Madonna-Ray Of Light (Maverick)

There should be a law passed right now that no one who has sold more than 10,000 albums in their career should be allowed to dabble in electronica.

First U2 put out an unhackable electronica album, then Bowie, now it's Madonna's turn.

No more, please! The worst part of Madonna's electronica experiment is that she didn't even have the courage of her convictions.

She didn't immerse herself in the electronica movement. Ray Of Light is an album of typical Madonna ballads with lots of weird boops, swooshes and computer noises uncomfortably floating out in the ether.

Take "Frozen," the first single. Nothing about the song suggests electronica, so much so that you think all those funky noises are mistakes, like maybe there's a truck backing up somewhere nearby.

File Ray Of Light under failed experiments.   (5/98)