Rating: Summary: This is one of the best pop dance concert of the eighties Review: Really, it's silly to compare this concert to The Girlie Show Tour or even The Drowned World Tour. This one was done in the late eighties so what do you expect - definitely no high-tech visuals and lighting. Personally, I think the concert is fantastic because it epitomizes the outrageous pop diva Madonna of that decade.
Rating: Summary: Madonna at her best and least pretentious Review: So the critics raved about Blonde Ambition, the Girlie Show, and the Drowned World Tour.What they, and even fans often overlooked was this gem of a tour. Ciao Italia featured Madonna's last show of her "Who's That Girl" world tour, which took place in Italy. Here, we have a much younger Madonna, in her prime, performing hit after hit and after hit and literally worked the stage into a frenzy. While Blonde Ambition was saddled with the Dick Tracy segment, Girlie Show with her Marlene Dietrich drag and Drowned World with her Flying Tiger/Hidden Dragon routines, this is non stop entertainment from beginning to end. Her renditions of Live to Tell have never been more touching and effective. Likewise with Lucky Star and the opening number of Open Your Heart, which closely followed its provocative video. Her performances of Into the Groove, La Isla Bonita, and Holiday has never been equaled or surpassed in terms of choreography and pure energy in her later tours. The versions of Into the Groove and Holiday in Blonde Ambition are anemic compare to the ones in the Who's That Girl Tour. Madonna also performed a killer version of the tour's (and unfortunately, the movie's) title song. I can never forget the song's haunting finale (Whooooooo's thaaaaaaaaat girrrrrrrrrrrl). Madonna is also one hell of a comedienne with the funny medley of Dress You Up, Material Girl, and Like A Virgin (I particularly get a chuckle of her and her two dancers doing the Nazi salute as they marched down the stairs as the back-up tape sang: Living in a material world). Ever the consummate performer, Madonna worked the ENTIRE stage, where everybody have a chance to see her. This is pre-Like A Prayer, before Madonna got saddled with angst and inner turmoil (and the Kabbala!), so this concert was nothing but one roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Later concerts may have better sets, costumes, and came off like a big broadway musical (and twisted ones at that!), but Ciao Italia! features Madonna at her peak and when she was least pretentious. No doubt the Madonna we all missed! Enough with the Zen, just give us the goods!
Rating: Summary: *** SUPERSTAR Talent From The Start *** Review: The excitement on Madonna's opening performance is just a glimpse into just how fabulous this concert maintains itself through until the very end. There's extraordinary singing, excellent choreographed dancing, live screaming fans, interactions with the crowds, glimmering lights, remarkable stage productions, fabulous dancers, unbelievable stamina, pretty costumes, but most of all a look into the very beginnings of someone who has grown to be one of the most legendary Super Stars of all times, MADONNA!! At a time when her life had a busy schedule from a full summer tour, soundtrack album, and movie she shows how determination, hard work, and dreams can come true. It was her last show on tour live in Italy so she occasionally shed some tears and poured her heart and soul out. The pacing, dancing, and action was non-stop and enjoyable. Throughout the performance you see a cute little 13-year-old boy named Chris Finch who shows outstanding dance talent as well as 3 backup singers, including Niki Harris, and two additional male dancers, including Shabba Doo. Madonna greets her fans in Italian and interacts with them throughout the show even asking them at the very end for a comb to fix her hair. The 14 songs were pop, fun, 80's, some rock'n'roll and dance oriented. Her new image or persona was apparent to her viewers as she now had short bleached blond hair, no jewelry, and a slimmer silhouette. The costumes Madonna wore during the tour were designed for quick changes where she only switched tops, jackets, hats, pants, or skirts. I noticed she kept a bodysuit throughout the whole show. She occasionally interacted with band members and displayed great nonverbal communication with them throughout. Every song was mesmerizing, fabulous and spectacular. I would recommend this video for anyone--including children--who want to know how Madonna began and just how far she has gone. It's amazing how her transformations have ultimately led her to now reveal herself as a true Icon for fans, viewers, media, friends, family and Hollywood. As she continues to grow it seems apparent she is uncovering who she really is. Although, the mystery will always be there it is evident Madonna's beginnings were a stepping-stone to her culminating success today!
Rating: Summary: A must-have for Madonna fans Review: This is a recording of Madonna's final concert of the Who's That Girl tour, which is easily her second best tour. [Madonna's best concert tour was Blond Ambition.] Her dancing at this point was fresh, energetic, and, at times, inspired. The tape features some of her best-known songs. The reviews that focus on her costumes(?) and her hair(???) totally miss the mark in my opinion: This is a concert, not a fashion show. The three encore numbers alone are worth the cost of the tape.
Rating: Summary: madonna who? Review: This is not the madonna that energizes and electrifies the cameras. Keep your money.
Rating: Summary: Madonna's great early work Review: This is one of Madonna's concerts from one of her first tours. This was made after the True Blue album. It includes most of her early songs. This concert also include's some of Madonna's songs that she recorded for the film Who's That Girl. There are some low points of this film though. I didn't like how some of the songs were sung in this concert, and some of the costumes were really tacky and really 80's. If you like Madonna's early work than this film is one to see.
Rating: Summary: Not Spectacular, but good Review: This is probably not the best Madonna concert, but it does have more heart. Madonna seems to enjoy performing and feels the crowd, opposed to later concerts where there is almost no audience interaction. Positives. (1) Great songs (2) Madonna puts her all into it Negatives: (1) Madonna's voice (2) Bad Choreography The DVD itself is Ok. The sound not bad considering it's just a transfer and the video is fair. I think the VHS version is better. Hopefully it will be released with remastered sound. A must have for Madonna fans and if you're only the casual fan then skip it. For an amazing live Madonna see the DROWNED WORLD TOUR.
Rating: Summary: Material Pearl Review: This is the first Madonna's DVD I have bought and I am quite pleased. This is a live concert probably from the tour with True Blue album (there's 7 songs from the album, I guess that's why). I love True Blue album very much, so that's why I think it's good that there's so many songs from it, especially I like the songs "True Blue", "Papa Don't Preach", "La Isla Bonita", and "Open Your Heart" in this DVD but also "White Heat" and "Where's the Party" are quite good. "Live to Tell": this ballad wasn't so good in this concert, maybe Madonna was a little bit tired while singing this song and decided to rest a little. It is quite a good song but this is if I can say...pure garbage. Also the "rare" songs "Causing a Commotion" (very good, Madonna points everyone and says "He's got the motion" and like that in the middle of the song. "Who's That Girl" was also very very good, she can really take the audience to sing with her. "The Look of Love" wasn't so good but that was maybe because I don't like the song. "Lucky Star" was very nice song, and "Holiday" was quite a long because Madonna has two breaks, in the second one she camps her hair. Medley "Dress You Up..." was excellent! The best if you don't count "Causing a Commotion". "Dress You Up" starts it very good, Madonna has funny clothes, "Material Girl" is very good (there's money all over), in "Like a Virgin" she takes her funny clothes away, it was the best song in medley. "Into the Groove" is also very catching. It takes you totally with it. I have to say shortly: This is a very good live concert. There's quite good dancers and a young boy...I expected a little more. She's the queen of the pop. So I expected great live show like Kylie Minogue has but this wasn't even like Janet Jackson's concerts. Still 4 stars.
Rating: Summary: Not So Good! Review: This is the worst-edited Madonna video I have ever seen! Footage is taken from at least 2 concerts. If you pay atention, Madonna is wearing a gold necklace, and then she isn't, and then she is again! Then, her hair is neat, then it's messy, then it's neat again! Then, the color is dull, then in another shot, the color is vibrant! Don't waste your money, buy the Girlie Show!
Rating: Summary: C'mon, it's her first world tour! Review: This show was recorded in the late 80's. And it should not be compared with the 90's concerts standarts. If you keep that in mind, you'd realize that the show was TERRIFIC, maybe the best world tour ever done by a female singer back then. Of course that you won't find "Beautiful Stranger", "Ray Of Light", "Take A Bow", or even "Vogue" and "Express Yourself" there, but it has CLASSIC songs like "Lucky Star", "Holiday", "Material Girl", "Live To Tell", "La Isla Bonita", "Open Your Heart", "Into The Groove", "Who's That Girl" and "Papa Don't Preach". If you really like Madonna or if you really like pop music you WILL enjoy this concert, not only as a show but as a documentary of the rise of the ultimate pop icon of our times.
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