| re: Great review thanks for posting :--) | |
|
Posted by: |
Conas 10:36 pm UTC 05/13/08 |
| In reply to: | Great review thanks for posting :--) - Daniel 10:15 pm UTC 05/13/08 |
| LIKE HELL IT IS... > > > > Bat Out Of Hell - Meatloaf > > Album | Buy > > > > > > Definitely one of the best albums, anyway - Steinman's > > songs are superb, ideally capturing classical rock 'n' > > roll (or Wagnerian Rock, as he calls it himself). Meat > > never sounded better, and the instumentation is spot on. > > > > Rock perfection. > > > > By the way, those of you who call it overblown and pompous > > - it's SUPPOSED to be overblown and pompous, if you don't > > get that, you're missing the point. > > > > Check out the sequels, too. > > > > > > This album is way over the top both musically and > > lyrically, but I guess that's part of the fun. Early CD > > versions sound rather flat but later pressings, > > particularly the 25 Anniversary edition are a significant > > improvement. I personally prefer the more stripped-down > > type of rock such as Alice In Chains or Nirvana, but I can > > see Bat out of Hell's appeal through some pretty good > > songs like For Crying out load and 2 out of 3 ain't bad. > > > > > > Those who dismiss this undeniably popular album due to > > puerile lyrics (generally leveled at this album's sequel), > > over-the-top production, and Meat Loaf singing so > > passionately about such adolescent themes as a badly > > written farce totally miss the point. This is an album > > that pokes fun at all the rock and roll pretensions that > > had crept into rock music over the years (Townshend can > > you hear me?), and it succeeds wonderfully. > > There's no doubt about it. BAT OUT OF HELL takes all these > > adolescent themes, mostly raging hormones, and builds, > > with operatic flair and lots of kitsch, this > > preposterously silly album which never-the-less struck a > > chord with a great many people. BAT OUT OF HELL is a > > concept album, but it doesn't carry all the serious > > connotations that such a label implies. This is Steinman > > taking all these broad-way musical conventions and hiring > > Meat Loaf, who could belt out vocals like no one else, and > > giving these teen-age angst-ridden years such a ridiculous > > setting that you can't help but laughing at the idiocy of > > what people thought were so important in their youth. > > > > Steinman's and Meat Loaf's chief critics generally site > > the bombast and blowing up teen-age angst with such an > > operatic flair. They miss the point. I will always stand > > behind Steinman's position as an artist because he uses > > all these so called "weaknesses" for effect. It's a very > > silly album, but then, it's supposed to be. Even the > > cover-art is ridiculous. It's all about that bad boy/girl > > image that's so laughably fake that no one takes them as > > any real threat. Most call it "Just a phase they're going > > through." > > > > Steinman shows how the youth, when they begin taking > > themselves seriously as adults, are so concerned with > > issues that as people grow up realise, while important, > > aren't so damned dramatic as they made it out to be. [The > > album cover]. I'm sure most people remember wanting to do > > something out of the norm just so they can appear to be so > > tough and independent, and looking back are glad they > > outgrew it. This could be music or fashion or whatever. > > The whole album describes that state of young people > > wanting "bad boy" image which is really, really hooky. > > > > What makes this such a good album is even though it's all > > about that awkward transition phase between childhood and > > adulthood, Steinman deals with real issues, and > > surprisingly well at that. It's the very clear > > craftsmanship and the obvious "weaknesses" that are > > actually the strengths that makes this such a strong > > album. Although I've never though BAT had a > > straight-forward narrative, the title track (my personal > > favorite of both albums) introduces the type of characters > > we'll be seeing. The very last track tells of an > > individual who did make it past this phase and into > > maturity. > > > > One of the more interesting things about BAT OUT OF HELL > > is its position on sex. Steinman's lyrics have a very > > perceptive view of what sex is, and shockingly it's much > > more along the lines of what Christianity teaches. > > Although you cannot conclusively say BAT OUT OF HELL > > promotes sex only in marriage, it gives several portraits, > > with very distinct imagery, that suggests that the youth > > get so tied up in sex that they don't care at all about > > each other. The sexual urges has destroyed or drastically > > hurt most of the relationships depicted on BAT OUT OF HELL > > with the single exception of the last track. > > > > To me, "For Crying Out Loud" has always been the key track > > to BAT OUT OF HELL. The six songs that go before depict > > these youth, so bound up in folly they don't know or show > > real love, continually broken and hurt in their > > relationships. In "For Crying Out Loud," however, an > > individual, ravaged with age, has finally found some one > > to love at last. They're no longer concerned with sex just > > for pleasure but they've found actually found a love. > > > > There's such a jump in the age of Steinman's characters > > between the first six tracks and "For Crying Out Loud" > > that it BAT OUT OF HELL actually serves as a warning that > > if you don't grow up then you'll miss so much of what life > > has to offer. The first six tracks describe all the > > misadventures and stupid, malicious acts that these kids > > do, and then "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" transitions > > the characters from that song into old age, still without > > love. "For Crying Out Loud" then begins and is the only > > song dealing with an old person, and do to the transition > > provided in the previous song, it's reasonable to believe > > that Steinman wants to show what a lifetime of immaturity > > and bad boy posturing will get you. Steinman moves to the > > very heart and moral core of the record. This is where > > they discover that they don't have all the time in the > > world like they thought (in "Heaven Can Wait"). In the > > end, they also discover healthy sexuality as well, and are > > mature enough to raise their own children. > > > > It's all these different facets that make BAT OUT OF HELL > > such a fascinating listen and an amazing artistic triumph. > > Most of this album's critics are so far off base they look > > positively asinine. > > > > Those who are looking for a surprisingly deep and moral > > record that has a great sense of dramatic flair, this is > > for you. > > > > P. S. While I enjoy listening to BAT II moreso, from the > > artistic standpoint this is the better record because its > > such a cohesive and well-sequenced record. BAT II has some > > great songs but doesn't present such a perceptive and > > far-reaching statement as this record does. > > > > | |
| reply | | |
| Previous: | Great review thanks for posting :--) - Daniel 10:15 pm UTC 05/13/08 |
| Next: | re: Good review of BOOH on Desert Island Lists - Conas 09:51 pm UTC 05/13/08 |
| Thread: | |