[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

To think of The Neverland Express without Meat Loaf is like thinking of a hamburger without Meat or a bun. I think we are forgetting here that Meat is the one who brings this band together. After hearing what the arrangements are like with Kasim gone even his MD role seemed rather less important to me than what I once thought it was. I'm not saying Kasim is useless at all. Kasim is a great guy and was a huge asset to the band but Meat definitely is much more of a director here than what some seem to be giving him credit for I reckon. With half of these guys spread across the States doing different things (and by the sounds of it different styles of music too!) without Meat it makes no sense to me for them to get together without Meat Loaf and do similar music at all. A fantasy proposition in my opinion. It was great hearing Patti do Bible and beer but she could have her own less expensive band and do gigs and still be on the money.

With Meat comes a grandeur and a band perfection I've rarely come across (except for the E Street Band) but I reckon Meat is the puppet master, the driving force who actually makes the band work. Would anyone care if the E street band did a "solo" album, yeah maybe a few thousand hardcore Springsteen fans. Would anyone care if the Neverland Express did an album? No-one outside this board I reckon.

I really can't argue with any of that.

Originally Posted by Elijah's way

I think it would be cool if Meat was to do an album sorta like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, but call it Meat Loaf and the Neverland Express.

I think that would be a great name for an album of covers

Originally Posted by Steve6

I persume the band name was trademarked when it was created. I'd be fairly certain it's under Jim's name. It sounds like a band name he would create, but it will never be known until someone can confirm it for us.

[logical conclusion]
In the early 80's Meat was sued by anyone and everyone who had dealings with him, including for the name Meat Loaf.
If he was being sued for his own name, there is no way he would have been left alone with a band name that he had no right too.
[/logical conclusion]

Originally Posted by CarylB

From your keyboard to God's ears!

I'd love to see Andrew's e mail address book


I'd like to see a collaboration from the NLE because I think they are a great buch of very talented people

But a few random thoughts............


It seems the music business is interested in only two things these days.
Kiddie pop, and women with voices that are nothing extra special but who look like they've been repeatedly hit in the face by a sack full of army boots so have a moving human interest angle.
A group of ageing (and these days, everybody over the age of 14 is considered as "ageing" in the music business) musicians and backing singers are not going to set a record companies eyes alight, no matter how fecking great they are.
They are Meat's band, and most people will think "big deal".
Seriously, Paradise By The Dashboard Light is a classic song that most people know, but you ask 10 people (strictly not big Meat fans) the name of the woman who sang it with Meat and they won't have a clue.
THe closest most of them will come is saying "you mean the girl in the video with the dark curly hair?".
How many people know Lorraine Crosby or Patti by name?

To get attention they need either some sort of hook or their own fanbase.

If they did an album, the easiest way to get any interest would to be performing with some big well known names.
But the more big names you put on the record the less spotlight is on the band.

They could build a fan base by touring themselves, but they are not going to fill arenas on their own merit because not enough people will care.
And for the record, i'm not saying it's right i'm just saying it's so.
So that will take a lot of gigging in smaller venues over and over again, spending more and more time far away from home to try and make their own reputation.

Then after all that they have a chance (nothing guarenteed) of making an album.

Put it this way, would you rather play Wembley with someone else's name above the door, or the local church hall with your name above the door?


And is it what any of them really want?
They already work with Meat and so spend plenty of time together, and perhaps they enjoy their time apart so they can do their own thing for a little while.
Although John and Paul certainly seem to like working together as they've both been involved in the same projects, and if that works for them, more power to them, but if you want to do something in a different style the time away from the band provides that artistic outlet.
The thing is that nobody is tied to anyone else during that time, and it's a valuable time to stretch their wings and to meet other musicians who can show them their ideas on how to do things.
Several valued members of the NLE have joined the band because they've worked with another member in a former band or project.

And to look at an example, look at Kasim.
He worked fine with the band, but working with the band can be stiffling for your own creative direction, and now he has left to concentrate on his own music.
If the band were tied together so much I dare say many of them would want to get back to doing their own thing rather than Meat's thing every time they pick up an instrument.


So yes, i'd love to see it.

No, I don't think there would be a big splash in the music industry without a lot of promo.

And I don't think being tied together for all that time would be good for the creativity of the band.

Best of both worlds would be a CD to sell at the merch stand and to order from a NLE website.