Is Meat Loaf really just dad-rock?
To the average music fan today, I think Meat Loaf has attained the rank of ‘music your dad listens to’, but not, of course, in the good way as is the case with bands such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. For some reasons, Zeppelin have managed to retain credibility, while the years of excessive operatic rock have seemingly washed over Meat Loaf, removing any trace of credibility to a modern audience. This is a real shame, and this performance proves it. Meat Loaf writes and performs epic rock songs, perfectly suited to an orchestral collaboration, that never fail to boil the blood and inspire the adrenaline to pump that bit harder.
The seven plus two bonus tracks on this disc don’t look like a particularly large part of Meat Loaf’s repertoire, but when it is considered that at least four of the tracks are over ten minutes in length, it can be seen that the disc is full, and Meat couldn’t offer you more in single disc form. However, for an artist famous for his lavish and excessive live performances - indeed, the DVD counterpart of this CD lasts over two hours - it would perhaps be more suited to a double CD release, just to include the show in its entirety.
The music, as can be imagined, is perfectly suited for an orchestra, and the interplay between Meat’s standard rock and roll band and the massive orchestra sounds fantastic. Sometimes it is barely perceptible, other times the strings take over and provide the main emotional scenery in front of which Meat Loaf can belt out his powerful vocals. Some artists lose accuracy of time or pitch when they leave the safety net of the digital studio, but Meat Loaf sounds as a true vocalist should: note perfect throughout the show. Meat Loaf is supported by what sounds like at least four other vocalists, punctuating the climaxes of songs with five part harmony. The overall effect of the vocal and instrumental arrangements is a massively emotive feeling, a sheer grandiosity, a lavish rock and roll opera; every song tells a story that, the listener can imagine, is taken directly from the life of Mr. Loaf.
The CD begins with ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ and doesn’t make any attempt at a slow start; the orchestra help build a climax and the Meat Loaf sound is defined with the driving rhythm, solid piano and wailing guitars. This is the first of the songs to break the ten-minute mark. The orchestra is used to devastating effect to enhance the mood and simply multiply the grandiosity by ten. The introduction to ‘You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)’ manages to silence the audience before another of Meat Loaf’s most famous tracks begins. The orchestra, as is found throughout the CD, manage to add something special to the song, without taking anything that was already there away. The audience soon liven up again to clap and sing along; ‘You took the words right out of my mouth, must have been while you were kissing me..’
One of the things about Meat Loaf is that he has a very definite sound and style, and this is why many people dislike him. It’s difficult to listen to for an extended period of time; there’s only so long you can handle the overflowing emotion in ballads such track three ‘Heaven Can Wait’. I don’t understand why Meat Loaf has lost his credibility with the music-listening youth, but I do understand why he isn’t many people's cup of tea. ‘All Revved Up And No Place To Go’ is another classic Meat Loaf song, and provides a return to the emotion-fuelled rock sounds, as opposed to the emotion-fuelled piano ballad sound of the previous track. Okay, so it’s all very emotion-fuelled - Meat Loaf never was one for light-hearted music. The rock and roll sound is inherent in this track; it’s no Status Quo song, but the rhythm is there.
‘Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad’ could well be the universally known Meat Loaf track. The audience can almost be heard in amongst the harmonies - everybody knows the words to this one. As ever, Meat Loaf’s voice sours and swoops in amongst the strings, for five minutes. ‘Paradise By the Dashboard Light’ begins in as a high-tempo rock-shuffle blues track, and quickly becomes a dialogue between Meat Loaf and Patti Russo. You can almost see the middle-aged men twirling their wives around in the audience, their faces all plastered with the same ecstatic grin. Sudenly the mood changes, there’s a funk sound and a radio-commentator-esque voice, maybe sampled, maybe live. The beauty of this song is the variety of styles and moods throughout and the development of the dialogue. ‘I’ve got to know right now before we go any further, do you love me? Will you love me forever?’ The orchestral stabs, punctuating and accentuating the emotion Patti Russo’s part of the dialogue are fantastic. As the song winds down again, Meat Loaf apparently becomes Korn’s Jonathan Davis, with his demonlike growled vocals. This is confusing, to say the least.
‘For Crying Out Loud’ is a dirgy, yearning song that builds up from just the piano and voice, until the whole orchestra as well as the band are playing in beautiful polyphony. This build up happens twice, resulting in another song breaking the ten minute mark. The end sees Meat Loaf’s voice, alone in the massive hall, pouring its emotion over the audience. This is the end of the regular tracks. The first bonus track is the anthemic ‘I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), complete with it’s howling, sweeping introduction. The orchestra is possibly most obviously present and effective here. This is a song to get the endorphins flowing. The final track, ‘Couldn’t Have Said It Better’ begins with the drums, and a yell from Meat Loaf before the harmonies arrive and the piano twinkles into existence. By this point in the album I am sad to say that I am beginning to find the Meat Loaf sound a little formulaic. These are still inspiring songs, but perhaps it is more your dad’s thing.