Boone’s ‘Metal Mood’ Puts Many in Letter-Writing Mood

Stop! Calendar has been flooded with responses to our request for an explanation of why 8,000 people would buy Pat Boone’s new album of heavy-metal songs. Here’s a sample of the replies, culminating in a word from the perpetrator:

*

I found the concept irresistibly funny. It drips with comic irony, like if Dennis Rodman wrote a book called “The Virtues of Sportsmanship.”

A few of the tracks worked surprisingly well, and hey!--if you have ever wondered just what those guys were screaming at you, you can hear every word perfectly in Pat’s versions.

In general, however, the whole point of heavy metal is to rebel, reject authority and take an outlaw stance. On the songs where the outlaw mood should predominate, the album is a failure. The only exception is “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” where Pat’s cool, casual vocals hint at an underlying menace, sort of like that old guy in those weird Nissan commercials does, albeit unintentionally.

All in all, thumbs down for me, but I expect to get hours of fun by playing it for my friends when they come to visit, pretending that I love it.

ROBERT WALSH

Woodland Hills

Why, you ask? Why! Why did the Egyptians build the pyramids? Why buy a Van Gogh? Why Chopin, Mozart and Beethoven? These represent the grandeur of the human spirit--the best of man. Art is its own reason for existence--it needs no justification. . . . Besides, I was in a metal mood, as were 8,000 others. It is bad to the Boone.

GERALD S. ZIELINSKI

Redlands

I am old enough to remember Pat’s topping of the charts--covering R&B; artists (a similarly inappropriate endeavor) and having hits with pretty ballads for which his colorless voice was better suited.

“In a Metal Mood” turns out to be an interesting album of songs from a genre I am only vaguely familiar with. I was surprised by the choice of big-band jazz arrangements and find this to be the greatest strength of the album. The vocals reveal nothing (except the lyrics), the songs take on no life.

I would hope that an assortment of metal artists will get together to record a collection of heavy-metal covers of Pat Boone’s hits. Let’s bring the project full circle.

(And Pat, please--no Volume 2 or 3!)

DONALD C. MITCHELL

Los Angeles

Because I am a Christian, and because I go back to 1956 and “Love Letters in the Sand” with Pat, of course I bought “In a Metal Mood.” I did not know any of the songs on this new album, but if Pat wants to sing them, I will listen to them.

SUSAN LESLIE SMITH

San Gabriel

After we presented the album to my brother-in-law at his birthday celebration, he promised to pass it on after he had his fill of Pat’s “artistry.”

We decided at that time that the album should be treated somewhat like the legendary single Christmas fruitcake that is passed from person to person forever.

Perhaps only one copy of Pat’s CD should have been sold and each of us could have had our fill in the 15 seconds allotted us before it moved on.

ANN G. DELANEY

San Juan Capistrano

He’s the greatest guy and it’s a new century and it’s a “joke.” It’s great.

RIP TAYLOR

Los Angeles

Hey Calendar! Wake up and see what year it is!

Though I’m grateful you printed a picture of my album, I can see you don’t have a clue about what’s in it!

You ask folks to explain to you why they are buying this album in surprising numbers, and the thought hasn’t occurred to you it’s because they like it! And further, they get it!

The intent, which the listening public obviously understands, is to do a big-band, Pat Boone vocal version of some terrific songs that millions of people aren’t familiar with, because they’re not into metal or distortion or grunge or anger.

If I’m right, this album will popularize those classic songs to millions of people who have been just as ignorant of them as I was. They’re the folks that are buying this album now, because they’re making the same happy discovery I did--there’s some really good music here, worth listening to and enjoying.

Metallica got it right away, on their first listen; so did Alice Cooper and Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Ronnie Dio and a few million other folks now hearing it on radio.

It’s cutting across all demographic lines and formats, because it’s simply big-band, exciting music.

Please take another listen.

PAT BOONE

Los Angeles