How would you handle the 'vault' / Legacy

[jcmoorehead]

Over the last year or so, in a few threads we've all speculated as to what might happen regarding Meats legacy given his unfortunate passing. At the moment we have the NLE + Caleb, out doing their thing and in terms of anything 'official' that seems to be it.

Outside of that you also have Steve Steinman doing his Meat Loaf Story shows as well, which I thought was good, but I know opinion here is a bit divided.

Generally though, it's pretty muted in terms of celebrating that legacy. Which is a shame for us as fans because I think we'd all be keen to take part in celebrating the rich legacy left behind in some way. Not that anyone related to Meat has to do anything, if the family don't wish to, or if the NLE packed it in that's fair and up to them.

However, let's say you are given access to the mysterious vault, access to that legacy, the albums, the B-Sides, the live shows, unreleased recordings, etc and let's say Paul + NLE are at your disposal to do something. How would you handle it? What would you do, in order to celebrate that legacy?

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I think for me, one of the first things I'd want is just to see all of that music celebrated properly. I know we've had numerous re-releases of Bat and Bat 2, but I'd probably like to do something similar to what Marillion have done with their first 8 albums:

So you'd have the album released in a lovely boxset/book format with:

• Remix/Remastered Version
• Original Version
• B-Sides/Rarities from that era.
• Live Performance from that albums tour. (Where not applicable, a live performance from around that era, as close as possible)
• Booklet telling the story of creating the album.

Secondly, celebrating Meat Loafs live legacy. Meat was a phenomenal live artist. Even on off days, the passion he carried was captivating and yet there is very little out there documenting him live, and it's harder to get hold of.

It'd be good to see some Blu Ray Releases of recorded concerts from his history. I know we have a DVD of the original Bat tour so that's a given. I don't know if there was much video/full concert of an 80s performance? A Bat 2 Tour seems like an absolute must, Live With Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Three Bats and even Storytellers.

There must be a lot of great video footage out there, so lets celebrate that side of him.

Finally, any unreleased material done after Braver. I think we honestly don't know what/if anything was recorded after Braver or anything from the last few years that wasn't released. We know there were hints at the Christmas album, and I don't know if it was ever confirmed that he recorded Body, but I think if there is enough for a 'final' album, if the material is good enough, then get that out there or roll it into the above boxsets.

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So how about y'all? What would you do, if granted access to the vault. (Let's also pretend we wouldn't have to worry about all the legal red tape, which I'm sure is likely to hold up anything )

[rockfenris2005]

Let's see.

1. Stoney and Meatloaf: CD released worldwide for a start.

2. Bat out of Hell: Box set including all the live shows that were released on LP at the time, and full Nassau gig. Also, the demos Meat talked about that he wanted to release.

3. Dead Ringer: Anything from "Bad for Good" that Meat might have recorded thrown into at least a double CD set of any outtakes or live material. Also, a really good remaster/remix. That goes for most of the albums, the early ones anyway.

4. Midnight at the Lost and Found: CD with all the single edits and B-sides included, start of the art quality.

4. Bad Attitude: both mixes released, including single edits, extended versions and the B-sides.

5. Blind Before I Stop: again, all the B sides and single edits.

6. Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell: just reissue the Collectors Edition which goes for insane prices now if you can even find it second hand. The record companies would stop the price gouging there.

7. Welcome to the Neighbourhood: I can't really add much to the Collectors Edition. This one is still somewhat easier to find than Bat 2 though.

8. Live Around the World: this just needs to be released again, period.

9. Couldn't Have Said it Better: I know fans would love that early promo with "Decadent Wish" and "Unsaid" on it. I was lucky enough to score one of these myself, and the moment I heard it I thought it would have been perfect for an album set here. If not, then all the B sides and single edits, naturally, and the live stuff Meat Loaf released in Aus. Outside Aus, that must be a pain to try and find.

10. Bat out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose: Just re-release the vinyl, which again is really rare, and going for ridiculous prices. Also, all the single stuff, including the extended "Blind as a Bat", both "Whore" and "Black Betty".

11. Hang Cool Teddy Bear: Meat was going to re-release this, but I'd love a full "Prize Fight Lover" in CD quality as well. Not to mention just the lyrics! I really want to know the actual lyrics for "Prize Fight Lover", because everywhere on the internet keeps missing the first few lines.

12. Hell in a Handbasket: I don't really know what you could do with this one.

13. Braver Than We Are: all those annoying different editions they put out just need to be put into one place.

If we can get *these*, I'll be happy.

[ThatWriterGuy]

BAT, Dead Ringer, BAT II.

Original master tapes.

Bernie Grundman.

Double/Triple vinyl (mastered via BG above) and an alternate master for digital Hi Res audio files.

Revisit the pro shot '87 show with the Goff Sisters and the '93 show for Bat II.

Original tapes.

Upscale.

Blu Ray.

Good look negotiating the rights ... and expecting any significant return, sadly.

[Evil One]

As much as I would love for all this to happen I just don't see it. The time for Meat to monetize his back catalogue was 20 years ago and he obviously wasn't interested/able. Unfortunately I suspect a good chunk of Meat's fan base is now either dead, in a nursing home or no longer bothered. What record company will spend the time and effort on something like this when the return on investment will be negligible?

[jcmoorehead]

Oh I seriously doubt any of this, or anything will actually happen. This is all purely for a bit of fun just to see what we would do.

[rockfenris2005]

So, in other words, if it's not a pretty coloured vinyl of something we already bought 30 years ago, it's not going to happen. Ugh.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Evil One

As much as I would love for all this to happen I just don't see it. The time for Meat to monetize his back catalogue was 20 years ago and he obviously wasn't interested/able. Unfortunately I suspect a good chunk of Meat's fan base is now either dead, in a nursing home or no longer bothered. What record company will spend the time and effort on something like this when the return on investment will be negligible?

Harsh reality.

Look at the focking clown show at the Grammys the other day where everything weird and politically influenced and devil worship is what is praised to the heavens. That is today's music.

Not Meat Loaf.


At least Meat won his Grammy when music was still a thing.


I expect nothing. Maybe a Bat 50th anniversary in 2027 on vinyl mostly - nothing special, the same remaster - but that may well be it forever.

The music industry seems weird. I thought there would be an enormous fuss with the likes of Michael Jackson and Prince passing and we would see endless new albums, documentaries, films (an MJ film is finally in the works) and lots of box sets with lots of vault things. Look at the lovely Tracks boxset Bruce Springsteen did in the late 90s. It is actually a great collection if you are a fan of his. Really good stuff that is worth the bother. We haven't seen anything like that. Two crappy albums from Jackson with 1 or 2 interesting songs.
Prince had tonnes of vault stuff.

Seems to me people don't actually care much and rather stick with the old hits. Sometimes, also quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality.
AND I think it possibly matters if an artist dies close to the peak of their careers or not. Jackson and Prince had been forgotten about quite a bit by the time they passed. Sure, Jackson was going to do the 50 O2 shows. But as we saw in This is It, it would only have been songs from the 80s and early 90s mostly and his later efforts forgotten about.

Compare that to people such as Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin. They all died close to the time when their best stuff was released.

I'm sure with artists such as Freddie from Queen and Elvis far more money was made after their deaths than during the time they were alive from their music. But people always played the classics, never the B sides. There have been a few gems here and there that were not available during their actual lifetimes but they have been few and far between.

With Meat's vault stuff, even if impressive, as stated, there is most likely no monetary gain whatsoever as he didn't die at the peak of his career. Unlike Freddie and Elvis, who were much, much closer to theirs (just 4-5 years out in fact).

IF there is a Meat Loaf release. Expect Bat. At best Bat 2. Nothing more, nothing else.


As fans it is always understandable we want more but for the average audience there is enough Meat Loaf stuff out there.
It is similar to Queen. There are some (in my opinion) terrible songs in their back catalogue.
People will think the same about Meat. Remember when everyone sat down during the 4 Teddy Bear songs on that tour at the UK shows? It was weird.
For them Teddy Bear itself can be considered a bad B side / vault stuff. So there genuinely is no need for more that may just be worse to their ears.

With Springsteen I think it's interesting because I genuinely think almost everything he wrote prior to 1998 when Tracks was released was pretty good and the vault stuff showed that he was still quite consistent even with songs that didn't make the album cuts. I personally feel his writing nose dived quite a bit after The Rising in 2002. I personally couldn't care less about B sides from after that era. The Wrecking Ball album seemed like a one off last hurrah. Doubt I will genuinely love another Springsteen album. His latest cover album, just like what Phil Collins did is just embarrassing in my opinion.

When an artist has released 10+ albums I think enough is enough for most people out there, even some hardcore fans who went to many shows.

Probably quite understandable.


So vault stuff from Meat? Doubt we will ever see a thing. Sorry.

[ThatWriterGuy]

... except for Letter To You, which is his most accomplished work since Darkness on the Edge of Town (IMO, etc etc).

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by ThatWriterGuy

... except for Letter To You, which is his most accomplished work since Darkness on the Edge of Town (IMO, etc etc).

Meh it's ok. I like the title song. Note 20 mins of that 60 minute album was written more than 50 years ago, which was exactly the start of the type of stuff Springsteen was writing that inspired Steinman: long, epic story driven songs.
I'm probably one of the few who likes Outlaw Pete, which seems to be in the similar vain, if you can disregard the melody copied from I was Made For Loving You.

[Evil One]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Remember when everyone sat down during the 4 Teddy Bear songs on that tour at the UK shows? It was weird.

That is easily explained. Those songs were new to the audience, not in keeping with Meat's regular style and just not very good. Plus everyone had been on their feet for Bat and fancied a sit down.

[AndrewG]

Off topic:

Speaking of Bruce.
Backstreets is ending partially due to inflated ticket costs. I don't blame them. The prices are a disgrace.
And with the politics he has been spewing of late an extreme example of being a champagne socialist.
I reckon he must be the richest musician that I own music from.
https://backstreets.com/news.html

I've never understood how/why Americans can afford the $1000 prices we saw in the past already.
He's good but not that good. Doesn't even bring any stage props or effects at all. It's a cheap show in that regards that has hardly changed in 40-50 years. Certainly bare bones when compared to Coldplay, U2 in the past and even the few things Meat at least did.
During the 2016 tour I remember a big screen but that was it.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Evil One

That is easily explained. Those songs were new to the audience, not in keeping with Meat's regular style and just not very good. Plus everyone had been on their feet for Bat and fancied a sit down.

Fair enough but it's just another example of where often later efforts by artists that have been going for a while are just not so good (to the majority of punters at least).

Thus the more they release with dwindling quality, the absolute less desire there is / need for vault material I suspect.


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What I'd like to see personally?
Absolutely; a Blu Ray release of MSO. I have no idea what the source quality is like but I remember the DVD looking quite compressed / blocky at times.
Even if it's no better visually, audio wise it would be a massive upgrade probably.
I remember watching Dire Straits Hammersmith 1982 Alchemy. Incredible sound quality even though the picture quality sucks ass.

Ideally a 4 disc Blu Ray boxset I guess: 1) MSO 2) All the music videos + the 90s live stuff 3) A new documentary. 4) Some of the old documentaries (Bat off the record / In Search of Paradise) or whatever.

Music wise maybe a Bat trilogy boxset release for the first time? Probably a touchy subject for some people.
Could include a disc with B sides and possibly a few vault recordings if available alongside Prize Fight Lover (the original version).
Or go all out and have 10 discs boxset
"Bat Out Of Hell Trilogy: Everything between Heaven and Hell"
1 Bat
2 Bat live + related stuff
3: Bat 2
4: The Bat 2 collectors special disc
5. Bat 3
6. Bat 3 sound board recording from RAH (if available?)
7. Bat 3 sound board recording from RAH (if available?)
8. The best of other Jim & Meat songs (Most of the Dead Ringer songs / Surf's Up / the Jim WTTN songs / Braver / Home By Now / A Kiss etc)
9. The best of other Jim & Meat songs: live.
10. B sides, outtakes combined with some poignant interview snippets and ending with PFL.

But no, it will never happen. If Meat had been with the same record company all his career (under Sony or so) perhaps we would see something.

[eltmatt]

Saying there would be no return from it or that it won't happen as most of his fan base is dead or in a nursing home is ridiculous.

There are many tribute acts making good money from touring the material, and look at the endless re-releases from the likes of Elton John, Pink Floyd etc every anniversary there is a new edition with more demos, live versions, B-sides etc. It must make money or else they wouldnt be doing it.

[stretch37]

Originally Posted by eltmatt

Saying there would be no return from it or that it won't happen as most of his fan base is dead or in a nursing home is ridiculous.

There are many tribute acts making good money from touring the material, and look at the endless re-releases from the likes of Elton John, Pink Floyd etc every anniversary there is a new edition with more demos, live versions, B-sides etc. It must make money or else they wouldnt be doing it.

There are lots of Meat Loaf fans spanning many generations. I agree 100%.

[Evil One]

I also agree. I never said otherwise. However the size of Meat's fan base is past its peak and will only get smaller.

[Guy]

Will always have the memories. 👍

[anotherday]

Dear whoever the hell owns any of this now,

Release all the things. Make all the money.

Love,
Fans

[Nige78]

Personally I don't want to have buy to tracks again that I already own, even if they are remastered.

My wishlist, in order of preference:
1) Meat version of What Part of My Body - all but 100% confirmed to exist I think?
2) An anniversary edition of Bat 1 or 2, with unreleased tracks (if any exist) or demo versions of the songs. Plus an era specific live concert DVD/Blu Ray.
3) Any other completely unreleased studio tracks, even demos.
4) Live concert series a la Springsteen, with photos and notes where possible.

[Frying Bat]

Originally Posted by Evil One

As much as I would love for all this to happen I just don't see it. The time for Meat to monetize his back catalogue was 20 years ago and he obviously wasn't interested/able. Unfortunately I suspect a good chunk of Meat's fan base is now either dead, in a nursing home or no longer bothered. What record company will spend the time and effort on something like this when the return on investment will be negligible?

Hey Mate, speak for yourself i ain't dead (not at the moment of typing) and surely not in a nursing room
if i am bothered..yes and no.. it would be nice if they released some "rare" material of his career (special the eighties) but then again almost all the Meat songs (remixes,b-sides, concerts can be found online, most part for free (think WarioLoaf).. Actually i already made my own legacy overview.

[dukesofhazard]

Well, I've just posted all the stuff from my 'vault' on YouTube if anyone's interested. Videos I took from the concerts I went to in 2010 and 2013

[duke knooby]

Originally Posted by dukesofhazard

Well, I've just posted all the stuff from my 'vault' on YouTube if anyone's interested. Videos I took from the concerts I went to in 2010 and 2013

and thank you for those, great to see... brought back the memories