NewCC0083: Meat Loaf
- Bat out of Hell (78): ****
- Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell (93): ****
- Live Around the World (96): *** 1/2
- Dead Ringer (81): ***
- Hits Out of Hell (84): ***
- Bad Attitude (84): ** 1/2
- Midnight at the Lost & Found (83): **
- Blind Before I Stop (86): * 1/2
- Welcome to the Neighbourhood (95): * 1/2
This is a new entry in an up-dated series I'm calling the New Critical Consensus. Several people have requested updates of the older series, and since critical opinions shift, I am revamping the entire system. I am averaging the opinions of several excellent music critics to produce a list of each artist's albums. Rather than using a number system, which was perhaps a bit clunky, I will now be using a five-star system. The albums will be listed in a recommended purchasing order, so new fans will have an idea of where the best place to start buying an artist's work is.
These are not my opinions, although, since I have chosen the critics used (and I'm using many), my taste will perhaps seep through a bit.
Terribly nerdy, I know, but maybe this will help people only now beginning to dabble into certain artists' bodies of work.
Scale:
***** - Masterpiece
**** 1/2 - Classic
**** - Great
*** 1/2 - Good
*** - Above Average
** 1/2 - Average
** - Below Average
* 1/2 - Bad
* - Terrible
1/2 - One of the worst albums ever
Interesting choice for this series of lists. The 2 Bat albums are great according to the critics? I must say I am a little surprised because I remeber ol Meat being lambasted when that first Bat came out. It has always has been a sentimental favorite because it came out when I was 16 years old thus making me the perfect demographic for this album; 16, Male, White,and horny as hell. Always thought Rock and Roll needs a little of the Bombast and Granduer of the theatre.
Time has lead the critics to be quite a bit kinder to Bat out of Hell, even if I personally am still not convinced. Led Zeppelin were also rather critically ravaged in the 70s, but obviously, the critics do change their minds.
Maybe I had to be 16 at the time... :)
As it is, Meat Loaf just ain't my dish.
I've been trying to slip in a few British favorites into this series, and oddly enough, Bat out of Hell is held as a masterpiece by many British audiences. Meat Loaf is much more popular over the Atlantic. I've no idea why.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs