For a bit of a laugh, I’ve included Pat Boone’s ‘In A Metal Mood’ CD from 1997. It caused a bit of a ruckus upon release from the Christian Conservatives. Lol.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Pat Boone
ALBUM: In A Metal Mood (No More Mr Nice Guy)
LABEL: Hip-O Records
SERIAL: HIPD-40025
YEAR: 1997
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Pat Boone, Ronnie James Dio, Clydene Jackson Edwards, Merry Clayton, Carmen Twillie – vocals * Ritchie Blackmore, Mitch Holder, Dawayne Bailey, Dweezil Zappa, Dan Ferguson, Michael Thompson – electric guitar * Doug Cameron, Bruce Dukov, Michelle Richards – violin * Evan Wilson – viola * Larry Corbett – cello * Tom Scott, Gary Herbig, Don Menza, Pete Christlieb, Terry Harrington, Plas Johnson, Jeol Peskin – woodwinds * Frank Szabo, Chuck Findley, Wayne Bergeron, Rick Baptist, Chris Tedesco – trumpet * Dick ‘Slide’ Hyde, Lew McCreary, Alan Kaplan, Bruce Otto, Dana Hughes – trombone * Dave Siebels – organ, keyboards * Andy Simpkins – acoustic bass * Marco Mendoza – electric bass * Gregg Bissonette – drums * Sheila E. – timbales
TRACK LISTING: 01 You Got Another Thing Comin’ * 02 Smoke On The Water * 03 It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock n Roll) * 04 Panama * 05 No More Mr Nice Guy * 06 Love Hurts * 07 Enter Sandman * 08 Holy Diver * 09 Paradise City * 10 The Wind Cries Mary * 11 Crazy Train * 12 Stairway To Heaven
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
For a bit of a laugh, I’ve included Pat Boone’s ‘In A Metal Mood’ CD from 1997. It caused a bit of a ruckus upon release, some conservatives could not fathom the reason why wholesome and All American boy (or grand-dad in this case) Pat Boone would stoop to the lowest of levels.
Of course all of us heathen rockers would be the first to congratulate old Pat for sticking to his guns on what is a set of heavy rock covers played in a big band style. On my release, the genre/style is called ‘retro polka’. Never heard that one before, but I will say I’ve had this CD in my car on the occasional long journey, and it’s always guaranteed to put a chuckle on my face!
The Songs
Judas Priest must wonder how it is that their track ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ made it onto Pat’s cover list. But the thing is, it sounds tailor-made for the big band style.
‘Smoke On The Water’ with its smokey brass work is another one making for a perfect fit. Pat’s lead vocal plus the female backing singers fit like a hand to glove.
The slinky organ and doo-wop trombone are big contributors to AC/DC‘s ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top’, the overall result akin to The Doors doing big band! Apart from the fiery lead guitar intro, Van Halen‘s ‘Panama’ is the closest to a hard rock workout.
‘Love Hurts’ is the slow-mo moment on the CD, a jazz piano ballad which could’ve been time-locked into the 1940’s by the sounds of it. Hearing a cover of Metallica‘s ‘Enter Sandman’ was very interesting. This is played in fast paced big-band sound with no hint of evil or menace as per the original.
There’s lot of parping brass for the very different interpretation of Dio‘s ‘Holy Diver’. Of the songs that sounds like a natural for this genre-style would be the Guns N Roses classic ‘Paradise City’, you can just imagine this being played in some Vegas night-club a la Wayne Newton.
The Hendrix interpretation of ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ is easy to imagine, while the Ozzy standard ‘Crazy Train’ is just the craziest cover you’ll ever hear! Very cool. Finishing up with ‘Stairway To Heaven’, it’s a combination of folk and big-band. Unusual yes, and the arrangement is nothing like the original!
In Summary
According to Wikipedia, Boone promoted the album by appearing in leather clothing, and also sporting a dog-collar at the 1997 American Music Awards! The album made it onto the Billboard record charts, his first billboard album in over three decades, though longtime supporters were not amused.
I read somewhere that he was excommunicated from his Church. I find that hard to believe, but you never know with these far-right Christian Conservative weirdos. Anything’s possible. He did eventually return, describing the album as a parody which saw him resume usual activity. Good for what it is, novelty at best, but worth reviewing for its shock appeal!
Pat Boone on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
