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Old 05 Nov 2017, 16:18   #9
letsgotoofar
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Join Date: 12.09.2016
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Posts: 420
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The appearance of (part of) my list at last!

First things first, as I said in my initial "idea throw-down," if I ruled the Bat universe, I would make it a two-pronged release: in digital markets, the 20 songs and 1 speech would be split between three themed EP's; in terms of physical release, they would be placed on one CD in show order, with digital download links included to allow the buyer to hear them in the EP sequence. It just makes the most sense to me, and creates the potential for more cash in hand.

EP #1, following proctorloaf's precedent, would reflect the original Bat I sequence, albeit with "All Revved Up" reflecting the version that's in the show more so than the version on the original album. And here's who I'd pick to sing what:
  1. Bat Out of Hell - Queen + Adam Lambert
  2. You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) - Tenacious D
  3. Heaven Can Wait - Audra McDonald
  4. All Revved Up With No Place to Go / Wasted Youth - Panic(!) at the Disco (not sure if they're using the exclamation mark anymore, hence the parentheses)
  5. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - Rob Evan
  6. Paradise By The Dashboard Light - P!nk feat. Miley Cyrus
  7. For Crying Out Loud - Tyce ("also featured on the album Hero, available from select online vendors!")

I know I'm going to have to defend some of these choices, so here's my logic for each:
  • Queen + Adam Lambert - I know, I know, they're only half there anymore (literally), but they're the only band over-the-top enough to do it. Brian May would be great for the guitar part, and Adam Lambert proved with "Hot Patootie" in the Rocky Horror TV remake that while he could never replace the memory of Meat, he has just enough mettle (and, indeed, metal) to give any song of his a good whack and leave a memorable impression.
  • Tenacious D - First things first, I like the idea of stripping it down to two guys on acoustics compared to the ersatz-Spector original; aside from "acoustic" B-sides on some of Meat's Bat II singles, we've never heard Jim lite, so it's a novelty already for that reason. (It's my understanding that an earlier producing team on the Bat musical wanted some tracks on the celebrity tie-in album to be produced by Rick Rubin in a stripped-down style reflecting his work with Johnny Cash, including a Leonard Cohen rendition of "Heaven Can Wait," so this impulse to explore the unexplored is right on target.) I also feel that Tenacious D is the right choice because they have the optimal blend of humor and spirit that this song needs. I mean, look back at that original video... look at that take on the speech where Jim and Karla scream their lines as if they were teenagers who haven't learned how to emote properly. It highlights the fact that the opening dialogue has no relevance whatsoever to the song that follows it. It's cheesy erotic horror mixed with a cute teenage love song, and if that doesn't scream Tenacious D, then you need to listen to "~~~~ Her Gently."
  • Audra McDonald - This is admittedly one where I'd be willing to see it swapped out for other markets (like, say, picking Charlotte Church or Hayley Westenra for the UK); recognizing that "Heaven Can Wait" is performed by a woman in the musical, any female vocalist would be a logical choice, but to me, Audra has one of the most brilliant voices in theater today.
  • Panic(!) at the Disco - Brendon Urie's voice (and he has a massive range, btw) was the mainstream voice that most reminded me of Andrew Polec, with a little more texture and grit to it -- throw in a guest sax player, perhaps from Paul Shaffer's band on the old Letterman show now that Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons, the ideal choice, is no longer here to lend a solo, and you've got the basic makeup. What's that, you say? A sax player? Well, yeah, this is an album for the general public. They're going to want to hear some of what they remember about the original "All Revved Up." Maybe if they stick to the new dance aesthetic and sample the Edgar Winter sax lines at points or something... I dunno, just spitballin'.
  • Rob Evan - Admittedly, again, this could be anybody in another market. I mainly put Rob here because a) it's hard to fill the "four mainstream celebs, three theater people" quotient without running dry, and b) I'd like to throw the guy a bone. Let's face it, Over the Top/The Dream Engine went nowhere, and what little new Steinman material he got from that was consumed by Braver and the musical, so this is the least little thanks he could get for laboring over it for so long (and for little result), especially since his revue Rocktopia is about to open on Broadway for a limited run and could aid Bat's exposure in the States.
  • P!nk feat. Miley Cyrus - This is one of the ones I knew I was going to have to defend the hardest, so bear with me. "Paradise" is probably the toughest choice in a fantasy game like this, in part because aside from karaoke singers and tribute acts whose names are censored on this forum (for good reason), nobody seems to think they can tread on Meat's turf in general, and, aside from artists in foreign languages, there is a widespread temerity about covering this specific song in particular. That said, this album (or series of EP's) would never be recorded without "Paradise," so I decided to think of what would really spice up the track and get people's attention. It's never gonna replace the original, so let's just wing it and have some fun. That's when I realized that the first lesbian "Paradise" ever recorded, by two big stars no less (both belters who could more than handle the male and female tracks), might do the trick. Play-by-play commentary would be by Seth MacFarlane as Quagmire from Family Guy, because if we're gonna go prurient, we're going full-bore. (Hey, you can't say it's not different, at least! And, of course, in a different market, you could swap in whatever pop tarts are gobbling up the charts there.)
  • Tyce - "For Crying Out Loud" was described in many reviews of the original album at the time of its release as anticlimactic. While I don't particularly agree with this thought, I understand why popular critics felt that way. This was buried on the second disc of Tyce's album with the rest of the piano/vocal one-take charlies, but after a full helping of Bat I's gaudy gonzo glory in varying shades and hues, it seems fitting to end where the sound of the whole thing began: in a rehearsal room, with one voice and one piano. Plus, Tyce mainly works in theater, so it helps fill the theater people quotient I set for myself.

The rest of the tracks will follow after more careful thought!
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