GHV

Hail to the Queen
by: peter naldrett - uk correspondent

The undoubted Queen of Pop has put out her Greatest Hits Volume 2 (GHV2), hoping to build on the incredible success of her Immaculate Collection in the early 90s.

Madonna's career in the last decade is the focus of GHV2, and you won't be at all surprised to hear that it contains some brilliant moments. You can chart her progress through different phases and realize that Madonna is just as good now as she ever has been throughout a career that has spanned three decades.

The CD kicks off with "Deeper and Deeper" and "Erotica," the latter track hugging the provocative style she climaxed with "Justify My Love." All is well with the CD up to now, but there follows a terrible lull in her career, exemplified by the likes of "Secret," "Bedtime Story" and what on earth was she trying to do with "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"?

No worry, because soon after William Orbit came on the scene, completely putting her back on a pedestal with the brilliant "Beautiful Stranger" from the Austin Powers movie, "Frozen" and the superb "Ray Of Light." The Orbit influence continued into her last album, Music, and that title track rounds off GHV2. I've already named enough tracks to ensure that this is a monster hit, but it doesn't seem to have the same quality as her first volume of chart toppers. The weight of "Like A Prayer," "Like a Virgin," "Vogue" and "Holiday" are not replaced, and one of her best tracks, "American Pie," is loud in its absence. Half of it is great, but the other half is not worthy of the name Madonna.