Bat Out Of Hell

When my first friend got married, the DJ played Paradise by the Dashboard Light. This is a terrible song to play at a wedding. It is arguably a terrible song to play at any time. I had, until that moment, never heard Paradise by the Dashboard Light. 25 years or so of non-exposure. But everyone else? It was like an evil sorcerer summoned the hoards of the dead. Everyone got up. All of the women were putting on individual audition reels for Dashboard the Musical. The entire crowd was singing along like a soccer match when 7 Nation army comes on. It was utterly bizarre to me because how could ANYTHING this apparently universal have been known by literally everyone in my friend group? That is the weirdness of Meat Loaf. He exists in a place that is very easy to avoid, but his fans are legion and vocal. But really, Meat Loaf is Jim Steinman's mouthpiece, like if Elton John had no musical ability and Bernie Taupin was just a coked out egomaniac. If you don't know Jim Steinman, yes you fucking do. Besides every 18 minute long wankfest Meat Loaf has ever done, he's the writer of Total Eclipse of the Heart. Of course he is. He wrote Celine Dion's “It's All Coming Back to Me Now,” because again, of course he did. Both are the Meatloafiest songs ever written, to the point that Loaf himself re-covered It's All Coming Back To Me Now on his third (and least essential) Bat Out of Hell. And both of those are songs I unironically love… being a batshit (out of hell) maximalist who doesn't know how to edit isn't always a bad thing, but it doesn't change the fact that in a lot of ways, Jim was the Michael Bay of Rock Music. And that is the baggage that I am bringing to BooH1. Because the thing that was even more striking than all the people immediately knowing and freaking out over this untenably long song is how bad it is. It's bloated, the lyrics are stupid and boorish, it is less sexual awakening and more redneck Maury Povich episode, the sort of thing people love because it feels lurid to the sort of people for whom a teenage first experience would require a demand of making one their wife. In reddit lingo, everyone sucks here. And the music, the singing, it is chewing the proverbial scenery like they've never eaten. But at least the lead doesn't disappoint. Nearly fucking ten minutes long. Bombastic as fuck. Almost prog mixed with nearly ragtime piano in that first minute opening vamp. Now, Old Man Loaf comes in sounding like fucking Jack Black, but what more can you really expect? Let's be honest, though, Steinman must have wanted to write musicals. Because, sure, this is clearly rock and roll, but it's also theater kid bullshit. “If ive gotta be damned, I wanna be damned, dancing through the night with you.” That's the sort of plot-averse writing you would expect from a musical. Because you can't really abandon the story, but you also want to make a song that gets people going. But because you're trying to tell a story about i guess dancing but also bats and hell, the song ends up being too many thoughts, both musically and lyrically, to have any one of them stay in mind. The Meatster does focus though. Heaven Can Wait is a pretty straightforward ballad. Mostly, in retrospect, it showcases what an improvement 16 years of age and probably hard living brought to Loaf's voice, but at the time it would have been part of the emotional heft that would have been needed to pull this album off. That doesn't make most of the album the same sort of teenage-coded bravado that made Grease huge (another wildly popular but terrible thing that everyone knew when I finally heard Summer Lovin, though this was at least in 7th grade), part of the weird nostalgia-boner for the 50s that was huge at the time. It's weirdly earnest and yet totally false at the same time. Amazingly, the worst bit of this album is the Hot Summer Night bit before You Took the Words Right Out Of My Mouth, a song that is otherwise basically a Springsteen tracejob. The song itself is a cheesefest of unnecessary backing vocals and orchestral chimes, but fun in a dumb way. That entirely bit of dialog, though, is probably in the top ten cringiest things ever committed to physical tape. But the whole thing is, overall, like listening to a rough draft. Steinman's nigh-rococo tendencies are still immature, and it makes for an album that never sounds as grandiose or emotional or serious as he intends. And Loaf is even greener. ⭐️⭐️

SUBTLETY IS FOR COWARDS

Esencialmente una rock opera, me ha recordado un montón al Rocky, por lo que sea.

HELL YES!!! What a way to start the week! One of my all-time favorite albums, and an automatic five stars before I even pressed play! I actually didn't discover Bat Out of Hell until I was in the Navy. The Wherehouse record store had this cool setup where you could create your own mixtape by previewing and selecting songs. I stumbled across "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," loved it immediately, and added it to my tape. The only other song I remember putting on there was Skid Row's "Youth Gone Wild," before it was even released as a single. That discovery led me to buy the entire Bat Out of Hell album on CD, and I've loved it ever since. Jim Steinman's songwriting and Meat Loaf's incredible vocals are a match made in rock-and-roll heaven. Every song is fantastic, from the explosive title track to the beautiful "Heaven Can Wait" and the hilarious storytelling of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." I especially love Phil Rizzuto's baseball commentary, having grown up listening to him call Yankees games on WPIX. My second favorite is the high-energy "All Revved Up with No Place to Go," but "For Crying Out Loud" has been my favorite since the very first time I heard it. The way that song builds into such an emotional, powerful finale is absolutely magnificent. Even my least favorite, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," is a great song. That's how strong this album is! I've never owned it on vinyl, but if I ever come across it in a record store, it's coming home with me. No hesitation.

Don't let you Meat Loaf. Tremendous album.

Surprised how much I enjoyed this album

The backstory is incredible over such an iconic album, nobody would touch it yet it's top five best selling of all time. Great songs and production.

Really bizarre that this took so long to get distributed and was considered such a risk by labels when it sounds like this. And it's great!

I've never really liked Meat Loaf, but this *is* the classic. Bat Out Of Hell is, in my opinion, hokey and ridiculous. But the real problem is that I find it more hokey and ridiculous than fun. And don't get me wrong, it is at least a little fun. But it's *very* hokey and ridiculous. This is like as glam as glam gets. But I also don't think Meat Loaf has quite the charisma for the music he makes. But this doesn't stop him from going full force, which is important. I really had the most fun here with the high energy moments, like the lengthy title track, and other little pockets across here. But I just can't content with Meat Loaf's balladry. Most of them just drag so much for me. Although, I did end up thoroughly enjoying For Crying Out Loud. I just don't think this is really a record for me. Although, I get the sense that if you're into musical theater, you'd love this. Also, the production is really good, courtesy of Todd Rundgren, so at least it has that too.

Ngl, Meat Loaf is a lot of fun (very theatrical), but a little bit goes a long way for me. I always think "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" goes on a little too long. It's not one I'd turn off though, and it's hard to deny that the songs are catchy!

I first heard of Meatloaf when I Would Do Anything for Love came out... definitely was NOT a fan of that song... it didn't occur to me that he had recorded previously, though I vaguely remember seeing him in Rocky Horror Picture Show in college. This album has some peak moments -- the opening track is pretty bombastic, and Two Out of Three Ain't Bad sounds like a proto 80s power ballad. Paradise by the Dashboard starts promising but gets increasingly and embarrassingly cringey as it goes, particularly when it gets to the baseball commentary. I don't know if this was considered edgy or clever in '77, but it doesn't hold up well at all. But as bad as these moments are, the guy can sing and the piano sounds great.

Having no idea what this was heading in, I was pretty excited after the rocking, high-energy opener. The next couple tracks upped the cheesiness quite a bit, with Heaven Can Wait being too much for me to stand, this type of track is just not for me, sonically. While the next couple tracks keep the glitzy sound going that I was a bit disappointed to find, they definitely are improvements and are pretty endearing. Paradise By the Dashboard Light is a classic and it was fun finding out where it comes from. All in all, this doesn’t appeal to me a ton but there were plenty of fun moments and the singing and musical quality are good throughout. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Title Track, Paradise By the Dashboard Light

It was For Crying Out Loud that pushed this from 4 to 5. I've long known/enjoyed Two out of Three. All Revved Up is a nice find. Paradise has long been an all-time favorite and its play at my wedding will never be forgotten.

Campy theater rock is so, so good when it's done right. More artists should learn to go big like this

When Metal is not taking its egg if to seriously it can be over the top and a little campy

Sooo much fun to listen to it. So dramatic. So Meat Loaf. Meant to listen to it in full years ago when a friend gave it to me in college. Took me this long. Glad I finally spent the time.

Not the best thing I’ve ever heard but I’m kinda diggin it

The ultimate insult to this album is to be indifferent to it. It's bombastic, overwrought, overacted and demands to be noticed above all else, whether you love it or hate it.

whenever i say the name of this album i always have to say it like BAT OUTTA HELLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! like a metal singer or something. this isnt metal at all though its just like very theatrical pop rock i guess... the first 2 tracks were fun and i liked them but by the end it was just too cheesy while listening i said to myself that i think i have found Jack Black's favorite band :0

I knew a lot of songs but not a huge fan. Didn’t hate it tho.

Bangers

Not impressed…meatloaf is overrated

Oväntat

Not my thing but I understand people can appreciate it

Sure, it's schlocky and rips off Born to Run era Springsteen. It's beyond over the top and revels in excess. But I go back to my 9 year old self listening to "Paradise by the Dash Board Light." That song captured my imagination, especially the part with Phil Rizzuto, the Yankees play by play announcer, and I absolutely loved it. The other songs don't quite neasure up but the album is cinematic and Meat Loaf was a great singer. That last song, though, what an overwrought mess. Might be the nostalgia but this one still captures some of that magic for me.

Really not into this. Technically it's all sound, Meat Loaf was a great rock balladeer and there's top tier musicians, but I just find it without a hook for me. Even if they denied it, it's clearly just derivative of Springsteen and other late 70s rock acts and I find it lacking real soul of its own. Idk, I don't get it and don't get the mass appeal, boring and dismal stuff

Rejection after rejection by record companies - incredible, Meat & Jim had the last laugh. Great songwriting & performances, & terrific production by Todd Rundgren.

Yes, it’s over the top. That’s the point. Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocky Horror, and Bat out of Hell. Immense, Overwrought. Meat Loaf’s only sin is big-hearted munificence. If only an editor could have “cut it down to 3:05”.

I get the controversy here. It is a very polarizing record. I had never listened to Meatloaf before, and boy. His reputation preceeds him. The moniker "Elton John on steroids" is correct here. This record is campy, zany and lacking in any subtelty. It throws the baby out with the bathwater and then some more. Operatic to say the least. But it's amazing. I loved it. It is a rollercoaster through and through. Great choice!!!

not my taste

Idgaf about this album. I havent listened to it

Steinman and Meat Loaf - and Rundgren, studio wizard making it happen - really understand what happens when music has heart. They know camp and operatic pomp are powerful; more importantly, they know pomp delivered in earnest is *meaningful*. Lesser men would succumb to the need to deflect and deflate in order to appear clever; instead they deliver it straight (almost), and it just sings. Beyond the music, the Springsteen parallel is the old school American imagery - boys and girls with too much time, stifling small towns, cars and bars. But this record, somehow, turns it into Wagner.

As much as I enjoy the rest of "You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth", the intro is incredibly cringe. Fave track: You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth

Camp, schlocky, dramatic, over-the-top, absolutely cheesy - it's all that and more. Pretty happy that I'm under no obligation to listen to this again any time soon. But the passion here is undeniable. A fun, silly rock opera. 3.5/5

Bat Out of Hell 2.7 You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) 2.5 Heaven Can Wait 2.5 All Revved Up with No Place to Go 2.4 Two Out of Three Ain't Bad 2.2 Paradise by the Dashboard Light: I. Paradise II. Let Me Sleep on It III. Praying for the End of Time 2 For Crying Out Loud 2 Score: 2.328571429

It's okay

For those who like their rock ‘n’ roll with a heaping serving of cheese. Imagine the bombast of Springsteen’s kitchen sink production mated with Harry Chapin’s long-winded storytelling, all filtered through the operatic sensibility of Queen. No, it’s not nearly that dire, but I think you get the picture. For those of us who grew up in the late 70s, this does strike a certain nostalgic chord. Good dumb fun, as long as you don’t take it seriously.

Really enjoyed the title track to kick off the album, was really hoping the rest of the album would follow suit but it just fell flat I found. Once the songs were a bit more stripped down the over the top extravagance just felt irritating and annoying. Also doesn’t help that meatloaf the person sucks hard as well.

I listened to this one over and over when it came out and still play it on occasion now.

Jim Steinman’s songwriting is a blend of rock and theatrical that speaks directly to me.

Really enjoyed listening to this for nostalgia. Played this from dad's collection loads as a kid. It's preposterous nonsense but I'm glad it exists. At the end of the day though, it is just music for fat greasy people to sing at kareoke.

An album that is, 'too much', in every sense of the phrase. Harsh, screeching vocals piled on top of excessive, messy instrumentals, all of which are at their highest possible volume and intensity. Overall, a project with no care, or quality in its construction whatsoever. Despite my predisposition for operatic rock (sorry Queen fans), I found myself struggling to divert from this prejudiced assumption when I discovered the opening track of this album to be essentially an acoustic version of Mario Kart's 'Coconut Mall'. By the time I'd arrived at 'You took the words right out of my mouth', things had not improved. A cringe-worthy talking intro I can only assume was added as an attempt towards artistic flair, a goal which was not realised on 'Paradise by the Dashboard Track', which due to its popularity, I expected to be the most palatable of the songs. Alas, I realised that I was not the demographic for this record, which I predict to be southern old men with a big trucks. Also, I've never tired meatloaf, so if you love meatloaf and this record, good for you.

Yeaahhh! It's the biggest selling record from the year of my birth! Let's get theatrical! Obviously this bloke knows his way around a massive melodic rock tune, and I do admire the ambition, but his tremulant voice is like nails on a blackboard to me. Add that to wailing guitar, rock piano, and songs which seem to last for twice as long as they need to, and the experience is as irritating as hanging out in the drama block after school. Maybe another day I'd have the patience for it. But right now...not for me, thanks.

This is a ridiculous album, absurd, over blown, and chauvinistic. But the title track in particular captures the restless urgent essence of rock and roll, albeit in a caricatured way. The vocals are terrific. I can’t separate it from my childhood memories of it, and it helped turn me on to the power of music at a young age. 7/10

There is nobody like Meat Loaf. He really carved out his own niche for himself in the late 70's. This incredibly silly over the top persona that made goofball epics somehow churned out records that topped charts and sold millions of records. Bizarre guy, but a fun listen. It's kind of ridiculous and cheesy but that is part of the charm. The album cover helps too. Good if you don't expect the world from it.

Oh man, I hated meat loaf until I got older, but listen to the whole album and it’s got heart, soul, energy and humour. Give it a chance

Some songs were enjoyable, but I'm not a big fan of this kind of big theatrical/dramatic sound tbf...

You know, the album cover really doesn't match the music. Looking at it, you'd think you're about to hear some heavy metal, but instead, you get this big, theatrical, slightly ridiculous rock opera. Sure, there might be some metal influences here and there, especially in the lyrics, but overall, it's a pretty silly album. And I think that's exactly what it's going for. I've never been a huge fan of Meat Loaf's music. I was already familiar with some of his songs going in, and that over-the-top, theatrical style has always been a little too corny for my taste. But surprisingly, this album isn't half bad. There's enough variety to keep things interesting, and despite some lengthy tracks, it never really overstays its welcome. There are also some genuinely great songs here. "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is a fantastic ballad, and "For Crying Out Loud" is an excellent closing track. Everything else was just fine to me. Nothing I particularly disliked, but nothing that really blew me away either. So yeah, I can appreciate what Meat Loaf is doing here, even if this style of music isn't really my thing. It's dramatic, ridiculous, and occasionally pretty damn good. I can't hate it, but I can't say I love it either. A solid 3 out of 5.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat loaf is the greatest musician that has ever lived. jK but it is a 5/5 for me

Not a fan but he is talented

All the people giving this bad reviews you click their profile and they have the most godawful dogshit you've ever seen in your life rated 5 stars lol

Gotta enjoy the campness of Meatloaf. It's not necessarily my thing, but it was a thing and I get that. It is fun and like more similar to Rocky Horror Meatloaf than I was expecting, but that makes sense giving the timing really. It does drag a bit, but fun and a little bit novelty.

This is very fun, about as far away from what I want to listen to as it gets, but you just can't deny meatloaf his big meaty songs. the ballads drag but it's good camp fun that I will almost certainly never listen to again.

He's pouring his heart out

Really cute

If you love musicals, you simply have to listen to this album. It features grand, lavish, and sprawling songs that shift seamlessly from theatrical hard rock to piano ballads and back again. The backstory is worthy of a musical, too: songwriter Jim Steinman and the hulking, operatic vocalist Meat Loaf spent two years knocking on studio doors before finally releasing the record on an independent label. In modern terms, it’s an indie album — an indie album that became one of the top 10 best-selling records of all time, moving 43 million copies. It’s easy to understand the skepticism of the bigwigs: it was the late 70s, minimalism was in vogue, and this music was just so over-the-top. Even the album’s producer, Todd Rundgren, initially thought he was being presented with a Bruce Springsteen parody, but he decided to take a chance — and that gamble paid off a hundredfold. Musicals aren't really my thing, so I can't give it a top-tier rating. That said, it is a very solid record.

This was a trip. Rocky Horror come to life. Chaotic and campy. I remember “I would do anything but I wont do that” from years ago. I had no idea Meatloaf had such a way with words beyond that. I’m not sure what to call it - the ability to say something approaching nice and then deflate it. It’s a craft. Just a few of my favorites: You took words right out of my mouth / must have been while you were kissing me. Male Bonnie Tyler total eclipse of the heart type stuff. Crying icicles instead of tears. No coupe de ville bottom Cracker Jack box. And my favorite: I want you / I need you / but won’t ever love you / Don’t be sad / Two out of three ain’t bad. The baseball narrative was over the top. Let me sleep on it. I might’ve called it trash but was smiling and so fun I’m marking a 4 so I come back and explore more. 4/5

I am growing to love Meat Loaf. Despite all of his songs playing out like a paperback romance novella, the actual musicality on display is great. The albums do all sort of sound the same (I found myself singing "I'd Do Anything For Love" during parts of the chorus in "Heaven Can Wait"). That's just how Rock Ballads go, though. They play during the saucy scene in your sappy 80s cult classic movie and you're supposed to feel that way - good or bad. It's genuinely average at best but that's what makes it so good to me. Does this album deserve a spot on this list? Maybe not, but most of the albums on this list have less hits than this one - "Bat Out Of Hell" and "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" are easily the best jams on this one. I also think it's hilarious how awesome Meat Loaf's album covers are, just to have this kind of music start playing when the record starts spinning. 8/10 - I enjoyed it a lot.

Didn't like it then ... don't like it now.

Good one!

You have got to be kidding me with this shit. Piano rock show tunes with horns...I'm 100% out.

Melodramatic to the point of eye rolling

I don't know why this album gets so much hate! Really not bad, although a few songs should have been shorter.

Gehaktbrood

Bat Out Of Hell is zo gigantisch over de top, maar zo tof. Rip saucijzenbroodje, we zullen nog vele karaoke-avonden genieten van je ouvre.

My brain did not like consuming this meat loaf.

A fun and energetic rock album, I rather liked the energy this one brought. There's something as bout Meatloaf's style that I really appreciate in his music

Meat Loaf is a marketing and music genius for convincing an entire population of boomers that this album is good enough to be one of the best selling records of all time. To the refined ear, this album is brilliant satire of the biggest generation's most beloved past times of touching boobies in a dark parked car and being accomplished at football. Truly, life was more perfect when there was nothing worth experiencing after the age of 18, and Meat Loaf knows how to package and sell that nostalgia to a population of aging adults who were only realizing too late that their prime was long behind them.

Inma tiró para arriba en la nota porque, pa lo que nos esperábamos, nos sorprendió pa bien. Decini: rock sinfónico. A Inma le recordaba a Queen.

Bat Out of Hell, the song kicks the album Bat Out of Hell to a great start. Baroque rock opera ala Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. But I found it all downhill from there with various lesser versions or reinterpretations of a similar but less good ilk.

Solid. Didn't want rock opera today

Bat Out of Hell, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad najljubsi. Tole je krasno, in v kontekstu ful za zavijat z ocmi, "Oh, baby you're the only thing in this whole world - That's pure and good and right - And wherever you are and wherever you go - There's always gonna be some light" Ful spektakel. Zabavno. Dramatično, kot so lahko le najstniki (in noncommital moški). Sprva zelo 70/ze malo early 80s, potem nrdi nek obrat v skoraj 50s Grease style zadevo. Malo me je spominjalo na Queen in Electric Light Orchestra, potem pa ja Grease, mogoce malo Elvisa? Besedila so zelo prozna in ti prikaze res celo zgodbo nekega mladostnika v in iz ljubezni. V bistvu mi je cudno, da se nikoli nisem slisala zanj/nobenega komada. Po naslovnici sodec me je bilo strah, da bo nek very heavy metal in sem vesela, da ni tako. Mi je vrnil željo po poslušanju Bowieja spet.

A little too much. Altogether an enjoyable listen but songs too long and arrangements too lush. It’d be one thing if I hadn’t just listened to Born to Run, but it just pales in comparison.

Not as bad as I expected. Although I already knew 4 of the songs from this I was not expecting to prefer the 'non' hits. This starts like Springsteen on steroids but the album eventually calms down a little and is better for it. Still way too over the top and probably takes its self too seriously. I probably won't listen to again but probably 3.5 rating so I will round up.

Real nice

Puerile bombast. I really dislike this. There’s 61 minutes I’ll never get back.

An artistic gem? I'm not so sure. But for me it is pure entertainment.

The album cover is fantastic because you think you’re about to experience a heavy metal record but what you get is an over the top theatrical rock opera. It’s bombastic, cheesy fun and the music first Meatloafs voice perfectly.

This is an album I listened to at least 100 times throughout my childhood, easily. Mostly on car trips. It’s a real people-pleaser (or it was in my family!). The melodies - often because of the lovely backing piano - are great. The lyrics are sometimes funny (either intentionally or because they are so melodramatic), and often pretty inappropriate for small children on long car trips. Meat Loaf’s voice is smooth as butter. The production on this is awful though. I can’t believe that they haven’t done a remastered version yet. I don’t think I’ve listened to this entire album in at least 20 years and I had fun revisiting it. It’s wild and theatrical. The up-tempo songs are a whole lot of fun. The ballads are more hit or miss. But “Two out of Three Ain’t Bad” is probably in my top 100 songs of all time. Favorites: Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth Bat out of Hell

This Rock Opera album feels like sitting through a school theatre production with an enormous orchestra, where every scene is performed with complete seriousness, every emotion is exaggerated, and the music keeps swelling as if the entire world depended on the next dramatic moment. The piano, electric guitars, pounding drums and grand arrangements create a huge spectacle, while Meat Loaf sings with an almost operatic intensity. I can appreciate the energy and ambition, and the theatricality occasionally makes the whole thing entertaining, but the constant melodrama and oversized performances also become tiring. Without being particularly invested in the stories, I sometimes feel like I'm watching enthusiastic actors giving everything they have to material that doesn't quite justify such a grand production. The result is a memorable spectacle with some genuinely engaging moments, but also enough excess to leave me with a fairly average impression.

I unironically love this album. Every song is like 3 different songs crammed together with wild tempo changes out of nowhere. It’s corny and over the top and just a blast to listen to.

So cheesy! I didn't like the production on this at all but I can't deny the songs. This album is the definition of "tool tunes" where you jam out loud but if you pull up to a red light with your windows down you are going to turn it down so others don't know what you are listening to.

3.25 - I didn’t realize how old this album is. I liked it more than expected.

Many listens. Great singles and mediocre non-singles.

Always hated this album. Don’t see the appeal at all

It’s bombastic and weird and fun if you’re in the mood.

How tf is a guy (band?) named meatloaf kinda good. Like the love child of Springsteen and REO speedwagon. 3.5 star album but the titular track was too good it’s getting a 4

Wildly average 70's misogyny. Mediocre piano rock and if I never hear Paradise by the Dashboard Lights again it will be too soon.

not for me, though I can appreciate some elements this was not easy to listen to liked the speaking part in "You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth"

I enjoyed this. Feels extremely layered and almost like a musical. Big fan of the trumpets / saxes / horns throughout, especially the damn saxophone solo in “All revved up.” Overall, if this came on, I wouldn’t be mad, just maybe wouldn’t seek it out. Shoutout meatloaf. Fav: you took the words right out of my mouth

Album #187: Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf Genre (W): Hard rock, progressive rock, pop Singles: You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night), Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, Bat Out of Hell, Paradise By the Dashboard Light, All Revved Up and With No Place to Go I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: Meat Loaf’s vocals are amazing and I love Jim Steinman’s lyrics and music! This feels like an over-the-top Broadway show and that makes me feel really amazed and happy! As cheesy as it is, it makes me feel euphoric. Favorite tracks: All of it!!

TL;DR: Cinematic rock that sounds like a bunch of theatre kids on speed. But in a good way. BEFORE: Another one I know pretty well, mostly from listening to it on cassette in my Mum's hatchback and then semi-regularly since because it kicks ass. Listening again for posterity. AFTER: This is epic as fuck. The kind of grand folly that almost never comes off but does here, I think because it mixes the serious and the silly so well. Even the ballads are good. The production and instrumentation is great and Meat Loaf probably should have kept working with Todd Rundgren. None of it would work without Meat Loaf's absolute commitment. HIGHLIGHTS: Bat Out Of Hell and Paradise by the Dashboard Light are the big, epic, heavy-hitters and still sound great, but All Revved Up With No Place To Go, You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth and Two Out of Three Ain't Bad have similar energy in a more compact package. The real hidden gem on here is For Crying Out Loud - a piano ballad, then orchestral madness underpinned by dramatic drums, and then back to ballad territory. LOWLIGHTS: I don't know if that spoken word stuff on You Took The Worlds Right Out Of My Mouth plays a bit weird now but I don't really care. In the context of this insane album, it works. VERDICT: 5 stars.

It’s fine, not really my thing to listen again though.

Realmente se me dificultó bastante escucharlo, no entiendo porque está en esta lista lo sentí bastante mediocre

A iconic classic album that I’m sure most people have at least heard parts from. That said not my favorite Meatloaf album.

Det kunne godt være, jeg skulle høre Meat Loaf igen engang. Blev i ret godt humør af den teatralske, lidt Abba-agtige rockmusical-stil

Spodziewałam się czegoś innego, możę klimatów metalowych, trash metalowych, patrząc po okładce. A tu coś takiego! Ale dobrze skojarzyłam po głosie z singlem I Would do Anything (...). Bardzo ciekawa stylistyka, sporo się na tej płycie dzieje, wokalnie, muzycznie, aż za bardzo chyba, ale w żadnym razie nie jest to minus. Trochę przypomina mi to muzykę do musicalu filmowego? No ciekawe doświadczenie, mocna postać w muzyce, szkoda, że tak poleciał prywatnie pod koniec.

It really, really shouldn't work. Even knowing what we know now, it's perfectly possible to listen to it with utter bemusement that something as wildly overblown as this even got released, never mind became a cultural touchstone. In 1977, we were supposed to hate this, and in public we probably did, but someone was buying this by the million, and it wasn't our parents. If you were to strip this back to just the words and melody, it would sound like the ravings of an oversexed teenager, which is basically what it was. What elevates it all is Todd Rundgren's 'everything including the kitchen sink' production, and that voice. Meat Loaf wasn't what pop singers sounded like, and still isn't. If you come to this cold - which I suppose is perfectly possible fifty years on - you may well bail out about six minutes into the first track wondering what the fuss was about, but if you stick it out until he's lying dead in the ditch and his heart makes its second attempt at escape (because once wasn't ever enough for Jim Steinman) and the whole thing just abandons any attempt at restraint, and Meat Loaf evolves into his final form, you'll discover that resistance is futile. It's nuts, but in that way which bypasses any attempt at rationality and defies all explanation. You have no idea why you enjoy it, but you do. One more thing - if you aren't quite convinced by the amateur dramatics of 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light', look up the live version from the Old Grey Whistle Test. Thank me later. It doesn't get full marks because there are a few moments when you can detect the workings and see how it's cobbled together, but for the most part, just abandon yourself to the inevitable and try to keep up.

1. 4 2. 4 3. 3.5 4. 3.5 1. 3 2. 4 3. 4