| re: NJC: HCTB - I think I kind of like it. | |
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Posted by: |
Vin 01:05 am UTC 04/17/10 |
| In reply to: | re: NJC: HCTB - I think I kind of like it. - steven_stuart 11:54 pm UTC 04/16/10 |
| Maybe I'm beer-goggling still, but I've had another full listen, and heard most tracks at least 3 times now, including a few loud in the car, and I think I would give it a solid 3 stars, maybe 3.5. The only song I actively dislike is Diane Warren's. Also not a big fan of "California...," but even that is listenable, and has some charm buried in it. (I had much higher hopes for it, as I like the title and subject matter, and started conjuring my own ideas for how it would go, sort of like a more sinister FCOL, and it obviously isn't that at all, and so it rankles me worse than if I hadn't gotten my hopes up.) Its a fun record, that's certain, and it is "flavour-filled." Yeah, I'd say its Meat's most commercially viable non-Jim effort. "Elvis in Vegas" and "If I Can't Have You" strike me as potential semi-hit singles here in the states. Maybe "Let's Be in Love," too. I'll go out on a limb and say its better than: MatLaF, BBIS, and CHSIB. It might be better than WttN and Bat III, its probably not worse, anyway, but I won't go there yet until I've had more time to digest it. > > If I'm a critic, here's my blurb for HCTB: > > > > If nothing else, Meat Loaf is clearly having a great time, > > and HCTB is sprinkled with high-spots where the mirth is > > contagious. > > The Daily Express gave HCTB four out of five stars in > their album review today, scoring it higher than albums by > Paul Weller, Kate Nash and Donny Osmond. I know you like > it but would you give it four stars? > > Simon Gage wrote: > > "Everything you love about Meat Loaf is here on his 11th > studio album, from the over-the-top sleeve to the drama of > the voice and the crash, bang, wallop of it all. > > More than just a collection of songs, Mr Loaf takes you on > a journey with the tracks linked into a loose kind of > story. > > Throw in Hugh Laurie on piano (yes, you read that right), > some classic production from new collaborator Rob Cavallo, > of Green Day fame, The Darkness's Justin Hawkins, who > co-wrote a couple of the songs, on guitar and you have a > flavour-filled rock album to make you smile." > > I think he agrees with you. It could be that Meat has > survived the disaster of TMIL. HCTB is starting to sound > like it might be his most commercial non-Jim album ever. | |
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