Lady Gaga

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 9 Jul 2010 7:17 am

After seeing Lady Gaga on the today show, I'm convinced she is the younger generation's Liza Minelli.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 9 Jul 2010 8:13 am

Yeah, she's a sensation for sure. I just caught the very tail end of the performance, so I didn't see enough to really tell what the music was.

I think GaGa and Prince might be the same person.

I mean, have they ever been seen together at any place at the same time

Joe Rouse · Post by **Joe Rouse** » 9 Jul 2010 8:25 am

Jerry,
I think you might have something there...they both walk the same and dress pretty much the same...jr

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 9 Jul 2010 8:47 am

Whatever... she's the latest to jump on the bandwagon started by Madonna and continued by Gwen Stefani. Dance music that's that's high on the singer's personality but low on actual musical content. Videos with lots of fancy dancing that attempts to be high concept but seem to sell mainly sex.

Yawn...

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 9 Jul 2010 8:47 am

I'm watching that now and she started off with a killer version of "Someone To Watch Over Me" I know almost nothing about her but she can sing and play the piano.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 9 Jul 2010 9:00 am

Richard, I'd totally disagree with you. Unlike Madonna, Gaga has talent, puts out very interesting pop music, can really sing and play piano, and has developed a very interesting performance style. Too easy to dismiss pop singers, but I'd put her closer to Michael Jackson (who also used dancers extensively) rather than Madona.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 9 Jul 2010 10:08 am

Wow! Someone to Watch Over Me. I'm really sorry I missed it. All I saw was the very end where she was lying on the stage in the rain and thanking New York for her success.

She has a very powerful great voice. All I have ever heard from her is the pop stuff, Papparazzi, Poker Face, Disco Stick etc.

I guess every entertainer needs a gimmick to be noticed, I find her various headgear dress to be generally interesting if somewhat bizarre at times.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 9 Jul 2010 10:18 am

Actually I thought the Someone To Watch over me was the weakest number, but then again, I've heard a lot of great jazz singers sing that and she is not a jazz singer. She seemed more in her element when she started doing her own stuff.

One thing I like about her is that she re-invests in herself, paying for the elaborate stage presentations out of her own pocket.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 9 Jul 2010 10:18 am

The only similarity I see to Liza Minelli is that Minelli makes me Gag-Gag!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 9 Jul 2010 10:21 am

It is the absolute need to be entertaining, putting everything out there as if each performance was life or death, that reminds me of Liza. There was something in her look today also that made me think, she is not going to age well.

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 9 Jul 2010 10:34 am

Bill McCloskey wrote:Unlike Madonna, Gaga has talent,

Madonna's talent is shameless self promotion.

As far as Ms Gaga is concerned, I guess I'm too jaded about her chosen style to be able to see the difference between what she does and antics of Ms' Ciccone or Stefani.

To each his own.

Bill McCloskey wrote:she is not going to age well

I heard somewhere she has some something similar to MS, so I'll have to agree with you on that point. Perhaps that's where her urgency come from, the awareness of an impending best before date.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 9 Jul 2010 10:34 am

Bill I respectfully disagree with you,I thought she nailed the song,I've heard a million versions of it myself.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 9 Jul 2010 10:56 am

No issue Stu, if you liked it, you liked it. I think she nailed it as good as any pop singer. I wouldn't put her up against Ella though. Small point, because she certainly nailed the rest of the performance.

I think she has one of those talents that certain rare people have: when you hear one of her songs, the hooks are so strong and infectious that you think you've heard the song all your life.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 9 Jul 2010 3:33 pm

Bill,I see what you mean,I wouldn't put her up there with Ella either.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 9 Jul 2010 3:50 pm

Well, I get your point, but it's a rather unfair test of a jazz singer whether you could 'put her up there with Ella'! After all, there are many legitimate jazz singers who would be the first to say that Ella is in a field of her own. That's like saying someone must not be much of a steel player because they can't go head-to-head with Emmons.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 9 Jul 2010 4:08 pm

You know you are correct.

I had tivo'd the thing and just now watched the entire performance. For those that didn't see it: she started out with jazz ( and I have to adjust my original opinion. It was much better than I heard it this morning. She must have gotten better during the day).

Then one of her hits. Then this new blues piece with her pounding the keyboard in the pouring rain, doing a very credible Jerry Lee Lewis style piano rock piece, each piece choreographed, staged, and worked out perfectly, where she ends up on her back on the piano belting out the last notes.

Then she does her current hit, with more choreography, very well produced and her voice, dance and style are such throw backs to old fashioned entertainment. Vaudville almost.

Then it comes back from the break and she is at the end of her last song. It was pouring rain and she apparently just said, let's go and started performing for the audience rather than the TV audience. She is soaked, playing her heart out.

It was pretty amazing. Ed Sullivan moment, in my opinion.

Those who think she is in the same league as Britney Spears, Madonna, or any of the other crap out there...this woman is the real deal.

IMHO

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 9 Jul 2010 4:11 pm

Bill McCloskey wrote: I think she has one of those talents that certain rare people have: when you hear one of her songs, the hooks are so strong and infectious that you think you've heard the song all your life.

That's because you have been hearing them all your life--her music is just recycled music and her melodies are frequently too close to other melodies. For instance, the song Bad Romance contains some stuff that sounds remarkably similar to ELO's Don't Bring Me Down. Plus, it's cheesy 80s dance music...who listens to this crap besides girls? She's got a modicum of musical talent, but shouldn't that at least be expected of every musical star? I guess it's pretty obvious I'm not a fan.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 9 Jul 2010 4:45 pm

Lady CaCa.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 9 Jul 2010 8:05 pm

RE: "Someone To Watch Over Me", I think Lady Gaga performed it better than Amy Winehouse.

That's such a great tune. Any steel guitar recordings of it? I think that would be a good task for Jim Cohen.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 9 Jul 2010 8:38 pm

Yeah, Lee, that's up my alley. I've fooled around with the tune, but never got it fully worked up to the point of performance. Maybe one of these days it'll bubble up to the top my priority list.

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 10 Jul 2010 5:27 am

I can't believe that I kind of like her, but I do. That kind of music and performance are not my thing, but by golly the girl makes you watch and listen to what's going on which is what a performer should do.
I caught an hour long interview with her recently and she seems to be a very honest and sincere person, not really a big ego or anything like that. She describes herself as a performance artist.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 10 Jul 2010 5:30 am

Delivery notwithstanding, I think she deserves some points for selecting this old standard and paying homage.

Many current pop artists seem uninterested in traditional tunes and style. This says something for her musical education and taste if nothing else.

Mat Rhodes · Post by **Mat Rhodes** » 10 Jul 2010 4:36 pm

You naysayers would have nothing but praise for her artistic vision if she used a steel guitarist. Fickle bunch 'a ...

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 10 Jul 2010 4:41 pm

Listen...she writes her own stuff. She certainly comes dressed for performance which should keep a certain contingent happy here, she plays the piano well and can belt like Jerry Lee Lewis, she out Madonnas Madonna, she openly wants to succeed, not on drugs, battling a lupus like disease, she sings well, she puts on a great show, she mixes it up, she has as much fun with fashion as Dolly Parton (who, in fact, she probably most resembles from an ambition and talent area)

What is not to like. ....and I'm a jazz guy.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 10 Jul 2010 5:27 pm

Matt Rhodes wrote:You naysayers would have nothing but praise for her artistic vision if she used a steel guitarist. Fickle bunch 'a ...

I might could play steel in that band. That would be an interesting gig.