Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell
Encyclopedia
Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell is a 1993 studio album
by Meat Loaf
and was written and produced by Jim Steinman
. It was released sixteen years after Meat Loaf's second solo album Bat Out of Hell
. It reached #1 in the US, the UK and Australia. Three tracks were released as singles, including "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
", which reached #1 in 28 countries.
Some of the songs were intended for Meat Loaf's second solo album. However, due to problems with his voice, and other disagreements, his voice did not end up on that album. Instead, Steinman used those songs on his album Bad for Good
. Some of the songs had been first released on Pandora's Box
's 1989 album, Original Sin.
The album was released by Virgin Records
outside of North America, where it was released by MCA. The third part of the Bat trilogy, Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
, was released in 2006.
Rock Hour Special interview, Steinman recalls the writing process.
In a 1993 promotional interview for the album, Steinman reasserts the continuation of the Bat world. "I didn't call it Bat Out of Hell II just to identify with the first record. It really does feel like an extension of that... It was a chance to go back to that world and explore it deeper. It always seemed incomplete because I conceived it like a film, and what would you do without Die Hard 2
?"
Steinman rejoined Meat Loaf and the band for a live performance in Toronto
, Canada in 1978 with the intention of going through the songs for Bat II after the show. However, someone broke into their dressing rooms during the show and stole several possessions, including the new lyric book. Then, Meat Loaf lost his voice and was unable to record Renegade Angel. Steinman says "he sounded literally like the little girl in The Exorcist
... like a dragon trying to sing—it was a horrifying sound." Steinman "kept writing the music to Bat Out of Hell part 2... my sequel." Not being able to "bear for people not to hear those songs," Steinman recorded the album, retitled Bad for Good
, as a solo project, although Rory Dodd
contributed lead vocals on some songs. Four songs from Bad for Good were included on Bat Out of Hell II. In 1989, Steinman formed all-female vocal group Pandora's Box
. The album, Original Sin, was a commercial flop, but featured two songs which would also appear on Bat II. Meat Loaf says "Jim put "It Just Won't Quit" on Original Sin without telling me. I could have strangled him."
By the time Meat Loaf set about finally recording Bat II in the early 90s, the industry's enthusiasm for the project had waned. According to the artist's then manager, Tommy Manzi, in an interview with HitQuarters
, "That project was considered a joke as far as the industry was concerned," and Manzi's management company Left Bank were "laughed at" for attempting to revive the fortunes of a well-established act rather than focus on "the next hip band".
at Christmas 1989 or 1990 and sang Bat Out of Hell on piano. Steinman says that "working together again seemed like the cool thing to do."
Steinman gave Meat Loaf half the songs for the album, but refused to give him any more until he changed managers. The singer was being managed by Walter Winneck and George Gilbert, who Meat Loaf credits as being "honest guys" but, under Steinman's influence, thinks would be "incapable of dealing with the record companies" on Bat II. On Steinman's recommendation, he hired Allen Kovac.
Recording of the album lasted from 1991 to 1993, first at Ocean Way Recording
in Los Angeles, California
, then at The Power Station
in New York City, New York.
Many of the performers from the original album returned for the sequel. Roy Bittan
performed keyboard and piano on most tracks, with Todd Rundgren
, Ellen Foley
, Rory Dodd
and Kasim Sulton
returning to provide background vocals. Meat Loaf and the musicians are credited as co-arrangers, and Bittan and long-term Steinman collaborator Steven Rinkoff
are credited as associate producers. The album was mixed
by David Thoener with the exception of the final track, which was mixed by Rinkoff.
According to Meat Loaf, he and Steinman only had one "big fight" throughout the album's production, which occurred during the mixing of "Life Is a Lemon". Production took a long time (see above), mainly because of the length of the songs. The singer says, "Jim's songs may be miniature operas, but they're always too long for radio." Steinman fought with Kovac over the edit of "I'd Do Anything for Love", with the manager advising that radio stations were unlikely to play anything over five minutes long.
Steinman had secured Lorraine Crosby
, a club singer from North East England
whom he was managing, a contract with Meat Loaf's recording label MCA. While visiting the company's recording studios on Sunset Boulevard
, Crosby was asked to provide guide vocals for Meat Loaf, who was recording "I'd Do Anything for Love". Crosby recalls, "I went and sang it twice and I never thought anything more of it until six months later when I got a phone call saying, 'Would you mind if we used your vocals?'" Cher
, Melissa Etheridge
and Bonnie Tyler
had been considered for the role. However, as Crosby had recorded her part as guide vocals, she did not receive any royalties from the song.
's contribution in the middle of "Bat Out of Hell". Each verse comprises two things that he would do for love, followed by one thing that he would not do. It is that latter parts of each chorus that is the "that" of the title. However, some people misunderstand the lyrics, claiming that the singer never identifies what the "that" is that he is unwilling to do, a confusion that Steinman predicted during production. The song combines stadium rock
and ballad
for much of its twelve minutes. However, near the end of the song, a female vocalist is introduced. Credited in the liner notes as Mrs. Loud, this part was sung by Lorraine Crosby
.
Rundgren points out that "the themes of the songs were darker." The second track, "Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back", demonstrates this pessimism. Several things are identified as "defective", including love, sex, gods, childhood and the future. Allmusic labels it "a stomping rocker that wraps serious feelings in a cryptically witty metaphor." Despite the pessimism, both Allmusic and Meat Loaf point out that "it is a funny song."
The third track, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", is a prayer to rock music, celebrating how it is always there to help you through troubled times. One of its lyrics is "You're never alone, 'cause you can put on the 'phones
and let the drummer tell your heart what to do." The fourth track also has dark overtones. "It Just Won't Quit", Steinman explains, "is about the fact that there are some things you never shake off... That's love, I guess." "Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)" is a more upbeat song.
The album's sixth track, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" is a three part narrative that uses pathetic fallacy
, where the seasons (summer, winter and spring) reflect the atmosphere of the events being described, drawing "its inspiration from the singer's often-tragic childhood. The lyrics portray a man who has overcome tragedies in his life yet still feels haunted by their memory." Steinman says that it was "the hardest song to write and get across."
The track quotes lyrics from the original's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" ("It was long ago and it was far away"), as does the next track, "Wasted Youth", a spoken word fantasy monologue (a remixed version of "Love and Death and an American Guitar" from Steinman's Bad for Good
album). The 1977 song's opening line "I remember every [...] little thing as if it happened only yesterday. I was barely seventeen" opens this track also, but instead of being "barely dressed" the protagonist "once killed a boy with a Fender guitar." Influenced by The Doors
, Steinman wanted to write a piece where "the rhythm wasn't coming from the drums so much as the voice—the rhythm of the spoken voice and the heartbeat behind it."
According to Steinman, "Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)" is a "teenage prayer". "Lost Boys and Golden Girls" is "Steinman's interpretation of the story of Peter Pan
." The composer says that Peter Pan has "always been about my favorite story and I've always looked at it from the perspective that it's a great rock and roll
myth because it's about—when you get right down to it—it's about a gang of lost boys who never grow up, who are going to be young forever and that's about as perfect an image for rock'n'roll as I can think of."
, following the style of Richard Corben
's cover for Bat Out of Hell. It features the biker
from the first cover flying on his motorcycle
towards a giant bat
perched on top of New York City
's Chrysler Building
. Echoing the gravestone
s of the first cover, partially destroyed skyscraper
s inhabit the lava
landscape. Also like the first album, it features a 'Songs by Jim Steinman' credit, although smaller and located at the bottom of the cover.
As well as providing thematic consistency with the original, the repetition of iconography
also acted as a vital marketing tool. The marketing
of the album was documented in an episode of the 1995 BBC television
programme The Music Biz. Executives at Virgin Records thought that this was important to attract the target audience, who they believed no longer spent much time in record shops. They felt that similarities to the design of the first album, including Meat Loaf's name in Gothic
typography
, would entice consumers of the 1977 album to purchase this.The section from this episode about the marketing of Bat Out of Hell II, and the filming of this music video, has been reshown as part of BBC Learning Zone
's media studies
strand.
The booklet contains all of the lyrics to the songs, each accompanied by a small Whelan illustration, which were used as the respective single covers. There is a suggestion to "support Tibet House
, "an organization dedicated to the unique culture of the Tibetan people which has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the world at large."
" became a worldwide number-one hit from this album. The song reached number one in the charts in 28 countries. It spent seven weeks atop the UK Singles Chart
, making it the most successful single in the UK that year. Simultaneously, Meat Loaf released "Bat Out of Hell
" as a single, which also made the top ten in the UK. Meat Loaf remained the last artist to have two top-ten UK singles at the same time until the Manic Street Preachers
in 2001.
"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single from the album, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are", did less well when it was released in 1994, reaching #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #26 in the UK. "Life Is a Lemon" peaked at #17 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States.
Michael Bay
directed three music video
s from the album. "I'd Do Anything for Love" is based on Beauty and the Beast
and The Phantom of the Opera
. "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" features a runaway
girl, played by Angelina Jolie
. "Objects in the Rear View Mirror" illustrates the song's narrative. Featuring Robert Patrick
, the video contained flying aircraft imagery that he would use in Armageddon and Pearl Harbor
.
In 1994, the three films were released as the VHS
tape Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell 2 – Picture Show, which also included alternate versions of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light
", "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" and "I'd Do Anything for Love", all featuring lead vocalist Patti Russo
. They were included on a DVD in 2006 with the 'Collectors Edition' release of the album.
, and the UK Albums Chart, and number one in Australia for four weeks. Meat Loaf won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "I'd Do Anything for Love".
Despite its huge commercial success, critical reception was mixed. The specialist music press were generally positive. Q magazine proclaimed, "truly this... is the genuine follow-up to the most over-the-top rock album of all time." Like most critics, Q referred to the excesses of Steinman's style, citing the length of the songs (Q says that "Objects..." running for 10 minutes and 12 seconds is "not necessary"). Unlike the original, where the epic loud songs were "offset by the softness of stuff like "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
"... even the ballads are Roman orgies of sound and fury." This, they say, means "the album's probable theme—the crushing effect growing up has on teenage dreams—seems to get lost among the thud and blunder." However, overall, Q is positive, concluding with the sentiment that "Ultimately, Back Into Hell may not trash its predecessor, but as a mad, crunching, stadium rock album, it's probably the best thing of its kind you'll hear this year."
Looking at how "Steinman's old-fashioned teen-dream rock 'n' roll fantasies" fits in with the music culture of 1993, Kerrang!
suggests that it wouldn't appeal to "Nirvana
and Metallica
fans, but there's an older generation of rockers out there who will, quite properly, worship this album." Their four-star review declares that "it is a work of genius, a ready made rock classic and arguably the last word in rock operas." In The Tip Sheet
, Jonathan King
labelled it a "glorious, splendid album," celebrating Meat Loaf's "operatically gorgeous" voice and Steinman's "superb" songs, arrangements and production. "You'll be blown away. Better still you'll catch yourself openly laughing out loud at times with delight. You know what to expect yet it's constantly better, fresher and brighter than you hope. If they had a Mercury Music Prize
for American albums, this would win it hands down."
In a 1999 documentary celebrating the original album, Meat Loaf says that Bat Out of Hell polarizes people: some hate it, and some worship it. The bombast did not meet some critics' approval. As with the first album, Rolling Stone
gave the album a mixed review. They call it "harmless, low-octane operatic drivel" with "insufferably long Steinman compositions with equally long names." Non-specialist publications gave the most negative reviews. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
also referred to the length of the songs, in which Steinman "vomits up 75 minutes of endlessly repeated choruses." The newspaper branded it "the worst pop album of 1993." The Des Moines Register thought that the album was "wallowing in excess so gratuitous as to make Michael Bolton
, by comparison, seem a master of understatement... Mountains of banshee-like wailing guitars! Thunderous drums
! Hernia
ted vocals! Profoundly stupid lyrics! Gack. This isn't pandering to the lowest common denominator
—it's lowering the lowest common denominator."
Like the original, retrospective reviews have been appreciative. Allmusic appreciates the bombast and "the pseudo-operatic splendor of Jim Steinman's grandly cinematic songs. Responding to concerns about length and overstatement, they reply, "that's precisely the point of this album, and is also why it works so well. No other rock & roller besides Meat Loaf could pull off the humor and theatricality of Back Into Hell and make it seem real. In that sense, it's a worthy successor to the original."
, Jim Steinman
and Todd Rundgren
.
This was produced by Meat Loaf and recorded and mixed by David Thoener. It was recorded in New York, NY in July 1993.
ed original album, while the second contains several radio edits and remixes. It was presented as a foldout double-disc set enhoused in a slipcase, with an extensive booklet with liner notes and rare photographs. Allmusic suggest that although the album deserves the attention, "the extra disc of material is [not] worth the time of anyone outside of fanatic
s... it doesn't really offer any revelations, curiosities, or an interesting listen for anybody else (and it may not be that interesting to those collectors, either)."
The tracks were recorded live in New York
during July 1993, except "For Crying Out Loud" which was recorded live in the USA in 1994. Live arrangements by Meat Loaf and the Neverland Express
featuring Patti Russo
as lead female vocalist. Tracks 1-6 and 8 were recorded and mixed by David Thoener, and the audio was remastered by Peter Mew
with Nigel Reeve at Abbey Road Studios
, London
.
videos, and a featurette with an interview with Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman, with behind the scenes footage from the video shoot of "I'd Do Anything for Love."
All sections were directed by Michael Bay and produced by Propaganda Films
. DVD produced by Abbey Road Interactive.
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
by Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
and was written and produced by Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
. It was released sixteen years after Meat Loaf's second solo album Bat Out of Hell
Bat out of Hell
Bat Out of Hell is the second album by American rock musician Meat Loaf, and his first collaboration with composer Jim Steinman, released in October 1977 on Cleveland International/Epic Records #PE-34974. Selling approximately 200,000 copies per year as of 2010, it is the fifth best-selling album...
. It reached #1 in the US, the UK and Australia. Three tracks were released as singles, including "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)
"I'd Do Anything for Love " is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The title of the song confused some listeners, who were curious to know what "that" is...
", which reached #1 in 28 countries.
Some of the songs were intended for Meat Loaf's second solo album. However, due to problems with his voice, and other disagreements, his voice did not end up on that album. Instead, Steinman used those songs on his album Bad for Good
Bad for Good
On the original vinyl release, "The Storm" and "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" were the A-side and B-side, respectively, of a 33-rpm 7" single, enclosed with the album. These tracks, according to Steinman's concept, are supposed to be the prelude and epilogue, respectively, of the album. The...
. Some of the songs had been first released on Pandora's Box
Pandora's Box (band)
Pandora's Box was a female pop music group assembled by Jim Steinman in the 1980s. Some of its members had previously worked with Steinman, in the ensemble Fire Inc., on the album Bat Out of Hell, on live shows and on other studio recordings...
's 1989 album, Original Sin.
The album was released by Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
outside of North America, where it was released by MCA. The third part of the Bat trilogy, Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose is an album by Meat Loaf, the third and last in the Bat Out of Hell series. It was released in October 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell , and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell .Produced by Desmond Child, it is the only Bat album not...
, was released in 2006.
History
In the midst of the success of Bat Out of Hell, desperate for a follow-up, management and the record company put pressure on Steinman to stop touring in order to write a follow-up, provisionally titled Renegade Angel. In a 1981 BBCBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
Rock Hour Special interview, Steinman recalls the writing process.
I started writing what I felt was Bat Out Of Hell part 2, definitely like The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
part I and part 2The Godfather Part IIThe Godfather Part II is a 1974 American gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the story of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also depicting the...
, that's how I saw it. I wanted to do a continuation and I wanted to do an album that went even further and that was more extreme, if possible, which a lot of people felt wasn't possible but I just wanted to see if I could make a record that was even more heroic because that's what I thought of it ... Bat Out of Hell to me was ultimately very heroic though it was funny ... and I wanted to do one that to me would be even more heroic and more epic and a little more operatic and passionate.
In a 1993 promotional interview for the album, Steinman reasserts the continuation of the Bat world. "I didn't call it Bat Out of Hell II just to identify with the first record. It really does feel like an extension of that... It was a chance to go back to that world and explore it deeper. It always seemed incomplete because I conceived it like a film, and what would you do without Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane...
?"
Steinman rejoined Meat Loaf and the band for a live performance in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada in 1978 with the intention of going through the songs for Bat II after the show. However, someone broke into their dressing rooms during the show and stole several possessions, including the new lyric book. Then, Meat Loaf lost his voice and was unable to record Renegade Angel. Steinman says "he sounded literally like the little girl in The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
... like a dragon trying to sing—it was a horrifying sound." Steinman "kept writing the music to Bat Out of Hell part 2... my sequel." Not being able to "bear for people not to hear those songs," Steinman recorded the album, retitled Bad for Good
Bad for Good
On the original vinyl release, "The Storm" and "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" were the A-side and B-side, respectively, of a 33-rpm 7" single, enclosed with the album. These tracks, according to Steinman's concept, are supposed to be the prelude and epilogue, respectively, of the album. The...
, as a solo project, although Rory Dodd
Rory Dodd
Rory Dodd is a Canadian rock vocalist who has performed many songs written by Jim Steinman. He is probably best known for singing the "Turn around, bright eyes" lyrics on Bonnie Tyler's version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart."...
contributed lead vocals on some songs. Four songs from Bad for Good were included on Bat Out of Hell II. In 1989, Steinman formed all-female vocal group Pandora's Box
Pandora's Box (band)
Pandora's Box was a female pop music group assembled by Jim Steinman in the 1980s. Some of its members had previously worked with Steinman, in the ensemble Fire Inc., on the album Bat Out of Hell, on live shows and on other studio recordings...
. The album, Original Sin, was a commercial flop, but featured two songs which would also appear on Bat II. Meat Loaf says "Jim put "It Just Won't Quit" on Original Sin without telling me. I could have strangled him."
By the time Meat Loaf set about finally recording Bat II in the early 90s, the industry's enthusiasm for the project had waned. According to the artist's then manager, Tommy Manzi, in an interview with HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
, "That project was considered a joke as far as the industry was concerned," and Manzi's management company Left Bank were "laughed at" for attempting to revive the fortunes of a well-established act rather than focus on "the next hip band".
Production
After a series of financial and legal disputes during the 1980s, Steinman and Meat Loaf met at the singer's house in ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
at Christmas 1989 or 1990 and sang Bat Out of Hell on piano. Steinman says that "working together again seemed like the cool thing to do."
Steinman gave Meat Loaf half the songs for the album, but refused to give him any more until he changed managers. The singer was being managed by Walter Winneck and George Gilbert, who Meat Loaf credits as being "honest guys" but, under Steinman's influence, thinks would be "incapable of dealing with the record companies" on Bat II. On Steinman's recommendation, he hired Allen Kovac.
Recording of the album lasted from 1991 to 1993, first at Ocean Way Recording
Ocean Way Recording
Ocean Way Recording is the name of a series of recording studios in Hollywood, California and Nashville, Tennessee. Ocean Way Studios is well known in the recording industry due to the award-winning albums that were produced there....
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, then at The Power Station
Avatar Studios
Avatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
in New York City, New York.
Many of the performers from the original album returned for the sequel. Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan is an American keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974...
performed keyboard and piano on most tracks, with Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley is an American singer and actress, who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom Night Court. In music, she has released three solo albums but is best known for her collaborations with the singer Meat Loaf.- Early life and career :Foley was born in St....
, Rory Dodd
Rory Dodd
Rory Dodd is a Canadian rock vocalist who has performed many songs written by Jim Steinman. He is probably best known for singing the "Turn around, bright eyes" lyrics on Bonnie Tyler's version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart."...
and Kasim Sulton
Kasim Sulton
Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States...
returning to provide background vocals. Meat Loaf and the musicians are credited as co-arrangers, and Bittan and long-term Steinman collaborator Steven Rinkoff
Steven Rinkoff
Steven Rinkoff is a Grammy Award–winning record producer, mixer, and sound engineer, best known for his work with songwriter-producer Jim Steinman...
are credited as associate producers. The album was mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by David Thoener with the exception of the final track, which was mixed by Rinkoff.
According to Meat Loaf, he and Steinman only had one "big fight" throughout the album's production, which occurred during the mixing of "Life Is a Lemon". Production took a long time (see above), mainly because of the length of the songs. The singer says, "Jim's songs may be miniature operas, but they're always too long for radio." Steinman fought with Kovac over the edit of "I'd Do Anything for Love", with the manager advising that radio stations were unlikely to play anything over five minutes long.
Steinman had secured Lorraine Crosby
Lorraine Crosby
Lorraine Crosby better known as Mrs. Loud, is a singer-songwriter from North East England. Her most famous work is as the female vocalist in Meat Loaf's 1993 hit single "I'd Do Anything for Love ".-Early life:...
, a club singer from North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
whom he was managing, a contract with Meat Loaf's recording label MCA. While visiting the company's recording studios on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
, Crosby was asked to provide guide vocals for Meat Loaf, who was recording "I'd Do Anything for Love". Crosby recalls, "I went and sang it twice and I never thought anything more of it until six months later when I got a phone call saying, 'Would you mind if we used your vocals?'" Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
and Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
had been considered for the role. However, as Crosby had recorded her part as guide vocals, she did not receive any royalties from the song.
Compositions
The album opens with "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". The track begins with a guitar played to sound like a revving motorcycle, a reference to Todd RundgrenTodd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
's contribution in the middle of "Bat Out of Hell". Each verse comprises two things that he would do for love, followed by one thing that he would not do. It is that latter parts of each chorus that is the "that" of the title. However, some people misunderstand the lyrics, claiming that the singer never identifies what the "that" is that he is unwilling to do, a confusion that Steinman predicted during production. The song combines stadium rock
Arena rock
Arena rock is a term used to describe rock music that utilised large arena venues, particularly sports venues, for concerts or series of concerts linked in tours...
and ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
for much of its twelve minutes. However, near the end of the song, a female vocalist is introduced. Credited in the liner notes as Mrs. Loud, this part was sung by Lorraine Crosby
Lorraine Crosby
Lorraine Crosby better known as Mrs. Loud, is a singer-songwriter from North East England. Her most famous work is as the female vocalist in Meat Loaf's 1993 hit single "I'd Do Anything for Love ".-Early life:...
.
Rundgren points out that "the themes of the songs were darker." The second track, "Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back", demonstrates this pessimism. Several things are identified as "defective", including love, sex, gods, childhood and the future. Allmusic labels it "a stomping rocker that wraps serious feelings in a cryptically witty metaphor." Despite the pessimism, both Allmusic and Meat Loaf point out that "it is a funny song."
The third track, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", is a prayer to rock music, celebrating how it is always there to help you through troubled times. One of its lyrics is "You're never alone, 'cause you can put on the 'phones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
and let the drummer tell your heart what to do." The fourth track also has dark overtones. "It Just Won't Quit", Steinman explains, "is about the fact that there are some things you never shake off... That's love, I guess." "Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)" is a more upbeat song.
The album's sixth track, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" is a three part narrative that uses pathetic fallacy
Pathetic fallacy
The pathetic fallacy, anthropomorphic fallacy or sentimental fallacy is the treatment of inanimate objects as if they had human feelings, thought, or sensations. The pathetic fallacy is a special case of the fallacy of reification...
, where the seasons (summer, winter and spring) reflect the atmosphere of the events being described, drawing "its inspiration from the singer's often-tragic childhood. The lyrics portray a man who has overcome tragedies in his life yet still feels haunted by their memory." Steinman says that it was "the hardest song to write and get across."
It's a very passionate song. It's really, I think maybe, the most passionate one on the record. I mean, I'm really proud of it because that's really one that goes over-the-top in the sense that it's got images—it has religious imagery of resurrectionResurrectionResurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
, it's got images of fertilityFertilityFertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
and rebirthReincarnationReincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
, it has really very good sexual images, images of cars—which I always like.
The track quotes lyrics from the original's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" ("It was long ago and it was far away"), as does the next track, "Wasted Youth", a spoken word fantasy monologue (a remixed version of "Love and Death and an American Guitar" from Steinman's Bad for Good
Bad for Good
On the original vinyl release, "The Storm" and "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" were the A-side and B-side, respectively, of a 33-rpm 7" single, enclosed with the album. These tracks, according to Steinman's concept, are supposed to be the prelude and epilogue, respectively, of the album. The...
album). The 1977 song's opening line "I remember every [...] little thing as if it happened only yesterday. I was barely seventeen" opens this track also, but instead of being "barely dressed" the protagonist "once killed a boy with a Fender guitar." Influenced by The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, Steinman wanted to write a piece where "the rhythm wasn't coming from the drums so much as the voice—the rhythm of the spoken voice and the heartbeat behind it."
According to Steinman, "Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)" is a "teenage prayer". "Lost Boys and Golden Girls" is "Steinman's interpretation of the story of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
." The composer says that Peter Pan has "always been about my favorite story and I've always looked at it from the perspective that it's a great rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
myth because it's about—when you get right down to it—it's about a gang of lost boys who never grow up, who are going to be young forever and that's about as perfect an image for rock'n'roll as I can think of."
Cover and booklet
The cover art was illustrated by sci-fi/fantasy artist Michael WhelanMichael Whelan
Michael Whelan is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years he worked as an illustrator specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art...
, following the style of Richard Corben
Richard Corben
Richard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
's cover for Bat Out of Hell. It features the biker
Motorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
from the first cover flying on his motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
towards a giant bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
perched on top of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State...
. Echoing the gravestone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
s of the first cover, partially destroyed skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s inhabit the lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
landscape. Also like the first album, it features a 'Songs by Jim Steinman' credit, although smaller and located at the bottom of the cover.
As well as providing thematic consistency with the original, the repetition of iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
also acted as a vital marketing tool. The marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
of the album was documented in an episode of the 1995 BBC television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
programme The Music Biz. Executives at Virgin Records thought that this was important to attract the target audience, who they believed no longer spent much time in record shops. They felt that similarities to the design of the first album, including Meat Loaf's name in Gothic
Blackletter
Blackletter, also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule, or Textura, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 to well into the 17th century. It continued to be used for the German language until the 20th century. Fraktur is a notable script of this type, and sometimes...
typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
, would entice consumers of the 1977 album to purchase this.The section from this episode about the marketing of Bat Out of Hell II, and the filming of this music video, has been reshown as part of BBC Learning Zone
BBC Learning Zone
The BBC Learning Zone is an educational strand run by the BBC as an overnight service on BBC Two. It shows programming aimed at students in Primary, Secondary and Higher Education and to adult learners...
's media studies
Media studies
Media studies is an academic discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the 'mass media'. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass...
strand.
The booklet contains all of the lyrics to the songs, each accompanied by a small Whelan illustration, which were used as the respective single covers. There is a suggestion to "support Tibet House
Tibet House
Tibet House US was founded in 1987 by Columbia University professor Robert Thurman, actor Richard Gere and modern composer Philip Glass at the behest of the 14th H.H. Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. It was initially organized in New York City, USA, and the Tibet House US is still based there...
, "an organization dedicated to the unique culture of the Tibetan people which has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the world at large."
Singles and videos
Three tracks from the album were released as singles. "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)
"I'd Do Anything for Love " is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The title of the song confused some listeners, who were curious to know what "that" is...
" became a worldwide number-one hit from this album. The song reached number one in the charts in 28 countries. It spent seven weeks atop the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, making it the most successful single in the UK that year. Simultaneously, Meat Loaf released "Bat Out of Hell
Bat out of Hell (song)
"Bat Out of Hell" is a song written by Jim Steinman, for the 1977 album Bat Out of Hell. It was released as a single in 1979, and again in 1993...
" as a single, which also made the top ten in the UK. Meat Loaf remained the last artist to have two top-ten UK singles at the same time until the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
in 2001.
"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single from the album, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are", did less well when it was released in 1994, reaching #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #26 in the UK. "Life Is a Lemon" peaked at #17 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States.
Michael Bay
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
directed three music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s from the album. "I'd Do Anything for Love" is based on Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale. The first published version of the fairy tale was a rendition by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in La jeune américaine, et les contes marins in 1740...
and The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
. "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" features a runaway
Runaway youth
A runaway is a minor or a person under an arbitrary age, depending upon the local jurisdiction, who has left the home of his or her parent or legal guardian without permission, or has been thrown out by his or her parent and is considered by the local authorities to lack the capacity to live under...
girl, played by Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
. "Objects in the Rear View Mirror" illustrates the song's narrative. Featuring Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
, the video contained flying aircraft imagery that he would use in Armageddon and Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor (film)
Pearl Harbor is a 2001 American action drama war film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Randall Wallace, who wrote the screenplay...
.
In 1994, the three films were released as the VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tape Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell 2 – Picture Show, which also included alternate versions of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Paradise by the Dashboard Light
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is a song written by Jim Steinman. It was first released in 1977 on the album Bat Out of Hell, with vocals by the American musician Meat Loaf alongside Ellen Foley...
", "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" and "I'd Do Anything for Love", all featuring lead vocalist Patti Russo
Patti Russo
Patricia "Patti" Russo is an American singer/songwriter/actress. She is perhaps best known as Meat Loaf's female lead vocalist, touring the world with his Neverland Express band for eighteen years.-Career:...
. They were included on a DVD in 2006 with the 'Collectors Edition' release of the album.
Track listing
Reception
The album was a commercial hit, and has sold more than 14 million copies around the world. It was number one for one week in the US on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and the UK Albums Chart, and number one in Australia for four weeks. Meat Loaf won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "I'd Do Anything for Love".
Despite its huge commercial success, critical reception was mixed. The specialist music press were generally positive. Q magazine proclaimed, "truly this... is the genuine follow-up to the most over-the-top rock album of all time." Like most critics, Q referred to the excesses of Steinman's style, citing the length of the songs (Q says that "Objects..." running for 10 minutes and 12 seconds is "not necessary"). Unlike the original, where the epic loud songs were "offset by the softness of stuff like "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
Two out of Three Ain't Bad
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is a love song by the American musician Meat Loaf in his solo career, preceded by "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" and followed by "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". It is a track off his 1977 album Bat out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman. It reached #11 on...
"... even the ballads are Roman orgies of sound and fury." This, they say, means "the album's probable theme—the crushing effect growing up has on teenage dreams—seems to get lost among the thud and blunder." However, overall, Q is positive, concluding with the sentiment that "Ultimately, Back Into Hell may not trash its predecessor, but as a mad, crunching, stadium rock album, it's probably the best thing of its kind you'll hear this year."
Looking at how "Steinman's old-fashioned teen-dream rock 'n' roll fantasies" fits in with the music culture of 1993, Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
suggests that it wouldn't appeal to "Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
fans, but there's an older generation of rockers out there who will, quite properly, worship this album." Their four-star review declares that "it is a work of genius, a ready made rock classic and arguably the last word in rock operas." In The Tip Sheet
The Tip Sheet
The Tip Sheet was a weekly magazine and CD insert for UK music industry insiders. Jonathan King founded it and was managing editor until his imprisonment in 2001. His brother, Andy, took over the position, helped by Joe Taylor....
, Jonathan King
Jonathan King
Jonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...
labelled it a "glorious, splendid album," celebrating Meat Loaf's "operatically gorgeous" voice and Steinman's "superb" songs, arrangements and production. "You'll be blown away. Better still you'll catch yourself openly laughing out loud at times with delight. You know what to expect yet it's constantly better, fresher and brighter than you hope. If they had a Mercury Music Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
for American albums, this would win it hands down."
In a 1999 documentary celebrating the original album, Meat Loaf says that Bat Out of Hell polarizes people: some hate it, and some worship it. The bombast did not meet some critics' approval. As with the first album, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album a mixed review. They call it "harmless, low-octane operatic drivel" with "insufferably long Steinman compositions with equally long names." Non-specialist publications gave the most negative reviews. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
also referred to the length of the songs, in which Steinman "vomits up 75 minutes of endlessly repeated choruses." The newspaper branded it "the worst pop album of 1993." The Des Moines Register thought that the album was "wallowing in excess so gratuitous as to make Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
, by comparison, seem a master of understatement... Mountains of banshee-like wailing guitars! Thunderous drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
! Hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
ted vocals! Profoundly stupid lyrics! Gack. This isn't pandering to the lowest common denominator
Lowest common denominator
In mathematics, the lowest common denominator or least common denominator is the least common multiple of the denominators of a set of vulgar fractions...
—it's lowering the lowest common denominator."
Like the original, retrospective reviews have been appreciative. Allmusic appreciates the bombast and "the pseudo-operatic splendor of Jim Steinman's grandly cinematic songs. Responding to concerns about length and overstatement, they reply, "that's precisely the point of this album, and is also why it works so well. No other rock & roller besides Meat Loaf could pull off the humor and theatricality of Back Into Hell and make it seem real. In that sense, it's a worthy successor to the original."
Personnel
Arranged by Meat LoafMeat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
, Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
and Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
.
- Meat Loaf – lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, backing vocals (tracks 2, 4) - Pat ThrallPat ThrallPat Thrall is an American rock guitarist. Thrall is a native of the San Francisco area, and began his recording career in 1972. He played guiatar,vocals and percussion with the group Cookin Mama album: new day , that also had this brother Preston Thrall on percussion.Thrall has worked with former...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(tracks 4, 5) - Tim Pierce – guitar (tracks 1–5)
- Eddie MartinezEddie MartinezEddie Martinez is an American guitarist, born and raised in New York City, who mainly functions as a session musician. He has worked with David Lee Roth , Run-D.M.C. , Robert Palmer , Meat Loaf , several Jim Steinman projects, and many others...
– guitar (tracks 1, 2, 6, 8, 9) - Steve Buslowe – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Roy BittanRoy BittanRoy Bittan is an American keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Bill PayneBill PayneBill Payne is a founding member of American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other piano rock musicians, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues music artists...
– piano (tracks 6, 8, 11) - Jeff BovaJeff BovaJeff Bova is an American Grammy Award winning keyboardist, composer, arranger and record producer. He has been active in music industry since the mid-1970s, contributing to dozens of recordings by significant mainstream artists like Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Blondie, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker,...
– synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, programming - Lenny Pickett – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(tracks 3, 9) - Justin Meagher – bagpipesBagpipesBagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, drums (track 8) - Brian Meagher, Jr. – bagpipes, drums (track 8)
- Kenny AronoffKenny AronoffKenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
– drums - Jimmy Bralower – drums (track 9)
- Rick MarottaRick MarottaRick Marotta is a US-based drummer and percussionist who appears on many recordings by leading artists such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Stevie Nicks, Wynonna, Roy Orbison, Todd Rundgren, Roberta Flack, Peter Frampton, Quincy...
– drums (tracks 6, 8) - Jim Steinman – voice (track 7), backing vocals (track 2)
- Lorraine "Mrs. Loud" CrosbyLorraine CrosbyLorraine Crosby better known as Mrs. Loud, is a singer-songwriter from North East England. Her most famous work is as the female vocalist in Meat Loaf's 1993 hit single "I'd Do Anything for Love ".-Early life:...
– female lead vocals (track 1) - Ellen FoleyEllen FoleyEllen Foley is an American singer and actress, who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom Night Court. In music, she has released three solo albums but is best known for her collaborations with the singer Meat Loaf.- Early life and career :Foley was born in St....
– additional vocals (track 6) - Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
(track 6), Kasim SultonKasim SultonKasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States...
, Stuart EmersonStuart EmersonStuart Emerson is a background vocalist and musician playing drums, bass, keyboards, and guitars. He has worked on albums for artists including Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler....
(tracks 2, 6), Amy Goff (tracks 2, 9), Elaine Goff (tracks 2, 9), Max Haskett (tracks 6, 8), Curtis King (track 9), Gunnar NelsonGunnar NelsonGunnar Eric Nelson is an American musician, singer, and songwriter and international multi-platinum recording artist.-Family:...
(track 2), Matthew NelsonMatthew NelsonMatthew Gray Nelson is an American singer-songwriter, musician and international multi-platinum recording artist. He is the son of actress Kristin Harmon and the late teen idol Ricky Nelson. Along with his twin brother Gunnar, he has been a member of Nelson since 1990. Their single, " Love and...
(track 2), Robert Coron (track 2), Brett CullenBrett CullenPeter Brett Cullen is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs. Early in 2007, he was cast as the role of an estranged father to one of the American football players, Tim Riggins , in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights.Cullen was born in Houston,...
(track 2), Cynthia Geary (track 2), Michele LittleMichele LittleMichele Little is a former American actress, best known for her appearances in the 1980s and early 1990s.She retired in 1995 to raise a family after giving birth to a daughter by husband Brett Cullen.-Filmography:...
(track 2), Eric TroyerEric TroyerEric Lee Troyer is an American keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and occasional guitarist, best known as a member of ELO Part II and its successor, popular live band, The Orchestra. Troyer was a founding member of ELO Part II, having been recruited by band leader Bev Bevan in 1989.-Life and...
(track 11) – backing vocals
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 | |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
End-of-decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 87 |
Certification
1993 Special Limited Edition
Alongside the original version a two disc special edition was released, containing a foldout poster and a bonus disc containing three live tracks, which can also be found as b-sides to the "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" singles.Bonus CD track listing
- "Bat Out of Hell" – 12:11
- "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth" – 6:42
- "Everything Louder than Everything Else" – 9:19
This was produced by Meat Loaf and recorded and mixed by David Thoener. It was recorded in New York, NY in July 1993.
2002 Deluxe Edition
A two-disc "deluxe edition" was released by MCA on June 25, 2002. The first disc contains the remasterRemaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed original album, while the second contains several radio edits and remixes. It was presented as a foldout double-disc set enhoused in a slipcase, with an extensive booklet with liner notes and rare photographs. Allmusic suggest that although the album deserves the attention, "the extra disc of material is [not] worth the time of anyone outside of fanatic
Fanaticism
Fanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political cause or in some cases sports, or with an obsessive enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby...
s... it doesn't really offer any revelations, curiosities, or an interesting listen for anybody else (and it may not be that interesting to those collectors, either)."
CD 2 track listing
- "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" (radio edit) – 5:01
- "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (single edit) – 5:25
- "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" (radio edit) – 4:00
- "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" (radio edit) – 4:46
- "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" (Wild Bomb mix) – 6:01
- "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (longer, but still not as long as the album cut) – 7:52
- "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" (Ty CobbTy CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
mix) – 5:52 - "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" (Wild Car mix) – 7:40
- "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" (Knute RockneKnute RockneKnute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
edit) – 5:28 - "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" (1998 remix) – 8:07
2006 Collector's Edition
In 2006, a three disc collector's edition was released by Virgin/EMI. The first disc contains the original album remastered and the second a live version of the original Bat Out of Hell album plus "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", compiled from the various b-sides from the album's singles.CD 2 track listing
- "Bat Out of Hell" – 11:13
- "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth" – 6:35
- "Heaven Can Wait" – 4:48
- "All Revved Up with No Place to Go" – 7:55
- "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" – 7:38
- "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" – 11:27
- "For Crying Out Loud" – 9:51
- "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" – 12:44
The tracks were recorded live in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
during July 1993, except "For Crying Out Loud" which was recorded live in the USA in 1994. Live arrangements by Meat Loaf and the Neverland Express
Neverland Express
The Neverland Express is the name for Meat Loaf's live band. The name is most likely taken from Jim Steinman's affinity for Peter Pan.This list does not contain guest members.-Current lineup:Paul Crook: Lead Guitars: Guitars, VocalsDanny Miranda: Bass...
featuring Patti Russo
Patti Russo
Patricia "Patti" Russo is an American singer/songwriter/actress. She is perhaps best known as Meat Loaf's female lead vocalist, touring the world with his Neverland Express band for eighteen years.-Career:...
as lead female vocalist. Tracks 1-6 and 8 were recorded and mixed by David Thoener, and the audio was remastered by Peter Mew
Peter Mew
Peter Mew is a British music audio engineer at Abbey Road Studios where he is now senior mastering engineer. He came to Abbey Road in 1965 as a tape operator and has since worked with many artists at the studio...
with Nigel Reeve at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
DVD track listing
The final disc is a DVD containing all three of the Michael BayMichael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
videos, and a featurette with an interview with Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman, with behind the scenes footage from the video shoot of "I'd Do Anything for Love."
- "To Hell and Back: Meat Loaf & Jim Steinman Interview" – 9:22
- "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" – 7:40
- "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" – 5:47
- "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" – 7:43
All sections were directed by Michael Bay and produced by Propaganda Films
Propaganda Films
Propaganda Films was a prolific and successful music video and film production company founded in 1983 by producers Steve Golin and Sigurjón Sighvatsson and directors David Fincher, Nigel Dick, Greg Gold and Dominic Sena...
. DVD produced by Abbey Road Interactive.
Musicians (live tracks)
- Mark Alexander – piano, backing vocals
- Steve Buslowe – bass, backing vocals
- John MiceliJohn MiceliJohn Miceli is the current drummer for Meat Loaf's backing band, the Neverland Express.-Meat Loaf:Miceli began touring with Meat Loaf in 1991, and was a part of the Neverland Express when Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell took off, launching a major industry comeback for Meat Loaf...
– drums - Patti RussoPatti RussoPatricia "Patti" Russo is an American singer/songwriter/actress. She is perhaps best known as Meat Loaf's female lead vocalist, touring the world with his Neverland Express band for eighteen years.-Career:...
– female lead vocals, backing vocals - Kasim SultonKasim SultonKasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States...
– guitar, keyboards, backing vocals - Pat Thrall – lead guitar, backing vocals