When we think of Meat Loaf, most people will only think of "Bat Out Of Hell", and perhaps "Bat Out Of Hell II". He is synonymous with Jim Steinman's songs, whose style has defined everything that has fallen under the umbrella of Meat Loaf. That includes all the records he was not associated with, where the shadow of Steinman either doomed them before they had a chance to defend themselves, or pushed every other writer to try to sound like him. It's telling how great a songwriter is that even when people are blatantly trying to sound like him, I still love the results nearly as much.
However, there are plenty of great songs in Meat Loaf's catalog that were not penned by Steinman. Many of them are among my favorite of all his song, even if that might sound like heresy. So here are Meat Loaf's best songs that came from other writers.
From "Bat Attitude":
Bat Attitude
Cheating In Your Dreams
The highlights of this album are of course the two Steinman songs, but these two are able to hold serve, and help make this the best of Meat Loaf's trilogy of invisibility. The title track is dated as all hell, and Roger Daltry doesn't stand out enough, but the song rocks. It's in the same style as "Dead Ringer", but without the pizzazz.
From "Welcome To The Neighborhood":
I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)
Not A Dry Eye In The House
If This Is The Last Kiss
Another album with two Steinman tracks to anchor it, these three tracks are every bit as good. "I'd Lie For You" is the most blatant rip-off of them all, including the title being a pastiche, but the song was a hit for a reason. Diane Warren wrote all three of these songs, and they are all dramatic ballads that understand what Meat Loaf the character was all about. It makes me wonder what it would have sounded like if she had written an entire album for Meat Loaf around that time. It's a great 'what if?'
From "Couldn't Have Said It Better":
Couldn't Have Said It Better
Did I Say That
Because Of You
This album is rather forgotten, and that's a shame. While there is some bizarre stuff on it, half the album is among the best stuff Meat Loaf did after "Bat Out Of Hell II". It's another case, as will be the next, where writers tapped into the essence of Meat Loaf, but were only given a couple of songs on an album, rather than an entire record to explore what they could do. The title track, I will say with controversy assured, is my favorite duet of his entire career.
From "Bat Out Of Hell III":
Blind As A Bat
Alive
What About Love?
A record of halves, the songs not penned by Steinman outshined those that were, because we were already reaching the bottom of the barrel. Desmond Child was an unexpected choice to continue the legacy, and damn it worked. But he was saddled with half an album of Steinman retreads and shouldn't-have-beens, where I would have rather heard a full album of his interpretation of Meat Loaf.
These lst three entires all showcase the same trend; Meat Loaf had access to some of the best writers who were willing and able to mold their songs into his style, and neither he nor the record company were ever able to fully give them the chance to produce the third act of his career. Whether you want to pick Dianne Warren, Nikki Sixx/James Michael, or Desmond Child, any of them could have made the great record for Meat Loaf he never had without Steinman penning all the songs. I just play the songs back-to-back, and I have my own alternate reality of what could have been.
From "Hang Cool Teddy Bear"
Prize Fight Lover
This embarrassing album had one shining moment, or it should have, that is to say. The song didn't make the cut, but was released to the fan club at the time, which only highlighted how terrible the decision making process in the Meat Loaf camp was. The album had songs where the 'character' sang about the size of his junk, and they left off this Springsteen-inspired number that amped up the drama in a new way for Meat Loaf. It fit who he was at that age, and it's a gem of a song. Just make sure you find this version, and not the one that was recorded for "Braver Than We Are", because the deterioration of Meat's vocals will make you beyond sad.
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