In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy

In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy

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Editorial Reviews

Pat Boone is in a metal mood, performing--God help us--"Stairway to Heaven" as well as songs by Judas Priest, Van Halen, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Metallica, Jimi Hendrix and Ozzy Osbourne.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: BOONE,PAT
Title: IN A METAL MOOD-NO MORE MR. N
Street Release Date: 01/21/1997
Domestic
Genre: VOCAL

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

Customer Reviews

Metallica & Pat Boone? Does It Get Any Better?

Reviewed by A Much Happier Guy, 2010-01-24

Pat Boone's lounge version of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" is my personal fave (go ahead, crank up that stereo to '11' and rock it!), but I also particularly enjoy the Boone covers of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train", Guns & Roses "Paradise City", and Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary". But I really, really can't get enough of cranking it up for the Metal Mood version of "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple.

Got this as one of my birthday presents yesterday from my wife-- who fortunately appreciates my, ahem, 'diverse', musical interests. Thank heaven for Amazon's "wish lists"!

Maybe for this Father's Day I'll hint to my college-age son that I want the Japanese metal tribute to ABBA :D :D :D

My 5 Cents and Stars Worth

Reviewed by Ann Kopfer, 2009-04-23

Its ALWAYS quite amusing how Americans are 'OBSESSED WITH THE ABSURD!' Says a lot about the individual really!

This ten year plus disc still stands the test of time for many reasons.

Originally thought as a full blown parody of sorts- a musical hasbeen such as Mr. Pat having the audacity to cover such awfuls as I-I-I-I John Micheal Osborne and the one time soulful known Mr. Erin Everly was beyond consciablity.

Well to overcome this 'handicap' Pat with his clean cut Americana image made this a perfect match made in Heaven!

Re-arranging the worse of dredge had its musical advanatages-esp when sworn to a slant of irrestible big band like arraangements. With the caliber of players/musicians that injected LIFE into these otherwise rather hackneyed romps, says a plenty!

Mebbes Pat thought this lot of ruckess a snafu of satire, but to take something as lame as M'tl-ack-a's 'Enter Sandman' pushes the musical envelope to another dimension. And to have the added attraction of Mr. Ritchie Rainbow along with the Vile Foamy Liquids Pharmacist hisself really extends THAT hilarity of expressing their admiration of such polarity to undertake their mess and beat it into shape far better than they could possibly imagine!

So with that being said and I really COULDA hammered away at this lot....this release shouldnt be ignored cause of so-called imbued novel means!

Long Live Pat Boone!

I was drunk when I bought this

Reviewed by thatother guy, 2009-03-24

But I'm not really regretting it. I think the shine in the eye drew me in. I'd forgotten I'd ordered it, and when it came I was a little wary of putting it on. But when the horns kicked in on the first track, I knew that Pat was in it for real. It is a serious effort, which is funny enough, and, at times, it succeeds. The band is killer, but don't be fooled into thinking they're metal. The weakest point is Pat's voice. I really wanted to hear his innocent crooning, but his voice sounds aged. I guess that's to be expected....

Puts ME in a Metal Mood!

Reviewed by Yendor, 2009-01-22

One has to remember that Pat Boone did this in the 50's when he sang the likes of Little Richards' "Tutti Frutti" to sanitize the new form of musical expression; Rock 'N' Roll for a mass audience. Pat Boone's IN A METAL MOOD: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY did not surprise this reviewer. What was surprising was that it offended some conservative church-going folk who just didn't get the joke. This is a pretty good compilation of hard rock, heavy metal covers in big band & jazzy arrangements. There is a certain ingeniousness for all involved when one thinks about it. Who would think Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" could be arranged to sound like something one would hear on A.M. radio. This reviewer is waiting for IN A METAL MOOD: PART 2.

One instrument shy of a great album

Reviewed by NEIL TOBIN, 2008-12-23

Pat Boone caught a lot of flack for making this album, in which he allegedly crossed the line and enbraced the dark side. But that was just a P.R. game. This isn't Mr. White Bucks reinventing himself -- the cover photo and talk show appearances were all just brilliantly staged media theater. No, this is his clever shot at reimagining an array of metal tunes on his own terms, as fully realized big-band charts.

In many ways, it works. The arrangements are top-notch, and the musicianship of the ensemble is of a uniformly high caliber. For this reason alone, it's worth a listen.

The main drawback (and metal purists may disagree with me) isn't the choice of repertoire here, but the lead vocalist himself. Pat's pipes are simply no longer strong enough to compete with a band of this power; and let's face it: even when he was in his prime, he was more a balladeer than a swinger.

In contrast, think of David Clayton Thomas' soulful blues-shouting over the massive horns of Blood, Sweat and Tears. Or Tom Jones' amazing work with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. Either one would have knocked this right out of the ballpark.

It's a great concept, but the wrong frontman. And with the swing revival a pleasant memory, we're probably not going to hear the likes of it again.