Meatloaf has had a very strange career to say the least, from being onstage, in operas, in a band with Ted Nugget, to a movie star (of B movie as anyway). He has burnt out his voice and tries stranger things to get it back. He has been on tv talk shows having them drive motor cycles over his head. His appearance has been strange from overweight longed haired looking junkie, to a short haired looking mobster look. And his cds have been just as strange. But one thing has been constant, and that his Bat cds. All 3 have been outstanding.
BAT OUT OF H
ELL (A+) This one of the best cds out there. One of my top 10 of all time. You will not find many cds like this anywhere, by any artist. Meatloaf and Jim Steinman created an epic concept album. BAT has everything one would want. Some songs are rockers All Revved Up With No Place to Go and Bat Out Of Hell. You have operatic with songs like For Crying out Loud, silly with Paradise by the Dashboard Light and the emotional Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Heaven Can Wait, and You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. And in every song Meatloaf pours every once of strength into his vocals. This is one awesome cd.
DEAD RINGER
(C-) This was suppose to be the follow up to the Bat cd, but it didn' t get the title, good thing, the cd stinks. Were all the elements from Bat is here, but this time it seems overblown and tired, and at times unbearable to listen too.
I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us, Everything Is Permitted are the stand outs of the cd, and save the cd from sudden death. The other two songs that are know on this cd are Read 'Em and Weep and Dead Ringer for Love (a duet with Cher) are ok, but Meat seems to over push it with his voice (as he does with most of the cd) and the songs come off short of being what they should be, which is great.
MIDNIGHT AT THE LOST AND FOUND (D) Meat did not have Jim to help with the songwriting this time and it showed. The songs are lame and the singing strained. The title track keeps it from getting an F.
HITS FROM HELL (B) 10 songs from the above 3 cds. Luckily it picks the best. But really a Hits cd from only 3 cds?
BAD ATTITUDE (F) What can you say about this cd? It sucks! It Stinks! Yuck! Need I say more!?! Really though this is Meat at his worse. Weak of voice, poor song writting and horrible production!!!
BLIND BEFORE I STOP (F-) Wish I Was Deaf Before I Finish Listening, should have been the title. Production bites. Meat's singing is horrible, and the songs are just plan bad. This cd and the Bad Attitude are so far removed from the grand sound of Meat, a shame.
THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (B-) Again from the first 3 cds. But with some extras throw in from other projects. 16 songs on cd 1 but some, including Bat Out Of Hell are edited for time. And cd 2 has 4 live tracks from the original Bat cd. Who ever put this cd together did a ok job, but why only 4 songs on the second and edited songs on the first.
BAT OUT OF HELL 2 (A) Awesome return!!! I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That), is the opening song on the cd, and with it's 12 minute run time, you know this isn't any ordinary Meatloaf. Meat never sounded better. Jim has never written better. Production is fantastic.
Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back is my favorite Meatloaf song! This song kicks some serious butt. The lyrics hit the spot and Meat rips thru this song in full vocal force. Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through, Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer, Everything Louder Than Everything Else are also standouts on a standout cd.
Only minor complaint is the cussing (us of GD) in Wasted Youth and Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere) is a weak song. Otherwise a fantastic cd.
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD (B-) Meat is back and just like the first cd after the original Bat cd, this cd is a let down after the second Bat cd. But this time around the production is better and there is a better choice of songs. Although some songs fall flat like Runnin' for the Red Light (I Gotta Life), Martha, and When the Rubber Meets the Road.
Other songs lift the cd up like the I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) want to be - I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth), Left in the Dark, Not a Dry Eye in the House, If This Is the Last Kiss (Let's Make It Last All Night) and the Sammy Hagar rocker Amnesty Is Granted.
Rest of the songs are ok, but not really worth a mention.
LIVE AROUND THE WORLD (B+) Great live cd. All songs come off as good as the original, and some of the earlier songs between Bat 1 & 2 come off great. A great 18 song double cd.
THE VERY BEST OF MEATLOAF (A-) This draws from all the Meatloaf cds up to this point. Includes a new song Home by Now/No Matter What, and a great remix of an already awesome song Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back. A great cd to pick up, really shows Meat at his best'
VH 1 STORYTELLERS (B+) The singing is good and the storytelling is funny. Offers a remix of Is Nothing Sacred from the last cd.
COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER (B) Yeah he could have!!! This cd has some great songs Couldn't Have Said It Better, Did I Say That, Do It!, and Testify. Rest of the songs are not bad either. Meat is vocally strong, as is the playing. what hurts this cd is the production. There is an attempt to update the sound while keeping to the original sound. All the little extras in the production tend to take away from the songs instead of adding to them.
BAT OUT OF HELL: LIVE WITH THE MELBOURNE SYMPHONY (A) This cd isn't meant to replace the original (It is a masterpiece so you can't), but instead to give a slightly different take on the masterpiece. It sounds great!!
BAT OUT OF HELL 3, THE MONSTER IS LOOSE (A-) Many have put this cd down, because Steinman wasn't in all parts of the cd. But BAT 3 rocks. Yea is plays upon what was laid down before with the other 2 BAT cds. But it plays out in its own way all the while paying homage to the original. The Biggest surprise is the rerecording of the Steinman song that Dion sang It's All Coming Back to Me Now. Meat blows little Dion away. This is easily my second favorite song by Meat. There are 14 song on this cd and all offer something to the Bat lore.
If It Ain't Broke Break It, Seize the Night, The Future Ain't What It Used to Be, are just some of the great songs on this cd. One thing that stands out on this cd is the production, it is harder and heavier than the other Meat cds. It works on this cd, with these songs. This cd rocks harder than any other meatloaf cd out there.
BAT OUT OF H
ELL (A+) This one of the best cds out there. One of my top 10 of all time. You will not find many cds like this anywhere, by any artist. Meatloaf and Jim Steinman created an epic concept album. BAT has everything one would want. Some songs are rockers All Revved Up With No Place to Go and Bat Out Of Hell. You have operatic with songs like For Crying out Loud, silly with Paradise by the Dashboard Light and the emotional Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Heaven Can Wait, and You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. And in every song Meatloaf pours every once of strength into his vocals. This is one awesome cd.DEAD RINGER
(C-) This was suppose to be the follow up to the Bat cd, but it didn' t get the title, good thing, the cd stinks. Were all the elements from Bat is here, but this time it seems overblown and tired, and at times unbearable to listen too.I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us, Everything Is Permitted are the stand outs of the cd, and save the cd from sudden death. The other two songs that are know on this cd are Read 'Em and Weep and Dead Ringer for Love (a duet with Cher) are ok, but Meat seems to over push it with his voice (as he does with most of the cd) and the songs come off short of being what they should be, which is great.
MIDNIGHT AT THE LOST AND FOUND (D) Meat did not have Jim to help with the songwriting this time and it showed. The songs are lame and the singing strained. The title track keeps it from getting an F.
HITS FROM HELL (B) 10 songs from the above 3 cds. Luckily it picks the best. But really a Hits cd from only 3 cds?
BAD ATTITUDE (F) What can you say about this cd? It sucks! It Stinks! Yuck! Need I say more!?! Really though this is Meat at his worse. Weak of voice, poor song writting and horrible production!!!
BLIND BEFORE I STOP (F-) Wish I Was Deaf Before I Finish Listening, should have been the title. Production bites. Meat's singing is horrible, and the songs are just plan bad. This cd and the Bad Attitude are so far removed from the grand sound of Meat, a shame.
THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (B-) Again from the first 3 cds. But with some extras throw in from other projects. 16 songs on cd 1 but some, including Bat Out Of Hell are edited for time. And cd 2 has 4 live tracks from the original Bat cd. Who ever put this cd together did a ok job, but why only 4 songs on the second and edited songs on the first.
BAT OUT OF HELL 2 (A) Awesome return!!! I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That), is the opening song on the cd, and with it's 12 minute run time, you know this isn't any ordinary Meatloaf. Meat never sounded better. Jim has never written better. Production is fantastic.Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back is my favorite Meatloaf song! This song kicks some serious butt. The lyrics hit the spot and Meat rips thru this song in full vocal force. Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through, Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer, Everything Louder Than Everything Else are also standouts on a standout cd.
Only minor complaint is the cussing (us of GD) in Wasted Youth and Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere) is a weak song. Otherwise a fantastic cd.
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD (B-) Meat is back and just like the first cd after the original Bat cd, this cd is a let down after the second Bat cd. But this time around the production is better and there is a better choice of songs. Although some songs fall flat like Runnin' for the Red Light (I Gotta Life), Martha, and When the Rubber Meets the Road.Other songs lift the cd up like the I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) want to be - I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth), Left in the Dark, Not a Dry Eye in the House, If This Is the Last Kiss (Let's Make It Last All Night) and the Sammy Hagar rocker Amnesty Is Granted.
Rest of the songs are ok, but not really worth a mention.
LIVE AROUND THE WORLD (B+) Great live cd. All songs come off as good as the original, and some of the earlier songs between Bat 1 & 2 come off great. A great 18 song double cd.
THE VERY BEST OF MEATLOAF (A-) This draws from all the Meatloaf cds up to this point. Includes a new song Home by Now/No Matter What, and a great remix of an already awesome song Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back. A great cd to pick up, really shows Meat at his best'
VH 1 STORYTELLERS (B+) The singing is good and the storytelling is funny. Offers a remix of Is Nothing Sacred from the last cd.
COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER (B) Yeah he could have!!! This cd has some great songs Couldn't Have Said It Better, Did I Say That, Do It!, and Testify. Rest of the songs are not bad either. Meat is vocally strong, as is the playing. what hurts this cd is the production. There is an attempt to update the sound while keeping to the original sound. All the little extras in the production tend to take away from the songs instead of adding to them.
BAT OUT OF HELL: LIVE WITH THE MELBOURNE SYMPHONY (A) This cd isn't meant to replace the original (It is a masterpiece so you can't), but instead to give a slightly different take on the masterpiece. It sounds great!!
BAT OUT OF HELL 3, THE MONSTER IS LOOSE (A-) Many have put this cd down, because Steinman wasn't in all parts of the cd. But BAT 3 rocks. Yea is plays upon what was laid down before with the other 2 BAT cds. But it plays out in its own way all the while paying homage to the original. The Biggest surprise is the rerecording of the Steinman song that Dion sang It's All Coming Back to Me Now. Meat blows little Dion away. This is easily my second favorite song by Meat. There are 14 song on this cd and all offer something to the Bat lore.
If It Ain't Broke Break It, Seize the Night, The Future Ain't What It Used to Be, are just some of the great songs on this cd. One thing that stands out on this cd is the production, it is harder and heavier than the other Meat cds. It works on this cd, with these songs. This cd rocks harder than any other meatloaf cd out there.
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