| re: NJC: HCTB - I think I kind of like it. | |
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Posted by: |
Vin 01:08 am UTC 04/17/10 |
| In reply to: | re: NJC: HCTB - I think I kind of like it. - Jsteinfan 07:34 pm UTC 04/16/10 |
| Ha! I was thinking earlier today that you would come around to it on further listens. Just yesterday you thought it was his worst album. You've come a long way in 24 hours. By Monday California will be big enough for you! > I think the album is a grower. I praise Meat for doing > something different, i like Cavalo, love American Idiot > and Black Parade, and there are parts of that brilliance > on HCTB, but I feel that meat A) pushed the album to chaos > and B) selected poor songs. > > > > After one semi-proper listen on the iPod today, (and > > having had time to hear "Elvis in Vegas" loud, in the car, > > on decent speakers) I think I am going to reasonably enjoy > > this record. It ain't Steinman, but its better than > > trying to be Steinman and falling flat on your face. > > > > My early opinion is that this, more than any of the > > others, is Meat Loaf's record. He's always said he's an > > actor, not a singer (or sometimes he says that, anyway). > > And on the Steinman records he was of course simply > > playing the lead in Jim's movie, interpreting somebody > > else's vision. We know Meat's natural first choice of > > music isn't Jim's Wagner Rock; Meat is a Guitar Guy at > > heart, not a Piano Man. I think much of the songs on > > HCTB, while not the product of Meat's own vision, fit > > nicely into it, and are at home there, and Meat in turn is > > at home with them. > > > > With almost all, if not exactly all, of Meat's prior > > albums, the songs have generally made the albums; Meat has > > lived and died by the material. With HCTB, and again only > > on first impression, I felt like Meat was actually > > elevating the material. His enthusiasm on this record > > really is palpable, and in large part he sounds like he's > > found a way to shave 10 years and a fistful of nervous > > breakdowns off of his singing voice. Several of the songs > > I know I probably SHOULDN'T like (If I Can't Have You > > comes to mind) but Meat makes me enjoy them in spite of > > myself. > > > > The songs here are definitely genre-benders and a bit all > > over the place, but I didn't really mind it. I think > > there's an earnest attempt at creative bombast going on > > here, perhaps the one bone thrown to the Steinman crowd, > > which I appreciate even if the results are mixed. (For > > example, I think I need to find a way to edit the first > > and last two minutes off of Love is Not Real;I really dig > > the middle, but the 70s groove-guitar bookends aren't so > > hot.) But there were definitely moments of unexpected > > musicality throughout that I'm looking forward to hearing > > on good speakers. > > > > Also, HCTB has a definite sense of humor, something Jim > > noted that Bat III lacked. (Plus, Spoken Word! Though not > > quite what we were all looking for, eh?) This record > > doesn't take itself too seriously, which is a good thing. > > I found myself smiling at various points throughout, even > > at Los Angeloser, and I was laughing *with* Meat, not *at* > > him. Sort of like, "Okay, Old Boy, I get it. You're > > doing it your way just like you said you would. > > Well-played." > > > > 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. | |
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