My usual rule for albums packaged
together is that if they are presented on two different albums, and were not
originally released together, then I review them at separate times (as I roll each
of them). If the albums were originally released together, or are both on a
single disc, then I review them together.
These next two discs confused me –
probably because of their similar titles – and so despite appearing as two
separate discs in one jewel case, and being released originally a year apart, I
ended up reviewing them both together.
Hey, nobody’s perfect.
Disc 746 and 747 are….The Fame and The Fame Monster
Year of Release: 2008 (The Fame) and
2009 (The Fame Monster)
What’s up with the Cover? Two covers for two albums – first “The Fame”
which features a pretty standard “Giant Head” and then “The Fame Monster” which
has Gaga getting a bit more adventurous with a vinyl outfit and a weird wig. It
isn’t meat-dress weird, but she’s just getting started here.
Because
my album came as a single package I can flip the booklet to show either cover,
but not both. I usually go with “The Fame Monster” because I like my Gaga a bit
on the weird side.
How I Came To Know It: I can’t remember. I think I
bought this for Sheila for Christmas many years back or maybe she bought it for
herself.
How It Stacks Up: We have two Lady Gaga albums – both being reviewed
right here. Of the two, I prefer “The Fame Monster.”
Ratings: 3 stars for “The Fame”, 4 stars
for “The Fame Monster”.
Before I get into each of these two albums a quick comment
on Lady Gaga in general; I like her. In fact, I more than like her – I admire
her.
When these albums first came into my house I wasn’t
expecting much, but Gaga surprised me. This may be dance pop but it is
thoughtfully composed dance pop; always entertaining and often fearless both
musically and lyrically. Moreover, this is music that is fun to listen to, and
had me in a positive mood every day that it served as my personal soundtrack on
my walk to and from work.
The Fame
From the opening notes, you know that Lady Gaga’s
debut “The Fame” is going to be filled with energy. The opening track, “Just Dance” isn’t going to make you
contemplate world peace, but it is sure going to make you want to dance.
Anyone who reads my reviews regularly will know what
I think of excess production. Is “Just
Dance” a bit over-produced? You bet it is – gloriously so. I wouldn’t
remove a single squawk box moment, electronic beep or layered voice over. I
want it all – and I want to dance.
“Lovegame”
keeps the energy up, and Gaga starts to inject the edge that had people at the
time rightly suggesting she was inheriting Madonna’s mantle (and in my opinion,
doing it better). “Let’s have some fun,
this beat is sick/I wanna take a ride on your disco stick” may not by
Pullitzer-worthy prose but it is exactly what this song is called. Consider my
disco stick suitably inspired.
The biggest problem I have with “The Fame” is that
it even though it is only 14 songs and 50 minutes long, it still drags a bit as
it progresses. The album’s first big hit “Poker
Face” is a good one, but “Eh Eh
(Nothing Else I Can Say)” and “Paparazzi”
both lack the edge of the other hits. They feel like beach anthems for teenage
girls. Teenage girls need their beach anthems (I’m not a monster) but these carefree
summer-fun anthems just didn’t strike a chord with me.
There aren’t any bad songs, which for an album in
this genre is a minor miracle, but outside of the hit singles there wasn’t much
to blow me away. “Brown Eyes” comes
close to being a touching change of pace, but doesn’t fully commit and for once
that over-production doesn’t serve the song like it should.
Overall, this album is a pretty amazing collection
of songs from a brand new artist, who was in the process of perfecting her
talent for what would come next. And that would be…
The Fame Monster
A year after “The Fame,” “The Fame Monster” is all
the good stuff, made better.
Just like “The Fame” the opening track blows you
away with its energy. In this case it is “Bad
Romance” which also makes you want to dance – vertically and horizontally
this time – taking no prisoners. Full of production, the decisions at each step
are perfect. Even if you were to strip
out every crazy back beat and overdub, you’d still be left with a pretty
melody. I once put “Bad Romance” on a
‘guilty pleasures’ playlist. The only thing I feel guilty about now is that I
was ever ashamed of liking this song.
“The Fame Monster” is a tight collection of
excellence, with only eight songs and 35 minutes it just doesn’t have time to
slow down. Even the weaker tracks, like “Telephone”
are still pretty strong.
“Alejandro”
is what ABBA’s “Fernando” would have
sounded like if it had been good. “Monster”
is half dance track and half cautionary tale of boys that are just too perfect.
Where “Brown
Eyes” tried and fell short of a change of pace, “Speechless” delivers the goods. Gaga takes a minute to drop the
production and trust to her voice and a bit of piano, and the effect is like a
refreshing mojito in the middle of a hot day on the beach. Gaga gets a bit
raspy here and channels her inner Bonnie Tyler to good effect.
The album ends with “Teeth,” one of the sexiest dance songs you’ll ever hear. With its
lascivious back beat and unabashedly forward lyrics this is the perfect club
song to meet a girl that you want to make breakfast for.
“The Fame Monster” is “The Fame” distilled down to
its best parts. It is consistently strong, brave and honest – just like Lady
Gaga. Listening to it made me want to dig deeper into her catalogue of music,
and not that Tony Bennett schmaltz she is peddling of late so people will take
her seriously. I already take her seriously. She’s wasted propping up Tony
Bennett (aka – the crappy Dean Martin).
I want her showing me her teeth and
taking no prisoners, just like she does on “The Fame Monster.”
Best
tracks (The Fame): Just Dance, Lovegame, Poker Face, The Fame
Best
tracks (The Fame Monster): Bad Romance, Alejandro, Monster, Speechless, Teeth
No comments:
Post a Comment