not logged in
| re: a nice read | |
Posted by:  |
Markus 08:47 pm UTC 04/04/07 |
| In reply to: | a nice read - Jacqueline 08:35 pm UTC 04/04/07 |
| :-) Thanks! Markus. > > http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/the_big_4_0_and_a_meat_loaf_obsession/C8/L8/ > > > > Big 4-0 & a Meat Loaf Obsession > > > By Chris La Tray, 4-03-07 > > > > > > On April 4th, 1978, I turned 11, and I was a huge KISS > fan. I had prepared a list of the KISS albums I possessed > so that my parents would know which ones I already had in > preparation for adding to my collection. So when I was > handed the thin, album-sized square wrapped in newspaper I > was giddy with excitement. I tore into the package, hoping > for “Rock n’ Roll Over.” > > Instead, I was greeted with the garish > monster-and-motorcycle artwork of “Meat Loaf – Bat Out of > Hell.” Cool cover . . . but . . . Meat Loaf? > > My dad was red-faced and giggling. “Meat Loaf, ha ha!” he > wheezed. “Because you’re a ‘meat loaf’!” Thanks, Dad. > Burning the only album credit I would likely get in the > near future on one that reminded you of your son’s shape. > Fan-fucking-tastic. > > I was familiar with Meat Loaf, of course, in the same way > as I was familiar with broccoli: I hated him. The fact > that I had no more heard Meat Loaf’s music than I had > tasted broccoli didn’t matter. I had seen pictures of > Marvin Lee Aday, Meat Loaf’s real identity (since changed > to Michael Lee Aday), and decided then that his music > sucked. This was a point in my musical development where > anyone who took up space in music magazines that should be > reserved for KISS were cheap charlatans. The ‘zines of the > day were things like “16” and “Tiger Beat” that my sisters > got; I always swiped the KISS articles and pictures, > leaving them to their Leif Garretts and Sean Cassidys. > Meat Loaf, this big, fat sweaty guy in a ruffled shirt > spitting all over some hot female singer, was showing up > more and more, and I could not abide it. He was despised. > I vowed to hate him, even as my parents were urging me to > throw the album on the stereo. > > Turns out “Bat Out of Hell” was a pretty good album. > Great, in fact. I was blown away at first listen, even as > I was torn by feelings of “must hate this!” vs. “wow, this > is awesome!” Just the heft of the thing; of all my vinyl > records, this one was the thickest, darkest, richest slab > of vinyl I’d ever thrown on the big console stereo in our > living room. The overwrought majesty of Jim Steinman’s > compositions roared into the room, with Meat’s operatic > wail raging from the title track on into the gentle angst > of “Heaven Can Wait.” Hearing “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” > made me realize I had indeed heard Meat Loaf before, > without even knowing it . . . but that didn’t prepare me > for the rousing sexuality of “Paradise By the Dashboard > Lights.” It almost made me finally understand what someone > meant when the talked about “getting to second base.” Now, > 29 years later, I can clearly remember my dad, who was a > mere 38 in 1978, turning to me and saying, “This album is > actually pretty good, isn’t it?” I had to agree, even as > the revelation that there could be music my dad and I both > liked was unprecedented. > > Little did we know then that “Bat Out of Hell” was on its > way to selling in excess of 35 million copies worldwide. > > I’ve talked before about the musical relationship my son, > Sid, and I share. As often happens, we were talking music > around the dinner table the other night, and Julia made > the comment to Sid that sooner or later he’d stumble on a > band or music style that she and I wouldn’t like, and that > she thinks it’s an important part of growing up to love > some kind of music that grown-ups hate. So far, though, > that hasn’t happened. Sid’s primary source for music has > been my CD collection, and there really isn’t anything > there that I don’t like. He may have different favorites – > for example, for a blast of lo-fi fury he’s more likely to > reach for The Misfits while I’m pulling The Stooges – but > for the most part the bands he has been digging hard > lately are bands he can put in the CD player for the drive > to school and I’m happy to listen as well. I’m happy to > have created a solid musical legacy for the little punk. I > derive great pleasure hearing Saint Vitus blare from his > room while he’s doing his homework. > > I don’t see him pulling out Meat Loaf any time soon, > however. This is my record, and the way it rocks to me > just doesn’t rock the same way for the kid who has swiped > my leather jacket. > > My parents didn’t have a record collection at all to speak > of. I remember seeing stuff like Percy Sledge, or Gary > Puckett and the Union Gap, but those were records they’d > picked up before us kids were on the scene. Any musical > legacy from my folks, besides my mom loving the music I > brought home (not to mention being the biggest fan of her > son’s music any musician could ever hope for), would all > arise from “Bat Out of Hell.” > > Jim Steinman’s songs are huge. They are bombastic – epic! > They are also very cheesy, and it is the wink in Meat > Loaf’s eye even as he delivers them so passionately that > make them work. The songs of this record spoke to me in > ways that even my heroes, KISS, couldn’t. While Stanley, > Simmons, Frehley and Criss swaggered through their > repertoire, scoring copious wanton chicks, rock n’ rolling > all night and partying every day, Meat Loaf was expressing > the angst, often as not, of the guy who wanted it so bad > but just couldn’t get it. Or, having gotten the girl, > couldn’t keep her. Girls didn’t dig me back in the day; > I’m lucky enough to have found one now who does, because > I’d hate to see if the 29+ year later incarnation of me > would fare any better out in the cruel dating world! But > when the tragic protagonist in the song “Bat Out of Hell” > is roaring down the highway on his evil motorcycle, > singing, “And I can’t stop thinkin’ of you, and I never > see the sudden curve ‘til it’s way too late!” it was me, > dying romantically for love. I was also the guy who was > wanted, was needed, but would never be loved (can we just > be friends?), and it was as heartbreaking to me then as it > was for the character in the song “Two Out of Three Ain’t > Bad.” I was all revved up with no place to go, and I > wanted so bad to be the guy getting lucky by the dashboard > lights. > > That was a long time ago, and the emotions Meat Loaf > triggered in 1978 don’t seem to be so relevant for a > grizzled old rock warrior like me at 40 who has a pretty > damn decent life. Maybe that’s why this birthday isn’t > such an albatross around my neck as teasing co-workers > would like to make it out to be. Maybe it’s the many ways > I don’t think I’ve aged beyond 17 that makes turning 40 > not that big of a deal. I mostly think about how weird > people are about age. At 20, most are thinking, “Yes, one > more year ‘til I can buy my own beer!” 10 years later, 30 > hits and most think, “Great, my life is over.” On my 40th, > I’m looking forward to “Savage Tales #1” landing at Muse > Comics later today; I can’t wait for the “official” > celebration that happens Friday, when we roll out to gorge > on pizza at Biga’s and then head over to catch the > Rodriguez/Tarantino trash flick, Grindhouse. Screw golf > and sipping martinis. I’m still the guy who wants to play > my guitar until the canyons rock! > > And that is how my obsession for Meat Loaf has blossomed > these days. I read an interview with Jim Steinman in a > recent issue of Classic Rock magazine and my obsession > with “Bat Out of Hell” renewed 10-fold. Particularly the > title track; I bet I’ve listened to that song 50 times > over the last few weeks. My goal is to take my bludgeoning > heavy rock band, Lazerwolfs (“putting the chest hair back > on rock since 1999!”), and attempt a cover of the tune. > May not sound like a big deal, but squeezing what is > essentially an orchestra down to the power trio format may > seem like an exercise in futility, but dammit if I’m not > certain we can make a go of it. It’s got everything we > excel in: big chords, drama, and a vocal line I know I can > dig into like Meat Loaf could dig into a chocolate cake. > I’m not saying I can sing as well as him, but I can hit > the notes, and when you’re roaring over loud guitars, you > just need to be in the ballpark. I’ve gone so far as to > tell Julia that, > > “Hey, if we nail the title song like I think we can, I’m > seriously considering arranging the entire album and doing > a special one-off, ‘Lazerwolfs Cover Meat Loaf’ rock > event!” Rock the canyons, hell, we’ll rock the damn world! > > > She just smiles, and agrees that it would indeed be the > coolest thing ever. She is also the one who baked today’s > chocolate cake. After all, it is my birthday. | |
| reply | | |
| Previous: | re: a nice read - Jaycee 11:52 pm UTC 04/04/07 |
| Next: | Steinman Demos - RadioMaster 06:07 pm UTC 04/04/07 |
| Thread: | |