| re: Cool article from 1978 | |
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Posted by: |
steven_stuart 12:43 am UTC 01/31/15 |
| In reply to: | Cool article from 1978 - bellminer 07:19 pm UTC 01/22/15 |
| That is a cool article. Thanks for posting it. > The man who wrote the recipe > > By Joshua Dratel > Columbia Daily Spectator > April 20, 1978 > > "If you could imagine a person riding a motorcycle, then > he's a rock'n'roller," Jim Steinman postulates. "I could > see the Rolling Stones running over old ladies, or The > Beatles doing crazy stunts, but Fleetwood Mac or Carley > Simon? She'd probably ride a Moped." > > A rather demonic motorcyclist adorns the cover of > Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell record album, and most rock > aficionados probably see it as the image of Meatloaf > himself. > > But it just as easily might be Jim Steinman. > > Jim Steinman composed the music and wrote the lyrics for > the Meatloaf album. He also plays piano in the band that > features Meatloaf, one Marvin Aday, a lead-singing 300-lb. > ex-tackle who stalks back and forth across the stage in > flamboyant style. > > But the record, which represents an unusual approach to > rock music, was Steinman's creation. "The structure is > like operatic arias or dramatic scenes," he explained. > "They're very visual. Every song is thought of as a film > or something that's on stage." > > Steinman was looking to break the current trend of mellow > monotony with his songs. > > "I think rock music has been real boring for the last four > or five years," he offered. "It's been either bland and > homogenized or second rate heavy metal. > > "The best rock'n'roll has five or six magical elements," > he continued. "A sense of fever, fantasy, romance, > violence, rebellion and fun are necessary. You want great > songs and lyrics, with some power behind them, like The > Who, The Stones, The Kinks and the Beatles." > > While Steinman's perception of what makes quality rock and > roll appears well thought-out, he trusted his instincts in > regard to including his key ingredients on the album. The > result has been a record that is selling well in the > northeast and in Europe, but has not enjoyed much air play > out west. > > "I always felt that if it was done right and was heard," > he commented, "that there would be a great reaction. But > radio is controlled by lots of different egos, and the > only place it's having trouble (selling) is where its > never been heard." > > It would be hard not to hear Meatloaf if the album was > being played somewhere in the same state. The music is > loud, often boisterous and quick-paced, with some slower, > romantic numbers included for good measure. The title > track, along with "All Revved Up With No Place to Go," > "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," and "Paradise By the > Dashboard Light" are probably the most well-known, and the > cuts are long and ambitious. > > "I tried as much as possible to write anthems," Steinman > admitted. "I like the way the emotions play off one > another on the album—like pinball or a demolition derby. > Violence becomes romance at times, and vice versa." > > The vehicle for the lyrical portion of Steinman's music is > Meatloaf. The two met during auditions for the play "More > Than You Deserve" (Steinman wrote the score), and although > Steinman was not immediately ready to form a partnership, > he was captivated by the Loaf's "amazing voice and > presence. I had only written for myself, but I felt very > comfortable with Meatloaf doing my stuff. He had a similar > style—that excessively violent, romantic quality." > > By November 1976, a working team had been formed, and the > pair worked almost a year on recording the material > Steinman had written. Originally titled Meatloaf and > Steinman, the album was released in October 1977 without > the latter's name in the title, but with few hard > feelings. > > "I was a little pissed-off at first," Steinman conceded, > but he refused to undercut Meatloaf. > > "He (Meatloaf) is very important," Steinman added. "He's > the public voice of my private fantasies. I write very > strictly— the melody lines are already down. What we tried > to do from that point was to get his (Meatloaf's) dramatic > sense out through the music." > > And they did get what they wanted. Turned down by RCA, > Steinman and singer signed with Epic Records, and Todd > Rundgren, a major star in his own right, was called in to > handle production. Despite his status as an artist and > behind the control panel, Rundgren proved to be very > flexible and cooperative. > > "He hates to produce, but he liked the material so much > that he agreed to do it," Steinman noted. "We realized he > understood perfectly what we wanted, and it was a great > thrill for me to work with him. > > "He was very generous," Steinman added, "and not at all a > tyrant. I can't think of anyone who could have done a > better job." > > On "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" someone might have > done a more tasteful job with the break that has New York > Yankee broadcaster Phil Rizzuto doing a sexual > play-by-play (in baseball terms) while two teenagers > exercise in a car. > > Rizzuto had never heard the song before, and apparently > suffered some embarrassment from ballplayers until the > album gained acclaim. Steinman overdubbed his voice for > both parts of the background shenanigans. > > "Todd's girlfriend felt sick," he recalled, "So we sped up > the tape when I did the girl's part. I had a great > conversation with myself while making out with myself." > > What emerges is a rather bizarre mixture of sporting > events that borders on the perverse. > > "I never think I'm overdoing it," Steinman maintained. > "The album never would have been made if I wasn't > constantly going over the edge." > > As for Rizzuto, he was the first choice because Steinman, > a Hewlett, Long Island native, is a fanatic Yankee > supporter. > > "In fact, I was so obsessed during the recording that I > was convinced that unless the Yankees won the World Series > the album would be a complete flop," he revealed. The > Yankees whipped the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Steinman's > project enjoyed popular success far beyond his > experience. > > A drama major at Amherst College, Steinman began writing > extensively as an undergraduate before composing for the > New York theatre circuit. His first work was a rock opera, > Dream Engine, followed by More Than You Deserve, and > electric scores for King Lear and Brecht. > > "My three big influences were theatre, rock and opera, but > I love rock more than any of them," he remembered. "I > found the theatre boring, frustrating and tedious, and I > could never really get across." > > The need to appeal to older, suburban audiences "heavily > compromised" Steinman's work. Rock music, though, proved > to be a freer medium of expression. > > "Rock is still a pretty exciting area," Steinman remarked. > "You are appealing to the youngest, most passionate > audience, and, in terms of writing, I've had the most > freedom since college." > > Steinman's success has made a rock and roll fan of at > least one older suburbanite: his mother. "She's an expert > now," he insisted. "She listens to WPIX all day." > > Jim's older brother Bill, the assistant sports information > director at Columbia, did not have to be converted. > > "I love the stuff that he does, and it's no accident," > Bill explained. "I grew up with Elvis Presley, so it's > hardly likely that I wouldn't like loud rock music." > > And Jim's success was not unexpected, either. "I always > thought he'd be a success, if not commercially, at least > aesthetically," Bill stated. "I actually thought he'd be a > playwright rather than a musician." > > But Bill recalled Jim's first original work at the piano. > After abandoning the instrument, in high school after > almost a decade of study, Jim returned home immediately > after graduation and, after a two-year absence from the > family piano, proceeded to play a piece that he has been > using in many of his theatre productions. "I think I saw > the birth of a composer right there," Bill mused. > > The younger Steinman wished he had learned more about the > instrument. "I wish I had studied classical piano more so > I could write some thunderous, orchestrated classical > pieces," Jim decided. > > He also wishes he could do something completely different. > "If I could've, I would have been a shortstop," he > fantasized. > > Instead, Jim will spend most of this spring on tour, and > then he will work on more music and two screenplays. "At > some point we'll have to stop touring, so I can write," > Jim predicted. "I can't write on the road— it's too > hectic." > > But that does not mean that Jim Steinman will be relaxing. > "I never feel I can relax," he contended. "The next step > is always the more challenging step. I haven't rested for > two-and-a-half years." > > The next step seems to be the cinema, for Jim feels there > is a need for better rock and roll movies. One script is > for the story of a Fender guitar and its various owners, > and another will adapt Peter Pan to the rock and roll > age. > > "I always expected him to gravitate toward that area," > brother Bill said. "He's very imaginative, and he doesn't > need music to do it." > > Just motion. That is what Jim Steinman feeds on. > > "A theme of what I write might be from 'All Revved Up With > No Place to Go,' " Jim related. "I think it's a great > slogan for this country, because it represents a teenage, > rock and roll, and American state of mind. That's why I > think of Peter Pan as the ultimate in American and rock > and roll stories." > > Except that Jim Steinman is all revved up, but with > someplace to go. | |
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