WTTN vs CHSIB

[Mr. Happy]

I've been listening to both of these albums in particular a lot lately and I'm kinda curious. What's the general consensus (at least on this forum) on which one is better?

I feel they both have fantastic songs, but they're both dragged down by filler. Couldn't Have Said It Better has a world class run right up to Testify, and then Tear Me Down > You're Right > BOY sucks all the life out of it and it never really recovers. Welcome to the Neighbourhood is equally fantastic when it's good, but then it has that painful stretch of 45 Seconds > Running > Fiesta Whatever > Left in the Dark*. I get it's important to the story of the album, but aurally it just doesn't flow well to my ears and it feels like an uphill battle till we get to Not a Dry Eye.

I just spent a whole paragraph talking about filler when I should be talking about how amazing the rest is. How great is Rubber, Original Sin, Angels? Or literally every song up to Testify on CHSIB? There's so much material here that should have been massive, massive hits it's ridiculous.

I think CHSIB edges out of WTTN, personally, just because the filler doesn't disrupt the flow of the album, but if you asked me tomorrow I might say Where Angels Sing alone is enough to make WTTN the better album.

Which do we think is better?

*I adore Left in the Dark as a song but the studio version does nothing for me, the production sucks all the life out of it and the vocal delivery is incredibly lazy. The live versions are incredible, though.

[duke knooby]

Great question, I won't say which is better, but I will say I prefer WTTN, both excellent albums, but I have a better connection with the WTTN material.

[loaferman61]

Really tough call. Both have "when it is good it is fantastic" qualities. I find myself listening to CHSIB the most so I guess I prefer it. That could have ranked just behind that Bat albums for me with a couple of better songs. Meat really had the right crew of songwriters and producers on those albums.

[Dick]

That's really tough, I have a connection with chsib as it was playing when I asked my partner out nearly 10 years ago, forever young was on just to be specific.
But as has been said both have great opening songs. I must say I do enjoy wttn's left in the dark. I just don't know.
Both have these amazing moments, and do shine just as brigtly for different reasons, like Mr Happy I could say one thing now and something different tomorrow.

Oh the inner conflict that comes with being passionate about something....

[ChloeLee88]

That is a really tough call, but I think, for me, CHSIB just pips WTTN to the post. I can honestly say there isn't a single song I would skip on CHSIB. For me the title song and Did I say that are just pure class with Meats vocals on top form!

I do also love the WTTN album, including Left in the dark and Martha! Great poll....hard choice!

[Wario]

To me its about play consistency.

They are both really really good albums but lemme put it this way, bolded are the tracks I don't ever skip on each album:

WTTN:
Where the rubber meets the Road
Lie for you
Original Sin
45 seconds
redlight
That mexican instrumental
Left in the Dark
Not a dry eye
Amnesty
LAst Kiss
Martha
WHere angels sing

CHISB:
CHSIB
DIST
Why Isn't That Enough (SUCH AN UNDERRATED SONG)
Love you out Loud
Man of Steel
Testify
Tear Me Down
You were Right
Because of You
Do It
Forever Young / Mercury

It just comes down to Math.

[Adje]

I like both but CHSIB is one of my favorite Meat albums.

[Evil Ernie]

To me its about play consistency.

They are both really really good albums but lemme put it this way, bolded are the tracks I don't ever skip on each album:

WTTN:

CHISB:

It just comes down to Math.

MY TURN!

WTTN:
Where the rubber meets the Road
Lie for you
Original Sin
45 seconds
redlight
That mexican instrumental
Left in the Dark
Not a dry eye
Amnesty
LAst Kiss
Martha
WHere angels sing

CHISB:
CHSIB
DIST
Why Isn't That Enough (SUCH AN UNDERRATED SONG)
Love you out Loud
Man of Steel
Testify
Tear Me Down
You were Right
Because of You
Do It
Forever Young / Mercury

Looks like I gotta go with WTTN.

I probably would have anyway, because it has by far my favourite version of 'Original Sin'. I want to like 'Left In The Dark', but Jim somehow outdid him with his original version (Streisand too).

[Wario]

Why Isn't That Enough (SUCH AN UNDERRATED SONG)


I thought I as in a minority ;)

BTW, heres a live version of meats left in the dark. Will make u reconsider which is better now:

FBztaJm7oEM

[Meat Loaf_fan]

I don't skip (most times) these songs:

WTTN:
Where The Rubber Meets Te Road
I'd Lie For You
Original Sin
Seconds
Red Light
Fiesta
Left In The Dark
Not A Dry Eye
Amnesty
Last Kiss
Martha
Where Angels Sing

CHISB:
CHSIB
DIST
Why Isn't That Enough
Love you out Loud
Man of Steel
Testify
Tear Me Down
You were Right
Because of You
Do It
Forever Young / Mercury

Eight to eight.
So why I choosed WTTN? Let me say at first that I extremely love "Did I Say That". In fact I rank it as my favourite Meat song. What's more: CHSIB was my first ML album. Despite these facts I prefer WTTN, because if you think about whole album, WTTN is more consistent. It has some story which we could hear.

Very good pool. Hard choice.

PS. I know LITD from the ML album and from Streisand version, and I prefer Meat's version.

[AndrewG]

They are both great.
CHSIB probably has the best stand out songs for me: CHSIB / DIST / Man of Steel / Testify but then WWTN has pretty much no songs I would skip whereas I don't like "Why isn't that enough" / "You were Right" / "Because of You" and "Do it" so much.
So I'd say WTTN is probably a better rounded album.

If Braver is as good as either album it would easily be the best album since Bat 3 for me.

[Wario]

one thing I have to ask is ...

why in gods name would they omit this from CHSIB For YOURE RIGHT I WAS WRONG?!?!?!?!?!

4xqwuxt2Z3U

[duke knooby]

one thing I have to ask is ...

why in gods name would they omit this from CHSIB For YOURE RIGHT I WAS WRONG?!?!?!?!?!

4xqwuxt2Z3U

Why? Wasn't that enough?

It was supposed to remain unsaid :-P

[PanicLord]

Ok so on WTTN I love all the songs except for Last Kiss which I find too soppy, but I don't actively dislike. On CHSIB I love DIST and really like MOS and CHSIB, and quite enjoy Testify. WTTN wins hands down!

WTTN:
Where The Rubber Meets The Road
I'd Lie For You
Original Sin
Seconds
Red Light
Fiesta
Left In The Dark
Not A Dry Eye
Amnesty
Last Kiss
Martha
Where Angels Sing

CHISB:
CHSIB
DIST
Why Isn't That Enough
Love you out Loud
Man of Steel
Testify
Tear Me Down
You were Right
Because of You
Do It
Forever Young / Mercury

[Yevonda]

I like both but CHSIB is one of my favorite Meat albums.

CHSIB is one of my favorite albums as well. Although, Left In The Dark is one of my favorite Meat songs so I am a little torn.. ;)

[Mr. Happy]

I've always felt that WTTN and CHSIB are very similar, which is why I thought comparing them would be interesting. They're sandwiched together between the two of the three milestone albums in Meat's career. They're stylistically comparable in that they're both Steinman-lite with the nice, clean production that the 80s albums lack. In terms of quality they're both pretty similar, and even the artwork is kind of thematically related. Blonde woman being harassed.

That should be have been in the OP, but whatever. They've always felt like a pair to me, same as HCTB/HIAHB, even if I guess there's technically nothing linking them together.

I thought I as in a minority ;)

Why Isn't That Enough is a nice song, I like it! I feel that it's easy to overlook sandwiched between CHSIB and DIST on one side and then LYOL and MoS on the other, but it's a nice piece of music. I'm a fan. The melody is great.

[rockfenris2005]

There's so much material here that should have been massive, massive hits it's ridiculous.

Please. Don't get me started... :(

I couldn't choose between the two really but... While I love WttN as an album, taking the songs out of context *can* be another matter, e.g. I prefer the original versions of both "Original sin" and "Left in the dark", if only because I love it when Jim produces his songs (love probably being an understatement!). And then there's "Good times" and "Runnin' for the red light". Also, "Anything for love" and "I'd lie for you". But in context, as an album, I freaking love it.

Btw, (opinions, opinions! haha), I think "Martha" is insanely awesome.

As for CHSIB, REALLY awesome strong A side, but then I start to lose it around "You're right, I was wrong" and "Because of you". "Do it!" and "Forever young" I love, haha. I think it would have been better still if they'd included "Decadent wish".

[Evil Ernie]

I prefer the original versions of both "Original sin" and "Left in the dark", if only because I love it when Jim produces his songs (love probably being an understatement!).

Meat's version of 'Original Sin' is the ONLY version of a Steinman song that I prefer over one produced my Jim. Even though Rory was involved, so it still had the feel of a track that had him involved.

IMO, the most important person that ML could bring back on BTWA is Rory. His background vocals and arrangements MADE everything Jim/ML related from 1977-1996.

[Wario]

Meat's version of 'Original Sin' is the ONLY version of a Steinman song that I prefer over one produced my Jim. Even though Rory was involved, so it still had the feel of a track that had him involved.

IMO, the most important person that ML could bring back on BTWA is Rory. His background vocals and arrangements MADE everything Jim/ML related from 1977-1996.

There are reasons Rory wont be back with anything Jim related.

[AndrewG]

There are reasons Rory wont be back with anything Jim related.

Is it because his wife found out he is gay after you posted it here?

[rockfenris2005]

Meat's version of 'Original Sin' is the ONLY version of a Steinman song that I prefer over one produced my Jim. Even though Rory was involved, so it still had the feel of a track that had him involved.

Know what you mean. Also Jeff Bova. But still, for me anyway, not quite... It just has this (word?) muffled feel about it. Works just fine for the album, but Jim in comparison is like... a huge landscape.

[Tina.K.]

Both very underated albums. I like them a lot!

I can't creally choose.

The best tour I saw was the WTTN promotion tour in Rotterdam 1996.

CHSIB I listen to the most of all Meat albums! Especially in my car :-)

[lorenzoduke]

WTTN by some distance for me. Also the best tour up until LAB.

Get rid of Because Of You and You're Right I Was Wrong for Decadent Wish and Unsaid and CHSIB is getting there.

[ChloeLee88]

WTTN by some distance for me. Also the best tour up until LAB.

Get rid of Because Of You and You're Right I Was Wrong for Decadent Wish and Unsaid and CHSIB is getting there.

I really like Because of you and You're right I was wrong, BUT, I do 100% agree that Decadent Wish and Unsaid are both fantastic songs and would have gone so well on that album, its such a shame they never made it onto an album!

[samurai7]

I quite like Because Of You, but then I know the song's writer Steve Balsamo. I'm actually performing on the same bill as him in a couple of weeks, as well as Wynne 'Gio Compario' Evans, Lemar, Sian Evans from Kosheen (and DJ Fresh's monster number 1 hit 'Louder') and many others, all arranged by a close friend who you'll see quite a bit from in the coming months on itv, if things go to plan.

Back to topic. I love both albums. WTTN reminds me of waiting outside Woolworths on the day of release to get the first copy when they opened (it was on my way to college) and Meat was EVERYWHERE it seemed, popping up on all sorts of TV shows. The subsequent tour was awesome too. Only disappointments are that the Steinman-penned tracks didn't quite live up to my expectations, but then they followed Bat 2, which is my favourite ever album.

CHSIB has some amazing songs, too, and I LOVE the sound of the album. Some amazing production work, and to my ears the best Meat has sounded (from a recording standpoint) on CD since Bat 2, and better than anything released since, although the tone Paul Crook captured on HIAHB is pretty great sounding too.
Couple of slightly naff songs, but the sheer quality of CHSIB, DIST, Testify etc, and hidden track Mercury Blues more than make up for that.