Seeing legends age not so gracefully... bland Meat Loaf
but perhaps some reasons why
JoeUser Forums
Some time back there was a discussion at an internet forum site I like to frequent (sorry JoeUser's, not like I'm cheatin' on you guys, but I do get around a bit...) about one of the forum member's experiences seeing a concert that was headlined by rock legend Meat Loaf. The Meat Loaf of Bat Out of Hell fame. The Meat Loaf that was known for singing the songs he was born to sing, written by the writer that was born to write them (Jim Steinman). The former Marvin Lee Aday, now legally known as Meat Loaf.
Now, readers should be informed here that though I hate eating Meat Loaf (never cared for the stuff, not even when given enough ketchup to drown it in, just never found it appealing at all), but I loved the music that Meat Loaf sang. Bat Out of Hell is a rock and roll masterpiece. Every song on that set was lyrical and musical perfection to me. Few things have come as close or beaten the brilliance that shines through in the writing and the performance of the songs captured in that collection.
After Bat Out of Hell, there was one heck of a break before Meat Loaf and Steinman got back together for another trip back into hell (with Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell). Meat Loaf had released other compilations in the interim, but none with the energy and results (read that as success) of Bat Out of Hell. (See for example the Wikipedia article on Meat Loaf, specifically the section on Life after Bat Out of Hell)
Bat Out of Hell II revived the original formula that Steinman and Meat Loaf had used to such success and thanks to having built up a loyal audience and following in the preceeding period, things looked to be back on track for Meat Loaf, at least until, well, they weren't any more. Fighting with Steinman and others in various legal matters (contractual mostly) had distracted Meat Loaf, along with health issues, and other things, and again fans were left waiting for another, tastier and more satisfying portion, of the Meat Loaf.
Later years brought a greatest hits collection (The Very Best of Meat Loaf) and later Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose. Bat III wasn't, from what I know, a Steinman + Meat Loaf collaboration, and it too was part of the fighting between Meat Loaf and Steinman which was eventually resolved.
Some time later a DVD and audio recordings were made of a Meat Loaf concert with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. I've seen that set and thought it was pretty good, with much of the energy that was reported to be in earlier Meat Loaf concerts shining through.
Forward to this past summer, the period mentioned by the member at the forum noted in the first paragraph above, and Meat Loaf was out on tour again, but apparently not doing such a great job of it. The person that saw that tour described it was one of the worst concert performances he'd ever seen, bad enough to not just walk out on, but more to the point of leaving before things got worse and even more of the great songs of old were permanently ruined for that listener and his significant other.
Having read that description of things, I was sad to hear (read) that it seemed that perhaps Meat Loaf was past his prime and should have hung it up before that was the case. In some of the discussion that took place about that forum member's experiences, it was noted that Meat Loaf had been sick, and that could perhaps account for some of the poor performance.
In anycase, thanks to a tipster at yet another forum that I frequent, I had noted that HDNet (a Mark Cuban creation) was going to be airing the Meat Loaf performance Three Bats Live over the weekend, in the early evening (East coast time frame) yesterday. Three Bats Live was filmed fairly recently, so I was curious to check it out and see if things were as bad as described in the discussions I had read, or if perhaps it was just not up to the expectations of that original forum member.
The first few songs (Paradise by the Dashboard Light, and I would do anything for love, but I won't do that...) were most definitely spotty at best. Mumbling and slurring of some of the lyrics and singing that wasn't what I would have hoped for. Things seemed to improve a bit over the course of the concert in the film, but were still not as good as I had seen in the Melbourne Symphony collaboration. I was somewhat disheartened to see that Meat Loaf seemed to be losing it and that perhaps age really had caught up with him.
Sadly, if what I just read at Wikipedia is true.... then there is, I believe, plenty of reason for what has happened. Quoted below:
| During a performance in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK on October 31, 2007, at the opening of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" he suggested that the crowd of thousands should enjoy the performance as it was the last of his career. He attempted to sing the first line of the song, but instead said "Ladies and gentlemen, I love you, thank you for coming, but I can no longer continue." Removing the jacket he was wearing, he thanked the audience for 30 years, said "goodbye forever" and left the stage. His tour promoter, Andrew Miller, refuted that this was the end for Meat Loaf and that he would continue touring after suitable rest.[14] The next two gigs in the tour, at the NEC and Manchester Evening News Arena were cancelled due to "acute laryngitis" and were rescheduled for late November.[15] The concert scheduled for November 6, 2007 at London's Wembley Arena was also cancelled. Since then Meat Loaf has cancelled his entire European tour for 2007 after being diagnosed with a cyst on his vocal chords. After releasing a statement he said "It really breaks my heart not to be able to perform these shows" adding "I will be back".[16] |
As much as I hate the idea that Meat Loaf would be fighting these health issues, I'd like to hope that these issues explain what has happened with this once great performer.
The good lord willing, in the future Meat Loaf will return and I'll be able to write an article about seeing a performance that lives up to the memories I have of his glory days.