Meat Loaf--You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (1978)

     Last week I was driving around town running errands when on the radio this song jumped out of my speakers....just like it did in 1978. Like with many artists in almost all genres, Meatloaf's success was a much timing as anything. After all the idea for the project that was to become, "Bat Out Of Hell" was started in 1972, and begun in earnest in 74. Todd Rundgren chose to work on the project, and finally after shopping the music around to just about every record label, it was released by Cleveland International Records in 1977. It wasn't that the music wasn't good, it's just there was no category (as far as record executives were concerned) to put it.  

      Looking back, it was overblown and way over the top, but nothing had been done quite that bombastic before....the long theatrical songs....the almost operatic approach to the music....not to mention the totally over the top performances. From the first notes of the album, "Bat Out Of Hell", you are grabbed by the collar and not let go...even the sound of the ballads will not let up. Listening to it almost 35 years later, it still catches you attention, but by about 3/4 through, your going, "enough already". Which might be why Meat Loaf's singing career has gone the way it has because you can only take small doses of it at a time. Thankfully, besides being a talented singer, he also is a great actor having been in many roles on the stage, movies and television.

      Having said all of that, in the midst of my "disco winter", this seemed like manna to get me through (I wasn't into the punk scene...not tuneful enough)...until the next big thing musically. So listen and enjoy to a true original...