Meat Loaf – Bat Out Of Hell: The
Original Tour (1978/Rockpalast
Series/Eagle Vision DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C Concert: C+
Yes, it is time once again (for whatever reason) to
revisit the infamous 1978 multi-platinum hit album Bat Out Of Hell by Meat Loaf, not to be confused with its 1993
sequel. Even by Mr. Loaf’s own
admission, you could rip his name off of it and write in someone else’s, which
is short hand for saying one’s work is generic and/or populist. We originally looked at the album when Eagle
reissued the volume of Classic Albums
that covered it. You can read more about
it at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4766/Classic+Albums:+Meat+Loaf
This time, we get a rare look at the man and his crew
(including creator Jim Steinman, who returned in the mid-1980s to record
multiple versions of the same hit record that you would know best as Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie (It’s A Heartache) Tyler.
Miss Tyler recently sang that song on an airplane and the airline was
sued.) The songs performed include:
1) Great Boleros Of Fire
2) Bat Out Of Hell
3) You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)
4) All Revved Up With No
Place To Go
5) Paradise By The Dashboard
Light (featuring
Karla DeVito)
6) Two Out Of Three Ain’t Band
7) All Revved Up With No
Place To Go (Reprise)
Unless
you are a fan, this is not easy to sit through and sit through without laughing
and/or falling asleep. Every time I see
our lead singer in his suit getting all sweated-out, I wonder if he is going to
have a heart attack. At any rate, if you
must hear the album and don’t want to just listen but see the singers and
musician in action, this is your disc.
You could do worse, but we’ve seen worse.
The 1.33
X 1 image is soft, but color is good and it is better more often than not from
what is likely an analog PAL video source, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
is not great, but just rich enough and offering enough separation (with audio
flaws of the time) to enjoy. The only
extra is an interview with Loaf and Steinman that runs about 15 minutes.
- Nicholas Sheffo
