What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

MEAT LOAF "bat out of hell" 1977, vinyl/cd. #14 US, #9 UK, #1 Aust.

this was actually the Meat's second album, he released one in the early 1970s before he met Steinman bacxkstage at a stage musical he was working on. this one has sold inexcess of 40 million copies worldwide and according to Wikipedia still sells an average of 200,000 copies per year. but had the record companies that Meat and Jim took their demo's to had their way it would never have been released, the major companies in 75ish didnt like it, they didnt like the song structure or the way Steinman wrote, they told him he couldnt write proper songs in a traditional way and the length of the songs were too long.
how wrong they were.
we all know the songs, they are still played on AM and FM radio with regularity to this day.
as with the other two albums reviewed up and over the previous page, this one is full of epic rock ballads and pure guitar based rock.
ive always found the lyrics to be quite immature when stacked up against the mature sound of the music, i guess its a counterbalance that works mainly to the feeling and expression in the Loaf's vocals.
"paradise by the dashboard" is probably the most immature of all the lyrical content,yet, we as guys understand it perfectly, i mean we've all been with girls as teenagers and wondered which 'base' we would be able to get to with them, and adding baseball commentry not only makes this even more 'camp' but signifies the importance hormonal teenage guys place on these things, and it works to perfection on all levels. the lyrics in most of Jim's songs ebb and flow creating not just paintings but entire landscapes,through vallays and over mountains and the music reflects that,theres even twists and turns in the lyrics like the twists and turns of streams and rivers.
it wont happen, but i'd like to see "idol" and all these other reality singing shows do a Meat Loaf night...not for dinner after the show, but as a theme for contestants to show their vocal skills.

I LOVE THIS ALBIM

worst track: for crying out loud
best track: paradise by the dashboard light

tracks:

1. bat out of hell** #15 UK, #26 Aust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4MFxcFofkY live
2. you took the words right out of my mouth*** #33 UK, #3 Aust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEhSBN-VZlw live
3. heaven can wait**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_3EhTlAa0k live
4. all revved up with no place to go**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwVq-ADbVeo live
5. two out of three aint bad*** #11 US, #32 UK, #11 Aust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quOGuEvTX...ure=fvwrel video
6. paradise by the dashboard*** #39 US
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NTDHjVKQyo live
7. for crying out loud**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffSeQPc1rkU audio


3s=3
2s=4
1s=0

rating: 2.4