3 Bats Live (Parental Advisory) - Meat Loaf

Advantages: Bombastic operatic excellence
Disadvantages: Some may baulk at length of songs

...Many musical influences are exerted, sometimes subconciously, during childhood. One major artist my father would constantly play in the car on long journeys was Meat Loaf. One thing that stuck with me was the length and awesome brevity of the songs and albums. The way numerous instruments collided and bounced off each other to create an overblown, epic wall of sound and audio imagery. As you may know, Meat Loaf emerged in the '70's, his crowning achievement being the 'Bat out of Hell' album of 1977, which re-defined popular rock music. The story began when Jim Steinman, a multi-instrumentalist visionary, hooked up with a young heavyweight singer called Marvin Lee Aday, nicknamed Meat Loaf by his father, at an audition for a broadway musical piece written by Steinman in 1974. Suddenly, Steinman realised that he had found the voice... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: The tracks of a 'best of' album, with the atmosphere of a live concert
Disadvantages: a bit pricy for your first Meat Loaf album

...Okay, that's a slight lie, since it was a gift, but I would have bought it myself if I could have found it. Since it's fairly rare and an import it was only in HMV at the time and very pricy. Out of all of Meat's albums (I do have most of them, if not all his songs on one compilation or another), if I could only save one from a burning building, this would be it. Anyone who's been to see Meat Loaf perform live will know his unique stage performing style and the way he can toy with the crowd, literally holding them on every breath - a truely awesome feeling to be part of. Unfortunately you simply can not go to a Meat Loaf concert every week (especially since he's packing in the touring business), but you can lock yourself in a dark room, put this CD on at full blast, close your eyes and be taken back to that special night in Leeds... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: An absolute classic album
Disadvantages: None

...out of hell. The cover itself has no become senonomous with Meat Loaf. I will now provide a brief opinion on the album and each of the tracks. Album Produced by Todd Rungren All songs written by Jim Steinman 1. Bat out of Hell Track Duration 9 minutes 51 seconds The title track, and although lengthy it is still one of those you play over and over again at full volume. I challenge anybody to play this without resorting to a bit of Air Guitar. Not the best track on the album in my opinion but certainly one of the top three. Guitars: Todd Rungren Piano: Roy Bittan Keyboards: Jim Steinman, R Bittan, T Rungren Bass: Kasim Sultan Drums: Max Weinberg Percussion: J Steinman, T Rungren Synthesizer: Roger Powell Motorcycle Guitar: T Rungren Backgrnd Vocals: Rory Dodd, Ellen Foley, T Rungren, K Sultan Opening Lyrics... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful