By 1974,
Melanie had shed the worst of her vocal excesses (along with half her audience, unfortunately).
Madrugada explored a few new musical ideas. "The Actress" found
Melanie striding boldly into high-flown, fretful autobiography with some success. Her attempt at
the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," a frantic orchestral arrangement, is richer for some deft chord progressions not found on the original. As a performer, she was displaying more skill and restraint than ever before. As a songwriter, there were signs that her gifts were on the wane;
Madrugada was half covers (including
Randy Newman and
Goffin & King), and some of the originals, particularly the wispy "Pine and Feather," seemed mere exercises in quaintness. But everything was immaculately produced (by husband
Peter Schekeryk) -- the glossy, professional mix of rock with a large string section was clearly safe territory for
Melanie. And nothing on
Madrugada is anything less than pleasant.