On The Gramophone: 27-06-2015

MEAT LOAF
BAD ATTITUDE
Record company: Arista Records
Distributor: Ariola-Eurodisc GMBH
Country of Origin: Germany
Stock No.: 206 619 for vinyl; 406 619 for cassette; 610 187 for CD.
Recorded: STEREOPHONICALLY
Manufacturing Facility for Record: Ariola Sonopress, Gutersloh, Germany
Producers: M.L. Aday, Paul Jacobs, Mack.
Mixing: Mack at Musicland, Munich
Sound Engineering: Femi Jiva (this recording), Julian Wheatly, Marcus Holmes-Newsome, Stephan Wissnet (asst.)
Vocalists: Meat Loaf, Roger Daltrey (guest, of the Who, A1), Clare Torry (also female vocals, A2), Stephanie De-Sykes, Paul Jacobs, Wells Kelly, Zee Carling (B2)
Guitarist: Bob Kulick, Paul Vincent (A4, B2)
Keyboardist: Paul Jacobs
Pianist: Paul Jacobs
Drummer: Wells Kelly, Curt Cress (A4)
Percussionist: Wells Kelly, Frank Ricotti (A3, B2)
Bassist: John Siegler, Mo Foster (B1)
Saxophonist: Ronnie Asprey (B4)
String arrangement: Paul Buckmaster and Paul Jacobs
Producer of original recordings: Alan Shacklock, Modern Media London, Ltd.
Studios: Marcus Music UK, Abbey Road Studios.
Prod. Coordinator: Paul Morgan
Executive Consultant: Sandy Durkee
Pres. of publishing companies used for record: Earl Shuman
Art Direction: Nicholas Marchant
Photography: Bob Carlos Clarke, Shelia Rock (sleeve)
Artwork: Graphyk
Dedications: Pearl Aday, Amanda Aday
Tracks: Bad Attitude/Modern Girl/Nowhere Fast/Surf's Up//Piece Of The Action/Jumping The Gun/Cheating In Your Dreams/Don't Leave Your Mark On Me/Sailor To A Siren

FACT: Whenever a Meat Loaf item pops up, my mom is like, "Meat Loaf FTW!" Not only does my mom have many of Meat Loaf's merchandise, she has also seen many of his films (including his 1980 debut, Roadie, which is a rather underrated rock film), his special on Behind The Music, and also possesses a copy of his autobiography. So, unsurprisingly, Mom was quick to jump into the opportunity of buying this LP when I submitted it to her as she surprisingly didn't have a copy of it before now. It contains a big UK hit in "Modern Girl" (our idea of rocking out) which, up until this point, she had only an MP3 of. This was released by Arista everywhere except for the North American continent, where it was released by RCA. Unfortunately, all RCA did with it (other than somewhat change its track order) was engage in activities, and dialogue exchanges, like this one below:

Irate Fan: Where can I get a copy of the new Hall & Oates LP I've been eying so long?
RCA Dealer: Sorry, we ran out of copies of that album for today. But (holds up a copy of the Meat Loaf LP) how about you buy this album as your consolation prize?
Irate Fan:

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY
MARRYING MAIDEN
Record company: CBS
Distributor: CBS
Country of Origin: UK
Stock No.: 64065 for vinyl; 40-64065 for cassette
Recorded: STEREOPHONICALLY
Manufacturing Facility For Record: CBS, Aston Clinton, England
Producers: Brent Dangerfield, It's A Beautiful Day
Sound Engineering: David Brown, John Fiore
Vocalists: Pattie Santos, Val Fuentes, Fred Webb, David LaFlamme, Mitchell Holman
Guitarist: David LaFlamme, Hal Waganet
Keyboardist: Fred Webb
Drummer: Val Fuentes
Percussionist: Pattie Santos
Bassist: Mitchell Holman
Other instrumentalists: Fred Webb (french horn), David LaFlamme (violinist, flutist), Mitchell Holman (mouth-harpist), Richard Olsen (guest, clarinetist), Jerry Garcia (guest, of the Grateful Dead, banjo player and pedal steel guitarist)
Studios: Pacific High, Wally Heider, San Francisco, Calif., USA
Pipe organ donor: Avenue Theatre (A5)
Frames: North Beach Frames, Ltd.
Photography: James William Redo II, Roberto Perez-Diaz (front); Bruce Steinberg (back)
Tracks: Don & Dewey/The Dolphins/Essence Of Now/Hoedown/Soapstone Mountain//Waiting For The Song/Let A Woman Flow/It All Comes Right Down To You/Good Lovin'/Galileo/Do You Remember The Sun?

Followup to their highly successful self-titled 1969 debut album (featuring their signature song "White Bird", a perennial FM radio staple) features more eclectic use of rock, jazz, folk, classical and world beat styles fused into various tracks. Participation of the group's members allow for fun and games on tracks, from a slow-going (as well as excellent) piece called "Let A Woman Flow" to a real honky-tonk instrumental called "Hoedown". All in that session day's work, I guess. And that work went to the group's most commercially successful (#28 US, #47 UK) venture.

ANOTHER MONTY PYTHON RECORD
Record company: The Famous Charisma Label
Distributor: B&C
Country of Origin: UK
Stock No.: CAS 1049 for vinyl; ZCCAS 1049 for cassette
Recorded: In a manner that is intentionally hard to tell
Producers: Terry Jones and Michael Palin

It is indeed another Monty Python Record; and their first in which they had any real control over its content. Although it mostly contains sketches lifted from the (monophonically) recorded Monty Python's Flying Circus, such is run alongside original contents, like Side B's "Be A Great Actor" sketch. As usual, it's wacky and hilarious (right down to the intentional defacing of a classical record's LP jacket, which makes this album collectable), but for Monty Python, it wasn't all fun and games:

We had this horrendous time because we were recording in this rather hippy recording studio which fortunately I can't remember the name of. ... We were very keen to use the stereo and everything, but what we hadn't realised was that the guy who was doing the recording, who I think was out of his head most of the time, had not been making any notes. We'd end up with tapes and tapes of material with no idea of where anything was on the tapes ... That was a bitter experience.

- Terry Jones