So, Bat III; what is the verdict?

Please post a review of the show. I was suitably impressed with Loaf's vocals. Some a few of them peppered throughout the album actually sound operettic which is fantastic. Every time I see him on TV, he is always nervous or something and it isn't very good, but I'll be damned if I didn't jerk my head back several times and clap my hands and smile because he was nailing some powerful, tough, notes.

Now, after having listened to it only two times through so far (just isn't enough time in the world), I have to say it isn't on par with the other two Bats. The album isn't cohesive enough and there are too many simple powerchords and not enough steinman ornamentation that makes Bat Out of Hell what it should be. This is really shown in the piano, which really has no standout solos or even minor riffs to speak of (the guitars are basically the same way); it just blends in with the entire uproar of all the music--long heavy powerchords ~= Bat Out Of Hell. Those shouold be the underpinnings that everything else is supported by, not the everything of the songs. Even Couldn't Have Said It Better had some great piano licks and ornamentation to really move you through some of the tunes.

Now, I really do like the album, and it is better than, I think, anything I have bought in ages. Better than Have a Nice Day, certainly. But it just isn't Bat Out Of Hell. It is impressive that they got real organs and soloists etc on the tracks too, it really makes them sound better than the usual cheapo synthesizer. And man, it is a great feeling to hear key changes and some amount of musical complexity it rock music now and again, and this is about as complex as listenable rock music will get nowadays. So that is great to hear too.

The lyrics on most of the songs, too, aren't that good; in fact, some of them are downright bad (and some are nearly identical from line to line), which ruins the over-the-top drama that Steinman and Meat created on the other albums. That is what I thought on first listen, but after I listened to it again, I warmed up to 2 more songs' lyrics, but I think that is as far as I will go. I have to agree with the anti-Child sentiment. He mainstreamed it way too much, and much of it sounds like modern rock.

And this girl singing on It's All Coming Back just doesn' t have what Meat's previous co-singing ladies have had. She has a great poppy voice, but it isn't suited to Bat Out Of Hell. I know they needed some young pretty thing, but when I saw Meat singing with her on Kimmel, she just didn't fit and she looked 12 and he looked 50 and I felt a little dirty for watching .

My friends and I did a ceremonial car trip and listened to the entire album when we got it, and it will sound bizarre, but we all thought Christina Aguilera would have made a fine choice for a duet with Meat. We laughed about it, and then we all realized it really would be good.

What do you guys think? Her music generally stinks, but that woman has some power and grit that would go perfectly in a Meat duet.

So, anyway, great album that is too disjointed, not melodious enough within the instrumentation, with lyrics that just don't suit a Bat album, but it will probably be the best pop/rock music CD I purchase until....the next Bat Out Of Hell. And you will definitly be impressed with his vocals.

Oh yeah, and the album art was really cool (as always), but not as good as Bat II. I really like the IACBTMN art though. Really fits.

Steinman was a goof for not doing this album. Just a complete nitwit. But it was nice of Meat to give him big recognition on the back of the liner notes that everyone sees when they open it up.

B