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Amazon.com: Overwrought and undeniable, Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell remains both one of rock's biggest--and least likely--hit albums. The byproduct of a partnership between beefy singer Marvin Lee "Meat Loaf" Aday and fellow journeyman/National Lampoon Road Show cast member Jim Steinman, Bat out of Hell met 1977's vaunted Year of Punk with a blast of neo-operatic, Wagnerian-scaled bombast (based on Peter Pan, no less) that was as reactionary as anything the spiked set and their supporters could possibly imagine--13 million units worth, and counting. Bat seems to have thrived on the same formula that's made Andrew Lloyd Webber a multimillionaire knight: if you do kitsch, do it big. And what could be more kitschy and emblematic of the '70s than the ubiquitous "classic rock" (an overused adjective that applies all too well here) of "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" or the breathless nookie-quest, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," replete with Phil Rizzuto calling the play-by-play? This digitally remastered edition also includes '78-vintage bonus live cuts of "Bolero" (the live show's equally over-the-top opener) and "Bat out of Hell" that showcase the production's energetic, perfectionist bent. The sonic upgrading here also underscores the oft-overlooked efforts of producer Todd Rundgren. --Jerry McCulley Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-04-10
Awesome
Love Meatloaf! Especially Bat Out Of Hell. last song is a live version! Must get! Rating: 
Date: 2008-03-17
Da Da! Da Da! Da Da!
It begins... Bat out of hell! The glorious pounding of the piano begins, it builds! A breezy guitar line and airous drums only put in the freedom of being a bat out of hell. Cruising down the highway on your Harley!
That my friends, is the greatest 2 minutes of this album!
Eh, who am I kidding? This whole album, from beginning to end, is a boring, overwrought, cheesy, shallow piece of _____. Yes, it is quite like the emotions of being young (believe me, I know what this album is trying to say), but it doesn't help that this album tries to take itself waaaaay to seriously. He didn't even write the songs. Jim Steinman wrote them. If Jim's name would have been on here instead of Meatloaf's, maybe this album would have gotten my understanding or at least the respect that he's actually expressing himself (even if it's total _____).
So that alone is bad. It's Jim thoughts, so people would think it's the work of him, even though he didn't sing them. Depeche Mode's Martin Gore and Dave Gahan work together fine because it's simply not labeled Dave Gahan.
Even if you don't factor in the horrid lyrics and the whole damn reason why it was made, the music is boring, and Meatloaf is one of the worst singers I've ever heard. If the music had any chance of living, Meatloaf would kill it anyway. It is one of the most boring voices period. The only thing that has saved him from falling into another reject is his supposedly super trained voice. Well, ________ that. If he can't use that training to make something memorable, then you don't have talent. Technical or trained techniques are only good if they are used to make something memorable. I'm not affected at all. Whatever skills he possesses, it certainly doesn't work on me. So he fails as a singer, no matter what.
If you like this album, then you can enjoy it all. But for me, it's just a poor excuse for love ballads and rockers that don't have any energy at all. I'm going to listen to Big Star now. Bye. Rating:
Date: 2008-03-07
A release that will never let you down.
What a timeless piece of music. First heard it in high school and to this day still it's a kick *ss cd and enjoy listening to it everytime! If you like one of Meats' song's you'll really like this one!!!!!! Rating:
Date: 2008-03-05
Still nuts about this album
I bought this album in 1977 when I was eleven years old and it blew me away; I loved the Beatles at the time, but this was the first individual album that I went nuts over. I bought the original CD when it was released and then the remastered version recently. There's not much I can say about the content of the CD that hasn't yet been said here other than its having aged extremely well. Rating:
Date: 2008-02-07
LMAO
First, I need to say that this is one of my favourite albums ever. I am proud that my Mum bought it on vinal for my Dad when it was released, thus contributing to it's initial popularity.
Secondly, the reason for the title: I just read the one star reviews. It would seem that a bunch of people couldn't resist wearing their pretensions on their sleeves and bashing this gem without realising how foolish they appear. I especially loved "it is claptrap like this that remind us just what it was that punk was (thankfully) rebelling against in the first place". Now, I have nothing against punk, in fact I love it. Punk tore up the complacent atmosphere that had grown up around glam rock and allowed rock and roll to thrive again. Or rather, good punk did. Punk also allowed talentless fools who were better at gobbing on their fans than playing their guitars to gain fame by clinging to the coattails of the genuine talent. These 'punks' (and some of the talented ones as well) had a sickening tendancy to take themselves seriously. Disgustingly seriously. I find it immensely gratifying to think of Meatloaf mocking their pseudoanarchy by creating the most unpunk, overblown, theatrical piece of music I have ever heard. The people who dismiss it as pretentious miss the humour with which it was made and performed. |
