[csaa-forum] who is meatloaf

[John Scannell]

Jon

I stand corrected on Mr Loaf's output- although it was the Steinman 
albums I had in mind...
I don't think anyone owns any of the others anyway...
Thanks for info though
John

Jon Stratton wrote:

>  There has been an awful lot of quite uninformed slagging off of Meat Loaf
>on this list.  If people would like to read a biography of the man here is a
>webpage from the All Music Guide:
>http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg
><http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:47d6vwmva9qk~T1>
>&sql=11:47d6vwmva9qk~T1
> 
>In the early 1970s the Loaf worked in musicals such as Hair and the Rocky
>Horror Picture Show.  He also worked with Jim Steinman who later wrote the
>melodrama that became Bat Out Of Hell, released in 1977. 
>      For more information on Steinman a New York born classically trained
>pianist go to:    
>http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg
><http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:405gtq8ztu45~T1>
>&sql=11:405gtq8ztu45~T1
> 
>   Meat Loaf has actually released around twenty albums though none have had
>the popularity of his two collaborations with Steinman.  Here is All Music
>Guide's assessmant Bat Out Of Hell:
> 
>Review	 by Stephen Thomas Erlewine	
>
>There is no other album like Bat out of Hell, unless you want to count the
>sequel. This is grand guignol pop - epic, gothic, operatic, and silly, and
>it's appealing because of all of this. Jim Steinman was a composer without
>peer, simply because nobody else wanted to make mini-epics like this. And
>there never could have been a singer more suited for his compositions than
>Meat Loaf, a singer partial to bombast, albeit shaded bombast. The
>compositions are staggeringly ridiculous, yet Meat Loaf finds the emotional
>core in each song, bringing true heartbreak to "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
>and sly humor to "Paradise By the Dashboard Light." There's no discounting
>the production of Todd Rundgren, either, who gives Steinman's self-styled
>grandiosity a production that's staggeringly big, but never overwhelming and
>always alluring. While the sentiments are deliberately adolescent and filled
>with jokes and exaggerated clichés, there's real (albeit silly) wit behind
>these compositions, not just in the lyrics but in the music, which is a
>savvy blend of oldies pastiche, show tunes, prog rock, Springsteen-esque
>narratives, and blistering hard rock (thereby sounding a bit like an
>extension of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which brought Meat Loaf to the
>national stage). It may be easy to dismiss this as ridiculous, but there's
>real style and craft here and its kitsch is intentional. It may elevate
>adolescent passion to operatic dimensions, and that's certainly silly, but
>it's hard not to marvel at the skill behind this grandly silly, irresistible
>album. 
>
> 
>
>Imho, rather than making assumptions about the quality of a piece of music
>and then referencing this back to Latham, it would be better to consider
>what it is about the music that has attracted a particular audience.
>Whether or not one likes the album, or likes people who like the album, it
>has to be admitted that Bat Out Of Hell does what it does extremely well!  
>
>cheers,
>
>Jon
>
>
>  _____  
>
>From: csaa-forum-bounces at darlin.cdu.edu.au on behalf of John Scannell
>Sent: Wed 13/10/2004 11:56 PM
>To: CSAA discussion list
>Subject: Re: [csaa-forum] who is meatloaf
>
>
>
>Last thing - in the next election I hope we have a big colour coded 
>electoral map of Sydney with the Meatloaf, Celine Dion, Delta Goodrem et 
>al constituencies clearly marked out. I should put that to the ABC... 
>Someone else can approach them with the Freedom furniture, IKEA, David 
>Jones electroral boundaries, I am not so strong in the furniture 
>judgement area. 
>
>John Scannell wrote: 
>
>  
>
>>>Is Meatloaf some sort of iconic representation of a particular 
>>>identity with which Latham would like to associate? 
>>>(pappa-mummy-Latham?) 
>>>      
>>>
>>Glen - this is what I am trying to figure out. If he was just saying 
>>it to 'pass' or if he is 'keeping it real' as we say in the 'hood. 
>>In regard Derrida quote: 
>>
>>    
>>
>>>He jokingly replied (paraphrasing): 'I have only read four books, but 
>>>I read them very, very closely' 
>>>      
>>>
>>Fantastic quote Glen...(oh man I am having a good chuckle, although I 
>>promised myself that today would be the last day of this...). 
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Or could it be that a 'fan' of Meatloaf is indicative of a connection 
>>>with whatever assemblage Meatloaf is part (maybe described as 
>>>something suburban, masculine, old-economy working class)? Meatloaf 
>>>as molar rockpig constellation of intensities molecularised as 
>>>becoming-Celine Dion. A becoming-Kath&Kim. I honestly think that 
>>>Meatloaf and Dion could sing some of each others songs and they would 
>>>sound entirely appropriate. 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>First of all I realise that I haven't been a good Deleuzian, and that 
>>I have fallen into the trap of 'judgement'...however...Deleuze would 
>>understand that such discussion generates much affect with music being 
>>one of the most territorialising forces of all...hence... 
>>
>>OK the point for me is to work out whether Latham's preference for 
>>Meatloaf relates to either a majoritarian or a minoritarian 
>>orientation. I don't know. This is why it is so perplexing for me. 
>>Let's say we do ascribe Meatloaf as constituative of the suburban- 
>>masculine-old-economy-working class assemblage, then this where Labor 
>>it got it wrong... 
>>
>>I would have tried to get the Delta Goodrem-Hills District-KMart 
>>Underwear (and yet often still McChurch too) white trash assemblage 
>>working for me instead. 
>>
>>I am not sure how Celine Dion fits in all this because I missed the 
>>initial reference. Although I know easy listening stars such as Dion 
>>are big with the middle class Hong Kong Chinese that I have been told 
>>now frequent Sylvania Waters in increasing numbers. So now that we 
>>have established this - we can say that Meatloaf would certainly grate 
>>upon the Celine Dion (and perhaps any adult audience that Goodrem may 
>>have). Which gets me back to my original point that Latham made a big 
>>mistake and should have perhaps opted for...I have thought about this. 
>>I think Kasey Chambers would have worked with her multiple demographic 
>>capacity (not that I care for her or her music, but I would have 
>>constructed a better story than Meatloaf). 
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Glen Fuller wrote: 
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Hey! In response to the voice of yoof (doof doof doof), I am only 25, 
>>>too! lol! I just grew up in a suburb where Meatloaf was appreciated. 
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>But its impossible to name an artist with only 2 albums as 'your 
>>>>favourite' unless you have an extremely limited attention span or 
>>>>are some kind of masochist. So there is not much to base a thesis 
>>>>around, unless Mr. Loaf is used as an icon of some sort of err, lets 
>>>>be kind   
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>and  
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>say 'becoming'- 
>>>>  
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Dear John, 
>>>
>>>Because Meatloaf only has two albums, being a Meatloaf fan is somehow 
>>>limited or limiting? Hmmm, if such an analogy is approriate, I wonder 
>>>how many people would describe themselves as having an extremely 
>>>limited attention span or a masochist because they are 
>>>monogamous/bigamous? 
>>>Is Meatloaf some sort of iconic representation of a particular 
>>>identity with which Latham would like to associate? 
>>>(pappa-mummy-Latham?) 
>>>Or is Latham's Meatloaf fandom defined by some sort of limited 
>>>textual or intertextual immersion? He couldn't possibly be a fan if 
>>>he can only consume two texts... Come on! We all know nerdom is 
>>>defined by how much subcultural capital you have. Think of academia! 
>>>Although, deploying some nerd-capital, what did Derrida say when 
>>>asked how many books he had read from his massive library? He 
>>>jokingly replied (paraphrasing): 'I have only read four books, but I 
>>>read them very, very closely' 
>>>Or could it be that a 'fan' of Meatloaf is indicative of a connection 
>>>with whatever assemblage Meatloaf is part (maybe described as 
>>>something suburban, masculine, old-economy working class)? Meatloaf 
>>>as molar rockpig constellation of intensities molecularised as 
>>>becoming-Celine Dion. A becoming-Kath&Kim. I honestly think that 
>>>Meatloaf and Dion could sing some of each others songs and they would 
>>>sound entirely appropriate. 
>>>
>>>Also, for those who didn't know, in the flick _The Castle_ the word 
>>>'rissole' was changed to 'meatloaf' for the US market. Who wants to 
>>>start an Australian Meatloaf cover band? Anyone? 
>>>Ciao, 
>>>Glen. 
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>_______________________________________ 
>>
>>csaa-forum 
>>discussion list of the cultural studies association of australasia 
>>
>>www.csaa.asn.au 
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>_______________________________________ 
>
>csaa-forum 
>discussion list of the cultural studies association of australasia 
>
>www.csaa.asn.au 
>
>  
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>_______________________________________
>
>csaa-forum
>discussion list of the cultural studies association of australasia
>
>www.csaa.asn.au
>