Sonic Sunday: Pure Pleasure, No Guilt

Could this album cover be more awesome??Little Ms. Blogger recently posted a question, asking her readers what their favorite guilty pleasures were. This, of course, reminded me of how much I loathe the term "guilty pleasures," because I think it's ridiculous to feel guilty about enjoying something. (OK, unless what you "enjoy" is skinning people alive, but let's not be ridiculous. You know what I'm talking about.) I love Xanadu. I can't get enough of garbage TV. I saw the Backstreet Boys in concert, and they were awesome.

Backstreet Boys aside, I would guess that the one artist most of the cool kids would think I should feel guilty about loving is Jim Steinman. I've waxed poetic about him before, but I think it's well past time he gets his very own Sonic Sunday. I'm well aware that Steinman's brand of ultra-dramatic, metaphor-laden, operatic rock is pure cheese, but I don't feel the least bit guilty about gorging on its deliciousness.

1. "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)," Meat Loaf (1977)
It was a hot summer night and the beach was burning/There was a fog crawling over the sand/When I listen to your heart I hear the whole world turning/I see the shooting stars/Falling through your trembling hands/You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining/I was dying just to ask for a taste/We were lying together in a silver lining/By the light of the moon/You know there's not another moment/Not another moment/Not another moment to waste

2. "Dead Ringer For Love," Meat Loaf (Feat. Cher) (1981)
Rock 'n roll and brew, rock 'n roll and brew/They don't mean a thing when I compare 'em next to you/Rock 'n roll and brew, rock 'n roll and brew/I know that you and I we got better things to do/I don't know who you are or what you do/Or where you go when you're not around/I don't know anything about you baby, but you're everything I'm dreaming of/I don't know who you are, but you're a real dead ringer for love/A real dead ringer for love

3. "Lost Boys And Golden Girls," Jim Steinman (1981)
Lost boys and golden girls/Down on the corner and all around the world/Lost boys and golden girls/Down on the corner and all around, all around the world/It doesn't matter where they're going, or wherever they've been/'Cause they got one thing in common it's true/They'll never let a night like tonight go to waste/And let me tell you something, neither will you/Neither will you

4. "Total Eclipse Of The Heart," Bonnie Tyler (1983)
And I need you now tonight/And I need you more than ever/And if you'll only hold me tight/We'll be holding on forever/And we'll only be making it right/'Cause we'll never be wrong together/We can take it to the end of the line/Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time/I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark/We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks/I really need you tonight/Forever's gonna start tonight/Forever's gonna start tonight

5. "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All," Air Supply (1983)
I can make the runner stumble/I can make the final block/And I can make every tackle at the sound of the whistle/I can make all the stadiums ROCK/I can make tonight forever/Or I can make it disappear by the dawn/And I can make you every promise that has ever been made/I can make all your demons be gone/But I'm never gonna make it without you/Do you really want to see me crawl/And I'm never gonna make it like you do/Making love out of nothing at all

6. "Read 'Em And Weep," Barry Manilow (1983)
Well, I could tell you "goodbye" or maybe "See you around"/With just a touch of a sarcastic "thanks"/We started out with a bang and at the top of the world/Now the guns are exhausted and the bullets are blanks/And everything's blank/If I could only find the words then I would write it all down/If I could only find a voice I would speak/Oh, it's there in my eyes/Oh, can't you see me tonight/Come on and look at me and read 'em and weep

7. "Nowhere Fast," Fire Inc. (1984)
You and me we're goin' nowhere slowly/And we've gotta get away from the past/There's nothin' wrong with goin' nowhere, baby/But we should be goin' nowhere fast/Everybody's goin' nowhere slowly/They're only fighting for the chance to be last/There's nothin' wrong with goin' nowhere, baby/But we should be goin' nowhere fast/It's so much better goin' nowhere fast

8. "Rock 'N' Roll Dreams Come Through," Meatloaf (1993)
You can't run away forever/But there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start/You want to shut out the night/You want to shut down the sun/You want to shut away the pieces of a broken heart/Think of how we'd lay down together/We'd be listening to the radio so loud and so strong/Every golden nugget coming like a gift of the gods/Someone must have blessed us when he gave us those songs

9. "Original Sin," Taylor Dayne (1994)
I've been looking for an original sin/One with a twist and a bit of a spin/And since I've done all of the old ones/'Til they've all been done in/Now I'm just looking and I'm gone with the wind/Endlessly searching for an original sin/I'm applying for a license to thrill/Going out on the edge, moving in for the kill/And there'll be hell to pay someday/Put it all on the bill/'Cause we'll always be paying and paying until/We're beyond expiration with a license to thrill

10. "It's All Coming Back To Me Now," Celine Dion (1996)
There were nights when the wind was so cold/That my body froze in bed/If I just listened to it right outside the window/There were days when the sun was so cruel/That all the tears turned to dust/And I just knew my eyes were drying up forever/I finished crying in the instant that you left/And I can't remember where or when or how/And I banished every memory you and I had ever made

Remember, people: Like what you like and make no excuses for it. Don't care about being cool. Don't let the hipsters win.

Comments

Heff said…
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
I know 1, 4, 5 and 10. I only like 1. But as is amply demonstrated by my last music post, I am certainly not one in a position to judge :p
Air Supply is a good call, but I'm partial to "Even the Nights." What about "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen?" One of the corniest ones that I love but would only listen to with the windows UP is "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon.

What do you think about a Point/Counterpoint thing between you and I on Starpulse? I need to get more stuff on there, but they say my weird ideas don't bring in the readers. So, if we took stuff people like to read about, but we made fun of it creatively, we could be in business. Let me know what you think.
Alice said…
aaaand i now have a soundtrack to get me through the rest of the afternoon. THANK YOU. :-)
Dave Harrington said…
Why did u have to bring up Air Supply...dammit thats my soft spot...MAKIN LOOOVE OUT OF NOTHIN AT ALL (makin love)...
Dave Harrington said…
Fuck you made me create a pandora air supply station..."girl you're every woman in the world to me, you're fantasy, you're my reality"
gennifer6 said…
I agree with VA, I only rolled my eyes at the Bonnie Tyler song when I saw it here because of what everybody else did to it.
Angell said…
Am totally with you on this one. LOVE those ultra-dramatic, fantastic verbiage songs.

My fave though is Rock & Roll Dreams - best line - And the angels had guitars even before they had wings.

LOVE IT.
Billy said…
Anyone who says they don't like Jim Steinman but claim to love GLEE is, to be blunt, living with their head up their butt.

I daresay that Jim Steinman is, if not the true muse of that show, then one of the seven proverbial sisters. (The entire casts of "Xanadu" and "Head of the Class' might be two more of them.)

The Roy Bittan piano entry at the beginning of "I'd Do Anything For Love..." is just about the coolest melodramatic introduction to a song in the history of the earth. (Yes, this is exaggeration, because one needs to exaggerate when discussing songs by this genius of embellishment. He is the airbrush of rock'n'roll.
Wow Becks....that's one hell of a post and a list.

Nice work.
Wow, it sure is meatloafy around here!

I can accept that, but sorry, I draw the line at Celine Dion.
carissa said…
Great picks. Meatloaf is ALWAYS my favorite and Bonnie tyler is my go-to karaoke song. Loves
cube said…
I can't hear any Sonny & Cher songs without wanting to sing along. BTW I do an impressive Cher impression, but just an OK Sonny. Is that uncool enough for you?
Penny said…
Nice!!!
You gotta feel Celine!