Bat Out Of Hell

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.

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.

Not was expecting this with a cover like that

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.

not bad background

great perfomances and writing all around but a little too bombastic and theatrical for my taste, to put it mildly

Has its moments but is also kind of basic rock. 3.0/5.0: Good

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

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.

Expected more from such a huge seller. Girls were meh. Nir did not want to listen to it.

Did you know that this album got produced purely to spite Bruce Springsteen? Todd Rundgren is a bitter man.

Some undeniably catchy ballads.

This is a rollercoaster ride of an album, because it’s exquisitely produced and written and Meat Loaf sings with his heart leaping out of his throat. But it’s a repetitive bit and its earnest approach often dives into silliness instead of truth. Steinman is an incredible songwriter and Meat Loaf is a killer performer. I just wish there was a little bit more meat on the bone.

Not my genre. It felt like the songs were either power ballad or hyper rock.

Surprised by this album, it is grandiose, theatrical and with so much feeling. Each song is great and loved it all throughout. Very good!

This is #day461 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've never heard anything from Meat Loaf besides, of course, "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)," which is a great song, taken, as I learned today, from the second Bat Out of Hell trilogy. I didn't even know there was a trilogy. Should I have? I find his character fun, but I can't say the same about the music. It's very much a product of its time: '70s hard'n'heavy, progressive rock, dad rock, in short. I can see why it's regarded as a classic. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day462.

Was expecting something little bit more, still pretty good. 3.4

Let me sleep on it

You either like theatre or you don't. Although there's a lot more theatre I would push to before this Peter Pan influenced album, it's got that show tune quality that theatre kids love.

Backflash a rocky horror picture show. Git viel pluspünkt für das zarte stück fleisch. Und au sust ganz spassig gsi. Aber da ich scho ehner vegi bin wirdi uf das Album au wider verzichte. 3 hüehnerschenkel

It's good; just played out for me.

Meat definitely had pipes and talent, and his contribution to America the Beautiful is timeles. Pretty impressive to start a career with an album like this, and it definitely has withstood the test of time, just not really my thing, but damn if I didn't find myself pulled in. Gotta grant that much.

I wonder how many metalheads bought this album when it came out based on the album art and were disappointed. Seriously the album art is metal as hell. Definitely does not match the music. Paradise By the Dashboard Lights is a classic, just a fun song. The rest of the album wasn’t bad but I don’t think I’d go back to it.

Not a huge fan

u're telling me these are all real songs and not part of a musical??

Love the theatrics of this album but found myself waiting for it to be over towards the end. But giving an extra point because TIL he’s from Dallas

It was fun, but I wouldn’t put it in my regular rotation.

Possibly best album cover ever. The era of album art has passed. RIP. The album itself is not well represented by it's cover except that it too is over done and dramatic. The EStreet vs Elton vibes are confusing but in a good way. The whole thing is cheesy AF, but also charming. An overall well done and engaging album with a couple of snoozer tracks. 3.5 stars.

Having just seen rocky horror, I have a newfound appreciation for Meat Loaf

pretty cool man

To borrow a phrase from a fellow who is also doing this list, this album is cheese of the highest order. Almost every song is about sex and/or BJs, sung in the most bombastic rock opera style possible. It's super overproduced, but also kind of fun? I enjoyed some songs, but it was so much cheese I don't think I'll shit for a week. 3/5

3.5

I had no idea that Bat out of Hell was from a musical, so was expecting something quite different. Good album with good rock opera tracks. Just not to my taste.

Think I just missed the boat on this one and it now feels a little bit dated. Some of it I get and think is good, others are a bit too power ballad for me.

Good enough.

The problem with a lot of this music is that by the time I came of age, they were jokes. But this is good! I get that's the point of a book and project like this, but this is much better music than reputation has done for gen-pop.

Horribly meandering, over-ambitious, terribly mastered, and yet very fun and silly. We used to listen to a MIDI file of the title track "BATOUT.mid" all the time growing up while playing the board game Payday, and for that it brings the score up to a 3

I definitely judged a book by its cover and thought I would hate this but some of it was actually pretty good

Half were good half were bad. I didn’t love some of the lyrics and subject matter but there were a few gems hidden throughout.

70’s yacht rock

It's boisterous and ridiculous and I can't fault it for being what is on the tin so fully.

You'd really have to be into musicals to appreciate this I feel 3*

His songs are good, there's no doubt about that. But man is it a bit overdone. Do yourself a favor though and find "Professor Meatloaf explains what that is." It's kinda funny Idk. His stuff hasn't aged as well as others of his era. I'm conflicted. I guess I'll just pick a solid right down the middle 3 stars. I think Rock and Roll dreams come true is probably the one to add to the playlist. I may change it later.

Perhaps most notably, the album contains music history's best random insertion of a baseball play-by-play announcer, in order to detail Meat's loaf gleefully scampering around the proverbial bases. Meat should have locked Steinman's piano out of the recording studio and told him he only wanted bangers, the result of which would have been one of the greatest rock 'n' roll albums ever. The highs are incredibly high (the rockers, especially every time he starts talking real fast)…The ballads are ballast.

This is great musical theater. But not actual musical theater.

clearly i have been sleeping meatloaf. this was fun. but also it wanted to drag on at times.

Best ok 3/5

Con la tapa no me vi venir un album así. 6/10

I hate musicals but this is good stuff

Patiko. Toks paprastas og rock&roll'as.

oooh

High energy, fun, silly, and bombastic. Just an insanely fun record with it's 50's rock style. However, for me it's not doing much. It's a bit too cheesy. But still a classic that absolutely belongs on this list.

Gotta say - really dig this album. Never gave this a listen because it’s Meatloaf… Rock opera? Over-the-top? Satire? All of the above?

Musical. Make the musical!

boas músicas.

Album was good, couple of big hits. Meatloaf seemed like a down to earth person. From Rocky Horror, Fight Club, The Pick of Destiny, many more, RIP Meatloaf. 3.5

It’s a wildly theatrical album - and I think that’s exactly why it never fully clicked for me. The music and presentation are incredible: Jim Steinman’s “futuristic rock Peter Pan” vision paired with Meat Loaf’s over-the-top, powerhouse delivery. Every track feels like a full-blown production, bursting with drama and emotion. Maybe that’s the thing, it sounds too grand, like it belongs on stage with lights and pyrotechnics rather than just coming through headphones. During the era of glam rock and theatrical excess, I never quite knew how to take it all in. Listening now, though, it’s hard not to appreciate how solid the musicianship and storytelling are. Even if it doesn’t make me a true Meat Loaf convert, I can see why this album is considered a rock opera classic.

Long classic metal

There are some absolute rippers on here (“You Took the Words…” and “All Revved Up…” are classics) and there is some absolute dogshit. I had fun listening to it

3.5 Really surprised this was one of the highest selling albums of all time as the format is not the most accessible. Also looks like they almost didn’t even get to make it in the first place. Lots of large set pieces. Occasional wolf throats? Tracks felt a little disjointed from each other. I was expecting a little more cohesion from a rock opera. Was an enjoyable listen but probably won’t revisit anytime soon

This theatre kid made a rock album, and hey, it’s pretty fun. The title track rules, with 9 minutes of “how it feels to ride in a convertible on a hot summer day” After that you get a nice lil love story, but I think the first song is the highest point it reaches.

Very meh

I don't get Meat Loaf, honestly. I suppose it was a moment in time, but the music itself sounds and feels a bit generic, theatrical rock without any of the real grit and vibes that make rock feel good to me. Meat Loaf's voice is... fine? How did he become such a huge superstar, was it just that there was nothing else really like it at the time and he found his niche? This album is "fine" at best, background music.

3.5 Top notch for Rock "Opera" but still. . . Rock Opera Always thought this album was pretentious (nonetheless radio friendly) pop bubblegum; that is fun for a bit, tastes great at first but quickly loses flavor and you spit it out and move on. However I really did find that enjoyed this album FAR more in 2025 than 1977. Some of the lyrics are almost childish, and not in a fun camp Rocky Horror way - which annoyed me then but doesn't now. Jim and Todd Rundgren really set up Poor Fat Marvin (aka "Meatloaf") who's voice is actually far better than I remember it. Another solid 3.5, can't quite bring myself to give it a 4. I really do think this album wouldn't have sold a million though without Rundgren who is FAR under credited for it's success. (And as the story goes neither Jim nor Meatloaf really ever made anything off this album . . . though I image they negotiated better on 2, 3, and 4. . .)

Interessantes Album aber muss laut gehört werden da es mehr Wall of sound ist als gut ausbalanciert (Höhen und Tiefen sind recht nah) Interessante Geschichte wenn man auch bedenkt das es nach Release komplett gehasst wurde von Musik Kritikern Best Song: Bat Out of Hell Rating:3,2

Epic. Hokey and somewhat problematic, but damn epic. Danzig could never.

quirky, nice quick piano. There's some artistry here but I guess I would only listen to this when with friends. Something Jack Black would sing

I like the first song and zoned out of the rest

Je n'ai jamais été un super fan du concept d'opéra rock. Ce premier album de Meat Loaf ne m'émoustille pas tant que ça mais je dois avouer que j'ai depuis pratiquement sa sortie l'album Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell de 1993 que je trouve très bon.

Vraiment une drôle de gugusse, Grease meets AC/DC. Avec un cover art à la Iron Maiden. Alternance ballade/toune plus hypée. Avec des tounes de 10 minutes. Je trouve l'amalgame plutôt de mauvais goût, même si j'aime bien la voix du chanteur et certains riffs.

Le cover dit heavy metal, la voix dit rock doucereux, le nom de l'artiste donne faim. C'est pas mauvais mais une écoute suffit. Son plus grand succès n'y est même pas en plus.

It was kind of stupid fun-silly and over the top. This isn't great music that I formed an emotional connection with, but I have to admit it was fun. It almost felt like a comedy record. I'm embarrassed (and guilty) at how much it did put a smile on my face.

Caroline exposed herself as a mad Meatloaf fan - worth it just for that. Classic rock - overblown but enjoyable

Against all my better judgement about how this album seems to me, I really fucking like it. I find something incredibly endearing about the overblown romantic declarations in the title track. Also paradise by the dashboard light slaps, containing both an earworm of a chorus and the stupidest fucking bridge I’ve ever heard in a song. Love it.

"Theatre Nerds Are Horny, Too: The Album." I had a soft spot for this album when I was a teenager, but that seems to have lessened as I've gotten older. The instrumentation on this album is terrific, the dynamics and song structure are on-point. But there's a schlocky desperation that permeates every note, and that is just too much to make this one I'll return to. 6/10

Ah, so that's where Jack Black gets it. 3/5

I mean, this is Meatloaf, what did I expect it to sound like? It’s the same piano-driven rock song after song. He’s talented, but this isn’t my jam. The fact that every song has to be funny gets old.

Over-the-top and theatric.

Someone else described meat loaf as heterosexual elton john, and that completely blew my mind. Meat loaf is sappy af, not what I expected.

Good at times and at times just too theatrical for me.

Rock has it should be. Bat Out of Hell, classic. Overall, a good album.

The title track is enormous fun, an unbelievably over the top 9 minute epic with motorbike guitars and more cheese than Cathedral City, but it works, extremely well. Paradise By The Dashboard light is similar, OTT fun. The rest is very meh, schmaltzy ballads which bring the rest of the album down.

Ostigt och kul

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Paradise By The Dashboard Light Teenage Angst? One-Night Stands? Being horny? All in the form of a cinematic rock opera? This feels like one of those "it's so bad it's good" kind of situations. It's not amazingly bad, but like, who was the target audience for this when it came out? This album spent NINE years "in the charts" apparently. The album cover is excellent. Also, and totally unrelated, I can't wait to read the reviews for Fight Club references.

You know Meatloaf. Operatic hard rock, with blues influences. Like Springsteen/Elton John meets glam rock. Some gospel/choir in there too. It's less hard rock overall than Meatloaf is stereotyped as. Really sounds like Springsteen with a whammy bar in places. Even some funky bit in Paradise By The Dashboard Light Each track is a mini album in it's own right, which makes it hard to love any of them.. Great Boleros of Fire is a nice instrumental interlude. Overall it feels a bit too manufactured, not much authenticity. But it's clear showmanship and basically set the standard for a genre so it deserves respect for that. Best track - All Revved Up, Paradise 3 stars

The highs are high, the lows much less so

Wasn’t the worst but I didn’t love it. For Crying Out Loud was probably the best out of the whole album, and the album wasn’t awful but again just felt a little weird listening to it

I feel like this is a perfect addition to this list. Not because it's really a "great" album, but because it truly fits the idea of something you need to listen to at least once in your life. It's theatrical, it's whimsical, it's dumb, it's absurd, it's fun. At no point is it boring. That's probably what you should expect from an artist named Meatloaf, especially considering this started as a musical/play concept on Peter Pan. I think over-the-top is an apt descriptor, for better or for worse. Everything about it is in that mould. Just starting with the title and artwork, you'd think this was something hard and heavy (as I did for a long time before hearing any of it). It'd be like, I don't know, calling a movie "There Will Be Blood" and creating a imposing poster with gothic font for it, when the movie is just 3 hours of people disagreeing about land (I kid, I kid. Well, sort of). I feel like that setup matches the tone perfectly for what they were trying to accomplish, though. And the presentation of the music and vocals is complete theater. Kind of like getting the porn parody of a medieval epic instead of the real thing. That said, it's not all fun and games. The style and performative nature makes it a bit polarizing, I'm sure. Opera and theater aren't for everyone (including me, even with the rock context). Also, the novelty would almost certainly wear off quickly with any attempt at a re-listen. Even so, that first listen is quite the experience. Regardless of whether you like it, it's not something you'll quickly forget. On my part, I can't say I loved it. But I can say that I couldn't avert my ears from the experience. It was an interesting ride, and gets credit for its gusto and being mostly enjoyable. I didn't think it was all that "good" as a whole, though. Overall: 2.8/5

I've never listened to this album, but I knew one or two songs (3). Some good parts (Dashboard Light) but overall really cheesy, even cheesier than I thought.

Uptempo songs: yay👍 - ballads: nay 👎 I don’t need to listen to this again but I can respect the musicianship that went into writing and performing these songs

I wish this album was mastered better. Fun electric guitar and the beat was fun. Bat Out of Hell, Paradise By the Dashboard Light, and Fpr Crying Out Loud were a bit longer than what I like though, after 4-5 minutes it was just too much. Also why the moaning in PBDL? Was that really necessary?

Not my thing but a fun listen.

Lemmesleeponiiiiiit

Heard of Meatloaf but had never really listened to him. Fun album with energy. He’s got a great voice and the music felt big. Got a rock-opera thing going on.

It's a lot. Big drama. Really good production. I can't take it seriously, so I won't be returning to it.

Album Art Review - another iconic cover for an iconic album. Literally a demonic motorcycle launching out of a graveyard hellscape with a giant demonic bat cackling over the whole scene. Great cover that both teases the music on the album, without really preparing the listener for what they are about to experience.

Ok

3 1/2 stars I used to love this album when I was a kid. It was so dramatic. I thought I was going to dislike it this time around but it didn’t. It’s fun and a great rock opera. I as pleasantly surprised.

Too pompous.

pa okej je ovo ispalo, zbog omota sam mislio da će bit žešće sranje. podsjeća me na todda rundgrena, ali nije toliko dobar

Before hearing this, the only Meat Loaf song I knew was his track from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (one of the best in the film btw). I was aware of this album and its huge success, but I never understood why it was so big. After finally giving it a listen, I get it a little more now, though it still feels like a bit of an anomaly to me. Doesn't matter though. This album kicks ass. It really does feel like the soundtrack to a theater musical production (I mean it literally was adapted into a musical at one point). Its so over the top in all the right ways! A hell of a good time. Favorite track: Bat Out Of Hell 3.5/5

Better than I expected, just not my thing

I was haunted by the popularity of this Album when I was a teenager and resisted it for a long time. This album seems to have everything dialed up to 11, including the concept, drama and album art. It's definitely a moment in time!

Pretty wild! I felt like I was in a rock musical! Not really my thing, but a nice little escape for the afternoon

3 estrelas - só pelo Todd Rundgren

Testosterone-driven opera about love and sex — the adolescent experience. Operatic, dramatic, and a little shallow, it was quite a ride in my youth. Best experienced now with limited attention to the lyrics, which feel like an uncomfortable reminder of the world before the prefrontal cortex develops. Fun, but also a bit embarrassing. *A punchy ChatGPT summary of my statement above: A bombastic adolescent opera about sex and longing — thrilling in youth, cringey in hindsight.”

title track was great and album felt like classic older ish but still harder rock! songs were really long lol. been meaning to dabble in meatloaf so this was good but wanna let this marinate and listen again sometime.

First time I have actually listened to this album all the way through. Outside of Bat Out of Hell, nothing too exciting from my perspective. It was fine and enjoyable at times, I probably wouldn't go through the whole album again.

Wedding season

Ok

More like Fat and out of Health

I did not expect ti enjoy this at all, I have a particular disdain for hair metal (to no-ones surprise). But this album is well produced, funny, camp and proportionally cool. Nah gammon, the above is partially true but it's mid 5/10

Theatre kid album. This was pretty good at first, very bombastic and full-throttle. As the album continued, I found myself getting tired of it. The first two songs are great, especially the second track. By the time it gets to Paradise by the Dashboard Light, I am ready to stop listening. The original song was supposed to be 27 minutes? Yeah I bet it was just an additional 20 minutes of baseball commentary. Jesus fucking Christ. 'kitchen sink rockabilly' is the best way to describe this song. I need to be in the right mood for this, I can't just throw this on at anytime. This would be great for a roadtrip with likeminded (drunk) people or in a an environment with enough stimuli to distract me from focusing on the finer details of the album (being drunk). One good half, one admittedly shit half. I'm feeling generous so it gets a 3. Furthermore, I am finding it difficult to not make a link between how indulgent this album is and the artist's physique. I'm choosing to be the bigger man. Highlights: You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)

Loved this album growing up but mostly because my mum sold it to me pretty hard. Incredible moments on it but it isn’t one I would listen to again out of the blue

Enjoyable but likely never again.

Maximalist songs. Very long. Sounds like a show choir

That was very theatrical. If nothing else Meat Loaf sure has a knack for theatrical, epic duets with powerful female singers. I was quite surprised to find out that Paradise and I Would do Anything for Love have different female lead vocalists. Also the one on I Would Do Anything for Love didn't get any royalties. That isn't cool. Anyway, I'll never listen to this again and won't mind. That said, I enjoyed this far more than I'll ever admit.

In terms of dramatic rock piano ballads - Meat Loaf is at the top of his game… perhaps even the creator of the genre. With lines like “you’ve been so cold Im crying icicles instead of tears” - what more could you want. Did he inspire the series Twilight - given some of the werewolf themes perhaps. I could have done without “paradise by the light of the dashboard”… awkward first time in a car but as a rock duet ballad… huh. For the record - I will forever associate Meatloaf with Noel forcing us to listen to the extended 12 minutes version of “I would do anything for love”. Perhaps the longest 12 minutes of my life. Also who knew it was a duet.

goofy

bat out of hell - pocinjemo s pjesmom po kojoj je album dobio ime, odlican intro, fora klavir, onaj tip rocka koji mi inace nije bas drag - onak parent rock, slatki stihovi, spoj brzog i sporog instrumentala, oooodlicni gitara riffovi, lajkam world building i metafore you took the words right out of my mouth - opet kuuul intro, svida mi se tematika, slaaatko, dosta ponavljanja istih stihova na kraju heaven can wait - laganija od prethodne dvije, kinda mid zapravo all reved up with no place to go - najs, djelomicno relatable, smijesan background voice, dobar ritam, prva koju sam sejvala u playlistu two out of three aint bad - zanimljiv naslov, dosta specificni stihovi (ali ipak sigurno relatable nekima), ne kuzim ovo 2/3 i OUCH sa ovim "im never gonna love you", personal story, projectionnn, dosta harsh al tak to nekad ide ig paradise by the dashboard light - tone change od prosle pjesme lol, uuu zenski vokal, UGH throwback na 17, omg dvije pjesme u jednoj, haha baseball inuendo, ajme frajer ispada kao takav douche wow, svida mi se ovo kad ga tjera da odgovori, 100% sam na njenoj strani, AJME WOW KAKAV KRETEEEEEEN, obozavam ovu pricu, jeeeeez for crying out loud - boring, ipak moze voljet hmmm, skoro sam zaspala neironicno, cijeli orkerstar u pozadini damn great boleros of fire - jao puno tog zvuci bolje uzivo, ovo se cini ko bas odlican vajb, pol pjesme je intro, jesu to orgulje u pozadini, aha okej ovo je instrumental, onda mi je ta za sad najdraza bat out of hell live - omggg 11:11, ovo je izvedeno u kratkom periodu gdje se moj tata vec bio rodio, a mama jos nije, duugacak intro, a mislim isto ko i og samo live lmao, gitara solo ODLICAN, ponio bi me vajb da sam bila tamo overall - ja cijelo vrijeme mislim da je meat loaf neki reper ali okej. fora rock album al nisam se bas povezala s njim, malo pjesama i dosta razlicite sta je fora al stihovi su dosta osobni i specificni pa nije bas za sve (sta je cesto pozitivna stvar ali ovdje mi je bila meh), fora cover art tho, da mogu dala bih 2.5, al 2 mi se cini premalo pa bude 3

Some catchy tunes but a bit too stage musical for my liking.

While there's a LOT to like about this - extremely well crafted songs, great song titles, and a very strong energy - it doesn't really connect with me. Glad I heard it, but not so sure it'll find its way back into my ears.

For the longest time in my life I imagined Meatloaf’s music was something completely different

Drôle, on dirait la soundtrack d’un film de Ken Russell

Amusant mais un peu cheesy. Plusieurs Queen vibes!

Rollicking. Not my thing but I like him and I like that this album was made and was so successful.

Did not expect meatloaf to produce so many droll love songs on one record

Fun and energetic but man I really wish this album had more to give than love songs. Nothing wrong with love songs but when you have some of the most metal album art of all time I kind if expect more... metal. It was good though I just wish it had more to offer

The album artwork doesn't match the music. This is my first experience with Meat Loaf; he kind of reminds me of Elton John. Overall, it wasn't a bad album, but it's not a sound I would normally listen to. It had a nice variety of instruments, and it had plenty of energy. But it won't be played again. 5/10

Fun. Feels like a cheesy movie musical from the 80s, which I guess makes sense given what I know about Meat Loaf.

Maximalism, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. For a fortyish minute album this should not feel this long. Songwriting by Steinman is basically gibberish, but is operatic enough to work (similar to The Killers). Total nonsense album, pure dad music but I think it’s a good enough execution of that.

Despite the album cover art, this was WAY more Broadway Cast Recording than it was heavy metal record. Some of the songs were pretty catchy. It wasn't bad.

listened on the way to the folkestone eurotunnel entry. it was more musical and less heavy than expected but i think i will enjoy it much more when i know the songs.

It was good. Didn't realise how similar Meat Loaf and Bruce Springsteen music sounds. But Meat Loaf more operatic. The hits are there. Between a 3 or 4. Stand out song - 2 out of 3 ain't bad

Much better than I thought it was going to be. Bat Out Of Hell is a banger and All Revved Up is a find. Some absolute overblown claptrap in there as well.

At first glance, 𝘉𝘢𝘵 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭 looks like a heavy metal album — the cover screams fire, fury, and motorcycles bursting from graves. What you get instead is a theatrical rock opera full of melodrama, heartbreak, and teenage dreams. Without Meat Loaf’s over-the-top vocals and Jim Steinman’s operatic lyrics, much of the album could easily pass for a Todd Rundgren project — which makes sense, since he produced it, and the instrumentation carries his fingerprints (especially if you’ve heard 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨?). Still, the album lives and dies on Meat Loaf’s performance. His voice turns camp into conviction and absurdity into art. Whether it’s genius or glorious excess depends on your tolerance for theatrical rock — but there’s no denying it’s one of a kind.

Muy teatral y disperso. No soy una persona que se banque eso. Canciones que guardé: 2, 4 y 5 Nota: 5.5/10

7/10, teatral, rockero pero los lentos son lentos de verdad y cansan un poco

Fun album that continues beating throughout.

Eh this one was alright. Not awesome, not horrible. Great band name tho. Best song: Bat Out Of Hell Notable(s): You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth, Paradise By The Dashboard Light

I don’t remember what song by Meat Loaf I knew already that made me dread this one but I was not excited going into this one. But that opening roaring and wholly epic opener changed that immediately holy ravioli was it good. It immediately throws us into another excellent track in “You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth”. I disliked “Heaven Can Wait” but again it shot back up with the good “All Revved Up With No Place To Go”. I also liked “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad”. However the most popular song on the record is “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” which started great but was ultimately ok I guess by the time it ended. Then the closer “For Crying Out Loud” which was boring for the first couple minutes but exploded into coolness before immediately dying down to meh again. This album was a mixed bag, some truly excellent stuff and some really lame stuff too.

Some great moments carry this album, but it feels like the kind of cultural moment where you just had to be there.

Well it hasn't got any less overdone or bombastic over the years, has it? This was never one's thing, even if one can vaguely admire the over-the-top-ness of it (an admiration tempered by something like embarrassment for this cat). "Two Out of Three" is a bit better than one remembers, but could never (and still can't) abide "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," however close it hit home, this Spectrian opera for teens, however accurately it represented one's lived experience (speaking of embarrassment).So bonus points for verisimilitude, one would say, plus ML had a voice rather well suited to his physique. The Rizzuto sample is a multimedia innovation but also strains the metaphor far past the breaking point. One’s not saying the song is unoriginal or lacks authentic drama (or even truth). But, for context, compare it to two other songs of roughly the same vintage covering the same volatile material (i.e., teenage sex) in similarly direct but more thoughtful and less obvious (and thus more powerful) ways: Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” and Billy Joel’s “Only the Good Die Young.” But generally one's feeling is that this sort of extravagance (maybe exhibitionism) should not be encouraged, and especially not in rock and roll.

OK, this album is pretty much porn for the drama club kids. It's a soundtrack to a musical, which makes sense since Jim Steinman did everything for it. Meatloaf was great in Rocky Horror and his singing style will always be that dramatic rock opera sounding voice. Not a bad thing. Is this an album everyone should hear before they die? I think so. Will I listen to it often? No. I'm sure Paradise by the Dashboard Light will pop up on my shuffle every now and then, but it's just... I dunno, meh. Maybe I'd prefer something more hard rock. This one isn't there. 2.64/5 stars = 3 stars. Paradise by the Dashboard Light is the star of this album, listen to that. The rest is just OK.

very entertaining. made me feel like a conservative 50 year old dad who is lowkey an alcoholic. not totally sure if that’s a good or bad thing but i did thoroughly enjoy myself.

I feel like I remember liking this album? Honestly, it was a little much. Dashboard Lights is a fun track, but everything is over the top.

Strong 3.5

In a nutshell: full throttle rock. Theatrical. Excessive. Iconic in the eyes of many. Always played loud. Props to the backing band. I still feel icky after listening to I Can See Paradise By The Dashboard Light for some reason. Overall: 6/10

What a strange record. Bombastic Broadway style songs with a fake Frank Frazzetta style cover that doesn't belong on a record full of power ballads. Apparently this is the best selling lp ever in...Australia?!?! But you definitely should listen to this because it is unlike anything else that has ever been a multiplatinum record.

Not sure where to go with this one. Is it good? Yes? Is it corny/kitsch? Very much yes. Does it hold up? I don't think so. But not sure it ever was meant to. It does feel very much of its time on purpose. And for that, maybe it deserves some credit. This album DGAF and just went all-in on being a rock opera. And rock operas being one of the goofiest things humans have invented as entertainment. Then again, regular operas are pretty goofy too. I also feel this album is so popular due to late 70s DJs needed an 8-minute track to toss on for a smoke break.

This album is like Bruce Springsteen and Queen called up Elton John and were like “we are going to channel the most excessive and indulgent qualities that we have as songwriters and composers and ignore all the subtleties that make our most ridiculous songs still work.” Elton asks what the concept will be for this album and they respond, in unison, “it’s like Peter Pan, but the dude drives a motorcycle and there are werewolves.” In other words, it’s an absurd album that is a lot of fun

Was heel anders dan de verwachting, had een meer metal sound verwacht. Wel een prettige verrassing tho, en zal er op een later tijdstip nog beter naar luisteren

Vermakelijk om door te luisteren. Niet echt fan

This album was a lot but truthfully such a fun listen. I enjoyed the more upbeat bluesy stuff compared to the ballads but it was mostly enjoyable

Liked it, enjoyed more than expected. Great 80-ish sound.

Rolling raucous but not really up my alley. Good but not great.

Loved the title track, Im not one to vibe with style of rock. But I loved the piano, and the album certainly grew on me. Solid 3 stars

I'd give this a 2 but I can respect the level of craft on display.

Pretty decent kind of butt rock

Sick album cover. It's fun and a little weird but doesn't live up to it. What 43 million people bought this?

liked Bat Out of hell track

Fav: bat out of hell The anthem of drunk driving down the interstate in the western US and fucking the cheapest hooker at the cheapest motel that money can buy

It's fun, but definitely not something I would go back and listen to.

Yeah this was very solid. Had a couple of songs I was familiar with but it did feel like it dragged a little. Beautifully put together though!

Cover is super cool lookin; idk why it appears more muted on Spotify, the colours make it really striking. It's interesting seeing how the two most played songs from the record are also within the three longest (not counting the live tracks), especially since most popular music in modern times don't even cross the 4 minute mark. Overall, I enjoyed the listen, in a vacuum I liked most of the songs, but while there's a good pacing and variation to the tracklist, the overall vibe still feels a little too samey? I'm a fan of cohesion in the sound of an album but here it's almost a little too obvious? I don't think I'm using the right words to express what I'm trying to say here but I feel like now that I've heard the album in full, I'd be better off simply listening to songs on their own rather than back to back again. Also, I expected a lot more of a Hell theme, given the cover and some names of the tracks, and I do wish they explored it more. By the cover, I was expecting a bit of a darker, more evil tone to the album, and the titular track Bat Out of Hell doesn't really provide that, but it's a great representation of what's to come, and I wasn't disappointed. Despite being very nearly 10 minutes long, it doesn't overstay its welcome, and I think it uses the time well to really deliver the introductory vibe it's looking for. The album's musical roots are very apparent here especially. The introductory skit (probably not the correct word for it?) of You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth was funny and intriguing but was a bit too drawn out for my taste (no pun intended), it'd be annoying to sit through for each returning visit if I wasn't able to skip for whatever reason. The song itself wasn't bad, but I wish it developed itself more as it went on like the track before it, not really worth the minute-long intro. The pace pleasantly slows down a bit with Heaven Can Wait, and the melodies are nice. It does sort of fit the album, at least judging by what's come before it, though I'm surprised to hear such a peaceful sounding song considering the last track was literally talking about a wolf chomping on a girl's throat, whether it's literal or not lol. The saxophone was a easily highlight on All Revved Up with No Place to Go. The change in tempo for the final 30 seconds or so got me like Wowza! How Nifty!, really enjoyable and it kinda sucks that it wraps up so soon after it begins, I kinda preferred that to the rest of the song honestly. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad is another song on the slower side, but the instrumental feels a bit more full and feels more in-line with the rest of the album. Definitely a highlight of the record, for me. Something about the sounds at the beginning of Paradise By the Dashboard Light almost primed me to not really like the track but it's clearly the most streamed currently for a reason, it's fine. Similar to the titular track of the album, the length isn't an issue through the changes in rhythm and tempo, although it isn't quite as 'cinematic'(??) as said track. Was a bit disappointed that the middle of the track wasn't more fleshed out, I thought it was going somewhere that wasn't just an intermission sandwiched in between the two major sections of the song. I did enjoy the rest of the song enough, however. For Crying Out Loud had a really strong and powerful second half, and while the first half was cool for what it was I think I'd need to hear it again in isolation to appreciate how it long it takes before it reaches the song's full potential. FAVOURITES - Bat Out of Hell; Two Out of Three Ain't Bad LEAST FAVOURITES - You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth

My father isn't a person who likes to talk about music a lot, which may be a product of our dismissive avoidant personalities, but hearing him say something nice about an artist (or person in general) boosts my thoughts on that person or album. Bat Out Of Hell is not anything special or out of the ordinary, but it does the simple things well. It's theatrical and fun, and really accessible.

Surprisingly enjoyed it

3.5 - fun rock opera

Tyjo meh

Thought i would like it more

на любителя.

i’ve heard this a lot from childhood thanks to my dad, it’s a cool rock opera but it’s not very unique in my opinion, good songs but it’s nothing i haven’t heard before

Haha, I forgot how silly this album is.

This comes out so strong and then loses its way for me. The first couple of tracks perfectly set up the show-style melodrama and I think it’s an amazing piece in the genre. But it does then get a bit lost in the latter few tracks. I think it does enough for a 3 but that’s on the strength of the first few tracks.

It's a bit like a Christmas album. It is just a festive puke fest. We lower our standards because we are giddy with nostalgia and occasion. We throw all musical sense and typical taste in the bin. Then we watch DIY SOS cry a little then we arrive at this weak position of our typical selves. Now I welcome you to this album. Since when do you like love power ballards. I was ready to destroy this album. I will give it it's due as whatever I think it's premier league but I just don't massively like it. I won't revisit but they can be thankful I am in a wet state and it can scrape a 3.

Classic. 3.5

Title song rocks so fucking hard it’s ridiculous, like completely unnecessarily over the top. Absolutely stunning. Couple of other radio friendly hits. Wouldn’t listen again except the title track which is a 5 star song.

J - 3/5 Best Track - "Bat Out Of Hell" F - 3/5

Different than expected but in a more positive way

it's nice to hear some music that doesn't take itself so seriously, but the musical influences are strong here

They didnt write this

too much of everything - but impressive nevertheless.

3.5

2.5 stars. Impressive singing and and fun idea (mini opera of teen coming of age) but couldn't shake the feeling like it's just wannabe Queen. Cheese factor and dating itself holds it back a bit too much, hit "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" the prime example. Really can't handle to power ballad ("Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"). Standout is leadoff title track.

Ehhh...a tad overrated

Not what I was expecting. But still pretty listenable.

teatraalista esittamistä, vähän niinkuin Jack Black

Mr. Loaf was a bit campy, but his theatrical take on rock n roll could be a lot of fun at times. 3/5 Album 75/1001

I gave it an extra star over what I think it’s worth just for the memories this brought back. This was my friends favorite album when I was in high school and he would always have it on whenever he drove around. Good memories but really cheesy songs.

Good

nah

Songs: Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Paradise By the Dashboard Light

Voice is good. I don’t mind the dramatic music, but not too into this record. First track was pretty good.

Not my cup of tea, kinda christmas-y with the rock.

hot patootie bless my soul! I’m vegetarian

I have listened to this so many times since I first bought my LP copy (blue label Epic repress) in 1979. Neither Meat Loaf nor Jim Steinman was ever really able to match this achievement in their future career, despite some decent “comeback” albums in the early 90s from Mr. Loaf and a few Steinman-penned and produced pop hits for the adult contemporary market, of all places. Mr. Loaf allegedly had so much trouble trying to sing the songs for the original follow-up that Jim Steinman himself ended up doing it himself as the “Bad For Good” album (Basically, imagine someone with the same songwriting skills but questionable singing skills trying to write and recreate a clone of this album). Beyond that, the timeless songwriting is marred by overblown and seemingly outdated wannabe-Wagner arrangements by Steinman (Producer Todd Rundgren’s production is impeccable but he isn’t to blame for Steinman trying to create a hard-rock Beyruth Festival on wax.)

A bit campy but I applaud the non stop effort and energy out into every song. Not quite my cup of tea but with the exception of the last track not sure I would mind listening to any of the other songs again. 3.75

kitschy af

1 - epic opener 2 - good song, catchy, intro sounds christmassy 3 - boring ballad 4 - Good song, great vocals 5 - boring 80s ballad After these tracks I listened to the rest of the album in the car and couldn’t remember which track was which. Pretty good album though, pretty mixed. Never listened to Meat Loaf before, only know him from Fight Club. He had a great voice.

Lo reproduje pensando que iba a ser un álbum de heavy metal y resulta q era un osito de peluche el gordo, re teatrero mal

"Bat out of Hell" made for such an entertaining listen. Has this been turned into a live action stage play yet? It not, someone needs to get on it. I don't think I would listen to any of these songs on my own, but I would surely not complain if they were on. I loved all the changes in instrumentation or timing on a song to give it a different feel or help tell the story. The grandeur was felt behind each song!

Somehow I have lived more than 50 years without listening to this album in full - only the hits. Not too bad

As theatrical rock albums go, it is pretty damn good.

I really had no idea what to expect from this one. On the one hand, the album cover is badass as fuck. But on the other hand, the band is literally called "Meat Loaf." And somehow the music actually manages to fit both. A bit theatrical and grandiose for my liking, but there's still something pretty fun about this.

Ok

É um disco que por design é cheesy e tem essa pegada sarcástica e meio comica. Não vou desvalorizar o valor musical das composições, e principalmente da produção extravagante do Todd Rundgren, mas a principio, musica com esse tom não é do meu maior agrado. Rock operatico, wagneriano... eu entendo a pira, mas não é pra mim. 3/5

Bat Out of Hell is one of the most over-the-top albums ever made—part rock opera, part Broadway show, part fever dream. Jim Steinman’s theatrical songwriting paired with Meat Loaf’s full-throttle vocals creates a sound that’s big, bold, and totally unapologetic. Tracks like Paradise by the Dashboard Light and the title track are undeniably entertaining, full of drama and bombast that feel more like stage performances than rock songs. But for all its flair, it’s also exhausting. The album rarely lets up, and its sheer theatricality can feel a bit much if you’re not fully bought into the vision. It’s ambitious and unique, yes—but also loud, long, and not always in control of itself. A fun, chaotic listen, but not quite the masterpiece it’s sometimes made out to be

Not bad. Kinda good tho

ngl I thought this dude was just a Rocky Horror character

Good music, too Christian for me. Love a good rock opera honestly.

01) Bat Out of Hell - 7,0 02) You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth - 7,5 03) Heaven Can Wait - 7,0 04) All Revved Up with No Place to Go - 7,0 05) Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - 8,0 06) Paradise by the Dashboard Light - 7,5 07) For Crying Out Loud - 6,5 TOTAL: 7,21 (72/100) Current ranking: 292/528

look it's good but it is hella corny

☀︎lire les reviews de cet album m’ont fait peur ☀︎la voix du chanteur me gosse. ça sonne trop américain ★ Bat Out of Hell: J’ai quand même aimé lol. Mais c’était hyper long? Après le bout où le char fait vroum vroum j’ai commencé à moins aimer, mais c’était quand même solide. ★ You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth: Le début avec les gens qui parler. ça me weird out tellement. Mais le reste est pas pire ★ Heaven Can Wait: Un peu trop chill à mon avis, mais tout de même pas si pire. Par contre, pour citer ledit review qui m’a traumatisé: « I feel as if I’m on my way to vote republican ». Oui. Malheureusement. ★ All Revved Up with No Place to Go: J’aime moins. Ça sonne trop… années 60? genre? À cause du piano. Peut-être parce que récemment j’ai eu trop d’albums des années 60 lol ★ Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad: Encore une fois, trop tranquille. ★ Paradise By the Dashboard Light: Ça feel encore vraiment stéréotypiquement années 60, et j’aime moins cet aspect, mais sinon c’est ben correct. also what was that en plein milieu? 🤨 ok bon je l’aime pas celle-là ★ For Crying Out Loud: Trop tranquille, et quand ça devient pas tranquille c’est trop « cinématique ». j’aime pas vraiment. 3.25 les 2 premières chansons étaient bonnes

ну он мелодичный но я ничего не понимаю в концепт альбомах и полумюзиклах…

Definitely have heard this album before, but it's probably been almost 30 years. It remains very weird and very fun. These days Meat Loaf reminds me of Fight Club. His name was Robert Paulson.

Operatic and metal as hell!

Not something that I think is exactly for me, but there’s plenty to like here. “All Revved Up With No Place to Go” was fun. Always reminds me of my mom, which is nice.

Insanely over the top musical theater fever dream/nightmare but it commits so hard that I kind of like it anyway? 3.5

I already knew this album before it came up here. It's very much over the top. Paradise By the Dashboard Light is probably the best song, but some of the others are just a little bit much. Many of the songs could be cut down significantly without missing much. It is a good album, but I have to be in the mood to listen to this one.

Wasn't the worst but also wasn't doing it for me

Ja man hör ju "i'd anything for love" i bat out of hell, det är samma sound. Det är en ok låt. Överlag är det rätt trallvänligt. Men inte magiskt. Snudd på töntigt (temat). Ser meatlof sig som en älskare? Kanske världens bästa artistnamn annars. Köttfärslimpa. Låtarna är i övrigt för långa. Lite tröttsamt tillslut.

Det svänger ju om den här typen av pianorock och köttfärslimpan gör det bra, men det är en genre som jag aldrig riktigt kunnat omfamna och över ett helt album och så långa låtar blir det lite tröttsamt till sist.

The slow ballads are far too schmaltzy for my taste but the more frenetic tracks like the opener make up for it. I don't see myself returning often, but I enjoyef my time with this one

I get why it’s here. I do not like it at all though.

Pretty epic cover for a pretty standard album

neat big hair band. decent workin music but didn’t feel special.

This album feels like it was hugely influential for the direction that 80s rock eventually took, alternating between camp and sincerity. It's clear that the sound of this album was influenced by Meat Loaf's involvement with the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I do think that nearly every track felt like a Midwest goodbye--you think it's ending, but it stops by the door to talk for another 10 minutes. It's hard to take any of the album seriously, but it's a fun enough listen. 3.5/5 stars

Not for me but it was a very cohesive album. I did love all the piano parts in the background.

Apparently this is a well-known album... it's new to me. Not really my type of music, but the music itself is just fine, kind of a rock epic.

Like it, but won't listen to it again probably. 5/10

Sorry, but I don't like Meatloaf. There are some great riffs, some good lyrics and he sure can do a ballad. I think BOOH II is a bit better, but neither are really for me.

The title track is inarguably one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded I liked the rest but maybe it felt like too much of a good thing because I didn’t love it

It is mind-boggling that “Bat Out of Hell” was as popular as it was. It is the 9th best-selling album of all time. Let that sink in for moment. He had the nickname before he was a singer, but it’s fitting because the music is like meat loaf - not really objectionable, but nothing special and no one’s favorite. But for some reason people buy and eat it all the time.

Makes sense this album was developed as/from a musical, it sounds very theatrical. The beginning of "You took the words right out of my mouth (hot summer night)" made me laugh out loud. Some drama club kids taking themselves way too seriously.

It’s my problem, but I can’t get past his name. Meat loaf isn’t appealing in food form and it impacts my willingness to give Meat Loaf a fair shot. Sorry my guy.

Silly and bombastic. I guess this is what I expect out of someone named "Meat Loaf" / Tenacious D's father. A fun enough romp I don't see myself coming back to.

Really theatrical. I feel like the do really good beginning and endings of songs. I wanna actually give it 3.5 but my phones not letting me.

2.5

His name was Robert Paulson

I do love a bit of meat loaf Sure it’s cheesy and over produced 3 stars because it’s Not breaking any boundaries and it’s cheesy and over produced

In the right mood this is the greatest album ever recorded, emotionally maximalist and a god damn blast to sing along to. Shame Meat Loaf was a dick, but at least he's too dead now to spread his bullshit.

A rare case where I’m docking points for an album doing too much instead of not enough. Every song is this huge epic that builds and builds and builds again after you think it’s ending. Some might get a kick out of that, but it’s just not what I listen to music for.

Ok boomer tunes 3/5

Bat Out of Hell - 3/5 You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) - 3/5 Heaven Can Wait - 4/5 All Revved Up with No Place to Go - 4/5 Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - 3/5 Paradise By the Dashboard Light - 3/5 For Crying Out Loud - 4/5 Average score: 3.4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ i've heard of Meat Loaf, but never listened to anything from him til now. based on the album cover, i figured this would be some sort of metal album or glam rock... i was proven very wrong. this sounded like if Bruce Springsteen decided to dabble in musical theater i've given this album 2 listens in a row and i'm still struggling to determine whether or not i liked this. every song felt like a roller coaster; i'm hooked for a moment, then lost and disoriented in another (especially in Paradise By the Dashboard Light) regardless of whether this sound is "for me" or not, i can't deny this man's talent, energy and powerful vocal performance.

Moins poche que je pensais, vraiment intense, ça arrete pas. Ridiculement over the top. Mais je vais donner 3 parce qu'il n'y a pas grand chance que je ré-écoute apres avoir écouter 1.5 fois aujourd'hui. Mais c'est du génie!

I'm not sure what genre it was supposed to be

Meat loaf always sounds like he's enjoying himself, but you don't always want to hear a rock musical?

Glemte å følga med, men Meat Loaf e ganske kul

Good but not for me

When I first saw the album cover, I was terrified for what I was about to have to listen to. However, this is a bearable rock opera which I actually found somewhat enjoyable. Fully deserving of being on the list. Takes some talent to have three different 8+ minute songs that didn't feel like they dragged on. 6.5/10 (3.25/5)

No private session used for Spotify. I have always found Meat Loaf's music a bit too dramatic and too much going on, so I never sat through one of his albums. Of course I have heard a lot of these songs which is why I was able to form an opinion on Meat Loaf, which turns out was correct.

Quite a journey. Was a bit skeptical but enjoyed how the record fit together.

Good but a bit noisy. Starts very well though

just from the album cover and the name ‘Meat Loaf’ I was expecting something like Steve Vai meets Iron Maiden meets early Ozzy, but instead i got a musical. I was questioning how come I’ve never heard of one of the best selling albums given the cover looks just like something that’d be right up my valley…. but alas its a musical…thats why. by no means its boring tho, everything’s so over the top lol how could it be? Three Out of Five Ain’t Bad

First time listening to the full album. Meatloaf has never really been my thing but I did enjoy it.

I'm really surprised the album did this well: "sold over 43 million copies worldwide...It is the best-selling album in Australia" etc. It's not bad, but it's just not that good. It's just a theater-sounding rock album. It's like Rocky Horror but the songs aren't quite as catchy.

3.5/5

Vissa partier är riktigt bra men också en del låtar som inte övertygar. De musikal-aktiga delarna känns lite inklämda på något sätt.

Väldigt roligt album, men lite för kitchigt för att få högre än en 3a.

Wasn't looking forward to this but it was decent, fun upbeat classic rock

Cheesy, but also cool theatrical. 3.5 stars

I've always thought Jim Steinman was sort of an interesting songwriter with a pretty distinct and recognizable style My biggest problem with this album is in it's execution. If you just took the songs on their own, it kind of comes off as a poor man's Born to Run, which is perfectly fine. I might even get to 4 stars on such an album. But, I think Todd, Jim, and Meat threw in equal parts Grease soundtrack, and it comes out sounding more like Born to Run: The Musical. There's like an element of cheese spead over the whole affair. But, I do enjoy the title track and "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad", and I think there's a good song in "Paradise By the Dashboad Light" somewhere. 3 stars.

3.5

Bat out of hell was an album I didn't think I'd like overly. I'm not a massive fan of rock - especially hard rock. But Bat out of hell had some good if not great tracks on it. Although, quite short for an album.

Loved this back then, respect

Kinda like Elton John, which is mostly good, I really hate the stupid bit at the start of the second song, because the music really doesn't reflect the theme of it. The rest of that song is really good though. I do think the more rock songs are better than the slow balladish ones. The piano in the rockier songs does kind of work. Favourite songs: second one. Overall around 6/10

Mixed bag van wat topnummers, aardige ballads en wat mindere nummers.

enjoyed listening to it. very cinematic, but some songs just weren’t right for me (this is my first album in the challenge my reviews will get better)

If you find me frozen in Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s freezer change this rating to 5 stars!

Okay

Loved the album cover as a little kid and remember the hit songs being all over the radio, even in Europe where my folks were stationed at the time. The intro is a guitar infused eruption to kick things off, and it's so 70's, but brilliant. Meatloaf's voice is something you either like or don't, not a lot of middle ground. Jim Steinman definitely writes in a theatrical way (just listen to the first minute of "You Took The Words..." or half of "Paradise"), perfect for a stage performance, with catchy choruses and driving instrumentation. The title song, in it's edited format under 10 mins, was a hit, "You Took The Words Right Out..." and "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" were radio friendly and still get airplay today. Look at the listen counts for this album, the song with the least # of listens is over 11M listens, that's impressive. "Paradise" has almost 200M listens, "Bat" has over 100M and "Words" has almost 65M, "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" has nearly 90M. No denying the popularity of this album, more than I ever would have assumed! I enjoyed it. I understand it's popularity. The production, songwriting, staying power and the hits make it T1001 worthy but it likely wouldn't have made my list.

Meh. Not my cup of tea I guess

The title track and Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad are both classics, always nice to listen to. You Took The Words.... was also nice. Only criticism I'll give is that some of the songs are just too long and wear out their welcome before they're done. Best song: Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

I hadn't listened to the entire album, but I knew some of the songs. Pretty good in it's entirety, even though it's supposed to be a musical.

Shrill vocals and show tune sensibility, not quite there with refined appeal

Aside from "I'd Do Anything for Love" I really am not familiar with Meat Loaf. Just the word Meat Loaf has always struck a nauseating connotation in my brain. Even before ever seeing or even trying a meat loaf, it sounded wrong. Anyways, those negative connotations have always come to mind when hearing the musician Meat Loaf mentioned. So I was actually pleasantly surprised by this album. Without having listened to much of Meat Loaf, it's hard to tell how much of this album is really coming him vs composer Jim Steinman. But either way, this album has some solid piano ballads, with some bluesy Rock n Roll mixed in (All Revved Up With No Place to Go) Some stand out more than others but there aren't any bad songs. So it's not perfect but it was still nice to an enjoy an album I wouldn't have otherwise listened to.

Очень хотелось, чтобы альбом понравился мне больше, чем случилось на самом деле. Мне нравится его чрезмерность и драма, театральность. Удивительно, что хиты - это длинные песни чуть ли не по десять минут. Но что-то не так. Лучшая песня - Bat Out of Hell.

Rock opera, Wagner, puberty, okay to listen, but not for me. Great voice of course.

Geweldige plaat maar je moet er wel echt even voor gaan zitten. Heb eigenlijk niet goed genoeg de tekst geluisterd om de diepte van de plaat echt te kunnen waarderen

Opzich wel een prima plaat, maar dat musical-achtige, vooral in zijn stem, kan ik niet zo lang hebben.

Don’t really know how to describe this other than theatre piano-rock. like a cross between Queen and Elton John…it’s a pretty unique style and sound. It’s over the top and sometimes ridiculous, but also knows and embraces it. And indeed, it has its harder ripping, longer, proggier tunes that are pretty sick (bat, paradise); and a couple softer, slower, ballady type songs that have good playing but didn’t really interest me. Strong, and often unique arrangements and solid musicianship, melodies, and singing throughout. Rad moments, but didn’t consistently hold my attention.

There's some fun here, but if I'm looking for an over-the-top rock opera, Tenacious D is where my loyalties are. I guess I'm just a younger generation.

I really wanted to love this operatic over-the-top Meat Loaf album but ultimately I do not. It’s fun though, especially Paradise By the Dashboard Light

I kinda like it, but not gonna lie, I'm not the biggest Meat Loaf fan lol it was a very mid album all-around, but it had a couple of good ones and my coworker said "ahh, meat loaf before he was an actor!" 😂

a couple bangers, mostly meh. fun theatrical vibes

was a fun listen but only one song really stood out

I’ve never heard of Meat Loaf but the vibes are fun. The music is pretty great! Rating: 3/5

I'm back in my uncle's garage. God this is so 80s. A hyper masculine rock musical in which all the characters have the depth of a sheet of paper. though the orchestration has this "everything and the kitchen sink" sort of quality which is charming.

It was cool, not necessarily my type of music. Very loud and brash, didn’t really hear a song that stood out to me.

As a recently declared ‘concept album guy’ I am conflicted with Bat Out of Hell. I may not like operatic concept albums? Or maybe the concept is too dumb? This was a worthwhile listen and Meatloaf has a lot more to offer than I would have guessed. Cool story behind it as well. My immediate thought was this sounds A LOT like Thunder Road, which I’ve learned is a common thought, although one the Steinman was (somehow) confused by. Overall, happy to have listened but probably won’t be back.

I knew that this album was on our list and I was dreading it. Paradise By The Dashboard Light has been shoved down my throat a few too many times. Now that im through the entire album, I have a decent amount of respect for this. This is kind of a rock opera/musical album for the late 70s (1 year before Grease came out). The album features some familiar names as well (outside of Meat Loaf) - Todd Rundgren and Ellen Foley Bat Out Of Hell, Two Out Of Three, You Took The Words were all pretty enjoyable. I drew a lot of connections to what Boston sounded like (at least the guitar and drum work) and a little bit of Bruce. Ill make my way back to this album, but I will continue to skip Paradise By The Dashboard Light 😂

fun nonsense

I didn't know this was written to be a (Peter Pan??) musical, which is endearing. Also Max Weinberg played the drums on it! But even though they're fun, most of these songs sounded the same to me. Meat Loaf is a silly name and the songs are pleasant, but nothing especially struck me. (It's hard to be struck on a first listen, though, isn't it? I hope I end up giving something a 5 before this is all said and done!) Maybe it's just the word "bat" plus the idea of "musicals" but this kind of reminded me of "Bat Boy" the musical, which was similarly pleasant but ultimately I'd never buy that OCR, you know? Highlights: 'All Revved Up With No Place to Go' is the most of a bop. 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' is randomly a duet, and it's also boppish at points. And oh my gosh, it's where the Wand-Off intro is from (any RHAP fans out there???). The wiki for ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’ says that the title is “66% is good enough” in Japanese, which is the sort of translation fun fact people like. I am people. (That song is just OK. 66% maybe.)

Ganz gut

but I won't do that

I live Meatloaf. The drama of the rock opera story telling is great because I think he generates the impression of emotion really well. Powerful voice but a vein of vulnerability. I read about his life and noticed the contradictions in him - climate denial, COVID-19 views, vegetarianism, etc made me feel badly about him but not about his music. So I guess I like the music.

Enjoyable but nothing really stood out for me.

Good Rock Album - Don’t have much to say mind. The Bat Out of Hell single is solid and catchy, but the rest of the album isn’t experimental (not necessarily a bad thing). Meat Loaf have great vocals.

It's good, I'd have given it a 4 but I'm not exactly a fan of how it goes from fast instruments and vocals to slow vocals with almost no background accompaniment.