap that made sure people realized who this was, you'd think it's another Mandy Moore album.

As a sequel to 1990's The Immaculate Collection, GHV2 does well in bringing her fans up to date with another collection of her best hits since then. But wait, do you recall 1995's collection of ballads called Something To Remember? Sadly, since Rain, I'll Remember and You'll See were included in that compilation, you won't find them in GHV2. There's no sign of Nothing Really Matters or American Pie either.

Is there more bad news? Actually, there is. There's not a single new song in this one folks. Maybe she's found out that we've been naughty, so no Christmas gift this year.

The use of different edits of the tracks is also unsettling. Most of them appear to be radio edits. Hearing Human Nature without "I'm not your bitch / Don't hang your shit on me" (yes, the phrase we gay men never fail to use when we dump our boyfriends) is like listening to Madonna sing Vogue a cappella (shudder!)

In any case, it's a must-have collection that chronicles a decade of Madonna whipping a leather-clad Chihuahua, Madonna running away from a cute bullfighter, Madonna turning into a mean 'ol black dog, and Madonna line dancing with too-cute-to-be-straight cowboys.

Long live our noble Queen!