The Synics Guide To LADY GAGA
Et Je Veux Ta Revenge
LADY GAGA first came to prominence in Summer 2008 when her debut album The Fame
was released in the US and her song Just Dance
became a huge hit. This was superior pop RÍnÍB but despite slices of synth, there didnÍt appear to be anything at the time which stood out within a modern electronic pop context. Then in December 2008, Caroline SullivanÍs now prophetic article for The Guardian entitled Slaves To Synth was published. Her piece proudly announced that in 2009, female fronted electro pop would be the next big thing with her focus not only on LADYHAWKE, LA ROUX and LITTLE BOOTS but also LADY GAGA.
At the time, a full European campaign had yet to be fully engaged but by January 2009, the former Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta had reached No1 in the UK with Just Dance and The Fame began. While the album had far too many songs on it, several cuts proved to be space age pop at its finest and indicated there was more than meets the eye. Although appearing to be obsessed with the cult of celebrity, she was actually poking fun at attention seeking rich kids, something she would be well qualified for as a former class mate of Paris Hilton!
LADY GAGAÍs well thought out publicity machine ran like a dream. There were her controversial promo videos and extravagant live appearances which included amongst several props, a pyrotechnic brassiere! And there was her quirky interview style; who could forget her appearance on the BBCÍs Tonight With Jonathan Ross sipping from her infamous china tea cup! The brilliant Poker Face
was released as a follow-up single. With its staccato vocal and what sounded like backing provided by a bunch of robotic stormtroopers, LADY GAGA was now in a bizarre way spearheading the ïRevenge Of The SynthÍ. Many young ears had now been opened to sound of electronic music for the first time. As the year progressed, many LADY GAGA fans were finding that acts such as LA ROUX and LITTLE BOOTS were appealing to them too.
Although a total theatrical queen (she says she is a gay man trapped in a womanÍs body!), LADY GAGA fused danceable pop with a New York performance art cool that hadnÍt really been seen since MADONNA. This, combined with her vivid imagination and classical training, has done all the musical talking. Thanks her main collaborator Swedish producer RedOne, a European retro-futuristic sheen highlighted all the melodic and dynamic structures within her best songs.
This sound came fully to the fore with Bad Romance
from The Fame Monster
2CD repackage in late 2009. The almost Italo disco styled ñwoah-oh, oh-oh-ooaaahî refrain, layered synthetics and big chorus suddenly woke people up. Observers who had admitted to not being in the slightest bit interested before had now succumbed to the joys of LADY GAGA. This was hardly a surprise because when all the hype dies down, what always survives and prevails in music are good tunes.
The Fame Monster also appeared to reflect an enhanced European musical sensibility. Whereas The Fame was very much an electro RïnÍB album, most of the eight songs on The Fame Monster bonus CD could probably be defined as more electro pop with some RÍnÍB influences thrown in. In an age where free downloading is the norm, the ïHaus Of GagaÍ has actually sold in vast quantities. And now with new album Born This Way
, LADY GAGA prepares for total world domination with an even more immediate Euro friendly sound. Despite the war cry of ñDon’t be a drag, just be a queenî to signal her return as cheerleader for the downtrodden outsider, the title track was a comparative disappointment compared with the quality and impact of Bad Romance. Structural similarities with MADONNAÍs Express Yourself 
havenÍt helped in the critical assessment. Also, the terribly cheesy but enjoyable Latino dance romp Americano
is likely to make some listeners throw things.
As with her debut collection, there are just too many tracks to make Born This Way a wholly satisfying listen. By the law of averages, the LADY GAGA catalogue is not all good stuff with some dire rock numbers and generic urban fodder included. But the RedOne and Fernando Garibay productions in particular with their synthetic pop feel are quite superb. If all the best bits were taken from the Gaga musical portfolio, there would be a fantastic eighteen track ïBest OfÍ in there. But with the incredible number of superior remixes out there too, it is difficult for the curious to actually know where to start. So The Electricity Club proudly brings you a ïsynicsÍ guide to LADY GAGA, specially tailored for the more discerning synthpop fan:
Her first big hit featuring rapper Colby OÍDonis, it was nominated for a ïBest Dance RecordingÍ Grammy in 2009 but eventually lost out to DAFT PUNK’s Harder Better Faster Stronger
. Although rhythmically rooted to modern RÍnÍB, the songÍs arrangement touched many bases and became a good introduction to LADY GAGA. The mash-up with Confusion
put together by DJ EARWORM under the title Just Dance to New Order is one of the many variations worth checking out.
From the album: The Fame Monster
Naughtiness personified, interestingly the lush intricacies and melodic complexity of LoveGame
revolve around an extremely repetitive backing track. The genius of this song has been highlighted by a superb orchestral arrangement by Walt Ribeiro. The drama of this has to be heard to be believed. On the LoveGame (Chew Fu Ghettohouse Fix
from The Remix
, what better than to have a noisy duet with the ïAnti-Christ SuperstarÍ himself, MARILYN MANSON. A sped up heavy house remix with lots of shouting from the one time Brian Warner, this rework keeps both Goths and pop princesses happy on the dancefloorƒnow thereÍs a picture to savour!
From the album: The Fame Monster
Amusingly recalling BONEY M with its ñMumm-mumm-mumm-maahî refrain, this brilliant track has become ubiquitous and spurned some amusing mash-ups featuring renditions by actor Christopher Walken and South ParkÍs Eric Cartman who incidentally sounds like DIVINE in his version!
From the album: The Fame Monster
Seemingly about fame, this actually is the most disturbing stalkerÍs anthem since MORRISSEYÍs The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get
. While the original RÍnÍB flavour suits the track, the DEMOLITION CREW offer this superb remix which is more New York electro disco with pulsing arpeggios and syncopated machine rhythms galore.
From the CD Single: Paparazzi (The Remixes)
Pur-lease! The reggae version on The Fame is actually quite lame. But given a danceable poptastic treatment, it was rescued from down the dumper by this PET SHOP BOYS remix. Messrs Tennant and Lowe were already big fans of LADY GAGA and enhanced her standing no-end when she joined them to sing What Have I Done To Deserve This?
as part of their BRITS 2009 medley performance.
From the album: The Remix
The albumÍs title track is a great funky disco number with a very catchy chorus but here itÍs given the squelchy bassline and buzzy synth treatment by Gu³na LG. It is also specially fortified with a solid four-to-the-floor dance beat.
From the CD EP: Hit Mixes
PARRALOXÍs John Von Ahlen was one of those new converts who said: ñI’ve never been a LADY GAGA fan, but after I saw the video for this I changed my mindî. Ending with Ms Germanotta sitting on a bed with a burnt corpse, there are hints of some strange things going on upstairs. This all adds up to making her such a fascinating character. Oooh la la!
From the album: The Fame Monster
A modern day electro take on La Isla Bonita
with its blissful Hispanic feel. One of the great LADY GAGA traits is her uplifting choruses, always simple but very effective. And speaking of MADONNA, their ïbitch fightÍ on Saturday Night Live in 2009 showed that she had a sense of humour too.
From the album: The Fame Monster
ñDonÍt call me Gagaî she exclaims; ñƒIÍve never seen one like that before!î It starts like a typical ïEuroÍ tune but then the drums pound away in accented syncopation. The dark lyrics almost have as many deviant sexual thoughts as an episode of True Blood: ñThat boy is a monsterƒhe ate my heart and then he ate my brain!î
From the album: The Fame Monster
Highlighting the dangers of cosmetic surgery, this is brilliantly euphoric with a classic synthpop feel that features strong hints of True Faith
and Strangelove shaped by Fernando Garibay who impressed enough here to attain a more significant role in the production of the Born This Way album. This is probably the nearest LADY GAGA will come to doing a NEW ORDER or DEPECHE MODE cover although there was actually a rumour going round that she was considering covering People Are People
!!
From the album: The Fame Monster
A duet with BEYONCE that has RÍnÍB producer Rodney Jerkins at the controls, this turns out to be a bouncy work-out reminiscent of some of the more interesting urban/electro fusions that divas like RIHANNA have taken into the charts in recent times.
From the album: The Fame Monster
The opening salvo on Born This Way, LADY GAGA does a rippinÍ kittin as she goes all warrior queen via DONNA SUMMER with this club friendly celebration of hedonism. Almost like a 21st Century take on PET SHOP BOYS Tonight Is Forever
, producer Fernando Garibay adds some darker electronic progressions compared with the brighter digi-pop of his predecessor RedOne while the chorus soars with uncradled euphoria. Listen out for the DURAN DURAN sample too…
From the album: Born This Way
Despite a touch of MARIA CALLAS operatics in the intro, this launches into some dysfunctional electropop in the vein of GIRLS ALOUD at their XENOMANIA-led best with a chunky bass triplet in the engine room powering away alongside the Casio bleeps and percussive Man Machine
blips. This sly dig at historyÍs political sex scandals is one of the Born This Way albumÍs highlights.
From the album: Born This Way
Originally produced by RedOne, MIRRORS take the discordant verse backing and keep GagaÍs bizarre intonation to letÍs her get away with saying ñars*î rather a lot but remove the very ïpoppyÍ chorus that was not wholly unlike that of Bad Romance. The result gives things an extra darker resonance in keeping with the implied blasphemy. The edgier synthpop continues with the pulsing middle eight that somehow manages to have both feet in ïThe World Of MirrorsÍ and ïThe Haus of GagaÍ. Not to be left out, their smartly attired adversaries HURTS also contributed their own moodily epic takewhile GOLDFRAPP also got in on the act too with some low vocal pitch shifting.
From the download EP: Judas (Remix EP Part 1)
Almost reborn in the USA, this is a guilty pleasure that sounds like it’s been lifted straight off the soundtrack of St Elmo’s Fire. Hair
is Gaga in full ‘Brat Pack’ mode with sax, piano, compressed drums and power chords thrown into the melting pot plus the sort of voice that the big bouffanted Wilson sisters from HEART used to belt out regularly on MTV. Although not as interesting as album closer Edge Of The World, this is immensely catchy and gives BELINDA CARLISLE a run for her money.
From the album: Born This Way
ñI donÍt speak German but I can if you likeƒOW! Ich bin mir absolut klar, ich trag den Namen Monsterî; the Germanic dance influences come to the fore with Ms Germanotta monologuing ïin DeutschÍ while RedOne provides his futuristic trance sheen on this thunderous, highly enjoyable warehouse romp. Only SCOOTER and lots of shouting are missing from this party!
From the album: Born This Way
A superb mid-paced beat driven ballad in the vein of MADONNA with Gregorian chants, pizzicato stabs, vintage synths and increasingly prevalent religious references in the mix. ñI wonÍt crucify the things you doî she says. If Judas is LADY GAGAÍs Like A Prayer
, then Bloody Mary
could well be her Oh Father
.
From the album: Born This Way
This superbly bizarre anthemic number may well be constructed like a Springsteen stomper complete with a wholly authentic Clarence Clemons sax break but it strangely ends up sounding like PAT BENATAR mashed up with LA D SSELDORF over a Teutonic techno beat! Another Fernando Garibay production, he ably fills the mantle previously held by RedOne as chief helmsmen.
From the album: Born This Way
LADY GAGAÍs albums The Fame Monster, The Remix
and Born This Way are released by Interscope/Polydor Records
www.ladygaga.com
Text by Chi Ming Lai
16th June 2011
