Bat Out Of Hell

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AllMusic suggest that although the album deserves the attention, "the extra disc of material is [not] worth the time of anyone outside of fanatics.

Comparing the album to Steinman's late-60s musical The Dream Engine, Classic Rock magazine says that Steinman's imagery is "revved up and testosterone-fueled. But it was for Christmas and this was going to convince her once and for all that I was right to invest in SA-CD. Foley was not available when it came time to go on tour for the album, so Karla DeVito took her place. This, they said, means "the album's probable theme—the crushing effect growing up has on teenage dreams—seems to get lost among the thud and blunder.Todd Rundgren, however, whom Meat initially found cocky but grew to like and whom Steinman labeled "the only genuine genius I've ever worked with" in a 1989 interview with Classic Rock magazine, found the album hilarious. The composer says that Peter Pan has "always been about my favorite story and I've always looked at it from the perspective that it's a great rock and roll myth because it's about—when you get right down to it—it's about a gang of lost boys who never grow up, who are going to be young forever and that's about as perfect an image for rock'n'roll as I can think of. Steinman registered "Bat Out of Hell" as a trademark in 1995, and sought to prevent Meat Loaf from using the title. Its musical style is influenced by Steinman's appreciation of Richard Wagner, Phil Spector and Bruce Springsteen. Regardless, this nostalgic ballad is infused with both rock and pop sensibilities and before it’s over, you’ll likely find yourself singing along to a song that very easily could have come out of the ABBA camp.

In the same interview, Meat Loaf revealed that when he played at a CBS Records convention in 1978, record executives and superstar Billy Joel (who was in the audience) gave Meat Loaf a standing ovation after a haunting performance of the closing track " For Crying Out Loud," which he felt was the turning point in the album's success in the US. The next track, " You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)", opens with spoken word, performed by Steinman and Off-Broadway actress Marcia McClain, that was also taken from the Neverland musical, as were the next two tracks. Released in 1977, Bat Out Of Hell, produced by Todd Rundgren and penned by Jim Steinman, has left an indelible mark on music history with its bombastic melodies, theatrical storytelling, and Meat Loaf's unmatched powerhouse vocals.That doesn’t mean I don’t like it, anything but, it’s just an aspect such as this that would likely deter modern listeners who have yet to fully grasp the musical impact Meat Loaf had throughout his career. In November 2007, Meat Loaf was awarded the Classic Album award in Classic Rock's Classic Rock Roll of Honour. They performed the album live, with Steinman on piano, Meat Loaf singing, occasionally Rory Dodd on backup vocals, and sometimes Ellen Foley joining them for "Paradise". Even the signal strength, often a downfall of poorly mastered RBCDs that is overcome with SACD mastering, is not significantly better in the stereo SACD vs.