OK, I'll kick this new series of with a real obvious one ...
"Bat Out of Hell" Meat Loaf
Now one _ well, me for instance _ could make a hugely persuasive argument why Jim Steinman should be constantly tortured for his crimes against humanity .... Rock'n'Roll Dreams Come True, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bat out of Hell II are fine places to start ...
But for some bizarre, I think satanic reason, this album works.
Of course, a key ingredient is the vocals of Mr Loaf. Inside that behemoth body (yeah, he was a varsity tackle and a helluva block
)had to lie a decent set of pipes, right?
But it would've been out of place if Marvin Lee Aday didn't find the right vehicle in Steinman's whacked-out combination of overblown Wagnerian pop, classic rock'n'roll, twisted lyrics and sense of the pompous and absurd mixed in with tacky humour.
Rememer this album exploded in the middle of Disco v Punk _ it had to be off-the-wall to get attention.
But if it wasn't for the ear of a Columbia A @ R man named, from memory, Gregg Popovich, it was quite likely Steinman's magnum opus was going to be dumped in the bin.
Still astounds me how so many tone deaf company lackees could miss Steinman's love affair with all things American and r'n'r _ the motor crash song (Bat out of Hell is just Tell Laura I Love Her gone rock opera), the making out car song (Paradise by the Dashboard Light), talking bits in songs (always a sign of greatness!!)....and have a listen to the drums in You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth and u could simply substitute them for Then He Kissed Me...
He did get some pretty good help though - I'd hate to think what it would have sounded like without the guitar god Todd Rundgren at the helm to cut the fat...come on, if Steinman had been left in charge it woulda been a triple album....
Throw in some Springsteen extras, Ellen Foley's backing vocals .... a friggin baseball commentary, and you have a weird, disfigured creature that drew its own life and strength...
Sales should never be recognised as a measure of quality _ man, I sold enough absolute cack/pants/dreck to make me shower 10 hours a day for a lifetime. But its longevity as a seller is astonishing. It is, beyond any doubt, the biggest selling back-catalogue album is retail existence _ I'd roughly estimate it would sell 3000 copies a day worldwide. And I've yet to figure out whether the guy at CBS who made it a mid-price product is a either a friggin genius or the biggest moron out since beantownjim mated with sportsfanaticusa ...
Suffice to say; ain't many of you, yeah, like me can't resist it when this bashes in...
"It was a hot summer night and the beach was burning..."
Next week in Series 2? Ah, um, maybe something by U2 _ every time I feel like patting Bono on the back there's some song I'll remember that turns it into a face slap....
Your contributions are greatly anticipated...
Love
Phil Spector's Gun
"Bat Out of Hell" Meat Loaf
Now one _ well, me for instance _ could make a hugely persuasive argument why Jim Steinman should be constantly tortured for his crimes against humanity .... Rock'n'Roll Dreams Come True, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bat out of Hell II are fine places to start ...
But for some bizarre, I think satanic reason, this album works.
Of course, a key ingredient is the vocals of Mr Loaf. Inside that behemoth body (yeah, he was a varsity tackle and a helluva block
)had to lie a decent set of pipes, right?But it would've been out of place if Marvin Lee Aday didn't find the right vehicle in Steinman's whacked-out combination of overblown Wagnerian pop, classic rock'n'roll, twisted lyrics and sense of the pompous and absurd mixed in with tacky humour.
Rememer this album exploded in the middle of Disco v Punk _ it had to be off-the-wall to get attention.
But if it wasn't for the ear of a Columbia A @ R man named, from memory, Gregg Popovich, it was quite likely Steinman's magnum opus was going to be dumped in the bin.
Still astounds me how so many tone deaf company lackees could miss Steinman's love affair with all things American and r'n'r _ the motor crash song (Bat out of Hell is just Tell Laura I Love Her gone rock opera), the making out car song (Paradise by the Dashboard Light), talking bits in songs (always a sign of greatness!!)....and have a listen to the drums in You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth and u could simply substitute them for Then He Kissed Me...
He did get some pretty good help though - I'd hate to think what it would have sounded like without the guitar god Todd Rundgren at the helm to cut the fat...come on, if Steinman had been left in charge it woulda been a triple album....
Throw in some Springsteen extras, Ellen Foley's backing vocals .... a friggin baseball commentary, and you have a weird, disfigured creature that drew its own life and strength...
Sales should never be recognised as a measure of quality _ man, I sold enough absolute cack/pants/dreck to make me shower 10 hours a day for a lifetime. But its longevity as a seller is astonishing. It is, beyond any doubt, the biggest selling back-catalogue album is retail existence _ I'd roughly estimate it would sell 3000 copies a day worldwide. And I've yet to figure out whether the guy at CBS who made it a mid-price product is a either a friggin genius or the biggest moron out since beantownjim mated with sportsfanaticusa ...
Suffice to say; ain't many of you, yeah, like me can't resist it when this bashes in...
"It was a hot summer night and the beach was burning..."
Next week in Series 2? Ah, um, maybe something by U2 _ every time I feel like patting Bono on the back there's some song I'll remember that turns it into a face slap....
Your contributions are greatly anticipated...
Love
Phil Spector's Gun
