I was an early fan of Meat Loaf’s bombastic productions of Jim Steinman’s operatic songs. You’ll hear a lot of that music on The Very Best of Meat Loaf (2012). You won’t hear as much on Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006) because only a few of the songs involved Steinman. Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose was released 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell (1977), and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993).
I didn’t know I owned Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose until I stumbled across it while searching for something else. I listened to it, and came away somewhat disappointed. Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose has only a little of the magic of Meat Loaf’s earlier albums–provided, I suspect, by Jim Steinman’s unique musical sensibilities. I did enjoy the duets on Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose: Meat Loaf and Maron Raven on “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” (a Jim Steinman song), “What About Love?” with Meat Loaf and Patti Russo, and “The Fire Ain’t What It Used to Be,” (another Jim Steinman song) with Meat Loaf and Jennifer Hudson. Yes, there’s some symphonic excess but that goes with the territory with Meat Loaf and Steinman.
Sadly, Jim Steinman died in 2021 and Meat Loaf died in 2022. They made some very unusual music together. Are you a Meat Loaf fan? Any favorites here?
The Very Best of Meat Loaf: GRADE: A
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose: GRADE: C
The Very Best of Meat Loaf TRACK LIST:
| 1 | Paradise By The Dashboard Light (from BAT OUT OF HELL) | 8:28 | |
| 2 | Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad (from BAT OUT OF HELL) | 5:24 | |
| 3 | Hot Patootie–Bless My Soul (ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW SOUNDTRACK) | 3:04 | |
| 4 | I’m Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us (from DEAD RINGER) | 7:06 | |
| 5 | Dead Ringer For Love (from DEAD RINGER) | 4:20 | |
| 6 | Midnight At The Lost And Found (from MIDNIGHT AT THE LOST AND FOUND) | 3:29 | |
| 7 | Modern Girl (from BAD ATTITUDE) | 4:27 | |
| 8 | You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) – Live (LIVE AT WEMBLEY PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED IN THE U.S.) | 7:48 | |
| 9 | Bat Out Of Hell – Live (LIVE AT WEMBLEY PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED IN THE U.S.) | 10:28 | |
| 10 | I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Radio Edit (from BAT OUT OF HELL II: BACK INTO HELL) | 5:22 | |
| 11 | Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through (from BAT OUT OF HELL II: BACK INTO HELL) | 5:50 | |
| 12 | I’d Lie For You (And That’s The Truth) (from WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD) | 6:40 | |
| 13 | All Of Me (from HELL IN A HANDBASKET) | 5:17 |
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose TRACK LIST:
| Meat Loaf– | The Monster Is Loose | 7:12 | |
| Meat Loaf– | Blind As A Bat | 5:51 | |
| Meat Loaf Featuring Marion Raven– | It’s All Coming Back To Me Now | 6:05 | |
| Meat Loaf– | Bad For Good | 7:32 | |
| Meat Loaf– | Cry Over Me | 4:38 | |
| Meat Loaf– | In The Land Of The Pig, The Butcher Is King | 5:30 | |
| Meat Loaf– | Monstro | 1:38 | |
| Meat Loaf– | Alive | 4:22 | |
| Meat Loaf– | If God Could Talk | 3:45 | |
| Meat Loaf– | If It Ain’t Broke Break It | 4:49 | |
| Meat Loaf Featuring Patti Russo– | What About Love | 6:04 | |
| Meat Loaf– | Seize The Night | 9:46 | |
| Meat Loaf Featuring Jennifer Hudson– | The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be | 7:53 | |
| Meat Loaf– | Cry To Heaven | 2:24 |
Kitty was a big Jim Steinman fan. She had good taste. (She married me, didn’t she?) I find myself humming the songs at odd hours of the day.
Jerry, the Meat Loaf/Steinman collaboration produced some very bombastic, operatic rock songs that have “ear worm” tendencies! Kitty had excellent taste in music…and you!
Never into Meat Loaf. One of my carpool buddies in the early ’80s was a big Jim Steinman fan.
Fred, you could always tell when a Steinman song came on the radio. Unique sound!
In my entire history of listening to rock/pop music, which goes all the way back to the fifties, I’d be hard pressed to come up with anyone I’ve disliked more.
Michael, I can already anticipate Cap’n Bob’s response to your post: “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth.”
No, there are battalions of people I’ve disliked more!
Bob, I know BAT OUT OF HELL from the 1970s sold 40 million copies. Meat Loaf could have change his name to Filet Mignon!
I can think of a few very popular folks whose work I disliked slightly more, such as the Bee Gees’, but not many. Steinman’s work with “ML” and Bonnie Tyler is among my least favored of their years. Dunno about the Captain, but I’m in near full agreement with Michael’s assessment. There’s something about utter arrogance without wit in lyrics that turns me right around.
Todd, much of animus towards Meat Loaf might be caused by his singing Jim Steinman songs.
Not familiar with almost any of this but I had a friend who was a big fan.
Patti, Meat Loaf had plenty of fans as singer and also as an actor.
Yes, huge fan of BAT OUT OF HELL and the sequel, but very disappointed with the third one.
We saw Meat Loaf in concert several times –
2003 Jones Beach
2005 Beacon
2006 Palace (on Broadway)
2007 Theater at Madison Square Garden (not the main arena, the smaller stage)
2008 United Palace (where they just held The Tony Awards)
2010 Jones Beach
He always put on a helluva show. He lost me went he went to the Dark Side (i.e. The Apprentice and Trump supporter)
Favorites: Paradise By the Dashboard Lights,. I Would Do Anything for Love (But I won;t Do That), You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth, Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are (though, of course, the opposite is true).
Jeff, I envy you!
Would have really loved to see Meatloaf live.
And I also liked his earlier songs that you listed – and of course the crazy videos.
Wolf, those crazy Meat Loaf videos were on “heavy rotation” on MTV in the 1980s.
Jeff, I had a feeling you saw Meat Loaf perform. I wish I’d taken advantage of my opportunities to see Meat Loaf in concert. Everyone I know who saw him live said the concert was fabulous!
I didn’t know there was a BAT OUT OF HELL III:THE MONSTER IS LOOSE and if I’d heard any songs from BAT OUT OF HELL III:THE MONSTER IS LOOSE I wouldn’t have known they were from BAT OUT OF HELL III:THE MONSTER IS LOOSE!!! I’m slightly familiar with Meatloaf but not BAT OUT OF HELL III:THE MONSTER IS LOOSE!