Pat Boone - In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy

Monty Python have got nothing on Pat Boone. You want absurd, this is the pinnacle. No comedy writer in his/her dreams could have dreamt up anything even half as stupid. The mere idea of Pat Boone, Mr. Squeaky Clean himself, (ahem) crooning heavy metal tunes is bad enough, but it gets so much worse. Big name arrangers were brought in to take crunchy power chords and squealing guitar solos and turn them into jazzy riffs and big band horn blasts. Even a few of the artists whose material is covered make guest appearances. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore plugs in on "Smoke on the Water," while vocalist Ronnie James Dio gives a shout out on his band's "Holy Diver." This musical "idiodyssey" actually works a few times. I'm not immune to the kitsch value that the swingin' versions of AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)," Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," or Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" provide. These songs almost sound like they were written for this kind of overblown, slick swing. Very scary. As for the rest, well, let's just say that aside from the fact that they don't really work too well in this format, Boone just ends up sort of speaking the lyrics and sounding completely goofy. If that's not comedy enough for you, surely the extensive liner notes explaining (rationalizing?) why Boone felt the need to make this record are the topper. I liked this guy a lot better when he was pals with the Parents' Music Resource Center. Can't wait for In a Grunge Mood--sometime in the 21st century. --Adem Tepedelen Amazon.com

Greatest Concept Album Ever

Seriously, if the concept is how to arrange a ton of rock songs into snappy, Frank Sinatra-esque arrangements this albums is top notch. Not only is it totally hilarious hearing Pat Boone talking about "getting stoned" on his long way to the top if you want to rock and roll, the production values are outstanding. I will literally snap my fingers to some of the gems on here. Even the songs that don't seem to fit work in some bizarre way (like Love Hurts). I cannot recommend this album any more. It is truly a high water mark of our civilization.
November 19, 2008

A nonlinear gem from a visionary genius

I think it goes without saying that it was already pretty well established before "In a Metal Mood" that Pat Boone was one bad mutha. He carries Daniel "the original Mr. Natural" Boone's blood in his veins, he showed Elvis "Stage Fright" Presley the ropes in the mid-1950s, he taught Ozzy Osbourne how to speak English properly, and he used to ride the gloryhole circuit (don't take my word for it, just ask Larry "One Leg" Flynt.) So when Mr. Boone bellows, "no more Mr. Nice Guy," on "No More Mr. Nice Guy" in a nasal sneer reminiscent of Frank Zappa when he wasn't busy diddling his guitar like it was a poison ivy-laden extension of himself, you better believe it, bub.

The standout, I'm sure I don't have to tell you, is "Enter Sandman," originally a throwaway tune by Metallica many albums after their revelance had evaporated after having sold their souls to The Almighty Dollar, similar to GOP's decline in 2008, through too much gun-hugging, bible-humping, beer-farting and Big Oil-stroking. Boone resurrects the tune from a dead zone and gives it a real backbone, fills in its hollow soul with a breathtaking display of horns, and actual singing (which makes lyrics easier to understand.) Frank Sinatra, eat your larynx out! October 27, 2008

Two words: ironic value

One has to ask the questions - 'Was Pat Boone even consciously aware of how ridiculous this endevour really is when he recorded it? Was he in on the joke?' Boy, I sure hope not. There is something absolutely fantastic about the idea that this a product of earnest intent. The ability to alienate both your own remaining fans, and any fans of the "metal" songs covered on this disc simultaneously while living out some old-age rebel fantasy requires either a deep understanding of irony or a deeper level of pop-culture cluelessness that is, in and of itself, kind of beautiful ... in a weird way. Personally, I'm betting on the latter. It is in this spirit that this collection of covers should be taken. But, for anyone who headbanged to "Holy Diver" as a teenager and imagined that they were 'heavy' ... have a seat, imbibe of some herb, fix yourself a cocktail or a glass of wine and just let this wash over you. Welcome to an alternate reality where, at this very moment, someone has created a Vegas lounge show based on the soundtrack to your shallow teenage rebellion... Aaaaahhhhh. Yeah. September 18, 2008

BIG BAND recording

The concept is whimsical (Pat Boone doing Heavy Metal with Big Band arrangements), but the execution is serious. Three Big Bands are assembled (each does about 4 songs) and Pat brings in some of the original stars to help out: Ritchie Blackmore plays guitar on Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" and Ronnie James Dio sings harmony/backup on his "Holy Diver". Many reviewers are judging this recording from the perspective of Rock music, but it has to be judged from the perspective of the Big Band era. This is heavy-duty -- and FUN -- Big Band music!
March 28, 2008

Worthless on every conceivable level

The artist (and I use that term loosely) behind this musical atrocity now claims that it was intended as a joke. If that's so, about the best thing that can be said about it is that it's not funny. About the worst thing that can be said is that it's a profound and deliberate insult not only to metal aficionados but to the entire music community.

Sure, fans of the "so bad it's good" genre might get a few initial kicks out of Boone's clunky, clueless mangling of tunes like "Smoke on the Water" or (God help us) "Crazy Train." But in the end, the real joke is on the listener, because it's inconceivable that any person in their right mind could ever want to give this thing a second listen. In the hands of someone who actually understood and appreciated the music, this might have been a mildly amusing exercise, but with this guy? Not a chance. Boone has never had any use for rock and roll, and his sneering contempt for the material he covers has never been more glaringly obvious than it is here. What's left is nothing more than a smug, smarmy attempt to satirize a musical genre by a fifth-rate performer who lacks the intelligence and musical sense to understand exactly what it is that he's satirizing. The end result is garbage, a record that should exist only to be ridiculed and then melted.
November 10, 2007

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