Meat Loaf

I’ll be honest, I was never really a big fan of meatloaf. When you think about it, it’s really kind of nondescript and average. Nothing special at all about it. Meat Loaf on the other hand? Some of the tastiest music around…

Before I get to deep into my musings, let me offer a caveat. I’ve always been a mediocre writer, I rarely offer poignant topics, and I am woefully out of practice. So, proceed at your own risk.

Like many college students in the eighties, I fell in love with the music of Bat Out of Hell. The collaboration between Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf was an opus to young love, lust, and all of the angst that came along with those pursuits. It was something that this dorky twenty year-old could relate with, and there were precious few classmates who didn’t feel some similar connection.

The album took a long time to become a hit, but it finally broke through a year after it was released. The backstory to get to that point is fascinating. The quick version: Meat and Steinman needed two years to record the original seven tracks and then experienced a near impossible time of convincing a record label to run with it. Fortunately, they ran into rock ‘n roll genius Todd Rundgren and they were on their way.

The musicians on the album were uber-talented. Roger Powell, Edgar Winter, Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan all had their shining moments, along with Rundgren. Unfortunately (yet predictably), the finished product, was hated by their label and gained minimal traction. Not really a surprise because this rock album was unlike anything before. But then, video saved the musical stars. An airing on a UK show, followed by a live performance on SNL and the album took off. As good as the album and production were, it was Meat’s stage presence and live persona that put Bat Out of Hell over the top.

I fell in love with the album without having witnessed the live performances. And, I had good company. The songs were THAT creative and compelling, and the vocals from Meat were powerful. Bat outsold Dark Side of the Moon, became the fifth highest selling album EVER, and is the highest selling debut EVER… Heady stuff.

Despite his amazing voice, Meat always considered himself an actor, not a singer. He left Texas for Broadway as a teen, and spent nearly a decade trying to secure a career as an actor. He appeared in dozens of movies including The Rocky Horror Picture Show and preformed in Hair, yet never truly broke through. Until Bat…

And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell.
And the last thing I see is my heart
Still beating,
Breaking out of my body and flying away,
Like a bat out of hell

Writer: Jim Steinman

When I finally saw Meat Loaf perform live for the first time in the late eighties, I was blown away, and my fandom was ratcheted up substantially. He leveraged his love for acting to deliver an unforgettably passionate live show. To this day, I still place Meat Loaf as one of the Top 10 performers I’ve ever seen live.

When Meat took the stage, he was larger than life. Topping 300 pounds, he was a mountain of a man. Before the first song ended, he was disheveled and drenched in sweat… kind of a mess. But his voice… well, it was magnificent. He oozed passion even more quickly than perspiration, and he held the audience firmly in the palms of his meaty hands. On stage, he was a spectacle, and you couldn’t peel your eyes away as he performed. It was magical.

Over the ensuing years, I saw him perform a few more times. It wasn’t enough. And, as I think about his recent passing, I kick myself for not buying a few more tickets to see him perform over the years.

I never met him, but he struck me as a humble dude who never consider himself to be a superstar. Meat came across as a genuine person in interviews , and was a likeable character on Celebrity Apprentice, as well as a great guest on Letterman. He didn’t take himself too seriously, and I personally heard him tell three different stories on the derivation of his name. I suspect none of them were reality – instead my guess is that he was just playing a character each time.

It was two weeks ago, on January 20th, that he passed away. He out-survived his longtime partner Steinman by about a year. They were both genius in their own right, but it was Meat Loaf on stage who made the act legendary. Since his death, I’ve revisited a lot of his music (Steinman’s as well) numerous times. I’ve come to the conclusion that with the exception of the Bat Out of Hell album, Meat Loaf’s music was above average, but not remarkable. But damn, those live performances. Truly Stellar.

Meat Loaf was a true rock ‘n roll deity who has taken his place in our Pantheon of Live Performers.

And I know that I’ve been released,
But I don’t know to where,
And nobody’s gonna tell me now,
And I don’t really care. No, no, no.
I got a taste of paradise.
That’s all I really need to make me stay.
I got a taste of paradise.
If I had it any sooner you know
You know I never would have run away from my home.

Heaven Can Wait

Writer: Jim Steinman

Rock On!
BC