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Taken out of context, I doubt anyone would really like this album. Meat Loaf calls this album a tribute to Jim Steinman. I found it to be a goodbye gift intended for Steinman's fiercely loyal fans.
For those of you who sifted through grainy recordings of old concerts just to see Jim banging out "Great Boleros of Fire"...
For those of you who scoured the Internet to find footage of Ted Neeley opening with "Skull of Your Country" ...
For those of you who hunted down obscure recordings like the "Neverland" workshop to hear the songs before they were recorded for "Bat"...
...this album is for you. (And if this is you, you most definitely already own it and are just reading this review for fun.)
If this is not you, it might not be too easy for you to "get" it. This isn't really music. This is theater. STEINMAN theater. The opening track ("Who Needs the Young") really sums it all up and tells you what you're in for:
1. Meat is an old man but he is going to own it.
2. You're in for a wild, funny, passionate and macabre tour through Steinman's creations, old and new.
3. Our reunited duo is not going to hold back or allow themselves to be censored.
Overall, I like that Meat Loaf's voice wasn't really messed with in the production. It doesn't sound over-engineered and it's not auto-tuned. He sounds like an old man, because he is an old man. On a lot of tracks, especially "More," his old voice fits perfectly. If you've seen him in concert in the past few years, you know what to expect: low, gravelly, sometimes out-of-tune but still fevered and passionate. Meat Loaf has a way to make it sound as if he is singing every song -- every word -- to you and only you.
It is a absolute treat to hear classic Steinman, like "Skull of Your Country" and "Godz" recorded fresh and new. I found myself missing "The Formation of the Pack" ("Let the revels begin...") and wish they had included it.
"Train of Love" is fun, great beat but nothing too special. It sounds like a standard Meat Loaf song. I imagine this could be a song that most people would be able to tolerate off the album.
"Going All the Way is Just the Start" is the best one of the album and more fun that the English demo with Elaine Caswell/Marcus Lovett. Hearing Ellen and Karla reunited with Meat Loaf just feels so good and so right. The six movements actually feel rushed; I would have preferred some of the instrumental breaks to play out for another measure or two. A friend -- who is not a Steinman or Meat Loaf fan but knows music and voice very well -- gave this track a listen and liked it a lot, even commenting that he couldn't believe how quickly the time passed. He agreed that Ellen and Karla were shining stars.
He also agreed that the album made no sense without any context. When I explained the history of each track as it related to Steinman's career, he found an appreciation for it. Unfortunately, the album does not come with liner notes explaining all of that. Which is why I say, this is a gift for Steinman fans. I am surprised that it happened. I am shocked that they actually produced it. But I am so overjoyed that it's a reality.
Thank you, Jim and Meat!
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