Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell
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Artist: Meat LoafEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1993-09-14
Music Label: Mca
Soundtracks:
- I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)
- Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back
- Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through
- It Just Won't Quit
- Out Of The Frying Pan (And Into The Fire)
- Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are
- Wasted Youth
- Everything Louder Than Everything Else
- Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)
- Back Into Hell
- Lost Boys And Golden Girls
Music reviews of Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell
Music Review: Better than the Original "Bat Out of Hell"; Meat and Steinman Don't Lose a Beat
Rating: 5 Stars
1977's "Bat Out of Hell" became one of Rock's All-Time Classic Albums. This album was for all practical purposes a Rock Opera (now referred to as Wagnerian Rock). The concept of "Bat Out of Hell" seemed to revolve around the thoughts of an a teenage/young adult male. What really made "Bat Out of Hell" so special was the combination of Jim Steinman's songwriting, Meat Loaf's powerful and passionate vocals, and the producing of Todd Rundgren. Following "Bat Out of Hell", Meat's career would go into a tailspin. Although Steinman would write the songs for Meat's follow-up album "Dead Ringer" - he had little to do with the rest of it. Meat's career would bottom out in the mid 1980s. By the late 1980s, Meat was beginning to revive his career by hitting the road and playing small venues. As Meat would develop a large cult following, this would help lead to a reunion with Jim Steinman. Once again, the two would collaborate on another concept album. The new album that was released in 1993 was entitled "Bat Out of Hell: Back Into Hell". The big question would remain - after 16 years could Meat and Steinman revive the magic of the first album? Not only do they revive the magic, but they surpass it in everyway.
As mentioned above, the reason why "Bat Out of Hell" was such a great album was due to the triple combination of Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf, and Todd Rundgren. This time Steinman assumes all creative control - including the production duties. Todd Rundgren does return to provide many of the outstanding background vocals that are a key component to this album. I don't look at Steinman's move to have creative control as a negative - he knew exactly what he was doing. Steinman would have 16 years to build the vision for this album. As a result, we get an album that is musically and lyrically more complex as well as more mature than the original "Bat Out of Hell". At the same time, Meat hasn't lost a beat. Steinman provides the infrastructure for Meat to deliver a more powerful set of vocals than he did the first time. No doubt, Meat and Steinman work perfectly together.
"Bat Out of Hell II" contains 11 tracks coming out to 75+ minutes of music! Some criticized Meat and Steinman for the long tracks. Seven of the 11 tracks clock in at over 6 minutes and 50 seconds. The amazing thing is that on each track - you won't hear one bit of filler. Like it's predecessor, "Bat Out of Hell II" takes on a theatrical feel of a Rock Opera. Every track is so much more than a song - it's a performance. You will hear the theatrical quality in almost every song. Steinman employs a similar formula to the music - a strong mix of Keyboards and Guitar to compliment Meat's performance style vocals. It is also worth noting that Roy Bittan (from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band) who was a major contributor on the original "Bat Out of Hell" contributes keyboard and piano to 6 tracks.
It is worth noting that Meat actually only sings vocals on 9 of the 11 tracks. One track consists of spoken words ("Wasted Youth") by Steinman himself. Another track is an instrumental ("Back Into Hell") done by Jeff Bova - who provides synthesizers on all of the tracks.
Every track on this album holds its own. The album opens with "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)". This was the first single released from the collection, but the radio edit heard on conventional radio does not do this song justice. The album version is 12 minutes long - and there is not a split second you will be bored. This song is a true all-around performance by everyone involved. The original "Bat Out of Hell" had "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" and the great dialogue by Meat and Ellen Foley. This time Meat has a more compassionate dialogue - this time with someone credited "Mrs Loud".
Another terrific performance is "Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)". This is another song that spells true theatrical performance - with very passionate vocals by Meat, but the highlight is going to be the very familiar piano sound of Roy Bittan.
Perhaps the strongest song on the album is "Everything Louder Than Everything Else". For this performance, everything is at the highest level. This song is preceded by Steinman's "Wasted Youth" speech. "Everything Louder" is the perfect segue from "Wasted Youth". The speech which is given as a retrospective as someone who once had an undisciplined youth. When "Everything Louder" begins, we hear as powerful a performance as you will hear from Meat. "Everything Louder" is lyrically a very strong song as it deals with an undisciplined youth facing the choices of having to go to battle and fight for his country. This is sheer brilliance. Meat delivers Steinman's words passionately when he sings "Who am I? Why am I here?" (referring to being in the Service). But perhaps the power of these lyrics is heard best in the lines "They say I'm in need of some radical discipline....They say that I'm wild and I'm reckless; I Should be Acting My Age".
You will hear the passion and power on every track on this album. "It Just Won't Quit" and "Rock and Roll Dreams Come True" are outstanding. "Good Girls Go to Heaven" has a jazz-like beginning followed by a 50s near doo-wop style intro. Ellen Foley (from the first album) provides the background vocals on "Objects in the Rear View Mirror Appear Closer Than They Are".
The liner notes contain all the lyrics and musical credits. I particularly like how one line from each song is highlighted on the page that contains the lyrics for that song. Meat and Steinman prove they didn't lose a beat. This album is a must have!
Description of Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell
Special deluxe three disc (two CD + PAL/Region 0 DVD) edition of Meat's 1993 sequel to the original Bat Out Of Hell. Features the digitally remastered album on Disc One, eight live tracks on Disc Two including spirited versions of all seven of the original BOOH tracks plus a bonus DVD that includes three videos plus an interview with Mr. Loaf. Universal. 2006At a certain point, bad taste and bombast becomes so excessive and so grandiose that they're no longer an easily dismissed irritation but an astonishing monument to the warped imagination. Such a monument is Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, the long-delayed sequel to 1977's Bat Out of Hell. Once again songwriter/producer Jim Steinman has isolated high-school parking-lot aphorisms and inflated them to Wagner-on-Broadway proportions, casting Mr. Loaf as a heavy-metal Ezio Pinza. Typical of the album's strategy is its big hit single, "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." Steinman piles on the guitars, drums, synthesizers, and choral voices as if he were Phil Spector producing Kiss playing the Who songbook. The rest of the album tackles the themes of teenage lust, frustration, and rock & roll fantasies in similar fashion. It's somehow beside the point to complain about the puerile lyrics, the leaden rhythms, the derivative melodies, the histrionic vocals, or the overblown arrangements. Steinman knows how to push his audience's buttons, and with Meat Loaf's help, he hits those buttons with a sledgehammer. --Geoffrey Himes
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