Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell – культовый альбом Meat Loaf 1993 года. Хиты, включая "I'd Do Anything for Love", возглавили чарты США, UK и Канады.
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Содержание
Введение
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell – шестой студийный альбом американского рок-певца Meat Loaf и второй альбом в трилогии Bat Out of Hell, написанный и спродюсированный Джимом Штейнманом. Он был выпущен 14 сентября 1993 года, спустя шестнадцать лет после первого сольного альбома Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell. Альбом достиг первого места в чартах США, Великобритании и Канады. Пять треков были выпущены в качестве синглов, включая "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", которая возглавила чарты в 28 странах. Альбом был выпущен компанией Virgin Records за пределами Северной Америки, а в Северной Америке – компанией MCA. Третья часть трилогии, Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose, вышла в 2006 году. Как и первый альбом трилогии, Bat Out of Hell II имел большой коммерческий успех, разойдясь тиражом более 14 миллионов копий по всему миру.
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell is the sixth studio album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and the second one in the Bat Out of Hell trilogy, which 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 (But I Won't Do That)", which reached number 1 in 28 countries. The album was released by Virgin Records outside of North America, where it was released by MCA. The third part of the Bat trilogy, Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose, was released in 2006. Like the first album of the trilogy, Bat Out of Hell II was a commercial success. It sold over 14 million copies worldwide.
История
В разгар успеха "Bat Out of Hell", отчаянно нуждаясь в продолжении, менеджмент и звукозаписывающая компания оказали давление на Стейнмана, чтобы он прекратил гастролировать и сосредоточился на написании продолжения, предварительно названного "Renegade Angel". В интервью BBC Rock Hour Special 1981 года Джим Стейнман вспоминает процесс написания: "Я начал писать то, что ощущал как "Bat Out of Hell, часть 2", определенно как "Крестный отец", часть 1 и часть 2 – именно так я это видел. Я хотел сделать продолжение и альбом, который пошел бы еще дальше и был бы еще более экстремальным, если это возможно, что многие считали невозможным, но я просто хотел проверить, смогу ли создать запись, которая была бы еще более героической, потому что именно таким я его представлял. "Bat Out of Hell" для меня был в конечном счете очень героическим, хотя и с юмором, и я хотел сделать альбом, который был бы для меня еще более героическим, эпичным и немного более оперным и страстным". В рекламном интервью 1993 года для альбома Стейнман вновь подтвердил преемственность мира "Bat Out of Hell": "Я не назвал его "Bat Out of Hell II", чтобы просто ассоциироваться с первой записью. Он действительно ощущается как продолжение, как возможность вернуться в этот мир и исследовать его глубже. Он всегда казался незавершенным, потому что я задумал его как фильм, и что бы вы сделали без "Крепкого орешка 2?" Сам Meat Loaf был более краток: "Мы назвали его "Bat Out of Hell II", потому что это помогло бы продать тонны пластинок". В 1978 году Стейнман воссоединился с Meat Loaf и группой для живого выступления в Торонто, Онтарио, Канада, с намерением проработать песни для "Bat II" после шоу. Однако во время выступления кто-то взломал их гримерки и украл несколько вещей, включая новую книгу текстов. Затем Meat Loaf потерял голос и не смог записать "Renegade Angel". Стейнман говорит: "Он звучал буквально как маленькая девочка в "Изгоняющем дьявола", как дракон, пытающийся петь – это был ужасный звук". Стейнман "продолжал писать музыку к "Bat Out of Hell, часть 2", моему продолжению". В 1989 году Стейнман создал женскую вокальную группу Pandora's Box. Альбом "Original Sin" провалился в коммерческом плане, но включал две песни, которые также появились на "Bat II". Однако, по словам Meat Loaf, одна из них была написана для него: "Джим поместил "It Just Won't Quit" на "Original Sin", не сказав мне. Я мог бы его задушить". По словам тогдашнего менеджера артиста, Томми Манзи, в интервью HitQuarters, "Этот проект считался шуткой в индустрии", а менеджерская компания Left Bank Манзи была "объектом насмешек" за попытку возродить карьеру известного исполнителя, вместо того чтобы сосредоточиться на "следующей модной группе". И пел "Bat Out of Hell" на пианино. Стейнман говорит, что "снова работать вместе казалось правильным решением". Запись альбома проходила в Ocean Way Recording в Лос-Анджелесе, Калифорния, а затем в The Power Station в Нью-Йорке, Нью-Йорк. Многие исполнители из оригинального альбома вернулись для работы над продолжением. Рой Биттан играл на клавишных и пианино на большинстве треков, а Тодд Рандгрен, Эллен Фоули, Рори Додд и Касим Султон вернулись для бэк-вокала. Meat Loaf и музыканты указаны как соавторы аранжировок, а Биттан и давний соавтор Стейнмана Стивен Ринкофф – как ассоциированные продюсеры. Альбом был смикширован Дэвидом Тонером, за исключением финального трека, который смикшировал Ринкофф. По словам Meat Loaf, у него и Стейнмана была только одна "серьезная ссора" во время работы над альбомом, которая произошла во время микширования "Life Is a Lemon". Производство заняло много времени, главным образом из-за длины песен. Певец говорит: "Песни Джима могут быть миниатюрными операми, но они всегда слишком длинные для радио". Стейнман спорил с Коваком по поводу редактирования "I'd Do Anything for Love", менеджер посоветовал, что радиостанции вряд ли будут играть что-либо, превышающее пять минут. Стейнман заключил контракт с лейблом Meat Loaf MCA для Лорейн Кросби, клубной певицы из Северо-Восточной Англии, которой он управлял. Во время посещения студий звукозаписи компании на бульваре Сансет Кросби попросили записать вокал-гид для Meat Loaf, который записывал "I'd Do Anything for Love". Кросби вспоминает: "Я спела его дважды и больше не думала об этом, пока через шесть месяцев мне не позвонили и не спросили: "Не возражаете, если мы используем ваш вокал?" Шер, Мелисса Этеридж и Бонни Тайлер рассматривались на эту роль. Однако, поскольку Кросби записала свою часть как вокал-гид, она не получила никаких роялти с песни. Каждый куплет состоит из двух вещей, на которые он пойдет ради любви, за которыми следует одна вещь, на которую он не пойдет. Именно эта последняя часть каждого припева является "that" в названии. Однако некоторые люди неправильно понимают текст, утверждая, что певец никогда не называет того "that", на что он не готов пойти, путаница, которую Стейнман предвидел во время производства. Несмотря на пессимизм, AllMusic и Meat Loaf отмечают, что "это забавная песня". Третий трек, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", – это молитва рок-музыке, прославляющая то, как она всегда рядом, чтобы помочь пережить трудные времена. Одна из ее строк: "Ты никогда не одинок, потому что можешь надеть наушники и позволить барабанщику сказать твоему сердцу, что делать". Четвертый трек также имеет мрачный подтекст. "It Just Won't Quit", – объясняет Стейнман, – "о том, что есть вещи, от которых ты никогда не избавишься. Наверное, это любовь". "Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)" – более оптимистичная песня. Шестой трек альбома, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are", – это трехчастное повествование, использующее патетическую ошибку, где времена года (лето, зима и весна) отражают атмосферу описываемых событий, черпая "вдохновение из часто трагического детства певца". Текст рассказывает о человеке, который преодолел трагедии в своей жизни, но все еще чувствует, что его преследуют их воспоминания". Стейнман говорит, что это была "самая сложная песня для написания и передачи".
In the midst of the success of Bat Out of Hell, desperate for a follow up, management and the record company put pressure on Steinman to stop touring in order to write a follow up, provisionally titled Renegade Angel. In a 1981 BBC Rock Hour Special interview, Jim Steinman recalls the writing process. I started writing what I felt was Bat Out of Hell part 2, definitely like The Godfather part 1 and part 2, that's how I saw it. I wanted to do a continuation and I wanted to do an album that went even further and that was more extreme, if possible, which a lot of people felt wasn't possible but I just wanted to see if I could make a record that was even more heroic because that's what I thought of it Bat Out of Hell to me was ultimately very heroic though it was funny and I wanted to do one that to me would be even more heroic and more epic and a little more operatic and passionate. In a 1993 promotional interview for the album, Steinman reasserts the continuation of the Bat world. "I didn't call it Bat Out of Hell II just to identify with the first record. It really does feel like an extension of that It was a chance to go back to that world and explore it deeper. It always seemed incomplete because I conceived it like a film, and what would you do without Die Hard 2?" Meat Loaf himself was more succinct. He told an interview at the time, "We called it Bat Out of Hell II 'cos that would help it sell shitloads." Steinman rejoined Meat Loaf and the band for a live performance in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1978 with the intention of going through the songs for Bat II after the show. However, someone broke into their dressing rooms during the show and stole several possessions, including the new lyric book. Then, Meat Loaf lost his voice and was unable to record Renegade Angel. Steinman says "he sounded literally like the little girl in The Exorcist like a dragon trying to sing—it was a horrifying sound." Steinman "kept writing the music to Bat Out of Hell part 2 my sequel." In 1989, Steinman formed all female vocal group Pandora's Box. The album, Original Sin, was a commercial flop, but featured two songs which would also appear on Bat II. However, according to Meat Loaf, one of them was written for him, saying that "Jim put 'It Just Won't Quit' on Original Sin without telling me. I could have strangled him." According to the artist's then manager, Tommy Manzi, in an interview with HitQuarters, "That project was considered a joke as far as the industry was concerned," and Manzi's management company Left Bank were "laughed at" for attempting to revive the fortunes of a well established act rather than focus on "the next hip band". and sang Bat Out of Hell on piano. Steinman says that "working together again seemed like the cool thing to do." Recording of the album took place at Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, California, then at The Power Station in New York City, New York. Many of the performers from the original album returned for the sequel. Roy Bittan performed keyboard and piano on most tracks, with Todd Rundgren, Ellen Foley, Rory Dodd and Kasim Sulton returning to provide background vocals. Meat Loaf and the musicians are credited as co arrangers, and Bittan and long term Steinman collaborator Steven Rinkoff are credited as associate producers. The album was mixed by David Thoener with the exception of the final track, which was mixed by Rinkoff. According to Meat Loaf, he and Steinman had only one "big fight" throughout the album's production, which occurred during the mixing of "Life Is a Lemon". Production took a long time, mainly because of the length of the songs. The singer says, "Jim's songs may be miniature operas, but they're always too long for radio." Steinman fought with Kovac over the edit of "I'd Do Anything for Love", with the manager advising that radio stations were unlikely to play anything over five minutes long. Steinman had secured a contract with Meat Loaf's recording label MCA for Lorraine Crosby, a club singer from North East England whom he was managing. While visiting the company's recording studios on Sunset Boulevard, Crosby was asked to provide guide vocals for Meat Loaf, who was recording "I'd Do Anything for Love". Crosby recalls, "I went and sang it twice and I never thought anything more of it until six months later when I got a phone call saying, 'Would you mind if we used your vocals?'" Cher, Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Tyler had been considered for the role. However, as Crosby had recorded her part as guide vocals, she did not receive any royalties from the song. Each verse comprises two things that he would do for love, followed by one thing that he would not do. It is that latter parts of each chorus that is the "that" of the title. However, some people misunderstand the lyrics, claiming that the singer never identifies what the "that" is that he is unwilling to do, a confusion that Steinman predicted during production. Despite the pessimism, both AllMusic and Meat Loaf point out that "it is a funny song." The third track, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", is a prayer to rock music, celebrating how it is always there to help you through troubled times. One of its lyrics is "You're never alone, 'cause you can put on the 'phones and let the drummer tell your heart what to do." The fourth track also has dark overtones. "It Just Won't Quit", Steinman explains, "is about the fact that there are some things you never shake off That's love, I guess." "Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)" is a more upbeat song. The album's sixth track, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" is a three part narrative that uses pathetic fallacy, where the seasons (summer, winter and spring) reflect the atmosphere of the events being described, drawing "its inspiration from the singer's often tragic childhood. The lyrics portray a man who has overcome tragedies in his life yet still feels haunted by their memory." Steinman says that it was "the hardest song to write and get across." <blockquote>It's a very passionate song. It's really, I think maybe, the most passionate one on the record. I mean, I'm really proud of it because that's really one that goes over the top in the sense that it's got images—it has religious imagery of resurrection, it's got images of fertility and rebirth, it has really very good sexual images, images of cars—which I always like. The booklet contains all of the lyrics to the songs, each accompanied by a small Whelan illustration, which were used as the respective single covers. There is a suggestion to "support Tibet House, an organization dedicated to the unique culture of the Tibetan people which has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the world at large".
> "Это очень страстная песня. Думаю, возможно, самая страстная на альбоме. Я действительно горжусь ею, потому что она действительно выходит за рамки, в том смысле, что в ней есть образы – в ней есть религиозные образы воскрешения, образы плодородия и возрождения, в ней есть очень хорошие сексуальные образы, образы машин – которые мне всегда нравятся".
In the midst of the success of Bat Out of Hell, desperate for a follow up, management and the record company put pressure on Steinman to stop touring in order to write a follow up, provisionally titled Renegade Angel. In a 1981 BBC Rock Hour Special interview, Jim Steinman recalls the writing process. I started writing what I felt was Bat Out of Hell part 2, definitely like The Godfather part 1 and part 2, that's how I saw it. I wanted to do a continuation and I wanted to do an album that went even further and that was more extreme, if possible, which a lot of people felt wasn't possible but I just wanted to see if I could make a record that was even more heroic because that's what I thought of it Bat Out of Hell to me was ultimately very heroic though it was funny and I wanted to do one that to me would be even more heroic and more epic and a little more operatic and passionate. In a 1993 promotional interview for the album, Steinman reasserts the continuation of the Bat world. "I didn't call it Bat Out of Hell II just to identify with the first record. It really does feel like an extension of that It was a chance to go back to that world and explore it deeper. It always seemed incomplete because I conceived it like a film, and what would you do without Die Hard 2?" Meat Loaf himself was more succinct. He told an interview at the time, "We called it Bat Out of Hell II 'cos that would help it sell shitloads." Steinman rejoined Meat Loaf and the band for a live performance in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1978 with the intention of going through the songs for Bat II after the show. However, someone broke into their dressing rooms during the show and stole several possessions, including the new lyric book. Then, Meat Loaf lost his voice and was unable to record Renegade Angel. Steinman says "he sounded literally like the little girl in The Exorcist like a dragon trying to sing—it was a horrifying sound." Steinman "kept writing the music to Bat Out of Hell part 2 my sequel." In 1989, Steinman formed all female vocal group Pandora's Box. The album, Original Sin, was a commercial flop, but featured two songs which would also appear on Bat II. However, according to Meat Loaf, one of them was written for him, saying that "Jim put 'It Just Won't Quit' on Original Sin without telling me. I could have strangled him." According to the artist's then manager, Tommy Manzi, in an interview with HitQuarters, "That project was considered a joke as far as the industry was concerned," and Manzi's management company Left Bank were "laughed at" for attempting to revive the fortunes of a well established act rather than focus on "the next hip band". and sang Bat Out of Hell on piano. Steinman says that "working together again seemed like the cool thing to do." Recording of the album took place at Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, California, then at The Power Station in New York City, New York. Many of the performers from the original album returned for the sequel. Roy Bittan performed keyboard and piano on most tracks, with Todd Rundgren, Ellen Foley, Rory Dodd and Kasim Sulton returning to provide background vocals. Meat Loaf and the musicians are credited as co arrangers, and Bittan and long term Steinman collaborator Steven Rinkoff are credited as associate producers. The album was mixed by David Thoener with the exception of the final track, which was mixed by Rinkoff. According to Meat Loaf, he and Steinman had only one "big fight" throughout the album's production, which occurred during the mixing of "Life Is a Lemon". Production took a long time, mainly because of the length of the songs. The singer says, "Jim's songs may be miniature operas, but they're always too long for radio." Steinman fought with Kovac over the edit of "I'd Do Anything for Love", with the manager advising that radio stations were unlikely to play anything over five minutes long. Steinman had secured a contract with Meat Loaf's recording label MCA for Lorraine Crosby, a club singer from North East England whom he was managing. While visiting the company's recording studios on Sunset Boulevard, Crosby was asked to provide guide vocals for Meat Loaf, who was recording "I'd Do Anything for Love". Crosby recalls, "I went and sang it twice and I never thought anything more of it until six months later when I got a phone call saying, 'Would you mind if we used your vocals?'" Cher, Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Tyler had been considered for the role. However, as Crosby had recorded her part as guide vocals, she did not receive any royalties from the song. Each verse comprises two things that he would do for love, followed by one thing that he would not do. It is that latter parts of each chorus that is the "that" of the title. However, some people misunderstand the lyrics, claiming that the singer never identifies what the "that" is that he is unwilling to do, a confusion that Steinman predicted during production. Despite the pessimism, both AllMusic and Meat Loaf point out that "it is a funny song." The third track, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", is a prayer to rock music, celebrating how it is always there to help you through troubled times. One of its lyrics is "You're never alone, 'cause you can put on the 'phones and let the drummer tell your heart what to do." The fourth track also has dark overtones. "It Just Won't Quit", Steinman explains, "is about the fact that there are some things you never shake off That's love, I guess." "Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)" is a more upbeat song. The album's sixth track, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" is a three part narrative that uses pathetic fallacy, where the seasons (summer, winter and spring) reflect the atmosphere of the events being described, drawing "its inspiration from the singer's often tragic childhood. The lyrics portray a man who has overcome tragedies in his life yet still feels haunted by their memory." Steinman says that it was "the hardest song to write and get across." <blockquote>It's a very passionate song. It's really, I think maybe, the most passionate one on the record. I mean, I'm really proud of it because that's really one that goes over the top in the sense that it's got images—it has religious imagery of resurrection, it's got images of fertility and rebirth, it has really very good sexual images, images of cars—which I always like. The booklet contains all of the lyrics to the songs, each accompanied by a small Whelan illustration, which were used as the respective single covers. There is a suggestion to "support Tibet House, an organization dedicated to the unique culture of the Tibetan people which has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the world at large".
В буклете содержатся тексты всех песен, каждая из которых сопровождается небольшим рисунком Уилэна, использованным в качестве обложек синглов. Есть предложение "поддержать Tibet House, организацию, посвященную уникальной культуре тибетского народа, которая может внести ценный вклад в мир".
In the midst of the success of Bat Out of Hell, desperate for a follow up, management and the record company put pressure on Steinman to stop touring in order to write a follow up, provisionally titled Renegade Angel. In a 1981 BBC Rock Hour Special interview, Jim Steinman recalls the writing process. I started writing what I felt was Bat Out of Hell part 2, definitely like The Godfather part 1 and part 2, that's how I saw it. I wanted to do a continuation and I wanted to do an album that went even further and that was more extreme, if possible, which a lot of people felt wasn't possible but I just wanted to see if I could make a record that was even more heroic because that's what I thought of it Bat Out of Hell to me was ultimately very heroic though it was funny and I wanted to do one that to me would be even more heroic and more epic and a little more operatic and passionate. In a 1993 promotional interview for the album, Steinman reasserts the continuation of the Bat world. "I didn't call it Bat Out of Hell II just to identify with the first record. It really does feel like an extension of that It was a chance to go back to that world and explore it deeper. It always seemed incomplete because I conceived it like a film, and what would you do without Die Hard 2?" Meat Loaf himself was more succinct. He told an interview at the time, "We called it Bat Out of Hell II 'cos that would help it sell shitloads." Steinman rejoined Meat Loaf and the band for a live performance in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1978 with the intention of going through the songs for Bat II after the show. However, someone broke into their dressing rooms during the show and stole several possessions, including the new lyric book. Then, Meat Loaf lost his voice and was unable to record Renegade Angel. Steinman says "he sounded literally like the little girl in The Exorcist like a dragon trying to sing—it was a horrifying sound." Steinman "kept writing the music to Bat Out of Hell part 2 my sequel." In 1989, Steinman formed all female vocal group Pandora's Box. The album, Original Sin, was a commercial flop, but featured two songs which would also appear on Bat II. However, according to Meat Loaf, one of them was written for him, saying that "Jim put 'It Just Won't Quit' on Original Sin without telling me. I could have strangled him." According to the artist's then manager, Tommy Manzi, in an interview with HitQuarters, "That project was considered a joke as far as the industry was concerned," and Manzi's management company Left Bank were "laughed at" for attempting to revive the fortunes of a well established act rather than focus on "the next hip band". and sang Bat Out of Hell on piano. Steinman says that "working together again seemed like the cool thing to do." Recording of the album took place at Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, California, then at The Power Station in New York City, New York. Many of the performers from the original album returned for the sequel. Roy Bittan performed keyboard and piano on most tracks, with Todd Rundgren, Ellen Foley, Rory Dodd and Kasim Sulton returning to provide background vocals. Meat Loaf and the musicians are credited as co arrangers, and Bittan and long term Steinman collaborator Steven Rinkoff are credited as associate producers. The album was mixed by David Thoener with the exception of the final track, which was mixed by Rinkoff. According to Meat Loaf, he and Steinman had only one "big fight" throughout the album's production, which occurred during the mixing of "Life Is a Lemon". Production took a long time, mainly because of the length of the songs. The singer says, "Jim's songs may be miniature operas, but they're always too long for radio." Steinman fought with Kovac over the edit of "I'd Do Anything for Love", with the manager advising that radio stations were unlikely to play anything over five minutes long. Steinman had secured a contract with Meat Loaf's recording label MCA for Lorraine Crosby, a club singer from North East England whom he was managing. While visiting the company's recording studios on Sunset Boulevard, Crosby was asked to provide guide vocals for Meat Loaf, who was recording "I'd Do Anything for Love". Crosby recalls, "I went and sang it twice and I never thought anything more of it until six months later when I got a phone call saying, 'Would you mind if we used your vocals?'" Cher, Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Tyler had been considered for the role. However, as Crosby had recorded her part as guide vocals, she did not receive any royalties from the song. Each verse comprises two things that he would do for love, followed by one thing that he would not do. It is that latter parts of each chorus that is the "that" of the title. However, some people misunderstand the lyrics, claiming that the singer never identifies what the "that" is that he is unwilling to do, a confusion that Steinman predicted during production. Despite the pessimism, both AllMusic and Meat Loaf point out that "it is a funny song." The third track, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", is a prayer to rock music, celebrating how it is always there to help you through troubled times. One of its lyrics is "You're never alone, 'cause you can put on the 'phones and let the drummer tell your heart what to do." The fourth track also has dark overtones. "It Just Won't Quit", Steinman explains, "is about the fact that there are some things you never shake off That's love, I guess." "Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)" is a more upbeat song. The album's sixth track, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" is a three part narrative that uses pathetic fallacy, where the seasons (summer, winter and spring) reflect the atmosphere of the events being described, drawing "its inspiration from the singer's often tragic childhood. The lyrics portray a man who has overcome tragedies in his life yet still feels haunted by their memory." Steinman says that it was "the hardest song to write and get across." <blockquote>It's a very passionate song. It's really, I think maybe, the most passionate one on the record. I mean, I'm really proud of it because that's really one that goes over the top in the sense that it's got images—it has religious imagery of resurrection, it's got images of fertility and rebirth, it has really very good sexual images, images of cars—which I always like. The booklet contains all of the lyrics to the songs, each accompanied by a small Whelan illustration, which were used as the respective single covers. There is a suggestion to "support Tibet House, an organization dedicated to the unique culture of the Tibetan people which has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the world at large".
Синглы и видео
Три трека с альбома были выпущены в качестве синглов. "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" стала всемирным хитом номер один с этого альбома. Песня достигла первого места в чартах 28 стран и 11-го места в британском чарте синглов. Третий сингл с альбома, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are", имел меньший успех при выпуске в 1994 году, достигнув 38-го места в Billboard Hot 100, 21-го места в Cash Box Top 100 и 26-го места в Соединенном Королевстве. "Life Is a Lemon" достигла 17-го места в чарте Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks в США. Майкл Бэй снял три музыкальных видеоклипа к альбому. "I'd Do Anything for Love" вдохновлена произведениями "Красавица и чудовище" и "Призрак оперы". Они были включены в DVD, выпущенный в 2006 году вместе с переизданием альбома "Collectors Edition".
Three tracks from the album were released as singles. "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" became a worldwide #1 hit from this album. The song reached #1 in the charts in 28 countries. and #11 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single from the album, "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are", did less well when it was released in 1994, reaching #38 on the Billboard Hot 100, #21 on the Cash Box Top 100 and #26 in the United Kingdom. "Life Is a Lemon" peaked at #17 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. Michael Bay directed three music videos from the album. "I'd Do Anything for Love" is based on Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera. They were included on a DVD in 2006 with the 'Collectors Edition' release of the album.
Прием
Альбом стал коммерческим хитом и продался тиражом более 14 миллионов копий по всему миру. Он возглавил чарт Billboard 200 в США в течение одной недели, UK Albums Chart – одиннадцать недель (с перерывами), четыре недели был номером один в Австралии и восемь недель лидировал в Канаде. Meat Loaf получил премию «Грэмми» за лучшее сольное рок-вокальное исполнение за песню «I'd Do Anything for Love» и был номинирован на две премии «Brit Awards» (Best International Male и Best Selling Single). Несмотря на огромный коммерческий успех, альбом вызвал смешанную реакцию критиков. Специализированная музыкальная пресса в целом отнеслась к нему положительно. Журнал Q провозгласил: «Это действительно достойное продолжение самого помпезного рок-альбома всех времен». Как и большинство критиков, Q отмечал излишества стиля Штейнмана, указывая на продолжительность песен (Q отмечает, что трек "Objects", длиной 10 минут и 12 секунд, "не является необходимым"). В отличие от оригинала, где эпические громкие композиции были "смягчены лиричностью таких песен, как 'Two Out of Three Ain't Bad'", даже баллады здесь – "римские оргии звука и ярости". По мнению критика, это приводит к тому, что "вероятная тема альбома – разрушительное влияние взросления на подростковые мечты – теряется в грохоте и суете". Тем не менее, Q в целом остался доволен, заключив: «В конечном счете, Back Into Hell, возможно, и не превзойдет своего предшественника, но как безумный, мощный, стадионный рок-альбом, это, вероятно, лучшее, что вы услышите в этом году». В The Tip Sheet Джонатан Кинг назвал альбом "славным, великолепным", восхваляя "оперно-великолепный" голос Meat Loaf и "превосходные" песни, аранжировки и продюсирование Штейнмана. "Вы будете поражены. Более того, вы поймаете себя на том, что открыто смеетесь от восторга. Вы знаете, чего ожидать, но всё оказывается лучше, свежее и ярче, чем вы надеялись. Если бы существовала премия Mercury Music Prize для американских альбомов, он бы безоговорочно её получил". В документальном фильме 1999 года, посвященном оригинальному альбому, Meat Loaf сказал, что Bat Out of Hell вызывал поляризацию мнений: "Некоторые ненавидят его, а другие поклоняются ему". Некоторым критикам не пришелся по вкусу этот помпезный стиль. Как и в случае с первым альбомом, Rolling Stone дал альбому смешанный отзыв, назвав его "безвредной, оперной чепухой" с "невыносимо длинными композициями Штейнмана с не менее длинными названиями". Наиболее негативные отзывы поступили из неспециализированных изданий. The Fort Worth Star Telegram также отметил продолжительность песен, заявив, что Штейнман "выплевывает 75 минут бесконечно повторяющихся припевов". Газета назвала альбом "худшим поп-альбомом 1993 года". The Des Moines Register посчитал, что альбом "погряз в излишествах, настолько чрезмерных, что Майкл Болтон по сравнению с ним кажется мастером сдержанности. Горы гитар, воющих, как банши! Громоподобные барабаны! Вокал, вызывающий грыжу! Безумно глупые тексты! Фу. Это не потакание низменным вкусам – это понижение планки". Как и оригинал, ретроспективные обзоры были более благосклонны. AllMusic оценил помпезность и "псевдо-оперное великолепие грандиозных кинематографических песен Джима Штейнмана". Отвечая на опасения по поводу длины и преувеличения, они заявили: "В этом и заключается суть этого альбома, и именно поэтому он так хорошо работает. Ни один другой рок-н-роллер, кроме Meat Loaf, не смог бы воплотить юмор и театральность Back Into Hell и придать им реалистичность. В этом смысле это достойный преемник оригинала".
The album was a commercial hit, and has sold more than 14 million copies around the world. It was number one for one week in the US on the Billboard 200, the UK Albums Chart for eleven non consecutive weeks, number one in Australia for four weeks, and eight weeks at number one in Canada. Meat Loaf won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "I'd Do Anything for Love" and received two Brit Awards nominations (Best International Male and Best Selling Single). Despite its huge commercial success, critical reception was mixed. The specialist music press were generally positive. Q magazine proclaimed, "truly this is the genuine follow up to the most over the top rock album of all time." Like most critics, Q referred to the excesses of Steinman's style, citing the length of the songs (Q says that "Objects " running for 10 minutes and 12 seconds is "not necessary"). Unlike the original, where the epic loud songs were "offset by the softness of stuff like 'Two Out of Three Ain't Bad' even the ballads are Roman orgies of sound and fury." This, they said, means "the album's probable theme—the crushing effect growing up has on teenage dreams—seems to get lost among the thud and blunder." Overall, though, Q was positive, concluding with the sentiment that "Ultimately, Back Into Hell may not trash its predecessor, but as a mad, crunching, stadium rock album, it's probably the best thing of its kind you'll hear this year." In The Tip Sheet, Jonathan King labelled it a "glorious, splendid album", celebrating Meat Loaf's "operatically gorgeous" voice and Steinman's "superb" songs, arrangements and production. "You'll be blown away. Better still you'll catch yourself openly laughing out loud at times with delight. You know what to expect yet it's constantly better, fresher and brighter than you hope. If they had a Mercury Music Prize for American albums, this would win it hands down." In a 1999 documentary celebrating the original album, Meat Loaf said that Bat Out of Hell polarized people: "Some hate it, and some worship it." The bombast did not meet some critics' approval. As with the first album, Rolling Stone gave the album a mixed review. They called it "harmless, low octane operatic drivel" with "insufferably long Steinman compositions with equally long names". Non specialist publications gave the most negative reviews. The Fort Worth Star Telegram also referred to the length of the songs, in which they said Steinman "vomits up 75 minutes of endlessly repeated choruses". The newspaper branded it "the worst pop album of 1993". The Des Moines Register thought that the album was "wallowing in excess so gratuitous as to make Michael Bolton, by comparison, seem a master of understatement Mountains of banshee like wailing guitars! Thunderous drums! Herniated vocals! Profoundly stupid lyrics! Gack. This isn't pandering to the lowest common denominator—it's lowering the lowest common denominator." Like the original, retrospective reviews have been appreciative. AllMusic appreciated the bombast and "the pseudo operatic splendor of Jim Steinman's grandly cinematic songs." Responding to concerns about length and overstatement, they replied, "that's precisely the point of this album, and is also why it works so well. No other rock 'n' roller besides Meat Loaf could pull off the humor and theatricality of Back Into Hell and make it seem real. In that sense, it's a worthy successor to the original."
Специальное ограниченное издание 1993 года
Наряду с оригинальной версией было выпущено специальное издание на двух дисках, включающее в себя раскладной плакат и бонусный диск с тремя концертными треками, которые также можно найти на обратных сторонах синглов "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". Продюсером выступил Meat Loaf, запись и сведение осуществил Дэвид Тонер. Запись проходила в Нью-Йорке в июле 1993 года.
Alongside the original version a two disc special edition was released, containing a foldout poster and a bonus disc containing three live tracks, which can also be found as B sides to the "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" singles. This was produced by Meat Loaf and recorded and mixed by David Thoener. It was recorded in New York, NY in July 1993.
2002 года выпуска
25 июня 2002 года компания MCA выпустила двухдисковое «делюкс-издание». Первый диск содержит ремастированный оригинальный альбом, а второй — несколько радиоверсий и ремиксов. Издание было оформлено в виде двойного диска в разворотном оформлении, помещенного в слив-кейc, с обширной книжкой, включающей аннотации и редкие фотографии. AllMusic отмечает, что, хотя альбом и заслуживает внимания, «дополнительный диск материала не стоит потраченного времени никому, кроме самых преданных фанатов – он не содержит откровений, интересных находок или просто увлекательного прослушивания для других (и даже для коллекционеров может оказаться неинтересным)».
A two disc "deluxe edition" was released by MCA on June 25, 2002. The first disc contains the remastered original album, while the second contains several radio edits and remixes. It was presented as a foldout double disc set enhoused in a slipcase, with an extensive booklet with liner notes and rare photographs. AllMusic suggest that although the album deserves the attention, "the extra disc of material is [not] worth the time of anyone outside of fanatics it doesn't really offer any revelations, curiosities, or an interesting listen for anybody else (and it may not be that interesting to those collectors, either)."
2006 2CD/1DVD коллекционное издание
В 2006 году Virgin/EMI выпустила трехдисковое коллекционное издание. Первый диск содержит ремастерированный оригинальный альбом, а второй – концертную версию оригинального альбома *Bat Out of Hell* и песню "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", составленную из различных би-сайдов синглов альбома. Треки были записаны вживую в Нью-Йорке в июле 1993 года, за исключением "For Crying Out Loud", записанной в США в 1994 году. Концертные аранжировки – Meat Loaf и Neverland Express при участии Пэтти Руссо в качестве ведущей вокалистки. Треки 1, 6 и 8 были записаны и смикшированы Дэвидом Туэнером, а аудио было ремастерировано Питером Мью совместно с Найджелом Ривом в Abbey Road Studios, Лондон. Третий диск – DVD, содержащий все три видеоклипа Майкла Бэя и бонусный ролик с интервью Мет Лоафа и Стейнмана, а также кадры со съемок видеоклипа "I'd Do Anything for Love". Все видеоматериалы сняты Майклом Бэем и спродюсированы компанией Propaganda Films. DVD выпущен Abbey Road Interactive.
In 2006, a three disc collector's edition was released by Virgin/EMI. The first disc contains the original album remastered and the second a live version of the original Bat Out of Hell album plus "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", compiled from the various B sides from the album's singles. The tracks were recorded live in New York during July 1993, except "For Crying Out Loud" which was recorded live in the United States in 1994. Live arrangements by Meat Loaf and the Neverland Express featuring Patti Russo as lead female vocalist. Tracks 1 6 and 8 were recorded and mixed by David Thoener, and the audio was remastered by Peter Mew with Nigel Reeve at Abbey Road Studios, London. The final disc is a DVD containing all three of the Michael Bay videos, and a featurette with an interview with Meat Loaf and Steinman, with behind the scenes footage from the video shoot of "I'd Do Anything for Love". All sections were directed by Michael Bay and produced by Propaganda Films. DVD produced by Abbey Road Interactive.