Customer Reviews

Bat Out of Hell: 25th Anniversary Edition

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Ok so not his very first but he did break out like, well a bat outta hell. Put Meatloaf on teh map ina big way. Stands the test of time. My kids love it!

"Bat out of Hell" is the 1977 classic album from Meat Loaf which features songs by Jim Steinman. The release I am reviewing is remastered, includes three extra tracks (though admittedly one is just an introduction), and includes a DVD with 12 Videos. The original album was produced by Todd Rundgren. The band assembled for this album is an interesting group. Included are Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan from the E Street Band, Edgar Winter, and Ellen Foley, and Todd Rundgren also played and had three additional members of Utopia play on it as well: Kasim Sultan, Roger Powell, and Willie Wilcox. The album developed from a musical which has been described as a sci-fi version of Peter Pan, and parts of it have been compared to Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" album, but it really doesn't have the same kind of sound to my ear.

The original album is just seven tracks long, opening with the title track which sets the tone for the whole album. It, along with two other tracks are what is left from the musical which was titled "Neverland". Like most of the songs here it is about teen love, or perhaps I should say lust, as love is really not a factor in most of these songs. The second track is "You Took the Words Right Out Of My Mouth" and was first single from the album, as with the first track it is about lust and the confusion between lust and love in young people. That is followed by "Heaven Can Wait" which is the second of the three songs from the musical, and the lyrics are a bit more positive, though one still gets that feeling of teen angst. "All Revved Up with No Place to Go" is the last of the three tracks from the musical, and the title pretty much speaks for itself as it follows in the same mode as those which came before.

The second half of the album opens with "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" in which the singer wants and needs the person they are singing to, but they don't love them. A bit more mature in content than the teen songs in the first half, here lust is not confused for love. "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" follows up with the story of a relationship built on young lust which turns into a miserable life for both the boy and girl. The original album then closes with "For Crying Out Loud". The three bonus tracks include "Great Boleros of Fire" and "Bat out of Hell" live versions, in which the first is an instrumental intro to the second. The third track is "Dead Ringer for Love" which appeared on the 1981 album of the same name and for which Cher provides the lead female vocals.

The DVD includes several songs from the album as well as additional material. Like the album, it opens with "Bat Out of Hell", which is followed by "Read `em and Weep" from the "Dead Ringer" album. Next up is "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" and that is followed by Razor's Edge from the "Midnight At The Lost and Found" album. Up next are "More Than You Deserve" and "I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us" from the "Dead Ringer" album. Next is "If You Really Want To" from the "Midnight At The Lost and Found" album, and then come "You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth", "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", and "Dead Ringer for Love".

The DVD also includes a biography and discography (both written) and the music can be played in surround sound or stereo. The videos are fun, but the core album is the best part of this package. I have to give this collection 5 stars, as the original album rates very highly and the additional material in this collection adds to the overall value. Price is a consideration though, so look for one which isn't too expensive.