Give it a second listen

Lady Gaga - The Remix – Various Artists – 2011

I

t’s treading on tricky ground when a group of different artists from different backgrounds take a much loved album from an insanely loved lady and completely turn it on its head. Artists from Goldfapp to Foster the People have all taken a Gaga song and given it their own unique twist.

It took me a while to get into this, as a Gaga fan (I’m no little Monster I feel I should add) you know the songs, what they represent and just how much they are loved all over the world. This album is made up of 14 tracks from the “Born this Way” album, some I would say, after a listen or two match the brilliance of the original and some just belong in some cheap, tacky nightclub.

Tracks such as “Judas” by Hurts Remix, “Yoü And I” by Metronomy Remix and “Marry the Night” remixed by The Weeknd & Illangelo Remix have all taken the Queen of Pop’s music and given it a darker sort of vibe. All three artists have surprisingly done the songs justice. The use of bass, echoing, distortion and things alike have all transformed these songs into a genre that even Gaga haters might enjoy.

Some tracks have, believe it or not have even been remixed to make them sound even more “Poppy” than they were to begin with. The German orientated track “Scheiβe” remixed by Guena LG Club Remix wouldn’t sound out of place on a David Guetta album.

(Image from Google)

Although some tracks are a triumphant success others I feel have just completely degraded the songs and their meanings. “The Edge of Glory” by Sultan & Ned has destroyed the song that the singer originally wrote about her Grandfather. The song starts of “OK” I suppose but it just features far too much Synth to the point where it sounds as though it could be on a cheap “beats” album you can pick up for a quid at a supermarket.

 I would however recommend this album if you are into something a bit different, a bit alternative. As a student it’s a good album to do revision or course work to and an even better album to go jogging to or indeed whatever floats your boat. It’s a good album but that is all it is, give it a listen once and you might as well forget about it but listen to it again and you might just surprise yourself.

The Best…

“Born This Way” – Twin Shadow Remix
Twin Shadow Remix have done what I feel a remix should do, take a song do something unique and completely different from the original track but still be able to recognise the song fully (if that can make any sense to you). This track leaves the original structure of the song, lyrics wise but changes it up by adding different beats, effects and bass. Just what a remix track ought to be like.

 The Worst…

“Judas” – Goldrapp
Surprisingly the worst comes from the much loved electronic artist Goldfrapp. Unfortunately I just don’t get this song. It shares some of the same darkness that some of the other’s do but it just sounds confused from the word get go. It’s not that there’s a male singing it instead of the Gaga herself, it’s just that the singer sounds drunk. There is a constant bass beat in the background which drones on throughout the song which itself never really seems to go anywhere. Just a bit boring I’m afraid.