They're not there. I've checked.

Maybe they'll show up after March 10th - I think that's the official US release date.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/fe...avourites.html

Great to see DS giving Madonna so much exposer right now. They gave the album a great review too!

Under European law, it is, I believe, a legal requirement to include with any original work, be it music, poetry or novel, TV drama, movie or performing arts, to include as a minimum, the author of anything that has copyright protection. Madonna has asked for the (c) and (p) to have 2014 as the year of publication and not 2015. I'm not sure the removal of credits is absolutely legal in Europe and in the UK the 1988 Copyright, Design and Patents Act has to be observed. For instance if you include a poem written by a classic poet, you have to, by law include the name and date of birth of that poet alongside with the poem. If Madonna was the sole author of songs, a "All songs written by Madonna" statement is acceptable. However, as other people are involved, that statement is not appropriate.

The album back cover does say: For album credits, go to madonna.com. I'm not sure if that is OK because they have to be readily available to anyone at any time, and if you don't have access to a computer how can they be available?

Lack of credits doesn't bother me one bit. I absolutely love the artwork and think the booklet looks stunning. I'll be honest I don't miss the lyrics either. Her best artwork since Confessions. It's just a shame we no longer get the single artwork like we used too. Madonna was always good and having a design theme going through her singles, like Ray of Light, Music and particulary Confessions.

Even if you DO have access to a computer, they're not there.

I predict 200-300k. With an overall WW sales of 2 million. I would love to be wrong and it sell more.

Lack of lyric inclusion doesn't bother me anymore if I'm honest. We've got used to it. I also agree that I miss the Warner method of just one album artwork package - after all, that is the album so the single artwork should be strong enough to reflect it. I also think having three different versions of the album is a bit daft. Why did she not release it in two parts?

i.e:

Rebel Heart Released 10th March

1. Living For Love
2. Devil Pray
3. Borrowed Time
4. Unapologetic Bitch
5. Illuminati
6. Ghosttown
7. Graffiti Heart
8. Never Let You Go
9. Beautiful Scars
10. Rebel Heart
11. HeartBreakCity
12. Body Shop
13. Nothing Lasts Forever
14. God Is Love
15. Inside Out
16. Wash All Over Me

Then:

I'm A Rebel Released September 4th

1. Iconic
2. Bitch, I'm Madonna
3. Veni, Vedi, Vici
4. Joan of Arc
5. Holy Water
6. Best Night
7. Hold Tight
8. Queen
9. Addicted
10. Freedom
11. Revolution
12. Heaven
13. S.E.X
14. Autotune Baby
15. Tragic Girl
16. Messiah


That way the album is given more interest and prominence and artwork would be one singular package. Also, Madonna will be totally dominant all year and the second part of the album could also give her promotion for her tour.

I do like credits in albums though.

I really dislike the fact we have that 14 track standard version too. The 19 track version should be the standard with the super deluxe being the deluxe. The whole thing smacks of a cash in to be honest because there is a huge amount of Madonna fans who will buy each version.

I hope Tescos stock the 19 track version and not just the boring 14 track one. If so people will be buying an album while unaware they missing out on some tracks.

The material is definitely better than MDNA - not that MDNA was terrible or anything - I liked it. But Rebel Heart is just amazing. She is putting in far more promotion for this one too with all the awards appearances & interviews. I worry that it won't do well though because of all the leaks plus the ageism towards her.

Same here. It's her best album in years, imho, and it genuinely deserves to do well. I fear it won't though thanks to some really nasty hate campaigns in the media and online towards Madonna.

just hope 2m WW overall

And you just know if Rihanna or Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift released this album, it would be massive. It would help if radio stations gave her some decent airplay too. Living For Love is not the strongest song from the album but they really need to get Ghosttown out there - it needs to be heard.

Probably between 200-250k, which is not bad at all. It's about what all the other pop girls do in the first week.

I agree that there should just be two versions.

The 19 track should be the standard version and the other the deluxe.

What's the point of the 12 track?

Your right

Madonna confirms Instagram Q&A for tuesday. But she announces it with a dear aquaintence of hers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvBo8xiREQo

If Madonna thinks that that is funny, I think she'd best hold off from doing a comedy tour!

It does show that she doesn't take herself too seriously though and that is a good thing!

I like the whole sock thing, I think it's funny!

Anyway, back to Rebel Heart - I've had it since Friday & I've been listening a lot. I have the Deluxe version & out of the 19 songs, there are 14 that I love, 3 that are good & 2 that I feel are the weakest - although that may change.

I was already familiar with the nine songs that were released but I hadn't heard Messiah - oh my God what a beautiful song. And Heartbreakcity. I'm not usually a ballad person, I prefer uptempo music, but these are two amazingly good songs with brilliant lyrics.

The 3 that are good (but not great):-
Holy Water
Veni Vidi Vici
Body Shop (the start of this sounds like Ho-Hey by The Lumineers)

The 2 that are the weakest:-
Best Night
SEX

I've also been listening to a few of the demos that didn't make it onto the album & I really, really love Two Steps Behind Me & Revolution - they would have made great additions to the album.

The album version of Wash All Over Me is stunning but I've been reading the YouTube comments & it seems the majority of people are disappointed & hate it because they wanted the Avicii version (I think the album version is produced by Kanye). I listened to the Avicii version & it's nowhere near as good as the album version - it's just more generic Avicii stuff. The album version is so much more powerful.

In relation to Rebel Heart (the song), I must have heard a bit of the leaked demo at some point because when she sings "...deep down...in my Rebel Heart" I was expecting there to be a backing singer singing "(oh-oh...oh-oh-oh-oh...oh-oh)" but that bit is missing from the album version & I really miss it - I find myself doing the backing vocals while it's playing just so that it sounds more complete. Did I imagine that those backing vocals were there at one point? Because I can't find that version anywhere on YouTube.

Rebel Heart - the song

Back in October, Madonna teased us with a snippet of Rebel Heart. It was around 38 seconds long and it had the Rebbbeeellll Heeeeaaarrrttt backing between verse and chorus, as you remember it. This was almost certainly the finished product. The first draft of the tracklisting even had it as track 7 after Bitch, I'm Madonna. Then it leaked. I think the leaking of the songs devastated Madonna more than we realise. Rebel Heart (the song) was the one that everyone was raving about, but I guess Madonna felt unhappy because everyone was raving about a song that she had not officially presented to everyone. So, she scrapped it and toned it down and stuck it on the end of the album. I think it was a form of punishment to her her fans for betraying her and listening to the song before she had unveiled it. Now it is unlikely she will sing it live or even mention it again in such a big way.

Aww, pity. It's still a good song but the chorus falls a bit flat because it's missing those backing vocals.

With general release tomorrow I was wondering if the lets say half dozen posters who were more critical of album have had a change of heart. Or if some of the posters that really liked the album now don't like it so much.

For me earlier in the thread I thought the album was too long (19 track version) with too many songs that were not good. Having listened to the album a lot over the last few weeks my opinion has not really changed, the songs I really liked Devil Pray, Ghosttown, Heartbreak City, Iconic and Rebel Heart I still really like. The songs I liked Living For Love, Hold Tight, Joan Of Arc, Wash All Over Me and Messiah I still like. The only song to have moved up is Inside Out. I still do not like Unapologetic Bitch and Illuminati. I still really dislike Bitch I'm Madonna, Body Shop, Holy Water, Best Night, Veni Vidi Vici and S.E.X.

Overall the album is fine and unlike most posters I prefer MDNA.

I will be going to HMV tomorrow to buy the official album but I can't see it remaining in the car too long and I can't see me listening to it in a years time. Perhaps the tour will lift the album for me.

....in order to help promote her new tour/album?

It's beginning to look that way.

No, we're aiming to take over the world and make her world leader. Believe me, this is only the beginning!