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"Bloody Mary"
Where dubstep squelch-crunch meets pizzicato plucks. More crucifixion imagery: "I'm gonna dance, dance, dance/With my hands above my head." Am I a bad person if I prefer her paean to Judas? This is surprisingly restrained though, if you can believe that from the above description. Actually, maybe even a little boring.
"Bad Kids"
It's no secret that I love pop stars' expensively yet naively warped takes on rock guitar; Michael Jackson's "Black or White," a huge cornerstone of my youth, was always my fave. The chorus of this is pretty Jackson-worthy, as is the heavenly, synthed-up backbeat, which is constantly shifting gears to make room for the warped rock sounds. Easily her best production to date and possibly her best song (that isn't a single, anyway). Probably a lock for best thing here.
"Highway Unicorn (Road 2 Love)"
More hamhanded drama like "Marry the Night" and (sorry) "Bad Romance," though "Bad Romance" was a lot more steamrolling. But it's keeping up the momentum. High-paced filler is the best kind.
"Heavy Metal Lover"
Swollen synths, crawling stomp. She wants your pretty mouth. The real heavy metal lovers will backtrack to "Bad Kids"; this is getting a little samey again. Britney fans will find something to do with the "ooh-hoo" coos in the hook. Daft Punk fans will dig the breakdown.
"Electric Chapel"
More heavy metal. McTool riff. Synth strings. Harpsichord? Guitar solo putting me to sleep. All the four-on-the-floor is getting a bit wearying; how can people say she's so much better than Britney Spears when Spears has had to skate her vocals around skittering Neptunes contraptions and various Timbaland-style polyphonies? I mean, Britney's debut had a reggae song. Change it up, Lady.
"Yoü & I"
Finally, that other thing Gaga knows how to do: fake Elton john ballads. But this one has ginormous crunk claps (e.g. J-Kwon's "Tipsy") -- I laughed out loud the first time they came in. Song is pretty great '70s AM-radio cheese though. It even hints she could handle a country song. If only the lyrics didn't match: "There's something about/Baby, you and I." We know, hun; even Bad Company knows. She's really in love with the idea of "heavy metal," isn't she? The guitar solo is more appropriate here but we didn't really need it. Bonus: She takes Jesus' name in vain the same way those red staters do. This is far more subversive than "Born This Way."
"The Edge of Glory"
Finally, the high drama pays off! She steals "hanging on a moment with you" from Lifehouse, of all people. This is a finale both relaxed and intense in an almost Springsteenian way, except it's a rave ballad (with a Clarence Clemmons sax breakdown, if that helps you visualize). It helps that she sings her titanium heart out. This is a good album by a visionary with something to prove, even if she's still more of a fan (of heavy metal, Madonna, Elton ballads, Eurocheese) than visionary. And it's better than anything Madonna or Elton (or heavy metal) has churned out in a minute. That's just her youth, you say? We'll see.
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