Friday, July 1, 2011

#343 Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf

This album surprised me with sadness for a lot of reasons.  It is clear that the band members have a distinct musical talent akin to Jack Black and Tenacious D.  They really can rock out, and the music itself is excellent to listen to, but the lyrics, not so much.

Rather than using their talents to create excellent music that discusses life and small epiphanies humans encounter on a daily basis, they chose to lament about teenage encounters of the sexual kind and take the death of relationships (which as anyone who has been through one can recall that they are devastating, angry, overwhelming, and sorrowful) and trivialize them; furthermore, they explain the "pain" in the break up through an immature and silly lens.

It reminded me of steamy locked cars parked on farm roads when I was supposed to be at pep rallies in high school, of books being thrown across college dorm rooms in breakup maelstroms, and of terrible, regrettable, conversations about falling out of love.  But all of this, filtered through a fifteen-year-old's brain.  So void of pain and mostly all in jest.  A mockery of breakups, in sum.

It gives off a cult classic following feel, and I won't lie that I certainly enjoyed the amazing music, but if I could get an instrumental version without any of the words, that would make this album excellent.  Their songs would go well on Rockband or Guitar Hero, and they are certainly catchy.

If you are going through a breakup and do want to laugh about it for some reason, then this is your album of choice.  I disagree with the Rolling Stone's statement that they bring real emotion to the songs.  I got the vibe that they were making fun of the audience somehow.

From the source:
Meat Loaf's megaselling, megabombastic breakthrough was written by pianist Jim Steinman, who'd intended the material for a new version ofPeter Pan. This is one of rock's most theatrical, grandiose records, yet Loaf brings real emotion to "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."

2 comments:

  1. hahahaha I love your opinion....but I must say when I was little this was my favorite album! It's classic because it's so ridiculous!

    Either way, I love the way you write and love reading these!! :)

    ReplyDelete