If rock and roll were compared to plays, Meat Loaf would
definitely be one of the marquee names on Broadway. There has
always been a sense of theatrics to his music, with songs that
sometimes border on overproduction and themes that sound like they
were plucked from popular culture.
Yet, somehow, he impresses. There’s a reason why
Bat Out Of Hell continues to sell even today. In 1993, Loaf,
along with his legendary songwriting partner Jim Steinman, recorded
the long-awaited followup,
Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell. And though there are a
few moments where “overblown” is a nice expression, Loaf delivers
another winning album deserving of its namesake.
The hit single “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)”
is both an example of how entertaining the partnership of
Loaf/Steinman is, as well as how too much of anything can be
deadly. The basic track itself is a surprisingly touching love
song, in which our hero professes his undying love. (One would tend
to think this is a new protagonist, not the same one who was
“praying for the end of time” in “Paradise By The Dashboard Lights”
off of
Bat Out Of Hell.) It’s an incredibly powerful track, but it
goes awry when the chorus and bridges are dragged on and on. The
track could have easily had about two minutes lopped off, and it
would not have lost one ounce of emotion or power – but it would
have lost its redundancy.
Loaf and Steinman continue to deliver power punch after power
punch on
Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell. “Life Is A Lemon And I
Want My Money Back” could well be the sleeper hit of the entire
album, which shows that Loaf has lost none of his original vocal
power. I really can’t explain why I like this track so much, I just
keep finding myself going back to it time and time again. Another
hit single, “Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through,” is equally as
enjoyable.
There are times, however, that the song titles seem like they
were pulled out of a stack of bumper stickers. “Out Of The Frying
Pan (And Into The Fire)” and “Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go
Everywhere)” sound so cliched, while “Objects In The Rear View
Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” – I don’t even want to know
where the title inspiration came from. What is surprising is that,
despite the inane song titles, Loaf and Steinman still deliver
powerful tracks that transcend any preconceived notions you might
have of them. As much as I hate the title, “Objects…” turns out
to be a beautiful ballad.
Another sleeper on this album is the spoken-word piece “Wasted
Youth,” which tells of the love affair between our hero and a
Fender guitar (and its eventual attempted destruction). This
light-hearted break will put a smile on your face.
For almost the entire album, Loaf and Steinman keep you
enthralled and intrigued, proving that
Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell might even be a better
album than its predecessor – no mean trick to pull off. There have
been rumors about whether there will be a
Bat Out Of Hell III, but nothing confirmed to this date. All
I know is that no matter what Loaf and Steinman come up with for
the third album, they’re gonna have a hell of a time topping this
one.
