Reviews (page 5 of 15)
I was in a bad mood when I listened so I might have scored it low. I appreciate the drama and showmanship. I just was somehow not getting into it. Perhaps it’s not a first thing in the morning album.
I really appreciate the hot/cold nature of the reviews - so many ones and fives lol. Im not a big fan of Meat Loaf - and not a fan of show tunes at all. This music is just too corny for me, and a whole album about a guy chasing after a girl he likes as if he’s a middle schooler is below my pay grade. At least Les Mis is about revolution. But the musicianship js fantastic and I will always give someone credit for being all in with what they’re doing. And can’t argue with the cultural impact this album had. So for those points I’ll be generous with my rating.
cool jack black school of rock vibes but not really for me
Honestly, I have no strong opinion on this album. It's not offensive, controversial, mindblowing, amazing, nor special to me. It reminds me of an amalgamation of other classic rock bands ... and Jack Black lol. I've also been doing this album-a-day thing for 15 days straight and I've only gotten one woman the whole time... so maybe I'm also just getting a little tired of men's voices in general? lol 2/5
(5/7) I always thought these were fun!
One of my favorite albums of all time. So many bangers on this album, with fantastic instrumentation and singing, and the songwriting by Jim Steinman is some of the best ever done. Every song feels like an epic journey, and nothing feels half-assed. It's a rock-operatic masterpiece from start to finish.
Pretty enjoyable.
Obviously, the hits are huge, but it's been a while since I heard them and I forgot how good they were. And the rest of the album is strong too!
This album is the definition of "too much", but it's fun to listen to. The Steinman style of song-titleing (not sure if that is a word) has surely influenced loads of songwriters after him
I've always been confused by this, the cover and the title clash so much with the album. It has some kind of corny operatic quality, like some of the parts of 70's Bruce Springsteen where it reaches the edges off what I can tolerate and it goes beyond that. I just can't
It's okay I guess, lost interest after the 2nd song
You know what, this nostalgia at its best takes me back to late teens early 20’s. Played it to death with an old girlfriend. It’s not something I’d go and put on now to be honest but good to look back on it. Mix of tracks in my opinion some a bit cheesy and others anthemic some thought provoking. Best track; paradise by the dashboard light. Tell me a teenage boy who can’t relate to that
This is about as fun as a rock and roll album gets. Amazing vocal performances.
Bonkers good, and just fun. Bat Out of Hell and Paradise by the Dashboard Light? Heck yeah.
Fun fact: A former BF and I used to turn on Paradise by the Dashboard Light when leaving a local spot and bet on whether we’d make it home while it was still playing. This album is so operatic – I could totally imagine watching this performed live, not as a concert but as theater. I don’t know how much I like individual songs so much as I find myself bopping around to them.
Killer af, would listen again.
Nääh, töntig musik med töntiga texter. Och inte töntigt på det bra sätt. Kändes nästan lite dansband ibland. Svag 2a… Pappa tyckte att det började på en trea men att det åkte ned till tvåa. ”Tråkigt. Blekt. Känns gammalt.”
Sällan stött på en större mismatch mellan grafisk profil och sound. Ser ut som en Maidenskiva och låter som Eltons mest honky tonkiga-stunder. Tycker tyvärr det är ganska dåligt.
Äa svag för en rejäl rockopera, och finns det någon som kan göra detta bättre?! Toddans produktion blir också perfekt för att skapa den tonåriga spretiga extatiska känslan. Shoutout mamma som spelade mycket med Köttfärslimpan hemma!
Den här skivan har alltid varit ett sånt mindfuck. Omslaget skriker metal, innehållet är musikal-cabaré-rocknroll. Visst, mycket är rätt kul, men mycket är också för mycket meat loaf för allas bästa. Lite jämntjockt, det ska liksom knullas i 180 låt efter låt. Andra lyssning bättre, men då blir också det riktigt lökiga extra lökigt. Introsnacket i you took the words right out of my mouth och i princip hela paradise by the dashboard light, i synnerhet andra halvan. Ofattbart lökigt. Bat out of hell och All revved up, dunderlåtar båda två. Kul med Todd Rundgren på gurka. Stark 2a som i godkänt+
Mer prank-rock! Vad är det här ens för genre, musikal? Rockopera? Vilken pipa han har där Meat-Loaf va? Och fina arrangemang av Steinman. Det är svulstigt som fan. Jag är långt ifrån uttråkad när man lyssnar. Bonus för ännu mer Todd Rundgren. Läppade åt det här; citing the narrative of "Paradise", Rundgren jokes that he can't imagine Steinman being at a lakeside with the most beautiful girl in school, but he can imagine Steinman "imagining" it
Älskar det men inte mer än att det blir en stark trea. Vid rätt tillfälle och rätt sinnelag en femma?
This album is awesome. It’s hammy as hell, but I love it. Totally fits the vibe. Highly recommend if you like a musical or similarly theatric types of music.
Really not my thing. Theatrical and often weird.
Campy as hell but it's a fun listen
Some recognizable songs. wouldn’t listen to it again on my accord. Not for me but not a bad album.
His music was inescapable while it was current. I never really liked it.
"We have Queen at home." The Queen at home:
Not my taste
#18/1001🇺🇸🦇 When this flashed up this morning, i though "here we go... my first 1 star rating." We listened to the album a lot at house parties in my teenage years but its over 30 years since i've heard it. I pressed play with some trepidation but have to say the first 2 tracks sounded amazing but by the time i reached "all revved up.." i was starting to lose the will tonlive. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad isnt a bad song, just on the right side of schmaltzy. Paradise by the Dashboard light is just too much though - i've always detested even more after seeing a couple sing it (heavily rehearsed) at a pub in Ramsbottom. This is undoubtedly my lowest point in this project so far. I hope it generates some fast dirty Punk Rock for me next. Best bit... when i realised i had reached the end.
I mean. It's kind of magnificent in jts own way, being so ludicrously OTT and relentless. The big hits - the title track, You Took The Words Right Out, Paradise - are all present and correct (in fact, five out of seven tracks on this album are singles, which is presumably some kind of record), and they're great fun. Equally, it's remorselessly silly and, while the production and vocals are top notch, not always that interesting. Overall, I love it, for what it represents and how much fun it is, but I also acknowledge its flaws.
Possibly the greatest one-two punch to start an album.
I had to work away once and the person i was working with was a huge Meat Loaf fan. Had to listen to this for 3 hours there and then 3 hours back, i hate Meat Loaf, refusing to listen
This album was the most fun album I’ve listen to in a really long time. It’s a bundle of energy, excitement, it pretty much felt like a rock opera. Meatloaf’s voice is powerful and amazing. Bat out of hell was fun and I want to look into if they made it into a musical.
Banger after banger
Rock opera. Springsteen for drama kids. It’s one step up from Grease and as far from punk as you can get. By rights I should hate it. But it is absolutely brilliant
That album cover art is so awesome. The songs sound nothing like the album cover art... Until you hear Paradise By The Dashboard Light and realize this album is meant to be played in a proper 70's boogie can as a means for romance. It's sexy in a HAHAHA kind of way.
Always hated this nonsense.
Immernoch nicht mein Genre, aber das war schon leicht episch.
Hard Rock und Rockoper ist ja meist gar nichts für mich, aber Meat Loaf ist tatsächlich so dermaßen drüber, dass ich ihn schon wieder feiere.
Knowing how massively popular this album is, I couldn’t really grasp why it’s held in the same kind of legendary status as artists like Michael Jackson. I can tell it’s big, dramatic, and carefully crafted, but its appeal just didn’t quite reach me.
Liked Songs: - Bat Out of Hell - Heaven Can Wait - Paradise By the Dashboard Light - For Crying Out Loud
I love this album! I got this album in high school and listen to it occasionally. I love how over the top, extravagant, and campy it is. Meatloaf's delivery is perfect and filled with so much emotion. Every song is a smash. And Meatloaf really knows how to do a piano ballad with so much passion. Getting this album today made me very happy.
Is this, in the strictest definition, a rock opera? No, not in the least is it amazing, yes, yes it is. I think this is the only Meat Loaf album I know of and honestly don't need to know of more. Also Meat Loaf is a graduate of the same college where I got my Masters.
On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? Bat Out Of Hell might genuinely be my favourite album of all time. I was brought up on it by my parents, but I've been rediscovering it myself as well over the past two years. I'm very grateful to have seen it on this list, because it gave me an opportunity to critically evaluate it—and give it five stars because it is indeed thát good. You can't talk about a Meat Loaf album and not mention the pair of lungs on that man. Throughout the album he delivers consistently great vocal performances, but what I appreciate most is how he manages to convey emotions with his voice. Both on the more stripped down tracks, such as Heaven Can Wait, and on the big bombastic songs, such as the title track. This is the point where I have to bring up Ellen Foley, who features as the female vocal on this album. She often goes under-appreciated because she did not tour with Meat Loaf, but her performance on this album is nothing but stellar. The best example of this, of course, is the closing track on the album, Paradise By The Dashboard Light: an incredible back-and-forth duet which culminates in the two singers cursing eachother to damnation in the best possible way Of course, no discussion of Bat Out Of Hell can be had without mentioning composer Jim Steinman. The album is often grand and theatrical (which is no suprise, given its origins), with big instrumental moments and dramatic intros and outros, but knows when to leave space and let the lyrics and vocals do the heavy lifting. And then, finally, there are the lyrics... Dear God the lyrics.
nog nooit n hele plaat geluisterd maar wat is dit fenomenaal
perfect album, niet te lang, heerlijke gitaren, lekker verhaal
I grew up loving this album, so it is difficult for me to rate it fairly. How do you rank an album when you find yourself mouthing the words and anticipating the guitar and piano riffs? I think I need to separate the music (a theatre kid's wet dream) from the lyrics (an incel's wet dream). For example, I used to really love the opening to the second track when I was a kid cause I thought it was clever, but listening as an adult, that section (and many parts of this album) are overly lustful with corny bro punchlines. And don't get me started on the car sex song. This one ends up in the middle of the road for me, with excellent music and great vocals, but a yearnful horny misogynistic theme that taints the whole picture. 5/10
Meatloaf is not for me lol. Looooong songs, a bit same-y? Veeeery sexual. There was a couple I quite liked though
I just got broken up w/ type shit. I love it
Definitely heard this is one before. It's a good album. Great melodies, classic tunes. Never owned it and won't rush out to buy it, but definitely a good listen! Some classic hits on this one.
First album I ever owned, I was like 7 or 8 when I got it, nearly 30 years later I still love this album, lots of nostalgia, sure it can be cheesy, but it's fun, the songs are energetic, production is great, his voice is great.
As a naive 14 year old with a new stereo looking for some records to play on it, I bought 'Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell.' Well, if number 1 was good number 2 must be even better, right? Plus I'd heard some of the songs. Obviously I made the wrong choice. This is the record I was looking for.
It seems to be not bad, but it's somehow boring, there's too much epicness and pathos that doesn't give anything. Rate 4/10
As good as it gets!!
Really entertaining and heartfelt
YEESSSSSS
Dads love this one
Title track best track, good.
Rise up, theater kids
RIP Jim Steinman, you brought the drama
Behemoth of a rock opera. I sure do love this album, even with its juvenile escapades in tragedy and death. And the cliche question of if young love is everlasting. Its awfully dated. But still sounds great, boisterous and timeless. The only sin here is Steinmann and Meatloaf blew their wad on the debut. For damn near 40 years these guys tried to make another Bat out of Hell instead of writing new good music. Flash in a pan, lightning in a bottle. Move on fellas. 4 stars.
So wildly operatic and dramatic and overdone and entertaining and stupid and catchy and dumb and awesome. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have been, but it fucks. 4.22 stars
Yes it’s a classic album but I never bought it and wouldn’t choose to listen to the whole album. The hit songs everyone knows though and you can’t argue about the quality of songwriting and (over the top) performance!
That cover is metal. But if anything, this is Theater Kid metal. Look, its done well, and I had a chuckle or two with the lyrics, but this rock opera kinda sound just isn't my vibe.
Érezhetően operett, van néhány jó dallam
Seeing the album and song titles, I expected this to be way more heavy rock like Judas Priest, but the very piano-heavy sections sounds more like Elton John with more heavy guitar. The first song is quite the journey! I did recognize "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" but had no idea it was them! Fun album, really enjoyed it!
I saw the name of the album, the album cover, and the font used to write the artist. I was expecting something very different than what I got. Overall, this is definitely a good album and a great discovery. It doesn't deserve anything below a 4. But, the songs are a little too much like a musical to my taste, which isn't always a big problem, but in this specific case, it is, preventing it from getting a perfect 5. This would still be 4.5 in my opinion.
There is no amount of sauce that will make it taste better.
An assault of energy shoved at you with reckless desperation.
Vibes are repetitive. And I dont like super long tracks.
DID SOMEONE SAY MEATLOAF!? felt like i was listening to a movie commentary track about a musical, i fw this heavy
Awesome album One of my favourites
Another classic album. Todd Rundgren produced it and calls it a parody of Springsteen which is a great description.
One of the fun things about this challenge is having your horizons broadened, but perhaps even more fun is when your preconceived notions are 100% correct. I knew I liked stadium rock, saw this cover and said "this looks fucking awesome". And it was fucking awesome. Would give anything to see this live.
There's some old tweet I can't remember about how Meat Loaf is really just musical theater pretending to be hard rock. The tweet is absolutely correct, and this album absolutely rips. It is harder to find a good time than sing-yelling any of the songs on this. A rare long-songed album that justifies the length of each entry.
Favourite Songs: Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad
awwwww yeaaaaahhh it's the bus driver from the Spice World movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sure bro i guess man what the hell
Dit is nou eenmaal niet voor niets 1 van de best verkochte albums ter wereld. Muzikaal zit het steengoed in elkaar en elk nummer is echt weer zijn eigen verhaal waarin je wordt meegezogen. Eigenlijk staat er niet een slecht nimmer op en toch wel echt als uitschieter er bovenuit "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". Echt iconisch en daarom ook 5 sterren waard.
Dit album is sex. Ik bedoel sax. Ik bedoel sexy. Or all of the above. Rock zanger Meat Loaf en pianist Jim Steinman leveren een teenage romance rock opera van epische proporties. De klanken zijn zo iconisch, dat ik halverwege dacht "dit lijkt echt zo erg op zo'n nummer dat altijd in de top van de top 2000 staat. Ik weet het deuntje, maar kom niet op de tekst of titel." En ja hoor, toen begon Paradise by the Dashboard Light te spelen hahaha. (ik had van te voren niet naar de tracklist gekeken). Wederom heb ik het album in de auto geluisterd, en de opera was opera-ing. Rock & Roll met piano just. makes. sense. Ik dacht ook een orchel te horen, wat het album net nog een extra laagje grandeur gaf. De passie druipt van de vocals en het pianospel af. Niet alleen passie en liefde, maar ook heartbreak komt ter sprake. Al met al is het album een incredible rollercoaster. Ik zou dit album bijna een 5/5 geven, maar ik heb helaas wel wat punten die mijn enjoyment een beetje gedemt hebben. Allereerst het nummer You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. Het lied zelf vind ik echt prachtig en ontzettend romantisch, echter opent het met een eufemistische dialoog waarin de man wordt beschreven als een hongerige wolf wanneer die seks heeft met de vrouw (en zou verhongeren als die geen seks krijgt). Deze framing krijg ik kriebels van, en ik snap al helemaal niet waarom ze die dialoog voor dat speciefieke nummer hebben geplaatst. Ten tweede - Paradise by the Dashboard Light. Muzikaal? Iconisch, geweldig, fun for the whole family. Lyrically? Gaf me een zure nasmaak. On the surface is het een hot steamy night tussen een jong stel dat leidde tot een unhappy marriage door misguided beloftes van commitment. Sowieso had ik een 'goed' einde veel leuker gevonden, maar dat is op zich niet waar ik tegen stuitte. Wat ik jammer vond, was de 'punchline' van de homerun, die onderbroken wordt door de vrouw die ging 'zeuren' over liefde en commitment. Het leek voor mij dat het idee - dat vrouwen seks gebruikten als ruilmiddel voor huwelijk (waar hun bestaan afhankelijk van was) - simpelweg het vanzelfsprekende uitgangspunt was, en niet een tragische realiteit. De presentatie levert geen enkel commentaar, en de transitie van "I swore I would love you to the end of time" naar "So now I'm praying for the end of time" lijkt er gewoon een beetje lacherig en luchtig over te doen. Maar goed, blablabla, het waren de 70s, /end of woke rant. Het album is banging en ik heb elk lied geliked. 1 punt aftrek voor waar ik net over schreef.
All bangers All vibes Ondertussen wel een beetje een karikatuur van zichzelf. Lekker overdreven zegmaar. Muzikaal misschien niet t beste album. Ik baalde dat ik deze niet in de auto heb kunnen luisteren, perfecte roadtrip album. Eerste album in deze lijst waarvan ik met 100% zekerheid kan zeggen dat t terecht is dat ie dr in staat.
I love Stevie wonder!!
Not my style but interesting
I'm learning that prog rock is not my thing
A great album for sure- definitely one that seems like it's more than the sum of its parts. The lyrics, instrumentation, background singing- all cheesy and over the top. But combined together with Meatloaf's powerful voice, it all comes together to something thoroughly enjoyable. Overall- very fun listen.
# Album Name: Bat out of hell # Artist: Meat loaf # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Absolute banger of an album. The music, the lyrics. Amazing stuff. # Top Tunes: Whole damn thing # Would I listen to it again? Why not
queen???
Everything about this record is contradictory - even the album art would make one assume that this is some kind of heavy metal sonic escape from hell, not 45 minutes of over-the-top theater filled with glimmering percussion and maximalist over-done doo-woo inspired teenybopper “kissin tunes”. Our bat, on his way out of Hell, is Meatloaf, himself. He’s a motorbike riding, show tunes-singing goofball in a leather jacket and his record is a testament to not judging a book by its cover - even if it’s sometimes for the worse. That being said, Paradise By The Dashboard Light is pretty epic, despite content that has not aged well.
The second. The first time i've thought it's the metal album however i checked and it turns out it is hard rock. The album cover is so misleading. Though i could glance on the year and supposed it is not so heavy heavy metal. I am listening to the first song now and it's honestly basic hard rock, nothing impressive. Chill.
De kaas zal werken voor veel mensen. De kaas werkt niet voor mij. In heb niet een een ding tegen rock opera's, maar er is iets aan meatloaf dat op mijn zenuwen werkt, zeker als nummers te lang doorgaan. Dashboard light is prima. Two out of three aint bad is dan weer een van mijn minst favoriete nummers. 4/10
Meat seemed to continue his Rocky Horror journey with this symphonic pastiche of show tunes and rock n' roll. Seemed to hit the mark in '77 and still and ok listen even now
Overblown and large-lunged power ballads galore. I completely understand why my parents enjoy this, very dramatic and very silly at times, while also being very sweet and heartfelt, but it's nigh impossible to take Meatloaf without a grain or two of salt (and pepper). I was not expecting this to be as fun as it was, but I don't think it's something I'll return to unless very drunk and jovial. I definitely see Meat Loaf's influence on South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker.
Not for me! Powerful sound. The theatrics and storytelling were fun but could have been better.
I was excited for this one as I had never actually listened to it and it just wasn't for me. I respect the composition and the vocals are great, but the album just drags in so many places. 46 min runtime for 7 songs is wild to me and I find the songs rarely earn the run time and even the ones that are mostly good feel like they have so much filler. I get that it's supposed to be a bit musical theatre and campy, but it just didn't land for me.
I love Meat Loaf! Already had a couple of these songs in my library. Feels like theatrical rock.
Har aldri lyttet til et Meat Loaf-album før, men husker han godt fra Rocky Horror Show (som jeg for øvrig så med pappa). En skikkelig rockeopera her. Det betyr grandios og teatralsk rock. Virkelig melodramatisk og over-the-top, og ikke minst ekstremt fengende. Produksjonen av Todd Rundgren, et gammelt bekjentskap, er vanvittig. Jeg digger dette. Top 3: Bat Out of Hell, You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night), Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Tommy who? This is the ultimate rock opera. All hail Mr. Loaf.
🤘🙏
queen minus freddie, well executed opera rock. won’t go back to it but won’t negate the quality because it’s not my style per se. 3.5 would be more accurate.
I used to frequent pool halls in my early 20s and the only stuff I liked even a little bit was Meat Loaf or The Doors. I’d stack my money on the long songs from both and one time this guy got in my face because he was upset his Disturbed and Papa Roach songs were taking too long to play.
None
what
Honestly? Fun.
interesting name but iconic nonetheless
A voice from my past. I liked some of his songs, but my brother loved this album, so it really was a blast from my past.
I'm normally all about power ballads, but this one didn't hook me.
This does what it set out to do basically flawlessly, and I'm glad it exists so that the title track and Paradise... can be in karaoke rotations, but if the question is "would I ever listen to this on purpose" the answer is resoundingly "no"
Whoa I didn’t expect the first two tracks to be THAT good. I though Meat Loaf was gonna be some depressing shit. Okay so maybe the whole album is not 100% my cup of matcha but there are three tracks that I saved so it must mean something. - bat out of hell - you took the words (…) - paradise by the dashboard light
This album tells stories about love in many different ways. The music is very rock-heavy and powerful, and I really enjoyed it. Even though the songs are long, they didn’t feel boring to me at all. I liked the storytelling a lot, and I could clearly imagine scenes in my head while listening. The album starts strong and keeps its energy throughout. I appreciate the theatrical and musical feel of it, and it made the whole listening experience fun.
Ahh
great vibes,
Horny teenager music (or rather, music for middle-aged people to remember when they were horny teenagers) . Over-the-top and entertaining.
Yes, it's Meat Loaf so I tried it, nothing for me
Super fun album, extremely weird but loud and exciting and definitely screams musical. I enjoyed it
Operatic rock and roll at its best. Really good album. Highlights: "Bat Out of Hell" and "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
Fuck it, I'm going five. More than half the songs on the album have appeared at some point on my top 1000 list, and it just has a great lack of pretension and a joy for larger than life moments. It is too one note for listening straight through, like having too much straight sugar in one sitting. But if I can't give this five stars then I'm very rarely going to get to that level, and I'd like to be generous.
1/1
very late 70s rock pop with the occasional metal element / ballad bisschen boring if I gotta b honest
incrivelmente melhor do que eu lembrava, mas essa vibe teatral num me pega tanto
surprisingly good- longs songs but uobeat and fun, lyrics also good 5
I love this album. Here’s a meatloaf recipe: 1 c breadcrumbs 1/3 c chicken stock 2 onions, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 eggs 1/2 c ketchup 1.5lbs ground beef Mix stock, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, ketchup in a measuring cup then stir in the breadcrumbs. Pour into the meat, onions, garlic mixture (all in same bowl and mix by hand. Bake at 350°F for 60 to 90 minutes depending on how deep the pan is.
I really Do Not like 70s rock
Over the top, indulgent, but not like ELO or something where there are fun hooks. I like Todd Rundgren but his production here lacks any of the sporadic energy of his best works. Feels like music for Aussie dads to play while cooking snags and drinking VB.
I am too much of a theatre nerd to not love this, sorry not sorry! Exact amount of over the top I love, and me and Bates do a killer Paradise By The Dashboard Light
**Bat Out of Hell (1977)** *Meat Loaf | composer/lyricist: Jim Steinman | producer: Todd Rundgren* --- ### **1. Lyrics – Teenage Grand-Guignol** Jim Steinman treats every track like a one-act play: bikes, back-seats, grave-yards and cheap motels become the scenery for a comic-book version of *West Side Story* meets *Romeo & Juliet*. - **Hyper-cinematic detail**: *“I’m gonna hit the highway like a battering-ram on a silver-black phantom bike”* paints the crash before it happens . - **Cliché alchemy**: titles are deliberate platitudes (*Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, All Revved Up With No Place To Go*) that are twisted into wounded, self-aware confessionals . - **Emotional nakedness inside bombast**: the narrator of *For Crying Out Loud* moves from comic lust to *“You know I love you”* sung against a 40-piece orchestra—earned sincerity through sheer scale . - **Gender-fluid point-of-view**: Steinman writes teenage desire from every angle—male, female, predator, prey—so the songs feel universal rather than merely masculine . --- ### **2. Music – Wagnerian Pop** - **Bruce-on-steroids base**: Springsteen’s *Born to Run* keyboard riffs and motorcycle imagery are stretched to operatic length; verses become recitatives, choruses become arias . - **Modular song structure**: *Paradise by the Dashboard Light* (8:28) and the title track (9:52) are stitched from mini-movements—ballad, rave-up, baseball commentary, gospel coda—so nothing ever repeats exactly . - **Orchestral rock**: Rundgren overlays full string & brass sections onto bar-band instrumentation; the guitar is doubled by violins, piano by glockenspiel, creating a cartoon “wide-screen” mix . - **Sound-design Easter eggs**: motorcycle engines are played on muted guitars; thunder is timpani + reversed piano; heart-beats are kick-drum through gated reverb—decades before Pro-Tools gimmicks . --- ### **3. Production – Todd Rundgren’s High-Wire Act** - **Recorded 1975, rejected by every major label, financed out of Rundgren’s own pocket**—he called it *“a spoof of Bruce Springsteen that got out of hand”* . - **Live feel, no click**: tempos push & pull so the 9-minute songs breathe; mistakes (slightly flat trumpet, over-hit snare) left in for urgency . - **Lo-fi luxury**: the album was cut on 16-track with heavy tape-compression; cymbals distort, vocal overdubs saturate—creating a *“radio exploding in a hot car”* timbre that audiophiles hate but fans adore . - **No definitive master**: every vinyl pressing, SACD and Atmos remix sounds different; Rundgren admits the low-end was *“never right”*—yet that imperfection is now part of the myth . --- ### **4. Themes – Terminal Adolescence** Steinman’s concept: *“I wanted to write the ultimate teenage record—because those feelings are the last ones you remember truthfully.”* - **Escape or die**: every narrator is either leaving town before sunrise or crashing his bike at the city limits—sex & death fused into one adrenaline spike . - **Religious kitsch**: heaven, hell, angels, sinners are used as slang (*Heaven Can Wait, Bat Out of Hell*)—sacred imagery repurposed for parking-lot make-outs . - **Broken promises of pop**: *Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad* is the anti-love-song; the hook admits defeat, undercutting radio’s usual happy endings . - **Camp as armor**: exaggerated theatrics let overweight, uncool kids identify with the leather-clad hero inside their heads—glamour through gothic exaggeration rather than fashion-magazine cool . --- ### **5. Influence & Legacy** - **43 million sold**, Top 10 all-time worldwide; still shifts 200k+ units a year . - **Blueprint for power-ballad**: Bon Jovi, Aerosmith’s *I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing*, even Queen’s *Flash Gordon* owe their crescendo architecture to Steinman’s verse/orchestra/choir template . - **Musical theatre crossover**: Steinman later penned *Total Eclipse of the Heart* and wrote the book for the *Bat Out of Hell* stage musical (2017) that played West End & Broadway—proof the songs always wanted scenery . - **Video-age prophecy**: mini-movie videos and streaming playlists now favor 8-minute narrative tracks—Meat Loaf was built for the algorithmic era . --- ### **Pros & Cons** | PROS | CONS | |------|------| | 1. **Unique sonic world** – no other record sounds like a bike crash turned into opera. | 1. **Polarising voice** – Meat Loaf’s vibrato and theatrical delivery can feel hammy if you crave subtlety. | | 2. **Zero filler** – seven songs, each a standalone epic; no deep-cuts that feel like B-sides. | 2. **Length fatigue** – every track 5–10 min; radio edits exist because the full versions exhaust casual listeners. | | 3. **Lyrics reward close reading** – Steinman’s word-play (*“Coupe de Ville in a Cracker-Jack box”*) rivals Dylan in density . | 3. **Production dated** – thin cymbals, compressed low-end; audiophile pressings still can’t fix the original 16-track tapes . | | 4. **Emotional catharsis** – from slapstick (*Dashboard Light* baseball call) to genuine heartbreak (*For Crying Out Loud*) in one album-side. | 4. **Camp overdose** – if you don’t buy into the teenage-werewolf melodrama, the whole thing feels like a Spinal-Tap parody. | | 5. **Cultural multi-tool** – sing-along car trip, Broadway audition piece, Halloween playlist, break-up balm all in one. | 5. **Gender dynamics aged** – *Dashboard Light*’s *“pray for rain”* seduction scene reads as problematic consent conversation in 2020s context. | --- ### **Verdict** *Bat Out of Hell* is the last great rock & roll cartoon—explosive, funny, too much, and somehow still sincere. Its flaws (shrill highs, bloated run-times, lyrical excess) are the very cracks that let the emotion leak through. Forty-six years on, the engine hasn’t cooled.
Surprising album for me.
Not really my taste however, there are a few parts of songs. I like some parts of the album feel disconnected from other parts.
Enjoyed so much more than I was expecting to so fun
I understand the rock opera nature of it, but it isn't really something I'd want to regularly listen to.
Mr. Loaf himself gets 5/5. He has soul and talent. The monster who wrote the music is the exact opposite: a soulless parasite with zero talent, exists only to subvert, pollute, and ultimately destroy everything it touches.
ehh a little all over the place personally.
Very, very dramatic.
In 1977, my dad's friend pulled him out of a bowling alley in Summerland so they could listen to Bat out of Hell for the first time on cassette in his truck. In 2004, I was riding around Summerland in the back of a car driven by a boy trying to flirt with a girl by reciting the Hot Summer Night monologue. This album is perfect; it completely achieves what it was trying to go for and captured that essence of teenage emotions. It's totally over the top to the point of being a parody of itself, but fully sincere. Paradise by the Dashboard Light and Two Out of Three Ain't Bad are all-timers and everything else is very good. For Meat Loaf and Steinman, it never felt so right again after this, but this was the masterpiece that defined them both. 5.
"Bat out of Hell" slaps so hard; I love how operatic it is.
Firstly, I really don’t like many musicals, so anything rock opera was already at a disadvantage. It was important to listen to for general pop culture knowledge and I now understand how Meat Loaf was huge inspo for Jack Black, and why in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the guy’s dream of doing a Dracula rock opera was a clear ML reference, but no matter how much I read into Meat Loaf and tried to register to the album, the songs were too long, and never ended, and the energy was so grating. (Also I have to admit I went to go look at some other reviews and my favourite was that this was “Bruce Springsteen for theatre kids”.)
I was split between giving a 2 or a 3. This album is extremely over the top rock as theatre stuff, and is not something I want to put on in most contexts, so it's hard for me to say it's better than a weak 2.5. I'd acknowledge it's unique and has had staying power. All apologies to Bates, who does a killer Metaloaf at Karaoke every time. I remember being fairly drawn to this album myself as a teen, probably partially due to the cool album art as much as the teen melodrama of the lyrics. As an adult reading up on this I keep on seeing mentions of how producer Todd Rundgren took Meatloaf for an over-the-top parody of Bruce Springsteen, despite the fact that Meatloaf actually performed this music quite sincerely. I guess the fun with Adam West was that his Batman was also completely sincere. Melodramatic teen feelings set to theatrical power ballads, like if Andrew Lloyd Weber or Wagner was a retro rocker act.
Great. It’s campy and theatrical, yes. But it’s beautifully written and feels just massive. The ballads are tender and touching, and Meat’s vocals are outstanding. Top to bottom, this album absolutely rips.
Ridiculous and slightly ashamed that I actually like it this much.
I love musicals so god damn much. Kinda long but. RIP Mr Loaf
Gute Unterhaltung, super Stimme.
Musical theatre madness . Good fun
Long songs but theatrical and fun. Meat loaf did "I would do anything for love" song.
I'm tried to be impartial, but this is utter tripe
Not a fan
Its honestly whatever. It feels very musical in a bad way which is kinda funny bc right after I said that to my friend, she told me he had played some part in Rocky Horror Picture Show (which I love). He is actually responsible for my least favorite song and character from that musical (I love Rocky Horror Picture Show, I just hated Eddie and Hot Patootie Bless My Soul 💀). I saved 2/9 songs that I didn’t find hard to listen to, 1 out 5 bats out of hell.
Surpassed my expectations and he’s apparently one of those artists that put all their good songs on one album. It does also have a good theatrical thing going on which makes the album feel more like one product vs a collection of songs.
A classic "I hate that I liked this" album for me. Expected it to be goofier and campier, but it was kind of the right amount of goofy and campy. Some of the tracks are almost Springsteen-ish? Particularly "You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth"....its got that Phil Spector/Ronettes beat, and when I checked wikipedia, I learned Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan played on this album, so it was an apt observation. This is maximalist music, grandiose and operatic, and while I probably won't revisit it too too much, its enjoyable and deserves inclusion on this list. My ear probably gravitates towards the Todd Rundgren production, as I am a big fan of his (shoutout Upper Darby). Glad I listened, I'll go 3.5 with a round up for Todd
Rock opera is a nice way to describe this album... like that's the definition of it. cool rock melodics with awesome pianos and great vibes.
When I re-listened to this album, there was one word that came to mind to describe it: epic.
Late 70's rock opera-esque. OK, but not my jam. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a
Essential
I fucking hated this and had to take a break halfway through
Again, will he offer me his hunger? I thought this album would be a lot and I wasn’t nearly prepared for what I would encounter. The only restraint shown was that it somehow held itself to 9 songs and 61 minutes. The lyricism is silly, orchestration over the top but Meatloaf is the right voice for “this” and make songs like Dashboard fun.
RIP Jim Steinman :(
This blew me away. I know Meatloaf from his 90s album and its video to say nothing of his appearance in Fight Club. This is so over the top, theatric and fun that anything less than a 5 would be based on my previous opinion of him.
I know this has its fans, but I just can't stand it.
This is a hard one for me to rank because I 100% want to own this album because I love the cover and the title track so much. I don’t however love the entire album. It’s 4 stars but I might still buy it! 1/5 didn’t finish the album 2/5 didn’t keep the album 3/5 kept it and will listen when songs randomly show up on shuffle 4/5 kept it and will listen to it again front to back on my phone 5/5 buying the vinyl
tedious, lounge singer
A dramatic, enigmatic, and enchanting work of art. Not something I would listen to often but I appreciated the exposure to it.
The epitome of rock opera cheese, but in a good way.
добротний класичний драйвовий рокєшнік і милозвучна приємна лірика, непогано. але трекани, що йдуть довше 5 хвилин відверто здались мені затягнутими. в плейлист з альбому нічого не залетіло
Melodramatic nonsense. Look, I’ve always thought Meatloaf seemed like a nice guy. But I’ve also always found his music rather silly. Despite the “metal” appearance, it’s got more in common with 50s nostalgia and musicals, to my ears. It’s much like “Grease” which I also dislike. I’ll rate this a bit higher than Grease, though, just because Meatloaf was so good in “Fight Club”! 3 stars. Maybe 3.5 stars. It started to win me over near the end.
I'm only familiar with Paradise By the Dashboard Light and Two out of Three Ain't Bad. They're both good. Otherwise, I've never felt a need to listen to this whole album and I was probably right. This is way theatrical/operatic, just completely over the top. It's just too much. It should be the soundtrack for a 1970's film about the plucky high-school theater kids putting on a "rock-and-roll" show to save the town's old theater, but, in the end, the show saves the whole town. +1 for the cover and Paradise By the Dashboard Light.
Did not enjoy, honestly thought it was pretty odd.
Dogshit
Was really not in this mood. Maybe another time.
Crap from start to finish.
I have listened to this album multiple times. Fantastic from start to finish.
Dafür wurde der Begriff Bombastrock geschaffen :)
Totally surprised by this album. I only knew Meat Loaf by his mega hits. This was a lot of fun. Has a concept album feel to it without being overly indulgent about it.
More like 3.5. Love me some rock opera but jesus they're all 1/3 longer than they need to be lol.
I appreciate Meat Loaf even if I don't enjoy his music a heck of a lot.
Uden at have hørt musikken så tror jeg album coveret lover mere end musikken kan holde. 😅 - 10 minutters epos som åbner er offensivt. Lidt noget helte metal over det, men også Queen'ish. - Bedre end frygtet, men skal aldrig høre det igen.
Musical-rock. Teatralsk og opulent. Det lyder som hvis Elton John prøvede at lave et metalalbum. At det er et af de mest solgte albums i historien kan kun forklares med af et utal af metalheads har købt albummet baseret på coveret. Og er blevet slemt skuffede når de kom hjem og satte det på.
A true complete album perfect story telling from start to finish crescendo opera type each songs turns it up a notch. Fat peope can rock. This is one of the best albums Ive listend to here in a while. I dont really care much for Meatloaf and felt he was overrated because I know the songs but context matters and this album makes you feel line you are the best friend of meatloaf while he likes, falls in and out of love with a girl and then she turns out to be a crazy fuck. I can see myself loste ing to them talking sweet all the way to I hate you I hope you die. Amazing album that I had never given A chance to sit down and listened. Ive actually karaoked paradise so my bad
Album is consistently theatrical. Good performances in general. Just not really my jam. 2.4/5.0
Meatloaf is a strong contender for the worst stage name in classic rock. The album he made is best described as cock rock for theater kids. I can't fathom how this is compared to Bruce Springsteen; it's far too different musically and thematically for that to make sense. In the end, despite solid arrangements, it lacks the tight songs that make a truly great album, instead featuring a 10-minute pomp fest of a title track and multiple other unnecessarily long songs.
Listened Before: Y Just a plain-old well made rock album. I'm no stranger to this one, and I always enjoy a listen. A blast from the past. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth
This is not a 5 star review, this is a 500 STAR REVIEW! IGNORANT ME WHO CONSIDERS HIMSELF A METAL AND HARD ROCK MUSIC ENCYCLOPEDIA HAD NO IDEA THIS ALBUM EXISTED!!!! THIS! THIS RIGHT HERE IS MUSICAL PERFECTION FROM THE 70S... ENOUGH SAID!!! IF YOU DISAGREE YOU ARE UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND ART AND YOU SHOULD RECONSIDER YOUR LIFE CHOICES I AM FLOORED BY THIS!!! AMAZING! TRULY!!! EFFIN TRULY AMAZING!!!!
Ok im not gonna lie havent finished it yet bc its christmas day but this is already an easy 5. Im a sucker for these theatrical, angsty, enlightenment/love of life pieces. I just will always chase this rabbit down and I swear to god its the reason I keep wanting to live
Brillefin
Theatrical rock that is actually good. Brilliant composition with great vocals backed up by a band that is so good, I had to look up who played in it.
Funny album to get on Christmas Eve
Wasn't my favorite but okay
First song sounds like a Bruce Springsteen parody song so much so that how you well you like it will depend almost entirely on how you feel about The Boss. The production is all but perfect and the real star of the whole thing. The other 6 songs are fine but a little boring. If I hear this again it will mostly be for the exceptional production. Fun Fact: The cover art was done by an old friend of my father, Richard Corben who died a few years ago- I remember meeting him in San Diego a few times with my dad.
339/1089 - I feel like I'm listening to fucking Brentalfloss... So this is the album where he and Jack Black got their stupid voice and theatrics from! On another note, I like Todd Rundgren so at least this is a polished turd, the best 1 star if you will (and I will!).
I was all set to hate this but have to admit it's pretty good. A small number of tracks, many of which are longer than the singles version. It's a strong and distinctive sound including ballads as well as heavy rock.
Judging from the title and the cover, I was expecting something very metal. Instead, this was a full-on rock opera with lots of ballads. Not bad by any means but I feel similarly about this as I did with Bruce Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge Of Town - just not really my thing.
I just can Not get into this meatloaf
My favorite album from the list so far.
One of the most enjoyable and madcap albums of all time. Awesome pick.
This album holds a special place in my life. My mum was obsessed with this album when it first came out so it reminds me of her… Unfortunately while it has some stand out moments, the title track and paradise by the dashboard light it also has some misses….for crying out loud, heaven can wait. But the good songs do a lot of heavy lifting though coupled with the nostalgia….. 3
Pretty nice
Ah, Meat Loaf...a name I've heard plenty, but I've never put the voice and music to it. He reminds me of a lot of adjacent American artists, guys like Springsteen, Elton John, and Steely Dan. But this is, without a doubt, more operatic. It makes quite the first impression as well, with the opening title track that feels like it was never going to end, but in the best way possible. Just constantly building while never being too much, it's easily the best song here. The whole album was pretty damn good, though; it really commits to the over-the-top theatrical feel setup on that opener, with subtle transitions, dramatic switch-ups, and so many vocal and instrumental layers. 'All Revved Up With No Place to Go' was a pretty great little outsider ballad, and I really loved the guest vocals on 'Paradise By the Dashboard Light', in the first part, but mainly in that funkier and quite abrupt switch-up - she absolutely kills it. The boy-girl back-and-forth on this song, while cliché, is pulled off flawlessly, given how talented and expressive both the leads are. I love the rapid-fire piano line on this song, particularly. The closer, 'For Crying Out Loud' was the sentimental outro this album needed. A spotlight on Meat Loaf's talents under these shimmering strings. This style of music isn't really my thing, so the fact that this clicked as much as it did should say a lot.
if i celebrated christmas i WOULD be playing this whole album throughout december. i just think it's fitting, no idea why. also i love that five out of seven songs are longer than five minutes, which is great because all of them are bangers. favourite song: Bat Out of Hell least favourite song: All Revved Up with No Place to Go
Should be aitnfelr like it was trying to be a stage show but ended up being a Pantomime
4/5
Perfect album. Masterpiece.
Wow, what a ride... Crazy energy and mix of styles. Catchy love songs full of imagery. Rock-opera-esque album Loved it!
Bravo Mr Meatloaf & Co! What an experience ! I adore the theatrics, dramatics, and songatics. It really is a wonderful listen, though seek out the visuals if you get a chance, for a wonderfully camp and superb performance from everyone.
Overblown, outrageously theatrical, powerful, fun, classic, karaoke-able.
It reminds me too much of my Mum to listen to this. I know it's a good album as I've heard it before but I can't listen again yet.
After applying the extra credit for NOT being electronica or country, that brings the score up to 2/5.
The marriage between Broadway and rock and roll has never been better. This album surprised me. It isn’t profoundly great, but the piano work and unapologetic enthusiasm of this album makes it a joy to listen to. If Elton John had not gone pop later in his career, this is the kind of epic rock show tune catalog we might get. I don’t know how much I’ll go back to this, but if I ever want to hear someone play their heart out on piano, I’ll have this in the queue.
Good. Solid rock opera. In your face rock. Lots of great sounds, vocals. Praised by dashboard light is an all time great track. 7/10.
all time fave, Top 100, love it.
One of the greatest albums of all time. I know almost every word.
One start for obvious musical talent, but this ain't my thing. Not the worst album we've suffered through in this series, but not one I'll every put on again.
Surprisingly kickass. I grew up thinking Meat Loaf was a metal guy, probably from his album covers. But he’s a ridiculous softboi. Especially coming on the heels of seeing Rocky Horror for the first in a long time, I’m reminded that he pairs a certain amount of vulnerability with a total lack of self-seriousness. It’s a good combo.
Operatic rock that's just way too theatrical for me.
Not my favorite Elton John cover band
Because zero outta three, it's bad.
Classic
8.0/10 Loved listening to this in high school- super nostalgic for me.
Outstanding album. Incredible power ballads. A rock opera executed to perfection
this was cool and theatrical
Used to love it as a teenager but now feels masochonistic
Dosta sam imala niska ocekivanja za ovaj album jer ih znam ih glam faze 80ih, ali album uopće nije loš. Paradise by the Dashboard Light je jebena stvar! 3/5, 6/10
Ahh Meat Loaf, your rock and roll musical is on the list. Yeah it's alright, the concept is fun but I'm not a musical guy so it's lost on me. I get the allure but in my head it's a lot of pomp and circumstance. Musically it's solid everything sounds good and well played/sung. The talent is definitely there as is the passion. Sadly it falls on deaf ears for me.
Wow, worse than I ever imagined. A real slog to get through this cheesy overblown nonsense
Er det bare mig eller lød mange af numrene som noget Bruce Springsteen kunne have skrevet? Hvis det var produceret af Andrew Lloyd Webber? (kæmpe kompliment) Ud over at The Loaf bare er ALL IN, som sælger det rigtig meget, er det også bare et super velproduceret album. Der er 1 eller 2 numre der ikke når helt de samme højder som resten, men ellers farligt tæt på en 5'er herfra
Lyder kæmpestort, meget fin balance mellem fed og for meget men det hælder mod fed langt det meste af tiden
His name is Robert Paulson.
Aight
Theatrical, pompous, bloated stage-school rock novelty which is unfathomably popular. To me the production sounds like it is always being heard through the speaker of an 80s portable TV set wherever and however you are listening. Easy to hate if you have ever endured anyone opting to sing Paradise By The Dashboard Light on karaoke, thus ruining a whole eight and a half minutes of your life rather than the standard three or so.
An album with 10 minute songs is great when you're baking Christmas cookies. These molasses cookies need 8-10 minutes at 375, that's one Bat Out of Hell or two Heaven Can Waits
3.5/5
Good ol' fashioned rock and roll. And god, what a voice he had.
It was just okay for me as much as it has some bangers on it
3.5
i like rhps. but the kitschy tongue in cheek fun of the film is lost without, well, the film.
Nice album, very solid. Surprised me, amazing voice. One of my dad’s favorite albums. 4/5.
I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. I thought it was going to be some heavy metal hard rock, but I actually quite enjoyed it
Quite different - weird in places but great piano and gives off very musical vibes. Enjoyed, solid 3.
Really ambitious and over the top. Where a fever dream and a passion project collide. The ballads really suck all the energy and fun out of it. The musicians are killing it all the way through which makes it a joy to listen to.
thank god for meatloaf!
omg the dude with fat tits from fight club makes music?? i think the only reason why i like this is because of that
Ok this one I had more context for 1. His iconic appearance in rocky horror 2. I never saw it but the bat out of hell musical was playing on the west end when I was there in 2017. Anyway this goes hard
Not for me. Also, the artwork is so out of sync with the music.
Loved it
Not my vibe
Meatloaf. There's a name I was happy to forget until now. I remember my first close dance in grade 6 was with a girl to "Anything for Love." That's about where my fondness for Meatloaf ends. Even back then I was never sure how to take Meatloaf. The whole album artwork and his vibe seemed metal, but his vibe was mostly love ballads. Chock it up to just 80s glam I guess. It makes sense that this album was spawned by Rocky Horror Picture Show in a sense, or at least at the same time. Anyway, onto the music itself. Really sounds more like a broadway soundtrack than an album. So if you're into ballads and broadway showtunes with tinges of metal, then this is for you. I, for one, am not, and this was a struggle to get through. 1/5
I just could not get into this record. Paradise by the Dashboard Light is fun enough, but even that song is pretty ridiculous.
I feel like I just walked into a theater kid costume party by accident
Rock, Pop, 1977 -> 5
This was actually really great. I need to listen to this album more.
This feels like classic Rock and Roll. The cover made me thing death metal but this is just metal. I enjoyed it enough but probably wouldn't buy the record.
Why
I got tired of this so quickly. Bat Out Of Hell, I’d Do Anything For Love are obviously good but they are so fucking long. Maybe i’m missing the point but all I know is I was glad when it finished. 2.6/5.0 Best Song: Bat Out Of Hell
I didn't like it, but i enjoyed it more than i thought i would. Every song is too long, too annoying and over the top, its funny at times which is the only way i got through it. I did enjoy 2 out of 3 aint bad though, that was a big highlight.
Not was expecting this with a cover like that
This album is... a lot. It's a melodramatic romance album where everything's been dialed up to 11. Sometimes the music gets so forceful the album barely seems able to contain it, multiple tracks run over the 8-minute mark, and even the packaging is outrageous - a motorcycle exploding from the grounds of a cemetery in an apocalyptic red landscape. I can understand why someone wouldn't enjoy this but it definitely works for me. This was a Friday album so I had a chance to "sleep on it" and I'm going with a 4-star rating, but it's a great inclusion in the list and I'm very happy to have been exposed to it. I'm an overnight Meat Loaf fan. The bombastic opener "Bat Out of Hell" sets the stage for the album pretty perfectly (then again, it has nearly 10 minutes to do the job). It's great - completely gonzo. Somehow it was written about Peter Pan? Then "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" begins with a dialog bit that, frankly, makes me very uncomfortable. It's my least favorite part of the album. "Again, will he offer me his hunger?" I almost forget that there's a whole song after that. The song's alright. One of the album's trademarks is its sense of humor: "And then you took the words right out of my mouth / Oh it must have been while you were kissing me / You took the words right out of my mouth / Oh, and I swear it's true, I was just about to say I love you." That humor comes up most notably, of course, in the chorus of the 5-star song "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad." Hilarious. I've been singing it all weekend.
I was so ready to have this been one of those fine but eye rolling experiences of over the top 70s rock opera. But I found myself more engaged than I expected and kind of disappointed when it ended.
Have it
This is a masterpiece. Cheeky and operatic.
Boys will be boys, and don't say I love you unless you mean it.
1. bad - 0 2. mouth - 0 3. heaven - 1 4. Place - 1 5. Bad - 1 6. Paradise - 1 7. Crying - 1.5
An album that is a reminder of listening to the radio, and the announcer being excited about paying a long song. So having heard all the songs many times, I didn't listen to the rcord again. Grand concept, distinctive Roy Bittan piano and lyrics that perfectly capture teenage anxiety. A record I could listen to again, but would not put on out of choice.
Loved this - so bombastic and enjoyable. I’ve loved Paradise by the Dashboard Light for years but the rest of the album was also super enjoyable. I also get the context of the Bruce Springsteen comparisons as well as it does feel pretty similar. Would 100% listen to this again.
not bad background
I couldn't think of a more perfect name for an album. This was full throttle music, baby. Billy Joel tries to have this much attitude in his music but couldn't come close to how Meat Loaf does it naturally. It's a motorcycle musical. A biker gang ballet. A high octane hootenanny. Sweet beautiful music delivered on the back of a chopper racing through demonic wastelands. A full tank of gas and an open road.
This was fun.
Good but not my type
great perfomances and writing all around but a little too bombastic and theatrical for my taste, to put it mildly
Come on Meatloaf.. danced to PBDLs at rehearsal dinner!!
I mean it's a classic for a reason, maybe a little too camp for me now though but I used to lash this album.
Not really any bangers. Just a bit boring really.
ca vatjes, ni geweldig
4/10 I was quite looking forward to this one. My initial expectations were based largely on the title track, which I’ve heard countless times over the years. It’s a pretty great blend of frantic, heavy and theatrical, all rolled into one high-camp and fairly ridiculous track. Sadly, after enjoying my journey back through the opener, the rest of the album went downhill fairly quickly. There were moments where it threatened to break back into what makes that track special, particularly through Paradise By The Dash Board Light, but for the most part, this albums was disappointingly boring. I mention during my track breakdown the similarities to Bruce Springsteen, and artist of whom I have little fondness and, while I typically prefer Meat Loaf’s voice to that of The Boss, that wasn’t enough for me to find this anything more than a fairly mundane stroll through some fairly uninspiring rock songs and even less inspiring ballads. And those ballads. Woof. I just do not buy the vocal delivery at all. It feels emotionally disconnected and insincere, which is something that really needs to connect for a ballad to have meaning for me. The musicianship was largely solid, the production likewise, but it all felt a bit by the numbers. There was nothing particularly edgy or exciting about the large majority of the album, and besides the two above mentioned tracks, the camp over-theatricality didn’t really extend to the rest of the album. It gets a few marks for those two tracks, but in all honestly, it didn’t do anything to make me want to bother revisiting it again in the future. Bat Out Of Hell - It's certainly an up tempo start to the album and then it works its way through some slower sections before we even get to the vocal. It takes metal, turns up the camp and theatre of it all to eleven in the most unapologetic way possible. There are so many changes and tweaks to what's going on that it often doesn't give you a moment to think before it shoots off again. It's kind of gloriously mad and frantic. There's some great musicianship and so much energy. It almost sounds like Meat Loaf is sprinting around the studio as he delivers his vocal in an over the top theatrical presentation. High camp, theatrical hard pop rock fun for all the family. You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) - And just to emphasise the theatrical feel of things, we get a spoken word intro. This one is a bit less pacy and has an edge of Christmas song sound to it, which is partly the percussion, but the cadence of the melodies takes it that way too. It's sounds more halfway between a stage musical song and a Bruce Springsteen one, but without having to listen to Springsteen sing, which is a plus. It didn't really grab me as much as the opener, but it's not bad. Heaven Can Wait - This one isn't as interesting. it retains the theatrical presentation, but it's a little bit of a one trick pony and that trick isn't actually that good to my ear. It just feels a bit insincere and emotionally disconnected from the kind of ballad that it's trying to be. The piano playing is great, but it kind of feels like ticking a box that says 'must include a ballad'. All Revved Up With No Place To Go - Rhythmically, this is very stacatto and plodding. It does swing a little in places later. Again, I'm getting more Springsteen vibes from this. The sax is massively overdone without actually offering anything vastly interesting. It's not a bad composition, necessary, but it's all quite by the numbers without offering anything particularly engaging. It suddenly becomes way better for the last 30 seconds of the song, but it's too late by that point. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Another ballad. Another plodding and quite boring song. It feels like they're trying to keep that theatrical tone to it, particularly with the strings and reverb heavy drums, but it just feels like it plods along without offering significant dynamic change or a particularly believable vocal delivery. He's obviously a great singer, but I don't buy what he's selling on his ballad performances. Meh. Paradise By The Dash Board Light - This is more promising. There's a great swing and drive to everything here and Mr Loaf is a far more enjoyable singer when he's got something with a bit more zip and grit to play with. It's obviously way more bluesy rock, but there are some nice tempo switch ups and variety to the composition than the last few tracks. The piano work is great fun. It's kind of weird that this song is presented as a single entity, because it's really not that. The cut to the second part is quite jarring and feels like transitional music from a musical rather than part of an actual song. There's some really nice bits and pieces in amongst this, but there are also some less enjoyable bits, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the changes and transitions just take the steam out of this a bit too much, which is a bit of a shame, because there's a lot to like about quite a lot of this song. For Crying Out Loud - Again, I'm not really buying these ballads. He gets a bit too shouty in places and the composition is very overwrought. There's nothing particularly hooky or memorable about it, it's just a bit boring while trying to be impactful and dramatic. The dynamic shift into the second half is an improvement and works better for Meat's vocal talents. It still feels very over written though, and not in the 'god, this is fun' way of the title track.
It's strange to listen to this again in total after so many years. It's a beautiful story arc. I'd forgotten how delicate 'Heaven Can Wait' is; how well placed it is. Overall, the album sounds so much more like a musical than it did when I first heard it. Perhaps because I wasn't accustomed to musicals as a child, and possibly because it influenced so many more to come.
Deeply annoying music.
I'm familiar with this album and don't like it. I'm not even gonna bother giving it my usual "well, 1001albumsgenerator picked it for today, so I'll listen to it anyway" customary spin. I'm just not interested in listening to this album again.
How is this one of the top selling albums of all time? So basic and goofy in a not-that-fun way.
Really good and certainly operatic. Sounds like I imagine teenage life in America during a certain period sounds like. Brilliantly produced and Meat has some voice!
A Great Album From Beginning To End
Best Song: Paradise by the Dashboard Light An entire album about trying to get laid, nice. Would be a 5 if it weren't for the two sappy slow songs. Who am I kidding, it's a 5/5.
Theatrical Rock. Great tunes. My Dad loved this album. Paradise by the Dashboard Light is a classic!
Puts the power in power ballad! With a touch of song cycle. Love the way the style switches to bring in a new perspective. Thoroughly enjoyable trip down memory lane
> The Beatles
Pretty good. I get tired of the Rock Opera format, though.
Sounds like show tunes. Not a fan.
What an epic experience.
Mood/Vibe: This is much more theatrical than I was expecting?? But then again, I don’t know what I was expecting. Standout Tracks: Bat Out of Hell & For Crying Out Loud Replay? Immediately. Better second time round. Opening/Closing Songs: Bat Out of Hell opens the album and it’s bouncy, frantic, catchy, get-up-and-move vibes. Immediate add to liked songs. For Crying Out Loud is the closing song of the album and it feels like a sad, dramatic, end to bouncy, controlled yet chaotic album. Overall perfect openers and closers and also two of my faves from the album. Notes: An album I’ve heard of but unfortunately for Meatloaf my number one experience with him was the 2011 AFL Grand Final. A performance that went down in history for all the wrong reasons. And remembering that moment from over a decade ago and hearing this album now, I can see the excitement followed by the subsequent dissapointment. Guitar-heavy riffs, fun, bouncy. It reminds me of some of the glam rock from that era, but more erratic and less polished in a totally intentionally creative way. It was a fun journey for sure. I can see why it makes the list. It pushes boundaries and genres the way they seemed to back there. Some new songs added to the liked list.
Music from my childhood. On listening, it's amazing how they use piano, close vocal harmonies, and Meat Loaf's raw vocal power to make magic happen. The change from boogie-woogie to rock in the middle of Paradise in the Dashboard Light is an iconic shift.
GETTING CAUGHT UP! lmao okay. so hard to listen to at times but like yes we are having fun and of course they made it into a musical without changing anything bc it's all rock opera bs but it's hilarious. Paradise will always be that song, I cannot lie, but Ellen Foley is really the star there for me
So good
Has its moments but is also kind of basic rock. 3.0/5.0: Good
theatrical and over the top in the best way, incredibly fun listen
Love it
I've only heard a couple of songs from Meat Loaf. Sounds like a rockier, more opera version of Billy Joel. I feel like these songs are too long. Is Paradise by the Dashboard Light about fucking in a car? Right on. This is good for what it is, but it isn't the type of music I would sit around listening to. 3
Jim Steinman+Meat Loaf. It doesn't get any better than that. Perhaps it does? (Streets of Fire OST)
https://youtu.be/JGeDn3teKUM?si=PQvBT02ooGLXLQOx
Great Rock Opera Album. I love everything about it! RIP meat loaf
Me encantó el CD! Por el nombre y el cover del CD esperaba algo más heavy metal (que no es mi tipo de música favorita), pero me sorprendió positivamente.
this is kind of like darksided bruce springsteen. it’s really, really theatrical in a way that’s almost charming if rather pitiful in its tastelessness.
I don’t like his voice, I don’t like his singing style. A lot of these songs reminded me of the worst parts of *Born to Run*. This album kinda feels like Bruce Springsteen for straight people. I realize for most of society Bruce Springsteen is Bruce Springsteen for straight people…but that’s neither here nor there… There wete a few songs that I could see being pleasant if performed by someone else and produced in a less indulgent and shmaltzy way (Tori Amos cover of “Heaven Can Wait” when??). But as is, the songs are somehow simultaneously too much and also too boring. “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” was a high school favorite and I must admit if I were drunk enough at a karaoke bar I might do something frightening, but from a normal listening perspective, the songs didn't do anything for me.
That was awesome
It was really good! Very diverse songs, very great singing.
Man, the 70s were weird as hell. I'm not averse to grandiose, over-the-top bullshit, at least not all the time. Some of the tracks really rock out and achieve the sort of epic scope that he's clearly going for. Trouble is as soon as the melodramatic caterwauling begins, I immediately get stuck on how dumb and corny it is. And not, for me at least, the fun kind of dumb and corny.