Meat Loaf – “Bat Out of Hell”

The Sleeve:

The Liner/Sleeve Notes:
None.

Personal Review:
 I honestly do not even know how to start a review of an album this big, this album is one of the greatest classic rock albums of all time, plus one of the greatest rock operas. What else can I say?

 The album starts off with the title track “Bat Out of Hell” and from the moment that piano solo starts til when the guitar joins in, you know right away that this is going to be one hell of a great album, the musicianship is superb, and the orchestrations are amazing. There it is, Mr. Meat Loaf begins to sing, and if you’ve never heard this song, or this album, do yourself a favor, buy it on iTunes, buy the CD, or borrow it, or listen to it with someone who has a copy, because it is the greatest. The chorus comes around and it’s just fantastic, I’m not sure what I love more, the orchestrations or the vocals, or maybe even them both combined together! That ending part, with the motorcycle and all the instrumentals and amazing guitar playing, that right there is what music is all about. I could keep going and going with this song. “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)” comes next, and despite the fact I literally cannot stand that spoken word introduction to the song, the song itself is absolutely amazing, it’s great – the backing vocals are pretty great too, but let’s be real here for a second, it’s all about that small little a cappella part with the clapping, that is really what makes this song. We continue on with the slower love ballad, “Heaven Can Wait” and it’s a slow one, we all know that, but you know what? Meat Loaf is one of the few rock artists who can put a power ballad into a rock album and make it work, why? Because he is the greatest. That is why. Everything about this album so far is fantastic, I absolutely love Meat Loaf. The A-Side closes with the track “All Revved Up With No Place to Go” and it’s a great way to end the A-Side, because Meat Loaf just goes from having a slow song to another faster rock song, and you know, not many artists can pull that off and make it work this easily! But Meat Loaf does. That really, really fast part is just intense!

Onto the B-Side we start with another love ballad, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” and you know what? It’s another fantastic Meat Loaf song, and for those who listen to Meat Loaf actively like I do, should know that all of his songs are amazing, and you can almost sing along to each and every one of them. Especially the ballads. Then we continue onto one of my all time favorite Meat Loaf songs, and the one I know every single lyric to, and the one I like to sing in the car on long road trips, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” comes next, Ellen Foley provides the female vocals in this wonderful track, while the whole track is filled with amazing musicianship and the vocals are off the wall, this album is so great, and the songs are all amazing! We go into the little radio broadcast part that plays out like a baseball game before moving onto Ellen Foley’s vocals again, then Meat Loaf, and then that little duet part, then Meat Loaf singing, it’s just a completely amazing track. We end this fantastic album with the track “For Crying Out Loud” and it’s another love ballad, and it’s absolutely great, no one is better than Meat Loaf when it comes to rock operas and songs like this, the entire orchestration is fantastic! All in all, a fantastic album.

Interesting Facts:
 

Track Listing:
A1 – Bat Out of Hell
A2 – You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)
A3 – Heaven Can Wait
A4 – All Revved Up With No Place to Go

B1 – Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad
B2 – Paradise by the Dashboard Light
B3 – For Crying Out Loud

Label:
Cleveland International Records

Catalog Number:
BL 34974

Studio Musicians & Other Album Credits:
Producer, Engineer, Mixer & Arranger – Todd Rundgren
Arranged by Gene Orloff, Jim Steinman & Steve Margoshes
Backing Vocals – Ellen Foley, Kasim Sultan, Rory Dodd & Todd Rundgren
Bass – Kasim Sultan
Cover – Jim Steinman
Design – Ed Lee
Drums – John Wilcox & Max Weinberg
Effects – Jim Steinman
Engineer – Cliff Hopson
Guitar – Todd Rundgren
Illustration – Richard Corben
Keyboards – Jim Steinman, Roy Bittan & Todd Rundgren
Mastered by Joe Brescio
Motorcycle Guitar – Todd Rundgren
Music Consultant – Charlie Conrad
Orchestra – The New York Philharmonic Orchestra & The Phildelphia Orchestra
Orchestrated by Steve Margoshes
Percussion – Jim Steinman, Marvin Lee & Todd Rundgren
Photography by Frank Laffitte
Piano – Cheryl Hardwick, Roy Bittan & Steve Margoshes
Recorded by Ed Sprague, Jimmy Iovine, John Jansen & Mark Thomas
Remix – Jimmy Iovine & John Jansen
Saxophone – Edgar Winter
Baseball Play-By-Play – Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto*
Strings – Ken Ascher
Synthesizer – Roger Powell
Vocals – Ellen Foley

Other Albums I Own by Meat Loaf:
None.

Released:
1977

Related Vinyls:

The Edgar Winter Group – “They Only Come Out at Night” Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – “Against the Wind” Jeff Kimball ‎– “The Jeff Kimball Show” Charity Brown – “Rock Me”