.
Since I am a proud member of the Madonna Diaryland Ring (and believe me, you don't want to KNOW what I had to do to get in there), I should say that I did get American Life finally (no thanks to Barnes&Noble. In fact, note to Barnes&Noble -- you suck). It's certainly not as joyful as the past albums (which I think the NY Times reviewer also said). But 3 tracks do stand out -- American Life (minus the rap, I mean, come on, "soy latte" does not make for good rap); Nothing Fails, which is incredibly intimate; and X-Static Process, which is really lovely. But I found myself putting on Ray of Light and wishing for the good ol' days.
Nothing really matters. Love is all we need. Everything I give you all comes back to me.
P.S. Madge, I mean it -- there are more rhyme schemes out there than just ABAB. Think about it.