Comparing Lady Gaga to Guns N' Roses

Liner Notes: The return of Ask Dr. Rock Snob!

By CURTIS ROSS | The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 02, 2011

Q. Dear Dr. Rock Snob: What's the deal with Lady Gaga? People write think pieces and structure college courses around her. I listened to her new album, "Born This Way," and it's not bad but hardly earth-shaking. What gives?

A. Remember Guns N' Roses?

Q. Vaguely. Why?

A. In the late '80s, Guns N' Roses was the second coming of the Rolling Stones, according to pretty much everyone but sticks-in-the-mud like me. "Appetite for Destruction" was apparently essential, five-star stuff, which is high praise for one great song — "It's So Easy" — and 11 pretty good to so-so Aerosmith rewrites.

It wasn't that Guns was so great, it was that every other mainstream rock band was so terrible. This was the era of Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Cinderella. Any four schmoes that could squeeze into spandex were ripe for a record contract and a no-brown M&M's concert rider.

So when Guns came along, looking and sounding a lot tougher than what was readily available, folks went ape. Sure, any real rock 'n' roll band could have mopped the floor with 'em, but there weren't any around. Guns N' Roses won by default.

Same with Gaga. Compared to the competition — Britney, Katy, Avril, Pink — Gaga is an Artist and a Major Talent.

Now Gaga tries hard and seems to genuinely love the fans who love her right back. And her concert was great. But so far she doesn't seem able or willing to channel that into her music. Some of the lyrics might raise an eyebrow of two — "Government Hooker," anyone? — but even those are easy to ignore in the music's recycling of dance-pop clichés.

We crave new performers who are both great and able to appeal to the masses. When we don't get them — and we haven't for a long time — we elevate the best of what we have to that status.

Q. You could say we use our delusion.

A. Oh, shut up.

Source: http://www2.tbo.com/entertainment/music/2011/jun/02/liner-notes-the-return-of-ask-dr-rock-snob-ar-234531/

Haha, that's a fair point I suppose. I think he is wrong to write Guns off like that, but they wouldn't have stood up to a Zeppelin or Stones.

And Gaga is pretty good methinks.

What Mr Sitars said

Pink is another talent and shouldn't be dismissed that easily

666 wrote:Pink is another talent and shouldn't be dismissed that easily

She hasn't got such crazy outfits.

"which is high praise for one great song — "It's So Easy" — and 11 pretty good to so-so Aerosmith rewrites."







Someone please fire this hack.

seely wrote:"which is high praise for one great song — "It's So Easy" — and 11 pretty good to so-so Aerosmith rewrites."

Someone please fire this hack.

Hmm, yeah, that was annoying .

And also

"Sure, any real rock 'n' roll band could have mopped the floor with 'em, but there weren't any around. Guns N' Roses won by default."



Fuck sake man...