MEAT
LOAF
Bombastic,
pretentious, overblown. These are terms used by critics of Bat Out of
Hell. But the album is meant to be all these things. It is rock music
at its most theatrical.
Jim Steinman who had
previously been writing for the theatre wrote the songs on Bat Out of
Hell. Steinman met Meatloaf through a theatre production and was impressed
by his passionate vocal style. They decided to make a rock album together
even though they seemed unlikely to become rock stars. Meatloaf's large
frame made him look more like an opera singer.
Their songs really need
to be accompanied by visuals for maximum effect. Meatloaf becomes a
character to match the songs. On the title track of Bat Out of Hell
his character is a reprise of his role a few years earlier in the cult
musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Steinman and Meatloaf
pitched their album to Todd Rundgren. Fortunately Rundgren was one of the
few people in the rock industry who saw some potential in the songs.
Although Rundgren doubted that the music would be commercially successful
he agreed to be the producer. He also played lead guitar on the album and
his band Utopia were involved as session musicians.
Bat Out of Hell
was released at the time when punk rock was shaking up the music world.
The album was the antithesis of punk but slowly grew in popularity in
defiance of the reigning musical trends. It has stood the test of time to
become a classic.
The songs on Bat Out
of Hell range from slow ballads to up tempo rockers. Steinman takes
the common rock song themes of car crushes and car crashes and turns them
into mini operas. 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' is an example of the
former theme. The title track of Bat Out of Hell is an example of
the latter, albeit with a motorcycle rather than a car.
While attempting to
record a follow up album Steinman and Meatloaf had serious disagreements.
As a result Steinman recorded Good for Bad singing the vocals
himself. Steinman and Meatloaf did get back together again some years
later to record further albums. Bat Out of Hell remains the
best ever combination of theatre and rock on an album.
