Through the Wilderness
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''Through the Wilderness'' is a
tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
with contributions from a variety of artists dedicated to American singer
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
. It was released on November 27, 2007, by Los Angeles-based
Manimal Vinyl Manimal Vinyl is a Los Angeles-based record label founded in 2006 by film/TV producer, composer and former fashion editor Paul Gebser-Beahan. History The label was started out of Beahan's living room in late 2006 in the historical Hancock Park ...
Records. According to label head Paul Beahan, the idea for the album was conceived by him in a dream. He enlisted multiple artists to work on the project, including
Giant Drag Giant Drag is an American indie rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2003 by singer and guitarist Annie Hardy and drummer and keyboardist Micah Calabrese. After releasing their debut EP, '' Lemona'' in 2004, the band released their de ...
,
Lavender Diamond Lavender Diamond is an American, Los Angeles-based band, fronted by singer Becky Stark. History While living in Providence, Rhode Island, Stark began performing as Lavender Diamond in a play that she and puppeteer Xander Marro wrote, created ...
, Winter Flowers and
Chapin Sisters The Chapin Sisters are an American folk rock and harmony duo from Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of sisters Abigail and Lily Chapin, and formerly their half-sister Jessica Craven. Their sound blurs the lines between old-time Appalachian mus ...
. Although he's not a fan of Madonna, Beahan wanted to see how her songs would sound when covered by different musicians. ''Through the Wilderness'' is a
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
-
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
tribute to Madonna without adhering to any particular coherent sound. The cover songs were composed differently from the original versions by the performers; they changed the melody of the Madonna tracks by tweaking the lyrics and re-interpreting the actual meaning.
Music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
both complimented and criticized the songs, noting the strength of Madonna's discography in the album's track list.


Background and release

In February 2007, Los Angeles-based
Manimal Vinyl Manimal Vinyl is a Los Angeles-based record label founded in 2006 by film/TV producer, composer and former fashion editor Paul Gebser-Beahan. History The label was started out of Beahan's living room in late 2006 in the historical Hancock Park ...
record company announced its plan of releasing a compilation album containing
cover versions In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of songs by American singer Madonna. Initial artists listed in the roster included Devendra Banhart,
Giant Drag Giant Drag is an American indie rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2003 by singer and guitarist Annie Hardy and drummer and keyboardist Micah Calabrese. After releasing their debut EP, '' Lemona'' in 2004, the band released their de ...
,
Lavender Diamond Lavender Diamond is an American, Los Angeles-based band, fronted by singer Becky Stark. History While living in Providence, Rhode Island, Stark began performing as Lavender Diamond in a play that she and puppeteer Xander Marro wrote, created ...
, and
VietNam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, among others. Manimal Vinyl label head Paul Beahan confirmed that 25% of the profit earned from the album sales would be donated to Madonna's
Raising Malawi Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans, primarily through health and educa ...
foundation. Named ''Through the Wilderness'', the record was the third project to be released by the company. It was originally reported to be released on September 4, 2007, but was delayed until November 27, 2007. Special release parties were organized in Los Angeles and New York, featuring the artists who recorded songs for the project. Beahan had been thinking of releasing a tribute record through his company for a long time, following the death of musicians Arthur Lee and
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...
in 2006. However, he changed his mind and instead chose Madonna, believing her songs could be recorded as serious sounding tracks, thereby eliminating chances of it being a novelty release. The idea for ''Through the Wilderness'' originated from an epiphany Beahan had about Madonna. Although not a fan of the singer, he was intrigued about how her songs would sound when treated by alternative musicians. "The Madonna tribute came to me in a dream last fall, and I immediately started making calls and emails to Winter Flowers,
Chapin Sisters The Chapin Sisters are an American folk rock and harmony duo from Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of sisters Abigail and Lily Chapin, and formerly their half-sister Jessica Craven. Their sound blurs the lines between old-time Appalachian mus ...
, and Banhart asking them to record a song for it," Beahan clarified to ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' magazine. Banhart and VietNam were not included in the final track list of the album. Other artists mentioned by Beahan for the record, but not included, were
Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...
and
Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moo ...
. ''Through the Wilderness'' is a
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
-
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
tribute to Madonna, with the songs spanning her entire career until that point, from "
Lucky Star Lucky Star, The Lucky Star or Lucky Starr may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Anime and manga * ''Lucky Star'' (manga), a manga, anime, and video game series * "Lucky Star", one of the Angel Frames from the anime and manga series ''Galaxy ...
" (1984) to "
Hung Up "Hung Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her tenth studio album ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was released as the album's lead single on October ...
" (2005). The title is a reference to the opening line of Madonna's " Like a Virgin" where she sings, "I made it through the wilderness..." Beahan had asked all the bands to pick their own songs. He suggested Chapin Sisters to record " Borderline" instead of "Like a Virgin".
Becky Stark Becky Stark is an American artist, singer, songwriter and entertainer from Los Angeles, California. She is the voice of the band Lavender Diamond. Music Stark participated in the new folk movement and the LA underground punk/noise scene. She ha ...
of
Lavender Diamond Lavender Diamond is an American, Los Angeles-based band, fronted by singer Becky Stark. History While living in Providence, Rhode Island, Stark began performing as Lavender Diamond in a play that she and puppeteer Xander Marro wrote, created ...
wanted to sing " Like a Prayer" for the album. Similarly, Lion of Panjshir sent a
demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
of " Crazy for You" which the label head accepted.
Indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band
Giant Drag Giant Drag is an American indie rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2003 by singer and guitarist Annie Hardy and drummer and keyboardist Micah Calabrese. After releasing their debut EP, '' Lemona'' in 2004, the band released their de ...
confirmed on their official website that they were recording Madonna's "
Oh Father "Oh Father" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her fourth studio album '' Like a Prayer'' (1989). It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in ...
" for the release. Rock musician The Prayers covered " Cherish" for the project.


Composition

The groups covering the songs changed the melody of the original Madonna tracks, by tweaking the lyrics and re-interpreting the actual meaning. According to Stephen M. Deusner from ''
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
'', the album did not have a particular or coherent sound and it "doesn't get bogged down in musical proselytizing or cultural weight-shifting". The
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
-influenced covers of "
Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song by recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; t ...
" and " Everybody" by
Jeremy Jay Jeremy C. Shaules better known as Jeremy Jay is an American alternative pop musician and singer-songwriter. He has released five critically acclaimed studio albums, including his debut album '' A Place Where We Could Go'' in 2008 and ''Slow Danc ...
and
Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi music, lo-fi aesthetic and home ...
, respectively, were given as examples by Deusner, emphasizing the post-punk era of the songs, but still being different enough from Madonna's versions. The former added layers of synths and spoken
echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the list ...
ing verses while the latter featured vocals from
Julia Holter Julia Shammas Holter (born December 18, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, composer, artist and academic, based in Los Angeles. Following three independent album productions, Holter released ''Tragedy'' as her first official ...
backed by keyboards and
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
. ''Through the Wilderness'' opens with Jonathan Wilson's piano version of "
La Isla Bonita "La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...
" whose
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
consists of a 1970s
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...
against a
reverb Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
. "Borderline" featured vocal harmonies by the Chapin Sisters with
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
and
banjos The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
as instrumentation. Lavender Diamond's cover of " Like a Prayer" is a low-key version, but vocals and instrumentation are given equal importance. Giant Drag's "Oh Father" sticks to the original Madonna composition, but adds piano,
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...
and
chimes Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...
. Guitar-influenced version was created by Golden Animals, who turned "
Beautiful Stranger "Beautiful Stranger" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on May 19, 1999, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records as a single from the soundtrack of the film, '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''. Madonna ...
" into a
swamp blues Swamp blues is a type of Louisiana blues that developed in the Black communities of Southwest Louisiana in the 1950s.Malone, Evelyn Levingston, "Swamp Blues: Race And Vinyl From Southwest Louisiana" (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertation ...
track by removing the chorus, and made it reminiscent of songs by
Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival, also referred to as Creedence and CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, ...
. A
freak folk Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music. Charac ...
recording of "Lucky Star" was composed by Alexandra Hope, while Lion of Panjshir included a multi-array of instruments in "Crazy for You" like
sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
,
tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
and
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
, with lead singer Ariana Delawari belting in breathy vocals. The
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member ...
-influenced version of "
Live to Tell "Live to Tell" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). The song was originally composed by Patrick Leonard as an instrumental for the score of Paramount's film '' Fire with Fire'', but Paramount rej ...
" was created by the Winter Flowers, with "desert sunset atmosphere, noodly guitar fills, epic solos, and gorgeous harmonies sung by ead singersAstrid Quay and Gavin Toler".


Critical reception

Deusner gave the album a rating of 7 out of 10, complimenting the release by adding that, "Madonna is an ideal candidate for the tribute album treatment, having already inspired several in the past but none requite as sturdy or as much fun as ''Through the Wilderness''". However he felt that few of the songs were "uninspired", like Drag's version of "Oh Father" and Bubonic Plague's rendition of
Who's That Girl Who's That Girl? may refer to: Film and television * ''Who's That Girl'' (1987 film), an American film starring Madonna * ''Who's That Girl'', a Philippine film of 2011 * "Who's That Girl?", an episode of ''Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!'' Music * Who's Tha ...
. Jon Caramanica from ''Spin'' also gave a positive review, saying that the album captures "Madonna's vivacious side, but eminds that she wasdesperate too". He particularly commended "Crazy for You", saying that "the last 30 seconds of
he track is He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
chilling—frontwoman Ariana Delawari and her traditional Afghan backing accelerate feverishly, breaking the sweat Madonna never quite did, or could". Bruce Scott from ''Prefix'' rated the album 6 on 10, and opined that "in patches" the record holds up good as a tribute release. He listed the tracks "Into the Groove", "Everybody" and "La Isla Bonita" as highlights, but criticized the cover of the ballads which he felt diminished the quality. "''Through the Wilderness'' reminds that these
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can withstand some reinventing no matter how minimal or lo-fi the arrangement, because the songs themselves are strong," Scott concluded. Chris Morgan from ''Treble'' noticed the lack of coherence in the album, but complimented that the attention bestowed on giving prominence to the "hook and peppiness" of the songs. However, he still found that "be it because their sound is not right for covering such an act or because they let their imagination run a little too wild for the sake of the art of reinterpretation, the creativity is vulnerable to quickly becoming a gimmick." He listed "Oh Father" and "Like a Prayer" as two highlights, describing them as the "most resonant".


Track listing


Personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
. *Apollo Heights – producer, performer *Linda Beecroft – drums, vocals *P. Brown – composer *Bubonic Plague – producer, performer *Justin Burrill – audio engineer, engineer *The Chapin Sisters – producer, performer *Abigail Chapin – choir/chorus, guitar, keyboards, vocals *Lily Chapin – banjo, keyboards, vocals *Daniel Chavis – vocals *Danny Chavis – guitar *Jessica Craven – vocals *Ariana Delawari – guitar, vocals *Erica García – producer, instrumentation *Micah Gaugh – bass, keyboards *Giant Drag – performer *Golden Animals – performer *Steve Gregoropoulos – guitar, piano *Max Guirand – engineer, slide guitar *Annie Hardy – vocals *Tim Hogan – bass *Julia Holter – vocals (background) *Alexandra Hope – performer *Dan Horne – audio engineer, engineer, mixing, tambourine *Jeremy Jay – arranger, producer, performer *Tom Carney Myung Hi Kim – engineer *Ben Knight – guitar (classical), guitar (electric) *Lavender Diamond – performer *Lion of Panjshir – performer *Max Guirand – audio engineer, producer *Andrew Miller – guitar, vocals *Ethan Miller – producer *Thom Monahan – producer, beat box, drum machine, engineer *Mountain Party – performer *Michael Mussmano – producer *Ofer Tiberin – producer *Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – arranger, producer, performer *Heather Porcaro – choir/chorus *Prayers – producer *The Prayers – performer *Astrid Quay – Artwork, vocals *Darren Rademaker – guitar (acoustic), vocals *Ron Regé Jr. – drums *Charles Rowell – bass *Josh Schwartz – guitar (acoustic), guitar (Electric) *Aaron Sperske – drums *Becky Stark – audio engineer, vocals *Chad Stewart – drums *Tom Kim – audio engineer, producer *The Tyde – performer *Julian Wass – audio engineer, producer, engineer *Jonathan Wilson – producer, performer *Jonathan Wilson – arranger *Winter Flowers – producer, performer *Kenny Woods – audio engineer *Gideon Zaretsky – producer


References


External links


Manimal Vinyl Records > Full Catalog
{{Authority control 2007 compilation albums Charity albums Folk albums by American artists Folk compilation albums Tribute albums Psychedelic music albums by American artists Psychedelic music compilation albums Madonna tribute albums