Gaga and Elton John duet tonight. Cool.

[whyverne]

Can't wait for the Grammys. Sir John and the Lady.

Interesting article on Gaga:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029621644867154.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

"She's very vaudevillian," says an admiring Alice Cooper, the rocker whose history of stage theatrics includes simulated decapitations. But he says Gaga's antics only work because "she can really sing."

"On MySpace, Gaga has had 321.5 million plays. By contrast, singer Susan Boyle tallied only 133,000 plays, despite scoring the No. 2 selling album of 2009."

"While Ms. Swift represents the pretty (but friendly!) girl next door, Gaga's allure is that of a misfit run amok in the system, a role that has helped her cut across disparate subcultures, including teens, finicky hipsters and gays, to whom she sends frequent shout-outs."

Since I'm over 60 and straight, I guess I would fit into the "finicky hipsters" classification. HeeHee.

[tridim]

1. If she's such a good singer, how come all of her recorded songs suck?

Sorry fans, I don't think I'll ever get it.

I'm not surprised that Republicans Alice Cooper and Rush Limbaugh like her.

And BTW I should mention, I've always loved Elton John. It's the first 8-track I remember playing as a 3 or 4 year old in the 70's. My Dad gave me his original 8-track collection as a gag gift a few years ago. :)

[closeupready]

3. Maybe because you're a philistine?

Just kidding. I like her music - she has a voice and it's catchy. I doubt she set out to bring about world peace or to defeat terrorism - she sing and entertains, and apparently, she's good at it. Why the hate?

[tridim]

5. It's not hate. It's just that she's getting credit for being a musical genius..

and she's not. At least not any more than the Spice Girls for instance. They all use pitch correction. Why?

It's more of a complaint about the general state of the entertainment industry than anything else.

[Heidi]

11. No pitch correction here.

Stefani Germanotta (now known as Lady Gaga) performing live at NYU in 2005.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93h9aCRp8eg

[whyverne]

14. I missed the part where I or the article said she was a "musical genius".

And there are videos out there, pre-Gaga, where she does a fantastic job without any signs of "pitch correction".

http://dailycontributor.com/stefani-germanotta-before-she-bacame-lady-gaga/8780/

Never mind, I bet you don't like much of anything.

[tridim]

16. I like lots of good music, like Elton John's entire discography.

Don't take my criticism personally. I think I still have the right to express my opinion.

Google "gaga musical genius" and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

[whyverne]

18. Nothing personal. I still like to argue with my parents about music.

Even though I'm over 60 and my parents are dead.

[liberalmuse]

15. Not necessarily...

she's getting credit for the way she's marketed her image AND is able to deliver a riveting performance on stage. 'Bad Romance' is one of the catchiest pop songs to come along in a good while. She definitely causes a reaction when she steps out there in her odd garb. Her music is fun, and you can clearly tell her influences. She has a great voice and writes most of her own songs. What I love about her is she found something unique in herself and is not ashamed to flaunt it in everyone's faces. It's kind of inspiring to some of us. How many people would write a pop song like, 'Teeth'? It's a delightfully weird and kinky song with distinct musical roots in the beat. You can definitely tell she's a student of music.

[tridim]

19. That's fine, but it doesn't mean I have to like her music.

She does have a unique stage presence and a sense of showmanship, I'll give you that.

[lazarus]

38. Great

I just downloaded a remix version of "Bad Romance". Love it. My daughter walks out of the back room and asks when I turned gay.

Sigh.

(And to head off some comments, she and I are both bi. It was a joke.)

[closeupready]

31. The entertainment industry definitely markets talentless vocalists.

That is true - you can tell in the way so many pop songs sound exactly alike or voices are overproduced so much that they sound like computers. I have a big problem with how contemporary music is produced, yes, totally agree.

[Captain Hilts]

34. Male singers don't use pitch correction as much, because they aren't expected to be good singers. nt

[Jennicut]

4. I love her music. I dance to her videos every day on Youtube with my kids.

Yes, I am a dork.

[tridim]

8. Cool. Not trying to deny anyone who is a fan.

[Captain Hilts]

9. They're fun. Fun is good. nt

[whyverne]

22. There you go. Very succinct.

I used to be pretentious about music and was only happy when someone like Bonnie Raitt won Grammys.

I'm glad i got over that.

"May you stay, forever young."

[Captain Hilts]

28. Bonnie is a fun lovin' girl. I'll bet she's danced to Rock Lobster at some point. nt

[Captain Hilts]

7. Well, Taylor Swift, Ke$ha, Alicia Keyes and so many others can't sing worth a damn

in public. Keyes was just awful at the Haiti telethon.

Women - unlike men - are expected to be able to sing well, so they grab marketable sweet young things who can't necessarily sing and use autotune.

[Heidi]

10. "Speechless."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8aAdHQEbSY

On par with anything Elton John has ever written or recorded, and I'm an Elton John fan.

[tridim]

13. Elton John has no songs that mention "Elton John" in the lyrics.

And Elton John doesn't need autotune.

[Heidi]

21. I'm not gonna get in a pissin' match with you, because you've made up your mind.

I would, however, be interested in hearing your views on performance art, abstract expressionism and other forms of art that are not purely representational. I'm interested because there might be a correlation between your dismissal of Stefani Germanotta's work and your opinion of similar, sometimes theatrical, art.

[tridim]

24. Well yes, nobody is going to change my mind.

I'll give her full credit for showmanship, which could certainly be considered artistic. I'm a fan of all types of artistic expression, abstract or not.

I respect her attempt, but I still don't like her music. That's really the only point I was making.

[Heidi]

25. Fair enough. .

End of discussion. :hi:

[Bluenorthwest]

32. That is if you don't count the one called 'Elton's Song'

and also if you discount the autobiographic works in Captain Fantastic. I'm a huge Elton fan, and like him, a huge GaGa fan.

[liberalmuse]

17. I love the way her voice catches in that song.

She really does have a wonderful voice that is not the same in every single song.

[Forkboy]

37. I don't get it either, but who gives a fuck?

I could play Deathspell Omega for 10,000 people here and maybe 1 would go, "Hang on a minute, that's not too bad!"

I've given LG some listens in the interest of fairness (not just a cursory listen, but whole CDs), and while it doesn't appeal to me much I can see a touch more than most of that genre have to offer (for what that's worth...lol).

My feeling is that whatever people like musically is ok, just so long as they like music is some form or another.

Besides, I'm listening to this...who am I to judge? (btw, the riff at the 33 second mark kills!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFQdvaU-JlY

[xchrom]

2. The perfect pairing!

I hope he drags out a fabulous outfit to go with
GaGa.

[Captain Hilts]

6. I'm amused by Gaga but tired of people needing to be outrageous. nt

[liberalmuse]

20. I understand why she does it...

She doesn't have the look of a Britney Spears, Taylor Swift or most of the barbiesque female pop stars out there. She needed something unique in a good way to get herself noticed. It works. I'm tired of it too, but to my surprise, I like her weird fashion and looks, especially when she gets on the stage.

[Captain Hilts]

29. Yes, I 'get' it too. Sad that's what it takes. nt

[whyverne]

23. And if she wasn't, she'd still be sitting in a piano bar.

Making a hundred bucks a night.

[Captain Hilts]

30. Yep. Sad. nt

[Heidi]

27. How do you know it's a "need" and not something she thoroughly enjoys?

As far as I know, she's deeply involved not only in songwriting and performance, but production, staging and costume design. Many artists would love to have the degree of control Stefani Germanotta/Lady Gaga has over her own work at only 23 years old.

What do you find "outrageous" about her work?

[liberalmuse]

12. Must see!

Many months ago, I wondered, WTF is this silly, pretentious woman? Now I'm a huge fan. LOVES her! She actually has talent and a damn good stage presence.

[Swede]

26. I am very surprised by how much I like her and her music.

As she matures her songwriting skills will also,she will be around for a long time.

[Djarun]

33. I just wonder which one of the pianos will be on fire!

[whyverne]

35. Actually I thought it said they're going to be on the same piano.

That's why I was really excited.

[Djarun]

36. hmmm, 2 queens on the same piano, thats so crazy it just might work!

[Fumesucker]

39. I watched the EJ LG duet on Youtube...

I didn't really care all that much for the first half of the video with LG by herself but thought the duet was very well done and enjoyed it.. She definitely has stage presence..

I don't think Elton would do a duet with someone that wasn't quite talented.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47lFF10_3z4

[Whisp]

40. funny thing...

just before the fam gathered around the grammy tube I said to my daught Lady Gaga is like Elton John in his early days - very talented and using clown wear to make eyeball statements. sorta.
and voila, they do a duet.