The title of her album made many people SHOCKED at the meaning of it but in reality it was all about fun in a child-like way to convey a "romantic" little story. She worked with many different producers to create variety with some hip-hop styles, R&B flavor, and dance tracks.

The reason I bought this album was to hear my favorite songs, which are: SECRET, HUMAN NATURE, TAKE A BOW, & BEDTIME STORY. Little did I realize I would also enjoy her other ones. From the not as famous ones I liked INSIDE OF ME because of her breathy voice, naughty bass, dark strings, saxophone, drums, and erotic vocals. I could picture myself hearing this song at night with a beautiful scenic view from a beach house as I gaze at the stars and fantasize about LOVE. Another song I enjoyed was FORBIDDEN LOVE as I identified myself very well with the lyrics. Babyface is the one who sings on some of the track. This shows a more laid back pop song where rejection as Madonna says is, "the greatest aphrodisiac." The vocals carry the song as the instruments are heard behind them. The rest of her songs are great and very refreshing reaching at least 4 stars.

Although, this strays away from her usual pop styles of her earlier works like EROTICA, LIKE A PRAYER or TRUE BLUE she does a fantastic job of making the switch to create a very relaxing, soothing, ROMANTIC feel for her listeners to sit back and enjoy alone or with another. This would make a good cd for a nice, cozy night with someone special or for a night of reminiscing the past. EXCELLENT purchase! knows. Although Madonna still proves she can make great hooks, the hooks here don't always meet her standards of before. Thank God she would later come out with "Ray of Light"...proving to her fans and the world that "Bedtime Stories" was only a stepping stone, not the actual musical breakthrough that we knew she could and would accomplish in the 90's.
Perhaps the most underappreciated album in her catalogue, even more so than Erotica. This album is the last gasp of the true Madonna we all came to love before Kabbalah, electronica, and a new joy for preaching claimed her soul :p
Starts off with a catchy song named "Survival" in which she sings "I'll never be an angel, I'll never be a saint it's true, i'm to busy surviving, whether it's heaven or hell I'm gonna be living to tell" which basically sums up Madonna in a nutshell. It's followed by the fabulous "Secret" with it's warm vocals and infectious production, then gets into two mediocre songs "I'd Rather Be Your Lover" and "Don't Stop" before picking up again with "Inside Of Me." This song is supposedly about her mother but it never felt that way to me, either way it's good tune with sweeet lyrics. Next up is an instant classic, Maddy's kiss off to her critics during the Erotica era, "Human Nature," "Did I say something true, oops I didn't know I couldn't talk about you" she says in an obviously irritated tone that is the perfect response.
I could go on and discuss the remaining songs, which are all great, but now I wanna mention her voice. She sounds great on this album and it's obvious she worked real hard in the studio to pull off the tuneful and varied sounds she uses to color her vocal.
All in all this was an excellent contribution to her discography and better than some of her later work.

LOVE from a very GLAMOROUS MADONNA
well i'd have to say that this is my favorite madonna cd ever. i feel that this cd is very diverse, making it a pleasurable listen throughout. the cd starts off with more dancey-like tracks such as "i'd rather be your lover" and "don't stop" and moves on to slower ballads including "inside of me" and "forbidden love"... this cd just has it all! just when you think madonna is all in love and "missing that special someone", well you are greeted with the famous "human nature" a track that does not fail to show yet another side of madonna; that of an outspoken strong woman... you can feel r&b influences [thanks to many contributions with babyface] as well as pop, but this cd also has the amazing track "bedtime story" with its techno-ambient feel [bjork being one of the co-writers of the song...mmm makes sense?] this track is arguably one of the most "different" type of song madonna had ever done at that point in her career ["ray of light" is another story]...
all in all i think that anyone who enjoys a true good mix of music all in one cd will enjoy this work to the fullest! whatever be your mood, pop this in and enjoy!

Great effort here
It was not until I bought Bedtime Stories a few weeks ago that I realized that this is Madonna's most consistent and pleasing album ever. This might be because I am a rabid fan of r&b music, and to date, this is Madonna's most r&b album ever. The album is entirely pleasing because Madonna employed hitmakers like Babyface and Dallas Austin, both of which are r&b producing megaforces. The latter two succeed in giving Madonna warm, sensuous grooves. Madonna's vocals shimmer on tracks like Survival, with it's new jill swing influences and lush harmonies, and Secret with hits pulsing beats and Madonna's shimmering vocals.

Madonna turns the ballad 'Love Tried to Welcome Me' into a confessional poem of sorts when she declares: 'Love tried to welcome me/But my soul drew back/ Covered with dust and sin...' Every track is a winner on Bedtime Stories. Human Nature, with its hard driving beats and Madonna's biting lyrics, add another dimension to an already superb album.

Madonna closes this excellent album with 'Take a Bow,' a haunting and tender ballad fleshed with bittersweet lyrics. This indeed is among Madonna's best work ever. A must have for even casual listeners.