Jim Steinman: Difference between revisions

An American songwriter, composer, arranger and [[Record Producer]] famed for his love of both ''[[Peter Pan]]'' and [[Rock and Roll]] [[Cliché Storm|clichés]], '''Jim Steinman''' claims(1947-2021) claimed that he became enamoured of rock music at an early age when he heard a Fender Telecaster overloading a Marshall amplifier. His work, which he describesdescribed as "[[Richard Wagner|Wagnerian rock]]", is characterised by a sound that is simultaneously massive and low-key, combining influences ranging from [[Phil Spector]]'s "Wall of Sound" to [[Bruce Springsteen|Springsteen]]-influenced anthems of [[The Who|Townshendian]] teenage angst.

SinceFrom thenthat point on, he has worked as a prolific producer and composer. While more inclined to be involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the music business, he doesdid perform on occasion; in 1981 he released a solo album called ''Bad For Good'' (composed of material he originally intended for Meat Loaf, who was recovering from damaged vocal cords at the time), and has beenwas a "special guest star" in a number of Meat Loaf's tours. Less directly, he assembled and guided the all-female rock group [[Pandora's Box]] in the late 1980s, and produced their one album, ''Original Sin''.

Aside from his occasional reunions with Meat Loaf, he's collaborated in some capacity with artists such as [[Air Supply]], [[Barry Manilow]], [[Billy Squier]], [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Bonnie Tyler]], [[Celine Dion]] and [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]].

He maintainsmaintained a labyrinthine [http://www.jimsteinman.com web site] where one can find not only his well-known material, but MP3s of songs from his unfinished magnum opus ''Neverland'' and the abandoned ''Batman the Musical''.

* [[Author Appeal]]: He hashad a fascination (or perhaps obsession would be the better term) with ''[[Peter Pan]]'', and in addition to his work on ''Neverland'' random references to it show up all over his other work -- such as a digression about Captain Hook and how he coped with the Lost Boys in the middle of the Joker's song "Wonderful Toys" from his ''Batman'' musical.

* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: He's was famous for his eccentricity. When Meat Loaf told the story of his first meeting with Steinman on ''[[VH-1]] Storytellers'', he began with, "Have you ever seen Jim Steinman? He's one weird dude."

* [[Large Ham]]: Based on his bizarre spoken word interludes on ''Bat Out of Hell'' (the introduction to "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth"), and ''Bat Out of Hell II'' ("Wasted Youth", also on his album ''Bad For Good'') he's was quite possibly one of the Largest Hams who ever lived.

* [[Rock Opera]]: Meat Loaf once explained that every song Steinman writeswrote iswas treated as though it's was part of his never-produced ''Neverland'' project, although only a few of his compositions have been identified as part of the potential production ("Lost Boys and Golden Girls" is only the most obvious).

* [[Self-Plagiarism]]: Steinman hashad a habit of reusing choice bits from earlier songs in later works. One of the most obvious is a bridge composed of repetitions of the line "Godspeed! Godspeed! Godspeed! Speed us away!" which has appeared in several different songs over the pastcourse of 40his yearscareer.