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| re: Meat Loaf vs. Bonnie Tyler In the Jim Steinman Power Ballad Battle | |
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Markus 01:09 pm UTC 11/10/12 |
| In reply to: | Meat Loaf vs. Bonnie Tyler In the Jim Steinman Power Ballad Battle - Jacqueline 11:42 pm UTC 11/09/12 |
| Ha, that was nice to read. :-) Nice little comparison - of course they seem to be the most known ballads by Jim. But WE know he did so many more great anthems! One thing IŽll never get is this part: "... cuts out an entire verse that's unnecessary..." I NEVER EVER felt that any single word he wrote was unnecessary. I love them all. Markus > > http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2012/11/jim_steinman_power_ballad_batt.php > > Classic Rock Corner > Meat Loaf vs. Bonnie Tyler In the Jim Steinman Power > Ballad Battle > > > Screengrab via Jim Steinman's website. > This image says so much about Mr. Steinman. > Allmusic.com describes the work of Jim Steinman as > theatrical, visceral and rousing. It also describes it as > campy, indulgent, and silly. They're exactly right: His > work is all of those things, which is why it's awesome. > A member of the Songwriting Hall of Fame, Steinman is best > known as the Bernie Taupin to Meat Loaf's Elton John, > although he also wrote hit songs for Air Supply, Celine > Dion, and, as we'll get to shortly, Bonnie Tyler. > Recently Steinman turned 65 and rather than the typical > deep cuts/greatest hits/Wikipedia rewrite that would be > more appropriate for his 50th birthday, I instead feel now > is as good a time as any to answer the following > question: > What is the greatest power ballad of all time, as written > by Jim Steinman? > > Tale of the Tape: > Contender No. 1 > "Total Eclipse of the Heart" > Performed by: Bonnie Tyler > From the Album: Faster Than the Speed of Night > Released: 1983 > Running Time: 7:02 (album), 4:30 (single) > > Contender No. 2 > "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" > Performed by: Meat Loaf > From the album: Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell > Released: 1993 > Running Time: 12:01 (album), 5:25 (single) > Round 1: Which track has the better main vocal > performance? > Although on the whole she's a great singer, Tyler comes > off a bit cold in large parts of this track. The moment > she hits "I really need you tonight" near the end of the > track it's wonderful, but a lot of her vocals elsewhere in > the song are kind of flat. > Meat Loaf is pretty stellar over the duration of his song, > emotive the moment he steps up to the microphone. And when > he finally hits the big version of the chorus at 7:02? > Magic. > "I'd Do Anything": 1 "Total Eclipse": 0 > Round 2: Which track has better backup vocals and > instrumentation? > This is a surprisingly close one. Musically I put them at > roughly the same level, with "Total Eclipse" having a > better melody but "I'd Do Anything" having better > production value. It also has the weird but awesome > motorcycle intro whereas all "Total Eclipse" has is those > weird booms as it goes in to the instrumental break. What > really broke the tie here is the other vocalists: Rory > Dodd's vocals on the "turn around bright eyes" feel like > they clash with the song while Lorraine Crosby holds her > own with Meat Loaf in her duet section. > "I'd Do Anything": 2 "Total Eclipse": 0 > > Continued from page 1 > > > Round 3: Which track is easier to understand? > While its vocals and music are great, "I'd Do Anything" > does have one major problem: People seem to have a real > hard time comprehending what the song is about. It seems > there are many, including whomever wrote the bubbles on > Pop-Up Video, that don't know what "that" thing that Meat > Loaf wouldn't do is. > You could argue that these people have a point; although > the song does explain what "that" is it does so in a > pretty roundabout fashion. As for "Total Eclipse," I've > never once heard anyone complain that they didn't know > what Tyler was singing about. Sometimes you win by not > losing. > "I'd Do Anything": 2 "Total Eclipse": 1 > Round 4: Which track would you rather sing? > I've never once heard anyone sing "I'd Do Anything" at > karoke. I've never seen anyone cover it. Although I've > seen it on a few people's mix CDs I rarely see anyone > singing along to it in the car. On the other hand most > people seem to love singing "Total Eclipse." > You get someone who thinks they have a decent singing > voice, get a little bit of alcohol in them, and start the > song and they'll be belting it out like there's no > tomorrow. I assume this goes back to the "ease of > understanding" thing; because we understand "Total > Eclipse" better it's easier for us to sing it. > "I'd Do Anything": 2 "Total Eclipse": 2 > Round 5: Which track makes the best use of its running > time? > At 7:02 and 12:01 these songs aren't exactly short. Even > the versions released as singles are way longer than the > average track that hits radio. I think most people feel > that the single release of "Total Eclipse" is the best. It > cuts out an entire verse that's unnecessary as evidenced > by the fact that no one knows any of the lyrics to it. > This round goes to "I'd Do Anything," because at the end > of the day it is Steinman at his most Steinman; it has a > mock motorcycle intro that takes up the first 30 seconds > of the song, the big version of the hook doesn't hit for > seven minutes, and you don't even find out there's a duet > part for almost ten. And yet it's perfect just the way it > is. > Final Verdict: > While they're both great songs, in the end "I'd Do > Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" takes the battle > three rounds to two, and thus is the best power ballad > that Jim Steinman or anyone else has ever written. | |
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