Quote:
Originally Posted by misterfive
Now I am not saying its a bad song its an excellent song but was done too early in his career, it set an unmatched phenomenon that even today Meat cannot match. Because of that Bat Out Of Hell is the worst song cause it practically ruined his career in the eye of the public. Imagining breaking your record first attempt and not able to do it again. Yeah that pretty much weighed down all his songs and his effort for them and even Steinman's song writing ability. What would they do? They already jumped the shark. Now if they did that song for Bat 2 or even Bat 3 that would have been a hell alot better for his career because it would've made the flow of excellent songs more wide and fluid instead of choppy and slow.
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In other words, Bat Out Of Hell is too good?
I don't think it ruined his career at all. It
made it.
I like the vast majority of Meat's work, but what in his career would have put him on the radar like Bat?
Meat Loaf & Stoney is all but unknown.
Would Dead Ringer have been as successful as it was if Meat was an unknown at the time of release?
I don't believe Bad Attitude or Blind Before I Stop (for everything that was right with the former, and despite what Farian f*cked up in the latter) would have springboarded Meat to public acclaim.
So it's not until Bat II, in 1993, where Meat has
real standout success with an album or a song.
Meat was what? 46 then? Not many 46 year old people get into the charts unless they have a track record and an established following. Without that the record companies are very wary of investing money in a mature performer.
And the material............
Imagine Meat & Jim trying to sell their brand of music as relitivly unknowns to a record exec in 93
Who would invest in an album that starts off with a 10 min power ballad sang by a big set dude in his 40's and a girl on the gigging circuit in the north of England?
But Meat and Jim had proved themselves right and the music trends wrong when Bat sold (and continued to sell) in big numbers.
But without the success Meat & Jim had already proved themselves capable of, I don't think anyone would have touched it.
WTTN, a great album, but not as successful as Bat II. Again, I think if it wasn't for Meat established rep, he would have had a hard time getting a deal and selling the album.
And I don't believe things would have been easier for CHSIB, Bat III, HCTB, and HIHB.
I know some people believe his most recent work to be his best, but IMHO it would have a snowman's chance in hell of being heard by anyone if Meat has not already an established and respected artist.
So I don't think Bat was done to early.
I can understand Meat's frustration that everythink is held up to the Bat benchmark, but that's the price of success.
To have something you've done adored by so many people would be a problem i'm sure most singers would like to have
God, let me have that problem some day
Meat may well have become famous for his other work, but (as much as I personally enjoy it), I don't think there would have been as much interest established early in his career to pay dividends for later projects.
In fact, i'd go as far as to say this.
Before Meat did Bat II he was on the small club circuit.
The thing that got him out of the small clubs and back into the arenas was the faith Virgin Records had in Meat & Jimmy because they had done it before.
It wasn't Dead Ringer that created that faith and fan base, it wasn't Bad Attitude or Blind Before I Stop.
It was Bat Out Of Hell.
If it wasn't for that faith and interest, I think Meat would still be playing the small clubs now.
Meat has got a lot to be grateful to Bat Out Of Hell for, and so do we, because without it Meat Loaf Live in would have been his last release and we'd never have ever heard his more recent albums.
I think this discussion goes way beyond the subject of "Least Favourite Song" so i'm going to split the thread
