By most odds, the singer should’ve been dead over 40 years ago. Then quite obese – yet energetic on stage – part of the “Bat Out of Hell” phenomenon in the late 1970s were fans fearfully speculating that every concert would be his last. And Meat Loaf was a true phenomenon; his solo debut was not only one of the biggest selling albums in rock history, it – and he – sparked a craze that lasted a solid two-plus years. Millions of people – more than half of them women – became hardcore fans seemingly overnight, enthralled by a theatrical approach to rock music (courtesy of songwriter Jim Steinman, but delivered by a man who had experience in musicals).
You’d have to be my age or older to fully appreciate the weight of Meat Loaf’s initial impact. My recollections of the time are so vivid because my then-teenaged aunt was a huge fan – and I spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ house in ’78-’79. She – and so many like her – knew all the lyrics, pored over every magazine Mr. Loaf appeared in. The songs were omnipresent on the radio. Rumours spread like wildfire, without the aid of social media – stuff like “Oh, Meat Loaf has collapsed in Kansas City!” – and the singer did actually break a leg onstage in ’78.
I didn’t care for him, or that sort of music, at all. Couldn’t stand it then, can’t stand it now. But I’ve never been stupid enough to deny talent and acknowledge hard work. The guy was really talented, and he gave it everything he had. And I’ll admit, this is a pretty good ballad. Like so many others, a sing-along that his fans doubtlessly keep close to their hearts.
Farewell, Meat Loaf. You contributed so much to the soundtracks of so many lives.
Meat Loaf’s CRAZY Encounter after the JFK Assassination | EXTENDED Interview | Huckabee
