Classic Albums: Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1999)
Never one for understatement, the aptly named singer known as Meat Loaf (aka Marvin Lee Aday) teamed with operatically-minded pianist-composer Jim Steinman to produce a bombastic slab of 1970s classic rock that has become one of the biggest selling albums of all time. Fueled by Steinman's epic compositions, Todd Rundgren's grandiose production, and Meat Loaf's own soaring vocals, the singer's 1977 debut BAT OUT OF HELL elevated the rock-opera genre to appropriately theatrical heights with its extravagant orchestration and a melodramatic narrative celebrating teenage rebellion. This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series recounts the making of this monumental work through interviews, archival footage, and live performances of album tracks such as "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth," "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," and, of course, the adolescent opus "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."
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It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
A behind the scenes look at the making of "Bat Out of Hell" with writer Jim Steinman and producer Todd Rundgren providing most of the commentary, along with Ellen Foley, Karla DeVito and Meat Loaf himself. It's not a concert film but a "making of..." type of film with interesting insights into how the album came about...such as how the motorcycle sound in "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" actually came from a guitar played by Rundgren, and why Karla DeVito sounds like Ellen Foley in the classic video of the song. Overall it's a great look at the making of a great album. The people interviewed seem to realize this was a shining moment in their career and all seem willing to participate.
Mostly Meatloaf, Steinman, and Rundgren candid interviews discussing the album. Not a lot of music or concert footage. Interesting viewing for serious Meatloaf fans.