Album of the Day — May 27
Meat Loaf — Bat Out of Hell
Meat Loaf — Bat Out of Hell
27.May.2020
Meat Loaf
Bat Out of Hell
1977
This is another one of those “haters gonna hate” albums, but when an album has sold 43 million copies worldwide (and still sells 200k annually) … not everyone hates it.
The Jim Steinman wrote and Meat Loaf sang epic, produced by Todd Rundgren that is Bat Out of Hell is often considered to be a companion piece to Bruce Springsteen’s breakthrough Born to Run.
But by writer Steinman’s own admission, he was inspired by Springsteen, that’s all. Besides, where Springsteen’s characters are painted as characters in New York City or New Jersey, Steinman’s are seemingly given a more mid-western vibe … but that could be attributed to one of two things:
My mid-western upbringing
The earnestness of the lyrics and Meat Loaf’s vocals make the songs sound as though they would be right at home in a John Hughes musical — had he ever made a musical.
Now if you think the Springsteen analogy/connection is incomprehensible, consider the following:
Drummer Max Weinberg of the E Street Band played on Bat Out of Hell
Keyboardist Roy Bittan, also of the E Street Band, also played on the Bat Out of Hell
Born to Run engineer Jimmy Iovine was in the running to produce Bat Out of Hell
After being rejected by almost every label and label head (Clive Davis, Mo Ostin, etc.) in existence, E Street member Steve Van Zandt arranged to contact Cleveland International Records, a subsidiary of Epic Records, who eventually picked up the album.
There’s no denying that the grandiose nature of the songs border on absurd and the album does play more like a Broadway album than a rock record, but miraculously it all works. And that’s because yes, the songs are good and Meat Loaf’s vocals work with the songs. In fact, they’re spot on. But Todd Rundgren’s production is pure perfection.
“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” could be one of the schmaltziest songs in rock history. But somehow Rundgren pulls all the pieces together and turns the song into something that’s actually sweet, but not too saccharine. The lyrics could have been written by Dan Fogelberg — which I imagine left him green with envy when he heard the song.
By the time we get to the chorus into the bridge, you’re all in:
And all I can do is keep on telling you
I want you, I need you
But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad
’Cause two out of three ain’t bad
Now don’t be sad
’Cause two out of three ain’t bad
You’ll never find your gold on a sandy beach
You’ll never drill for oil on a city street
I know you’re looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks
But there ain’t no Coup de Ville hiding at the bottom
Of a Cracker Jack box (I admit, this imagery is very un-Fogelberian)
I can’t lie, I can’t tell you that I’m something I’m not
No matter how I try
I’ll never be able to give you something
Something that I just haven’t got
There’s only one girl I’ll ever love
And that was so many years ago
And though I know I’ll never get her out of my heart
She never loved me back
Oh I know
Of course the crown jewel of Bat Out of Hell is “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” — and what can be said about this song? Of course it’s silly, of course it’s ridiculous, and yes, it is absurd.
It’s also pure genius.
Yea, it’s written from a teenage boy’s perspective … to be fair, it was written by a guy. And by the time you get to baseball announcer Phil Rizzuto’s play-by-play you have to imagine anyone in the control room during Rizzuto’s recording must’ve had a hard time keeping it together.
I must tip my hat to whoever came up with that idea.
Presumably, the couple is still together as “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” fades out.
As you hear Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley each singing their perspective of the relationship, here again Rundgren strikes perfection by leveling both the male and female vocals so neither is louder than the other, which is a nice ballast to a song that is predominantly testosterone-driven.
As “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” fades:
As Meat Loaf sings: It was long ago and it was far away
Ellen Foley sings right on top of him: It never felt so good, it never felt so right
Meat Loaf: And it was so much better than it is today
Ellen Foley: And we were glowing like, a metal on the edge of a knife
“Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” sounds like it could’ve been a writing prompt for Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.
And I’m man enough to say it, “For Cryin’ Out Loud” still packs a punch for me. Of course it’s cheesy as hell … so, f’ing what? It’s something special that a song can still hit home 43 years on. That’s not easy to do.
Well, it goes without saying that reviews were mixed about Bat Out of Hell, at best. I wish I could find an original Lester Bangs (not sure he reviewed it, but dare to dream) or Robert Christgau review (although he gave it a firm C- in his Rock Albums of the ’70s book).
They’ve warmed to it over the years with lopsided compliments like saying:
Jim Steinman is “a composer without peer, simply because nobody else wanted to make mini-epics like this.” — (perhaps they’d overlooked Born to Run)
“It (Bat Out of Hell) may elevate adolescent passion to operatic dimensions, and that’s certainly silly, but it’s hard not to marvel at the skill behind this grandly silly, irresistible album.”
“This is Grand Guignol pop — epic, gothic, operatic, and silly, and it’s appealing because of all of this.”
Sales for Bat Out of Hell was slow to take off. Steve Popovich, the head of Cleveland International Records, was relentless in his efforts to get Epic and all of CBS Records and radio on board … but they held little interest. Producer Todd Rundgren claims that it was a result of being rejected by every label. The record was seen as “damaged goods” and therefore “underpromoted”. Based on later successful lawsuits by Popovitch, those suggest that Rundgren’s claims might have merit.
A man who looks like, and is named Meat Loaf is not easy to market. But this was the ’70s video was less important. And yet oddly, it was a video of “Bat Out of Hell” that aired on the BBC’s The Old Grey Whistle Test that brought him to the attention of the United Kingdom (at the peak of punk no less) … and then in Australia … and then in Canada … and eventually, and without surprise, Bat Out of Hell started to get airplay beginning in Omaha, Nebraska, and Cleveland, Ohio.
Larger markets like New York City caught up … and the rest, as they say, is history.
The freshness and odd originality of Bat Out of Hell can best be summed up by its creator, Jim Steinman:
It’s never been a part of what’s going on. You could release Bat Out of Hell at any time and it would be out of place.
Out of place, perhaps, but it will always find a home.
Some rock albums are of their time, some are timeless. And whether you’re ready to admit it or not, want to admit it after 43 years or not, whether you like it or not, Bat Out of Hell is a timeless album.
If you need proof, listen to that Edgar Winter sax solo on “All Revved Up” … that’s rock-n-roll.