Everything louder than everything else

[venta]

On Fridays this year, we ask...

What's in the Box?

The Box in question is the glovebox of my car, home to my extremely motley tape collection. By the time I owned a car with a tape player tapes were on the way out and most of my music was in CD format. However, charity shops were practically giving tapes away, which meant that I bought rapaciously and eclectically. A half-remembered 80s band who once released a single I'd liked a little ? A band I'd vaguely heard of ? An unknown group with good cover art ? Bring them on.

Of course, the net result is that I've ended up with a tape collection which any music-lover would be slightly ashamed of. There was a relatively narrow window (late 70s to later 80s) when tapes were big news, and my horde represents that. However, in amongst the terrible pop I've found some gems and I reckon its time to come clean about my guilty musical secrets.

In The Box this week we have:

Pandora's Box - Original Sin

If you listen to this album for more than, oooh, 15 picoseconds you'll work out who was behind it: Jim Steinman. At least, you will if you know your Wagnerian rock well; if not you'll probably just think it sounds a bit like Meat Loaf.

Now, I know the idea of a Jim Steinman concept album is pretty terrifying, but just hang in there for a moment. You see, I have this idea that secretly everyone actually rather likes that big, overblown, overorchestrated, overeverythinged rock sound. Sure, you wouldn't want it every day, but musically it fills the same role as hot chocolate pudding. It's indulgent and ultimately rather comforting, although an excess is unwise.

Some of the songs on Original Sin (like Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)) were later recorded by Meat Loaf following Pandora's Box's commercial failure. In fact, if Wikipedia is to be believed, pretty much all the material was recycled and rehashed in various formats.

I've never quite made my mind up about this album. The lush, sing-a-long tracks are ideal hammering-up-the-motorway music. On the other hand, the more "concepty" tracks are a little weird. Sitting in a traffic jam on the M6 while some scary bloke tells you about his trouble with mirrors, or trying to parallel park while being subjected to an extended rant about the perils of placing personal ads is... well, it's odd. Not bad, just odd.

I'd also like to observe that Mr Steinman ought to get some sort of songwriting award for services to parentheses.

Pandora's Box - Original Sin (The Natives Are Restless Tonight) [link expired]

[Not a very good quality mp3, I'm afraid: the tape's a bit knackered. And I'm still not quite sure I've got the recording levels right. It sounds like the volume was cranked up too high for the system to cope with, but it's not come out that loud. Back to fiddling with the stereo.]

[Poll #1123248]

Comments

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I was introduced to this album by wimble (maybe you would have guessed that). It's clearly barking mad, but at least it's a folie de grandeur. I much prefer it to most of his Meatloaf stuff -- but, as you say, one wouldn't want to listen to it too often.

[tigerfort.livejournal.com]

pretty much all the material was recycled and rehashed in various formats

As I understand it, this is true of pretty much everything Steinman does; he takes the song and tries it in different places until he's happy with it. (Or, given that it seems to take him about five years to write an album, possibly until he's got a new toy.)

Original Sin?

[(Anonymous)]

Strangely, apart from the similarity to Meat Loaf, the very full bodied sound and female vocals of the selected track also reminded me of a well known Scandinavian band who came to fame 15 years before this album was released. Steinman's sin, if sin it is, may not be entirely original.

Heavily orchestrated "popular" music has a long pedigree. In the early '70s Barclay James Harvest, doing the university circuit, toured with up to a 40 piece orchestra. The orchestra would be on the stage, the band hidden back-stage (there being no room left out front) and just coming out to chat to the audience between numbers.

Jethro Tull also used orchestral arrangements. Both bands were able to scale down the touring manpower as keyboard technology (both synthesised and sampled) allowed the orchestra to be replaced by one band member.

W

[phlebas.livejournal.com]

Fond as I am of Steinman (pre-Bat-Out-Of-Hell-2, at least), I'm afraid that track didn't really do it for me. The vocals have the bombast but not the character of a Meat Loaf or a Bonnie Tyler, and the synth whoomps lack the usual dramatic timing.

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

Definite motorway fodder :)

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

You see, I have this idea that secretly everyone actually rather likes that big, overblown, overorchestrated, overeverythinged rock sound.

Pfft. My better half loves listening to the works of Messers Steinman and Loaf, but I cannot stand it. OTOH, I find Meat Loaf entertaining when interviewed and I love what he's about. I think, despite hating the music, I would enjoy seeing him live.

I haven't quite figured that one out either.

[uitlander]

Thanks. Its been a while since I've had a blast of Steinman. As someone who is quite unashamed about the ownership of Bad for Good in LP, cassette and CD form I've rather enjoyed this. Of course, this also makes me twitch violently when Bonnie Tyler starts off with slight variants on the 'correct' lyrics. Mind you, as it's Steinman, shouldn't it really be called unoriginal sin?