How did we get here?
Well, the great album project continues on. And I forced Meat Loaf in the project. Why Mr. Loaf? Well, I only knew Bat Out of Hell and nothing else. When you have something that insane and high energy, how the fuck is there not more in there worth mining.
So far, its alot of meh in between Bat I and II, BUT my partner in crime on this thing informed me that Jim Steinman wrote a sequel to Bat, but Meat Loaf had ran himself ragged on tour to where he blew out his voice… that somehow led Jim to think, well I can do this fucking thing.
As a result, we have this record. The intended Bat II, now called Bad for Good.
What the hell is this project?
This thing is bottled insanity.
Ok, lets start at the obvious spot. This is clearly Jim trying to figure out what made Bat Out of Hell such a hit. All of these songs sound like Meat Loaf should have sang them. He is trying to do his best Meat Loaf impression, but he aint got the pipes. He just doesn’t. It’s the weakest part of the album.
What we do get though is Jim swinging for the fucking fences. Bat must have been such a big fucking hit that they let him do whatever he wanted. And boy howdy he did.
Like, he gets so close to touching Bat but he just can’t get there. Its ironic that the album has a guy with Icarus wings cause thats what this album is. Trying to reach the sun but the wings melt.
Except this time. We flail on the way to the sun.
Steinman convinced most of the band to get back together. Max Weinberg, Todd Rundgren. On that, Todd produced Bat by himself. And this album didn’t need as many names as listed in producer side. Fucking Jimmy Iovine is here. Should have let Todd do it himself. But, nope. Can’t have that. Everyone got to be behind the boards here.
So, why listen to this record if its a lesser-than product? Cause it’s fucking insane. Check this shit out.
How many other fucking records have shit like that? This album is a complete Jim Steinman mental dump. You want some Disney style shit. We got that. You want another shot at Paradise by Dashboard Light? We got that too.
I think what makes this record so compelling is its unfilteredness. I feel Jim Steinman lets it all hang out here. I can’t imagine the level of horny this guy must have had as a teenager.
There are times on this record where its just awesome to kick back and listen to music that sounds like an airbrushed van. Just epic conquests of love over poor Todd Rundgren trying to wail his heart out.
He just throws everything out there. I am not shocked at all that he stripped this album for parts. A ton of these songs show up on Meat Loaf albums through Bat 2. Some of these he tried selling to other people. Some of these he literally cannibalized.
Oh yeah dear reader, you should hear this one. Recognize this song?
I’ll be honest. Complete surprise. I flat out didn’t know the riff that he put in Holding Out for a Hero in this album first.
He must have believed in that riff as a hit. I mean, not without good reason. Cause its a fucking awesome riff. But I didn’t see it coming at all.
Overall, what we have here is a glorious trainwreck. The kind of thing you don’t want to turn away from. Like I plan on sneaking these songs on playlists for years to come. Just for people to be like “wtf?”
I am not going to pretend this album is as well put together or the pieces make as much sense as Bat. They don’t. But man, you have an encyclopedia here of just really far out there, high drama pieces.
3/4 – This is an example of how the number system fails. Like as an album, its a 3 out of 4. But, don’t skip this record. Its whackadoo. Totally worth consuming.
Next week, we are going to cover another Steinman-adjacent piece of insanity that I became aware of at the same time. Here’s a taste.