5.0 out of 5 based on 2 reviews. – Customer review on 28/05/2011

The title track begins with jarring , jamming keyboards, rocking guitar that more or less reflects the hard-rocking tone of this all-time classic. The main character here is someone who takes life by the throat in the dark, riding a "silver black phantom bike." With the line "When the motor is hot and the engine is hungry", I'm not sure whether he's talking about the bike or himself, such is the hunger of the main character. And even finishing ten seconds shy of ten minutes, it isn't excessive--worth every minute.
The opening narrative between "the wolf with the red rose" and the girl, probably Ellen Foley, in "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" is quite something. The question, "On a hot summer night, will you offer your throat to the wolf with the red rose?" After she presses him with all these questions, such as "Will he love me?", "Will he starve without me?" and having been replied in the affirmative, she finally answers his original question, repeated, "yes." He says, "I bet you say that to all the boys." What a punchline! Hey, women are like that! It bursts into an operatic blaze of sound, the setting being a hot summer night on a beach, where the girl does the title action, just when he was going to say "I love you." The chorus is done a capella with handclaps at the end, in contrast with the rest of the song.

In "Heaven Can Wait", a sweet tender ballad, our main character, is feeling tamed by the girl, whom he equates with paradise. Fate has a funny way in things, as he says, "I got a taste of paradise/If I had it any sooner, you know I never would have run away from my home."

"All Revved Up And No Place To Go" begins with a throbbing bass rhythm punctuated by Edgar Winter's sax, before going into frantic mode towards the final minute of the song.

The sad and heartbreaking "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" is a narrative of a man telling a girl why he can't love her, all beacause of some woman in his past who told him what he's telling her now: "I want you/I need you/But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you/Now don't be sad/'Cause two out of three ain't bad." Yeah, but what a poignant one out of three!

Then comes the all-time gem of the album--"Paradise By The Dashboard Light," an intense rocker punctuated by alternating by operatic power choruses. The story is well-told on classic rock radio, a one-night stand, one night love affair, call it what you will, hijacked by the girl who demands a more lasting committment before she puts out. Leave it to a woman to spoil things! Kidding! And when Ellen Foley shouts "Stop right there! I gotta know right now!" you better listen up! The tempo really kicks up and the tension builds up especially when Ellen confronts him: "What's it gonna be, boy? Yes or no?" And it keeps up when Meat Loaf responds with "Let me sleep on it." What a pressure cooker! Professor Bittan's piano is unmistakable here.

"For Crying Out Loud", which for a while has only Bittan's piano, later explodes with the NY and Philly Harmonic Orchestra. As for the live tracks, the guitar instrumental intro, "Great Boleros Of Fire," is a prelude to a live version of the title track.

Well-known musicians: Todd Rundgren on guitars and sometimes on keyboards and backing vocals, "Professor" Roy Bittan, best known on Springsteen's E. Street Band on piano, drummer and fellow E-StreeterMax Weinberg, Jim Steinman himself on keyboards, Ellen Foley contributing backing vocals, and on the live tracks, Bruce Kulick, later KISS's guitarist.

Jim Steinman's fantastic rock-opera style would be revisited in the long-awaited sequel, Bat Out Of The Hell 2-Back In Hell, and in some portions of Bonnie Tyler's Faster Than The Speed Of Night and Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire. And Meat Loaf can really belt out those powerful tunes, but can be equally tender on the slow songs. A masterpiece, what else can I say?

5.0 out of 5 based on 2 reviews. – Customer review on 28/11/2006

Bat out of Hell is a landmark in music as it's right in every way. Every song is a instant classis and the wonderful brilliance of Steinman and the massive voice of Meatloaf make this a truely perfect rock album. From the title track to the ending ballad (which contains everything you would ever want to say to an ex girlfriend you want to get back with!!) every song is perfect. Have you listened to Pandoras Box? It seems that everything that Steinman writes is superbly crafted and it what your ears were made for...