The Very Best of Meat Loaf | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | November 2, 1998 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1977–1998 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 116:57 | |||
Label | Virgin (UK), Epic (US) | |||
Meat Loaf chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
The Very Best of Meat Loaf is a 1998 album spanning the first 21 years of Meat Loaf's recording career. Although not reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom, it was certified double platinum there in 2013. The album features many of Meat Loaf's best-known songs as well as a few from his lesser known albums of the 1980s.
Besides hits like "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", The Very Best of Meat Loaf contains three new tracks. Two of those are written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman and are adapted from their musical Whistle Down the Wind ; both of these tracks were produced by Steinman. The third new track, "Is Nothing Sacred" is written by Steinman and lyricist Don Black, and produced by Russ Titelman (the single version of this song is a duet with Patti Russo, whereas the album version is a solo song by Meat Loaf. The single version would later appear on the VH1 Storytellers CD).
Both Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell are prominently featured with five tracks from the first and four from the second. The album did not feature any songs from his 1986 album Blind Before I Stop .
The album was re-released in 2003 with the same tracks in a different order, and did so again in 2011 with the original order but now under the title The Essential Meat Loaf. Following an appearance on VH1 Storytellers in 1999 (which was released as an album and a DVD), Meat Loaf's next studio album was the 2003 album, Couldn't Have Said It Better .
No. | Title | Writer(s) | From album | Length |
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1. | "Home by Now/No Matter What" | Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jim Steinman | Previously unreleased (1998) | 8:25 |
2. | "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" (remix) | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) | 8:07 |
3. | "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" (Intro spoken by Steinman and Marcia McClain) | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell (1977) | 5:04 |
4. | "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell (1977) | 5:23 |
5. | "Modern Girl" | Paul Jacobs, Sarah Durkee | Bad Attitude (1984) | 4:28 |
6. | "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) | 5:50 |
7. | "Is Nothing Sacred" | Steinman, Don Black | Previously unreleased (1998) | 6:37 |
8. | "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (I. Paradise/II. Let Me Sleep on It/III. Praying for the End of Time; duet with Ellen Foley) | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell (1977) | 8:26 |
9. | "Heaven Can Wait" | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell (1977) | 4:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | From album | Length |
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1. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (featuring Lorraine Crosby) | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) | 11:58 |
2. | "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" (featuring Bonnie Tyler) | Webber, Steinman | Whistle Down the Wind (1996) | 7:36 |
3. | "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)" (edited version; featuring Patti Russo) | Diane Warren | Welcome to the Neighborhood (1995) | 6:27 |
4. | "Not a Dry Eye in the House" | Warren | Welcome to the Neighborhood (1995) | 5:55 |
5. | "Nocturnal Pleasure" (Monologue spoken by Steinman) | Steinman | Dead Ringer (1981) | 0:37 |
6. | "Dead Ringer for Love" (featuring Cher) | Steinman | Dead Ringer (1981) | 4:20 |
7. | "Midnight at the Lost and Found" | Marvin Lee Aday, Steve Buslowe, Paul Christie, Dan Peyronel | Midnight at the Lost and Found (1983) | 3:31 |
8. | "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" (edited version) | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) | 9:45 |
9. | "Bat Out of Hell" | Steinman | Bat Out of Hell (1977) | 9:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | From Album | Length |
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10. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (live) | Steinman | Previously unreleased | 12:58 |
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
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Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [4] | 29 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [5] | 5 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [6] | 22 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [7] | 18 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [8] | 39 |
UK Albums (OCC) [9] | 14 |
Chart (2022) | Peak position |
---|---|
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [10] | 24 |
Michael Lee Aday, known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on the list of bestselling music artists. His Bat Out of Hell trilogy—Bat Out of Hell (1977), Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993), and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006)—has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. The first album stayed on the charts for over nine years, as of 2016 still sold an estimated 200,000 copies annually, and is on the list of bestselling albums.
James Richard Steinman was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, musical theater, and film score genres. He wrote songs for Bonnie Tyler and Meat Loaf, including Bat Out of Hell, and also wrote and produced Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Tyler's Faster Than the Speed of Night.
Bat Out of Hell is the 1977 debut album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman. The album was developed from a musical, Neverland, a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan, which Steinman wrote for a workshop in 1974. It was recorded during 1975–1976 at various studios, including Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York, produced by Todd Rundgren, and released in October 1977 by Cleveland International/Epic Records. Bat Out of Hell spawned two Meat Loaf sequel albums: Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006).
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is a song written by Jim Steinman. It was released in 1977 on the album Bat Out of Hell, with vocals by the American musician Meat Loaf alongside Ellen Foley. An uncommonly long song for a single, it has become a staple of classic rock radio and has been described as the "greatest rock duet".
Bad for Good is the only studio album by American songwriter Jim Steinman. Steinman wrote all of the songs and performed on most, although Rory Dodd contributed lead vocals on some tracks.
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell is the sixth studio album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and was written and produced by Jim Steinman. It was released on September 14, 1993, sixteen years after Meat Loaf's first solo album Bat Out of Hell. The album reached number 1 in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Five tracks were released as singles, including "I'd Do Anything for Love ", which reached number 1 in 28 countries.
Welcome to the Neighbourhood is the seventh studio album by American rock singer Meat Loaf, released in 1995 as the follow-up to his successful comeback album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. It went platinum in the United States and United Kingdom.
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" is a song written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by American rock singer Meat Loaf featuring Lorraine Crosby. The song was released in August 1993 by MCA and Virgin as the first single from the singer's sixth album, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993). The last six verses feature Crosby, who was credited only as "Mrs. Loud" in the album notes. She does not appear in the accompanying music video, directed by Michael Bay, in which her vocals are lip-synched by Dana Patrick. Meat Loaf promoted the single with American singer Patti Russo.
Couldn't Have Said It Better is the eighth studio album by Meat Loaf, released in the UK on April 21, 2003. For only the third time in his career, he released an album without any songs written by Jim Steinman. Meat Loaf claimed that Couldn't Have Said It Better was "the most perfect album [he] did since Bat Out of Hell".
Midnight at the Lost and Found is the third studio album by Meat Loaf, released in April 1983. This would be the final Meat Loaf release under Epic Records until The Very Best of Meat Loaf (1998).
Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is a live album released by singer Meat Loaf in 2004 on the Mercury and Sanctuary labels.
Live Around the World is a live album by Meat Loaf, released in 1996 to capitalize on his two recent successes, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Welcome to the Neighbourhood. The album was recorded at various times between 1987 and 1996. The album is limited to a release of 250,000 copies worldwide.
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose is the ninth studio album by Meat Loaf, and the third and final album in the Bat Out of Hell trilogy. It was released in Ireland on October 20, 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell (1977), and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993). It was released in the UK on October 23, 2006, and in the US on October 31, 2006.
Hits Out of Hell is a 1985 compilation album by Meat Loaf. It comprises seven Jim Steinman songs. The original release also contained the hit "Modern Girl" from Bad Attitude, which came out at about the same time.
VH1: Storytellers is a live album by Meat Loaf. Meat Loaf told humorous stories of his career as a singer and how he unfolded into rock stardom. The DVD version has two additional songs. Some songs on the CD are taken from Meat Loaf's Hard Rock Live performance. Others were taken from the pre-show soundcheck. The album peaked at No. 129 on the Billboard 200, making it his lowest charting album in the United States.
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" (also known as "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)") is the first solo single by the American singer Meat Loaf, released in 1977. It is a track from his album Bat Out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman.
American singer and actor Meat Loaf (1947–2022) released twelve studio albums, five live albums, seven compilation albums, one extended play and thirty-nine singles. In a career that spanned six decades, he sold over 100 million records worldwide. According to Recording Industry Association of America, he sold 25 million certified records in the US alone.
3 Bats Live is a music DVD by rock singer Meat Loaf. Recorded on March 18, 2007 at London, Ontario during his "Seize the Night" tour, it mainly features songs from the Bat Out of Hell trilogy. The DVD was released in the UK on October 15, 2007, and in the UK on November 20, 2007.
"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" is a song written by American composer Jim Steinman. It was first featured on Steinman's 1981 solo album Bad for Good, with lead vocals by an uncredited Rory Dodd. It was later recorded by American singer Meat Loaf and released in 1994 as the third single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell.
Bat Out of Hell II: Picture Show is a 1994 music video by Meat Loaf. Besides the three music videos directed by Michael Bay for the singles from Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, the video contains three live performances and interviews with Meat Loaf and songwriter/producer Jim Steinman. Until the release of the 2006 Collectors Edition of Bat Out of Hell II, this was the only official release of the video clips.