AndyK
18 Jun 2010, 12:18
Found here (http://www.timesleader.com/features/Meat_Loaf_memories_06-17-2010.html)
More than 20 years ago, in June of 1987, I attended my first concert.
Well, it was my first if you don’t count the Tom Jones show my mom dragged the entire family to in the late 1970s or early 1980s. I do not.
The artist known as Meat Loaf was huge in more ways than one in 1977/1978 with “Bat Out Of Hell.”
Everyone I knew at the time had a copy, most of them on cassette. “The Loaf,” as we called him, scored a No. 11 hit with “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad” and scraped the bottom of the Top 40 with “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” and “You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth.”
But, as I said that was 1977 and 1978, and this was 1987. Meat Loaf was playing at the Staircase in Pittston in support of his album “Blind Before I Stop.”
Tickets were like 10 or 15 bucks, and a friend and I were going.
The first thing I remember about the show is that we had to sit in the balcony as we were both seniors in high school and under 21.
The other thing I remember most about the show is that The Loaf rocked – and sweated a lot.
He must have played the entire “Bat Out Of Hell” album that night.
A local girl sang in place of Ellen Foley on “Paradise,” but no one could take the place of legendary Yankees broadcaster Phil Rizzuto (“Holy cow!”) – they just played a tape of his memorable contribution to that song.
I also remember that the new songs were pretty good.
One that really stuck out for me was “Rock ’N’ Roll Mercenaries,” a song I was sure would put The Loaf back on top.
It did not.
The only other thing that stands out in my mind is that I bought a Meat Loaf T-shirt for 10 bucks.
It was a hideous thing. Black with a white silk-screened image of our hero – well, it least it was a huge representation of his head (and really, are there any other kinds?) – and the name of the album.
I don’t think it listed any of the shows – especially not Pittston, Pa. – on the back, but it didn’t matter. I went to my first show and had my souvenir to prove it.
I actually wore that thing more than I care to remember, before it fell victim to the mists of time or an angry washing machine.
The concert, though, was successful at accomplishing its main intention: to get people to buy the new album.
Or at least I bought one, on vinyl. I must have waited a few months, however, as my copy of the record released in September 1986 has a saw mark on the bottom left of the cover, meaning it was already out of print.
Also meaning it was cheap.
I played that for a while, too, especially the duet with John Parr (remember him? “Naughty Naughty” and that song from “St. Elmo’s Fire”) on “Rock ’N’ Roll Mercenaries.”
I’m sure my fascination with The Loaf did not last much longer.
He became “huge” again with the release of his next album – “Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell,” hitting the Top 40 three times, including the massively-popular “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That),” which ended up staying at No. 1 for five weeks and winning the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance.
Now when The Loaf came back to the area, he could play the bigger venues once again. But I haven’t gone to any more Meat Loaf shows.
I soon came to despise that hugely popular song with the long title as it was played over and over again on the radio. I ended up selling my copy of “Bat Out Of Hell II” at a yard sale for about 2 bucks.
But I still have my vinyl copy of “Blind Before I Stop.”
And my memories of an incredible evening in a hot and sweaty Pittston club.
More than 20 years ago, in June of 1987, I attended my first concert.
Well, it was my first if you don’t count the Tom Jones show my mom dragged the entire family to in the late 1970s or early 1980s. I do not.
The artist known as Meat Loaf was huge in more ways than one in 1977/1978 with “Bat Out Of Hell.”
Everyone I knew at the time had a copy, most of them on cassette. “The Loaf,” as we called him, scored a No. 11 hit with “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad” and scraped the bottom of the Top 40 with “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” and “You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth.”
But, as I said that was 1977 and 1978, and this was 1987. Meat Loaf was playing at the Staircase in Pittston in support of his album “Blind Before I Stop.”
Tickets were like 10 or 15 bucks, and a friend and I were going.
The first thing I remember about the show is that we had to sit in the balcony as we were both seniors in high school and under 21.
The other thing I remember most about the show is that The Loaf rocked – and sweated a lot.
He must have played the entire “Bat Out Of Hell” album that night.
A local girl sang in place of Ellen Foley on “Paradise,” but no one could take the place of legendary Yankees broadcaster Phil Rizzuto (“Holy cow!”) – they just played a tape of his memorable contribution to that song.
I also remember that the new songs were pretty good.
One that really stuck out for me was “Rock ’N’ Roll Mercenaries,” a song I was sure would put The Loaf back on top.
It did not.
The only other thing that stands out in my mind is that I bought a Meat Loaf T-shirt for 10 bucks.
It was a hideous thing. Black with a white silk-screened image of our hero – well, it least it was a huge representation of his head (and really, are there any other kinds?) – and the name of the album.
I don’t think it listed any of the shows – especially not Pittston, Pa. – on the back, but it didn’t matter. I went to my first show and had my souvenir to prove it.
I actually wore that thing more than I care to remember, before it fell victim to the mists of time or an angry washing machine.
The concert, though, was successful at accomplishing its main intention: to get people to buy the new album.
Or at least I bought one, on vinyl. I must have waited a few months, however, as my copy of the record released in September 1986 has a saw mark on the bottom left of the cover, meaning it was already out of print.
Also meaning it was cheap.
I played that for a while, too, especially the duet with John Parr (remember him? “Naughty Naughty” and that song from “St. Elmo’s Fire”) on “Rock ’N’ Roll Mercenaries.”
I’m sure my fascination with The Loaf did not last much longer.
He became “huge” again with the release of his next album – “Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell,” hitting the Top 40 three times, including the massively-popular “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That),” which ended up staying at No. 1 for five weeks and winning the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance.
Now when The Loaf came back to the area, he could play the bigger venues once again. But I haven’t gone to any more Meat Loaf shows.
I soon came to despise that hugely popular song with the long title as it was played over and over again on the radio. I ended up selling my copy of “Bat Out Of Hell II” at a yard sale for about 2 bucks.
But I still have my vinyl copy of “Blind Before I Stop.”
And my memories of an incredible evening in a hot and sweaty Pittston club.