| re: Alternate Reality | |
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Posted by: |
John_Galt (-=John Galt=-) 10:59 pm UTC 10/06/07 |
| In reply to: | re: Alternate Reality - Scaramouche 06:49 pm UTC 10/06/07 |
| Steinmaniacs, I'm not sure that crediting Jim as a co-artist would have resulted in a significant difference in terms of Jim's relationship with Meat Loaf, but I think it would have resulted in a much different music industry in which songwriters would have likely made their way into the pop culture story that drives record sales. Consider that Bat Out of Hell was a very successful record and, for years, A&R people were eager to find what distinguished the record, In other words, what did this Meat Loaf record have that others did not? In the alternate universe you propose, the conclusion would have been drawn for the marketing crowd: Bat Out of Hell was a songwriter/artist duo. In other words, the industry may have concluded that songwriters can sell records. I think the way people write about, analyze, and experience music would have changed so that people would include songwriters in the artist category. The copycat songwriter-artist recordings released in the wake of Bat's success would have stimulated this the way supply can stimulate demand. In contemporary pop culture, songwriters loose out because they don't have as much of a role in the marketing story as they'd like. Ironically, they are kind of written out. As a corrolary, there aren't a lot of songwriter stars, and they don't draw the kids to the box office -- so to speak. There are certain Bon Jovi fans who are entranced or enriched by a backstory about a bunch of guys who grew up together in New Jersey, struggled together, stuck together, drank together, and triumphed together -- the music is informed by their backgrounds and their relationships. This is so even though Bon Jovi may have been just a collection of studio musicians put together by an A&R guy. After "Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell (with Songs by Jim Steinman)," many acts would be marketed as songwriter artist duos. For example Michael Dube and The Law present Fade to Black II. The story music fans would hear in interviews and read in fanzines would include the many fights between Dube and The Law, Dube's creative process and his influences including the fictional high school teacher who told him he'd never be great if chose to play piano or guitar instead of the french horn, the way Dube and The Law interact creatively, the fact the Dube based a song on the Law's life, the way Dube discovered or created The Law, how the album related to where Dube is in his life right now and The Law's newfound interest in Zen Buddhism. I'm mostly kidding, I don't think Mike has worked with anybody known as the Law, but my point still stands: If Bat was a success as a songwriter-singer collaboration, songwriters would have likely made their way into the pop culture story that drives record sales. I think Jim and Meat don't work together today because when Meat Loaf needs product, Jim tells him wait and goes and works on recycling his melodies into musical theater productions. Bat Out of Hell III is about a valuable trademark that wasn't being used and probably would never have been used if Meat Loaf was forced to wait until he was eighty for Jim to deliver 8 new songs. Jim is a surprisingly charming and great guy, but Jim and Meat aren't working together anywmore because Jim doesn't write pop-rock songs anymore -- or if he does, it's too recycled or too rare a practice. The artist credit on Bat I doesn't have anything to do with that. Please no hate mail. It's just my opinion and not even worth two cents. -=John Galt=- > I think they were originally thinking 'Jim Steinman > presents....' and then whatever: > > 'Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell' or 'Bat Out of Hell - Vocals > by Meat Loaf' or.... > > I suppose 'Jim Steinman presents...Bat Out of Hell - > Vocals by Meat Loaf' could have been the title, but it > would have caused confusion amongst the 'public'; is it a > Jim Steinman record, is it a Meat Loaf record, what the > fuck is going on, oh bollocks I won't buy it? > > I think with hindsight, Sonnenberg (or whoever) did the > right thing in crediting 'Meat Loaf' only. > > The name was unusual/interesting at the time, and tended > to suggest a group (a lot of people, including me, thought > this for a time), as opposed to a single performer. > > I think Jim came off reasonably well with the 'Songs > By...' credit on the front cover, and his boat race on the > back. > > Having said all that, if it had been credited 'Meat Loaf & > Jim Steinman' who knows what would have happened; Jim has > indicated he would have probably written/produced a lot > more stuff for Meat. > > However, I don't think Jim would have toured as much, and > maybe Sonnenberg knew this at the time? > > > > > > > > > > > Never seen this question asked before, but I know that > > originally Bat out of Hell was supposed to be by Meat Loaf > > and Steinman on the cover, and we all know how it went > > from there. That said, if Steinman's name was the same > > size as Meat's on the cover, and they went as Meat and > > Steinman, would they have wound up having to tour all the > > time together? It seems like once you put the "and" in > > there you're kinda stuck together. Hopefully this makes > > sense, I just woke up. | |
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