Disco de Lady Gaga: “The Remix”

Like everybody else, I'm googoo for Gaga, but not just because of the original versions of her pop classics. For every hit she has, there are 5+ GREAT remixes to accompany them. As a huge fan of dance/club music I think I actually prefer her remixes to the original most of the time. This collection is a great representation of the versatility of her music and is also a good sample of some of her best remixes.

HOWEVER...

After you have bought this CD (It's only $7.99, why not?) you'll need to seek out some other Gaga remixes conveniently located on AmazonMP3 because frankly, there are some EPIC masterpieces out there that unfortunately didn't make it to this CD. Here's my Must List:

- LoveGame (Dave Aude mix)

- Poker Face (Jody den Broeder Remix)

- Paparazzi (James Carameta Tabloid Remix) - (DJ Dan mix is my personal favorite, but I can't find it on AmazonMp3)

- Telephone (Crookers Vocal Remix) (Kaskade Mix is also great)

- Alejandro (Dave Aude Mix)

- Bad Romance (Chew Fu H1N1 Fix)

- Just Dance (HCCR's Bambossa Main Mix) (Can't find this on AmazonMp3 either)

And those are just some that come to mind. Gaga really goes all out when releasing singles and no one appreciates that more than me. If you haven't yet discovered the power of a Gaga club remix, you have a lot of catching up to do! Get this CD, check out the other remixes I've listed, and then buy the individual single CDs if you still haven't got enough. They're well worth it!

I suppose it says something about the quality of the original songs when remixing them just doesn't work as well! There's no denying that the songs presented here from The Fame and The Fame Monster are all immaculate in their original state. However, it seems that the various DJ's and musicians have had difficulty creating a good remix, as the songs here are unimpressive, bland and unimaginative. The only two tracks worth listening to are the remixes of "Paparazzi" and "Alejandro". "LoveGame" is interesting for a little bit just to hear Marilyn Manson's part, but that grows old very quickly. Listening to the songs on this record only makes me pine to listen to the originals. For Lady Gaga completionists, this release may suit you, but sadly this is the kind of record you listen to once or twice before it just collects dust.

I absolutely love Lady Gaga so of course I'm going to purchase this CD. But the remixes definitely leave something to be desired. They are not the flowly, inventive kind of remix, they are the constant, repetitive thumping kind of remix. I concluded after listening to it that it was ipod worthy but no need to keep the cd in my car. And I think it makes sense to ponder, is it really necessary to make remixes of dance songs anyway?

The Remix, is okay. I'm not going gaga over it, though. I was expecting more.

Lovegame and Dance In The Dark, are the best out of the ten remixed titles. Like one reviewer on Amazon mentioned, there are better remixes on youtube.

I think there should have been a definitive remix release. The collection seems limited in scope.

A remix has the potential to completely reinvent a song. Prince added additional lyrics and bold musical detours for his Purple Rain through Sign O' The Times singles. Kate Bush added lyrics, guest voices and new arrangements to her Hounds of Love 12" vinyl singles. Victor Calderone created an absolutely stunning 10-minute re-imagining Madonna's Beautiful Stranger; Steve Lillywhite had the genius to boldly dismantle, reconstruct and expand Big Country's early singles using only the originally-recorded musical components. Duran Duran added dark edge to their singles, releasing them as Night Versions.

And then there's Lady Gaga's The Remix. Like most remix albums these days, the guest DJs add generic, pre-programmed beats and sand all the edges off the original production. Where Gaga's originals have meat and spice, these are boiled a bit bland for my taste. That said, if you need a good workout mix, this is ready to go.

If nothing else, this helps stave off the hunger for Gaga's next album in 2011. There's not a mix in the bunch I would click past when it comes up on my Shuffle.

And if you're on the fence about CD or download, don't opt for the CD just for the artwork. All you get is the pretty cover and a single inlay of production credits on the inside. White type on gray background. No lyrics. No additional photos. No liner notes. One would think that Gaga might not even know about this release's existence.