Next album: 13 Roads To Bat
 

Well it's official. Meat says he is doing another album with Paul and the guys on his Facebook page. And he is planning on doing storytellers type shows too.

:D

Let's get the hype train a-rollin'!

Per a Steinman fan who spoke to him at an earlier con, this promises to be more "previously unheard" Jim material along the lines of Braver, including some really... thought-provoking song choices, let's say.

I don't mind an album of old Jim stuff. let's not forget how much of Bat 2 was old Jim songs, and I quite like Braver (apart from the Pinky & Perky background vocals). Meat seems happiest recording Steinman, and whatever he puts out is always compared to Steinman anyway. I'm just glad he's fired up and ready to go again.

The shows are an exciting prospect, too. I've long said that a more laid-back approach would help Meat keep going, and a mixed singing/talking format is probably the only way to slow him down! He's such a great storyteller that it would work well. Who knows, maybe we'll even hear some rarer tunes and tales. Would this sell out arenas? I don't know, and I don't care. Judging by the queues of fans wanting to see him at Comic Cons, surely smaller venues would sell out, at least.

I wish him well in it all, and I'm looking forward to what comes of it.

I'm very interested in what the song choices might actually be. I'm going to guess that one of them won't be What Part Of My Body, despite how much we all want it :P

Anyone got any ideas what the other songs might be?

Either way very excited to see what comes of this. I do think that with a good relaxed environment and the proper production he does have the songs in him. We all know he was in a lot of pain during Braver which I think held him back a bit vocally, I'm certainly not expecting Bat quality vocals from him but I think he'll sound a bit fresher her.

Per the Steinman fan who spoke to him, he mentioned four songs in particular, but the fan remembers only two: "Safe Sex" ("a new version," reportedly; what exactly that means is anyone's guess) and another very early Steinman tune from the late Sixties, early Seventies called "You've Got to Love Me with the Sun in Your Eyes." Lyrics to the latter are here, and a demo recording is here. (I include lyrics only because the recording itself is a bit murky.)

If he stuck "Body" and "Not Allowed to Love" on there in addition to these four, I wouldn't care what the rest of the album was, with six strong Jim tunes in the lead.

Safe Sex is a fine song. I haven't heard it for some years but I think it would need a little more reworking than merely changing 'girl' to 'boy' in order to work here, though.

This is all good. Who thought we'd be discussing a new Meat album so soon?

I know we already have it them on Bad Attitude but I'd be totally down for a new recording of Surfs Up and Nowhere Fast as well. I'd love to see Surfs Up given another chance as a single or something, amazing song.

Ddin't Meat say he wanted to re record the vocals to Dead Ringer?

Yeah, that was kind of my initial reaction to hearing that choice as well. Meat may understand a song one way as an actor, but Jim certainly has his own entirely separate character-related intentions when he writes it, and -- in my opinion -- he didn't write "Safe Sex" for a guy at all.

(Warning: strong opinion follows. I do not claim it's the right or the only opinion, just how I see it.)

There's a way Steinman writes 'guy' songs and a way he writes 'girl' songs, and in my observation, they almost never intersect. For that reason, you could make one of either kind into a duet, maybe, but completely switching gender is tough.

In his songs, the men are heroes, or at least someone insecure who desperately wants to be the male power fantasy he projects, whereas Jim's women are "a twist on the Madonna/whore complex" personified; they're either powerful (or self-empowered), mysterious, playful women who know what they want and how to get it, someone to be put on a pedestal (think, say, the narrative voice of Bonnie Tyler's "Rebel Without a Clue" or "Good Girls Go to Heaven" as performed by Pandora's Box and in the early version of Bat-musical), or fragile, vulnerable, more-than-a-titch broken women, not to be admired but pitied (at best), who are a shiner and abusive mate away from a TV movie drama (a good example is any version of "All Coming Back" that's not a duet), with very little nuance in between.

You can't really take a song written in the 'female' Steinman style and give it to a male performer, unless they're gay and owning the non-stereotypical male aspect (read: Tyce Green, to name at least one), it's a heavily tweaked duet, or it has a new lyric. In my opinion, Jim never puts men in the position the singer of "Safe Sex" is in, so just swapping gender in the appropriate lines isn't a big enough shift. It would really need to be a duet or have a new lyric.

Safe Sex might work as a male song if it's rocked up a bit. As long as Meat does Body and Children I don't really give a toss what else he chooses to sing. A song with the 'blessed are the lovers' bit would be nice though.

It needs a little more than that, c'mon...

So excited to have new Meaty things coming, and so glad he's well on the mend.

The Steinman songs I hope Meat gets to record aere:

What Part of My Body Hurts The Most?
The Graveyard Shift
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Not Allowed To Love
Still The Children

Is Jim involved? I wondering that there is no report who shows that Jim did visit the musical.I hope he is well!

I would like to have

Faster than the speed of night
Rebel without a clue
Graveyard shift
Ravishing
A kiss is a teribble thing to waste
What part of my body hurts the most
Dead is such a od thing
Hear the screams
tonight it was it means to young
We still the children

And as Bonus

Total eclipse of the heart and making love

on the album

Some songs needs alternate lyrics

Before we all get carried away, has Meat publically stated that this will be an all-Steinman album?

Ideally yes. I do agree it's a woman's song.

This would definitely need some new lyrics!

He's definitely interested in at least four songs from him, and I would wager that there's enough stuff lying around (including two from the musical, one of which Meat bitched about not being able to record for Braver) that it could be, but no, he has not stated that it will be all Steinman.

While I'm here, though... can we please stop insisting Meat record every other song Steinman wrote for Bonnie Tyler? What is the logic in this, exactly? As much as I occasionally like listening to them, it was daft enough hearing Meat attempt "All Coming Back" and "Loving You's a Dirty Job," which were already very successful for other female artists and just barely squeaked by. Do we really need him to cover every memorable Steinman song that ever made the hit parade?

I agree. They'll constantly be compared to the originals and they're mostly women's songs anyway. The only one I think Meat should attempt is Making Love Out Of Nothing At All and do it more like the Rory Dodd demo where the verses get faster and faster. That would be interesting.

:up::lol:

Storytellers was a brilliant format for Meat, probably my favourite tour, because it showcases his range of talents .. but like Rocktellz & Cocktails it is a theatre show; it demands intimacy, and would lose so much if it were even attempted in a arena. At this stage I think he's dipping his toes in the water. Given his recovery continues, later if he were to get backing for theatre shows in the UK/Europe, I'm sure they would sell out!

Me too!! And last week in NYC, finally back on stage for a few minutes working an audience, he looked SO happy .. like a man who has finally fought his way out of pits and chasms, through thorns and brambles, and finally found his way home :heart:

I agree. The Air Supply version of Making Love is hardly the dramatic emotional masterpiece Meat could have made it. Bonnie and Meat would make a great duet on Body.

OMG, I am so excited!!!!!! :)

I'd love him performing

- Making Love Out Of Nothing At All

&

- What Part Of My Body Hurts The Most

<3
Best news for a long time !!

Some of Jim's earlier stuff to me at least, is not very memorable and didn't make the hit parade. Some of it was just plain weird (as were some of his hits, :D) but a lot of that 60's stuff he was still coming into his own as a writer. Then again he wrote "Heaven Can Wait" and Bette Midler made a caterwauling demo in a country music style ( I suppose) and Meat managed to achieve greatness from it. According to rumor Bette needed some money but she hated the song and made it as badly as she could.

exciting times!!!!

Looks like this place is about to wake up.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!

HES DOING BODY!!!!!!

https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmenter...AsodyVamvAJLEo

And a NEW Jim song?!

The new song he refers to, "Sun in Your Eyes," is one I discuss above. Dates from the late Sixties/early Seventies, though the demo he had may have been of a newer version Jim reportedly recorded when he was in better shape. It's "new" like, say, "Going All the Way" or "It Just Won't Quit" were "new."

Also sad to see Jim in such a poor state :(

On a lighter note, it'd be interesting to see Meat duet with Lorraine Crosby or -- funnily enough, given many of this thread's suggestions -- with Bonnie, something he wanted to maybe fit in on the last album and didn't get to do. Maybe that can be accomplished this time around?

Probably this. With Jim defining what exactly is a "new" song is difficult, and I am not saying that as though it were a bad thing. There are some pretty poor quality recordings from around 1970-ish and it wasn't that great. But given Jim's recycling of things and if he dabbled with it all since 1970-ish it may be better. Part of the fun with Steinman is you never know what he may have in a file someplace.

To be fair though most of the songs from Braver Than We Are were demoed in the 1970s (Who Needs The Young JS wrote when he was 19)

About half of them, yes. Per the fan who gave Meat a new copy of the song since he'd lost his, however, it's based in part on a newer demo mentioned here by Jim's assistant Jacqueline in 2011.

That is what I have always thought. Especially when he is healthy, Jim may always be tinkering about with stuff he may have originally written 30 years ago. He recycles from his own work enough to show that. I suspect Jim has jotted down notes on the back of a napkin that would be better than 90% of the garbage they play on a 10 song loop on the "today's hits" radio.

As long as they're still scouring Jim's demos, and this album is supposed to be a concept piece about emotions, why not "Smoke Song"? It's definitely nakedly emotional, very dark, and the lyrics don't need any special alteration to become a solo. If "Who Needs the Young" (equally dark and emotional) could open the last record, this at least merits a spot somewhere on this one. (Really, the only thing that might hold it back is the chorus having a similar chord progression to "More," but if that ever stopped Meat from recording Jim material, we wouldn't have most of the Jim stuff he's recorded since 1993.)

!!!!!! I am so happy!!

See where? Far as I've known he's had some struggles in recent years but it hasn't gotten worse recently - he seems to post on his new twitter account (or at least some of the tweets sound like Jim wrote them himself, E.g., All caps lol). Then again, I'm not on the up and up...So Just curious what's going on. I love Jim and his genius creations...Hopefully he's well enough to be involved with Meat's new album, even if it is jotting some lyrics down on napkins and letting Paul and the band do the heavy lifting.

Emphasis mine.

Never knew Steinman had a Twitter. He seems to have forgotten about his two Facebook accounts. At least that has led to people mostly stopping to randomly tag him in nonsense unrelated posts for suiting their own self importance. Bunch of twats who kept doing that.

I like to think that my post (originally posted in another thread was the catalyst for this new album) although of course I know it wasn't lol.

Post below:

I'd love to think that there could be one more album...

I've written the track list for what it could be and included 5 tracks of songs I've written(*). The concept is very much characters in their twilight years. Down with the ship is a Captain remembering is favourite sea voyage, Bring me my Sword; a old knight riding into what he knows will be is last battle etc...

Here's the track list. What do you think?

Meat Loaf - 

The Graveyard Shift 


The Graveyard Shift
Lone Wolf*

Making Love out of Nothing at All
You’ve Got to Love me with the Sun in your Eyes (until you go blind)

Down with the Ship*

What Part of My Body Hurts the Most?
Vaults of Heaven
Bring me my Sword*

Death of a Salesman*
City Night Feat Ellen Foley

Tonight is what it means to be Young

Not Allowed to Love
Losing My Grip*

We’re Still the Children Feat Ellen Foley, Karla Devito, Patti Russo, Mrs Loud, Bonnie Tyler, Todd Rundgren and Rory Dodd

Like the Steinman choices but Bonnie should also be the duet partner on Body.

I wondered if someone was responsible for taking what Jim would like to share and posting for him as part of his team. If you are part of his team, thanks so much for getting the word out. It's great to read something new from Jim

Oh, dear me... I'm not at all from the team (though I'd argue I virtually was for at least three years back in the early aughts, contrary to what fellow fans may believe), but I am in a position to know that not all of the tweets are him, I'll tell you that much.

:lol: sorry, I think I misunderstood what you meant. That's very interesting though, and it makes sense. Heck, even all of Meat's aren't his own. It's easy to tell when they are not based on grammar alone :P I am happy that you seem to think at least some tweets are Jim's though, great that he can still get the word out after I'd noticed him going pretty quiet on Facebook for awhile.

...or are made to look like Jim's...

Have to admit that they sound awesome together on A Kiss is a Terrible thing to waste!

I hope that What Part of my Body Hurts the Most is not a duet. After recent years, it would be such a personal song which Meat could really put his experience into the character.

Like Jonny Cash's hurt. It would be a poignant comment on the world today.

The songs in the musical were only shared out amongst the cast, because no normal person can sing those songs 8 times a week. The fact it took 6 people to sing Anything for Love, shows just what a powerhouse genius Meat Loaf really is!

Yes, I think Body is perfect as a duet in the musical,
but on 13 Roads To Bat it was greater to have it sung by Meat alone.
It will sound fantastic...

For me, the two essential elements of a great Steinman/Meat Loaf song are the piano and the backing vocals. The piano is the lead harmonic instrument, even if it's not the only instrument, and the backing vocals are treated as a separate instrument with distinct parts/melodies rather than just being oohs/aahs. Obviously there's exceptions to that, but generally it greats a raw but powerful sound when done well.

With that in mind, I don't think there's been an arrangement yet that beats the original What Part of My Body. It's just a guy with a great voice singing over a great piece of music with the support of well-arranged, complimentary backing vocals. The Bat musical version is great too, but the duet part and the horns and the strings and everything don't really add anything to the song. I'd love to hear Meat sing Body alone at the piano with his older, weathered voice, along with maybe some tactful BVs like in the original Dream Engine version. I think a simple piano/vocal performance of a song as good as Body would serve as a really beautiful capstone for his career, seeing as Going All The Way apparently isn't that anymore.

I totally agree. What we have lost in music generally is the backing vocals. People singing together. it's a key Steinman style. It makes all music better.

I thought some of the backing vocals really don't sound right on the last few albums. Not sure why they are recorded the way they are. They sound very strange to me. :shrug:

The backing vocals add a lot of the drama and emotion and impact for me. I think a lot of producers see them as just ooohs and ahhhs but done well they are so much more than that... a powerful instrument in their own right. Same with the piano. So much more than just a tinkling of the ivories... it is key to Steinman music.

Meat's planning to sing a song written for him by Dolly Parton. Will we finally get Bat out of Nashville?

Well, on the Caleb album, it was all Justin, and it sounded pretty much the same as Braver to me. Tell ya the truth, I didn't care for it on either of them.

Yes, I thought 'Braver' would have been so much more powerful without the synthetic cartoon-like background vocals.

Wow that could be a powerful combination!

So far:

The Dolly Parton song
What Part of My Body Hurt The Most
(a version of) Safe Sex
You've Got to Love Me with the Sun in Your Eyes Until The Day That You Go Blind
maybe one or two other from Jim?

I don't think there is anything "new" from Jim, but I would expect anything left will be recorded some for the first time on a full studio recording. At this point anything Jim has remaining should be for posterity if no other reason. Some of his early stuff was weird, any existing versions I have heard were poor and could probably be improved upon.

For Braver, Meat talked about a song by Karla's husband Bobby Benson. I wonder if he'll do that!

In terms of Jim material, as "Not Allowed to Love" was originally a duet, it'd be neat to hear Meat do that with Bonnie or Lorraine, since they were supposed to be on the last album and weren't. ("Body" could be a candidate as well; there's another verse not included in the musical that could be given to a female soloist so that she doesn't get the short shrift of the female character in the musical.)

Andrew's Instagram has a photo of him/christina and Jim from yesterday. Man...

Our heroes are getting old.
And it sucks.

Where? Got a link or account name?

You'll need to login, but here's the link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4aoHJ4HpA7/

Wow. I barely recognise Jim. Glad he got to spend his birthday in a good way with the cast etc. The only time we seemed to get some truth about what was happening with Jim's health up until now was via Meat it seems.

Indeed, time is limited and we should make the most of what we have and what we can get in this world and try to be a better person every day. Don't waste your time arguing politics. Don't waste your time ranting on Twitter or social media. Create and/or enjoy, love and above all smile.

Jim and Meat are leaving behind a massive legacy of work, smiles and passion that will live forever.

I think Jim will be seen as a sort of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or indeed Richard Wagner of rock music.

Wise words. In typical Jim fashion though he is still wearing a fashionable shirt and necklace. I wish I could make out what is on them.

Any more news on the new album and summer UK tour?

I wouldn't hold your breath

^This^. I hope for things, I hear of things, I wait until I see proof of said things.

Meat has new management and has secured a record deal, so I await a new album with patience but also confidence :-)

He is so determined to get back to the stage I believe he will in some format, although I think his sights are on doing some shows.

With regards to a possible tour, would doing what Phil Collins has done be am option, or would that be to much of a compromise as far as Meats concerned, to basically do a show sat down?

I can not wait, for a new album, but will be patient until Meat feels ready to put it out there!

Really surprised at the rate Phil Collins has deteriorated. I'm a huge fan, never seen him live but I refuse to go now. I don't think he should perform. He looks in worse health than Meat. They say it is the extensive drinking he did in the early 2010s but it looks more serious than that to me. :(

He has drop-foot...No feeling in one foot, so I imagine it's hard to exercise and get into shape for a show, or stand at all. He may have other issues though, it's hard to tell. His voice is still great, but physically, I agree that he's in worse shape than Meat.

Caryl thanks for the info....let's hope Meat is back in the studio soon and we can expect an arena tour in Autumn 2020.

Have you got any news on the bankruptcy story...was the quote referring to the 1980s or more recently?

He's doing the London ComicCon 24-26 July, which I think indicates that any summer tour here is unlikely .. and as to an arena tour I'm not sure the kind of show he wants to mount would suit arenas ..

He regarded the suggestion that bankruptcy was a recent issue as not worthy of comment ;)

slightly off topic, but does anyone who is going to the London film & comic convention in July know, what the seating arrangements for Meats talk are, for those who've brought the diamond pass? Reason I ask is a friend has brought herself one for her birthday, but now wants to buy her partner a ticket for the talk only (he not interested in the other stuff the diamond pass gives) but she's unsure if they'll be able to sit together. She suffers from anxiety problems hence wanting to sit with him, so just wondered if anyone knew how the seating works for these kind of events (she has tried asking the organizers, but they have yet to answer her!)

it's pretty much a free-for-all with regard to the seating at the talk. Diamond Pass Holders are supposed to be first in the queue (so that they can get the best seats once everyone is allowed to filter in), but none of the staff/volunteers really police it. Once you get into the 'room' you just sit where you like. Nothing is reserved. We had diamond passes last time round and ended up behind many people in the queue who hadn't.

So worst comes to the worst, the person with the Diamond Pass can just sit further back with the non-pass guest.

The price of these comic cons are verging on extortionate. Is it really worth the cost of two if not three high profile concerts?

Yes it is.

Honestly in my opinion, no. Give me a concert over comic con any day. One of the worst and most overpriced experiences ever.

Lol well this is a real roller coaster ride 🤣

I'm with Biggles, prices verging on the ridiculous with no guarantees, artist may or may not appear and having to book extra tickets over admission to see who you want to? Each to their own and if people are happy to do it then good on them but not something I'd ever do.

It all comes down to your intentions.
For Dortmund, last saturday, I payed 42,50 entrance. We had a busy day from 9am til 18pm. As a movie buff it was already worth the money. Saw legions of movie stars, sat in a DeLorean :twisted: and watched several, for me, interesting movie props. Also, most celebs didn't mind if you took pictures or video (some did and they had signs 'no photos') That by itself was already worth the entrance. Meat was a bonus. Is 50 euro for a signature worth it? That's up to you. I had the pleasure of talking to Meat (and Deborah) for an extended time (over 20 minutes). Had a picture taken and a personal item signed also. So for me it was as if I payed for a M&G. What do you pay for those?

So ya, for me it was more than worth it.

That said, if you had several actors you wanted to meet, schedule was very tight. I talked to some people that didn't get the chance to take a picture with one celeb, because time schedule made it impossible, as they also had a shoot with another celeb in the same time slot. So those people will certainly say it was not worth the money. :twisted: Although I have no clue how they handle timeslots in London)

Again, it's what you're hoping to get. For me there was so much to see and enjoy, even without celebrities walking around ;-)

The prices may seem steep. Two weeks I ago I paid £9 each time to ride a roller coaster. I went on it 3 times in a row. Some may think it's crazy. But when you find it out it takes 80 trucks to deliver the roller coaster from Germany to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland each Christmas and there are about 8-12 staff working on busy nights on the ride I don't think it's much.

It's the same with a £50 comic con. When all is said and done Meat probably only sees 20% of that if he's lucky :shrug:

People spend all ranges of money on things that may not seem worth it from thousands on a "Banksy" to £200.000 on a car to £10.000.000 on a house. It only matters to the person who spent it if it is worth it or not, not the ones who see a price and think "Nah, that's too much for me." ;)

Isn't the London one the best part of £200 all in with general admission, autograph from Meat and talk from Meat?

This is outside the scope of many people especially with travel costs etc. Just because they have enough people buying the tickets doesn't mean the high prices are acceptable.

I'm not blaming Meat as I'm aware he has costs and fees to pay, but maybe if he wishes to meet a wider audience why not charge £30 for a 2 hour theatre talk?

Did we find anything exciting out about the next album/tour at Dortmund comic con?

'I'm gonna try to do a show in April, in the city I live in, in Nashville Tennessee, and we'll see how that goes.'

Quote from the Q&A session in Dortmund

Great to see Meat looking so well (thanks for posting on your youtube channel Adje). He is looking the best he has looked in years.

I never realised he lived in Nashville Tennessee now? I thought he still lived in Austin Texas. What brought about the move? Meat certainly does like to move around the US!

Surely a UK arena tour will be announced shortly.....

Show he's looking to put on may not be suited to arenas, was waiting on ok from Dr's to start rehearsing, expect news early (ish) next year of some sort of a tour late 2020, currently looking at US and UK only though this might change.

I just think the UK promoters will insist on an arena tour rather than a theatre tour that will make limited money.....

Look at Meat's health. Look at his age. And then do the maths.
I wouldn't expect anything larger than Storytellers type shows in intimate venues for the foreseeable future. Meat may surprise you - who knows - but arena tours are the last thing I would expect to happen.

(incidentally - Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, and Happy Holidays to all!)

I had no idea that Meat and I now live in the same city, will be looking out for that April situation with eager anticipation

They likely will. Meat's ideal response given his current situation: 🖕

Remember arena tours bring in the $$$. Phil Collins did them and he was strapped to a chair.....

Remember he spent quite a bit of time in Nashville when he was recording Braver. I think he liked the area, then there are things like taxes and medical insurance etc ... and he was able to have a house built to his exact specifications, and the size they wanted :D

I just found this and I am hyperventilating with excitement. !!! Jesus, new Steinman content with MEAT! OMG! I AM DYING RIGHT NOW! HES RECORDING SUN IN YOUR EYES! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! 13 ROADS TO BAT! OH MY GOD!

He told me he was moving to Nashville pretty much straight after I told him I was moving to Texas...

Have there been anything more posted on this subject? :shock:

Not that I have seen, although I could be wrong..?

I would love to see some sort of activity from Meat and the band whether it be an album or a tour.

Meat's back has been sh** again since he got back from Germany, so might be a minor setback to getting progress on those plans?

😞 that’s not so good! Guess we will just have to wait and see! Health comes first!!

Meat has never recorded two songs which sound alike. Would there be any kind of sound you'd wanna see Meat and NLE revisit?

Songs such as TMIL, Madness, Land Of The Pig, Read Em And Weep, anything basically from bad attitude besides it's title track, and the acoustic guitar from handbasket were something I never imagined he'd record after the IMO successful Testify

Some kinda rearranged Decadent Wish (2003) would sound great with Paul Randy and John involved. I don't include Justin cause from what I remember piano wasn't in the song.

Give me Decadent Wish, Madness, and IKYIFDCB style sounds and I'd be pleased.