5/5 Girls (over 50) just wanna have fun
  by Braden Pickering (Mesa, AZ)
Lyrically, Celebration is a very straight-forward, generic pop song that was probably written, produced, and recorded over the course of a day. That's not necessarily a criticism; I just think that at this point Madonna isn't out to provoke people or prove anything, except that girls over 50 still just want to have fun. After 30 years in the business and paving the way for so many artists (and wannabes) to come, I think Madonna has earned that right.

1. Album Version: The song itself is very Euro-pop with smooth electro beats; not exactly cutting edge but a nice departure from last year's R&B-influenced Hard Candy album, which did not suit Madonna at all.

2. Paul Oakenfold Remix: Contains a lot of the elements of the original (which he also produced), with some extra layering of vocals and techno beats. To me this mix is a little too "busy" because there are so many different sounds coming at you all at once, and they tend to drown out Madonna's voice at times, especially during the chorus which I thought was odd, as Oakenfold is usually more careful about this type of thing. Not bad, but a little awkward on the ears at first.

3. Benny Benassi Remix: A thumping house mix (and my favorite), this is the version used for the music video. Kinda makes you want to bump `n grind!

4. Oakenfold Dub: I prefer this to track 2, because the instrumentation is actually pretty cool once you get into it, but sounds better without as many vocals.

5. Benny Benassi Edit: Just a shorter version of track 3.

6. Johnny Vicious Remix: Probably the least memorable remix of the set, it's more or less your standard club fare, with a hint of the `80s thrown in. Would fit nicely between the early Madonna hits Holiday and Everybody, and a proper way to close the disc.

Despite some minor fallbacks, I give this single 5 stars because the song itself is well-structured and catchy, and the remixes, while not necessarily improving upon the original, offer variety. Overall a nicely put-together item.

Update: I noticed that Amazon placed my review for the import single under the listing for the US maxi-single as well, so to avoid any misinformation be aware that the US version does NOT include the album version of the song, and is instead replaced by the Benny Benassi Dub. It's actually a pretty good mix, and has a slightly different arrangement than the other two previously available Benassi mixes. The cover photo is different as well. Thanks.

4/5 'Celebration' US MAXI SINGLE (Review)
  by Antoine D. Reid (Durham, NC United States)
Warner Bros. did something unexpected to mark the end of their business association with Madonna; not only did they, along with Madonna, produce two new songs for the release of the 2 CD edition of 'Celebration', a collection of 34 of Madonna's songs spanning her entire career, but they also took it a step further by commissioning remixes and releasing a proper maxi single for the title song, "Celebration". The album version of the song (not included on this maxi single) is already fun, upbeat and almost too good for remixing yet three remixers, Oakenfold (who produced the original track), Benny Benassi and Johnny Vicious all take a crack at remixing the upbeat, dance, pop track from Madonna's latest compilation album.

The Good: The artwork alone makes the U.S. maxi single worth purchasing. Finally, perhaps too late, Warner Bros. seemed to really get their act together and come up with something eye-catching and visually stunning. The artwork, done by artist Mr. Brainwash, is very handmade, street, graffiti driven and simply makes the album and packaging feel like something special and something the artist put a lot of time and effort into. It's very detailed, very pop-orientated and honors Madonna by playing with her iconic image rather than just having her take a new photo (or worse, using an older photo as occurred with GHV2) and slapping it on the front and calling it a day. There's lots of detail packed into the art and design, something I found stood out and earned a star by itself. As for the content, the U.S. Maxi single's tracklisting is as follows:

1) Oakenfold Remix 6:32
2) Benny Benassi Remix 5:30
3) Oakenfold Remix Dub 6:32
4) Benny Benassi Remix Edit 3:58
5) Benny Benassi Dub 6:01
6) Johnny Vicious Club Remix 7:58

To me, Oakenfold did the best job with handling the track. It helps that he produced the original so he obviously had a better direction and approach than the other remixers. His main remix is very modern, very club-orientated. It has elements of rave and techno but is very pop and fun. Even his dub (track 3) is worth listening to and has a nice balance of vocal elements and is heavy on the beat/instrumental track, a balance that I find most dubs lack and makes them weak, but what makes Oakenfold's tracks strong and the most fun and celebratory in sound. The other strong remix treatment comes from Benny Benassi, whose remix is actually featured in the official music video for the album. It's less pop and has a very hard-hitting, club, dark/nasty sound and groove to it. It's a different take and a stark contrast to the pop, upbeat approach that Oakenfold took. It's just as strong and appealing.

The Bad: The Johnny Vicious remix just didn't do anything for me. Perhaps it's that the sound falls somewhere in between the other two remixes and seems far too safe. It takes fewer changes and liberties with the track and is something of a let down and boring. Also, while I really liked the design of the disc itself and the inside liner notes, the cover didn't appeal to me whatsoever. It's a departure from all of the other marketing and design done for the other 'Celebration' items and just seems too amateurish and outright unappealing. If anything, I wish this maxi single would have had a better cover, perhaps one more remix done by someone different from the other three producers, something that really took the song into another music genre or gave it a new vibe and feel. Considering this is the last maxi single to be released under the Warner Bros. label, it would have been nice if something extra had been added to really make it a collector's item; perhaps the track 'It's So Cool' that was released as a bonus through iTunes, or another unreleased demo or track from the vault. Seems like a missed opportunity and with the one weak remix, this maxi feels somewhat incomplete.

In all, definitely worth purchasing. Some will like all three tracks, making it a no-brainer when it comes to purchasing. If you're a fan of Madonna's maxi singles, this is definitely one to add to your collection.

Listen To These: 'Celebration' (Benny Benassi Remix Edit), 'Celebration' (Oakenfold Remix Dub)

5/5 Excellent Maxi CD/Remix Package from Madonna
  by Neil774 (Park Ridge, IL)
As usual, her Madgesty has given her fans a terrific set of remixes of a great song. Even better, she is one of VERY few artists still making their remixes readily available on commercial CD. Support Madonna, the dance world, and commercial CD's buy purchasing this awesome single. It's worth every penny! Let's hope we're treated with a commercial CD release of "Revolver" as well! *fingers crossed*

5/5 Great Club Song from a great a artist
  by Cristofer Ignacio (San Francisco, CA)
What do you expect when you get good tunes by a great artist that has been around since the 80s!!

5/5 Dance floor classic
  by DJHammer (Ohio)
The Queen takes no prisoners! First off, this is a great song on it's own. Pure Madonna, pure dance and pure attitude. While the past few albums have been excellent, the single remixes weren't as exciting as would be expected from Madonna. The Celebration remixes are fierce. Too bad the single wasn't promoted as well as it should have been. The American version looks to be the same mixes but the cover of the Import is much more fun.
All Hail The Queen!