Meat Loaf: Live Around The World (1996)

Calling "Live around the World" the definitive Meat Loaf album experience is tough when you've got a discography that includes "Bat out of Hell", an album so definitive in my mind it could have ended Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman's career, "Dead Ringer", which some refer to as the original "Bat II" (or is that Jim's "Bad for Good"?), "Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell" and 2016's "Braver than we Are".

What this double CD live album from 1996 *is* in my mind is the definitive document of Meat Loaf live on record. To me, every single fan should not be without this album, even if you've only heard one or two songs. That's not easy though, because from what I understood this was only really a limited release at the time of around 250,000 copies. That's what Uncle Wiki says anyway. There are only 250,000 copies of these to go around, unless somebody reissues it in future, which I totally unequivocally believe they should. Because in case you haven't figured it out already, you really should hear this album!

What do we have here? Besides the recent smash hit phenomenon (and any other descriptive language you can throw at that) of "Bat II" with its chart-guzzling "Anything for Love" raging somewhere in the world at Number #1 in 28 countries, we have all of the original "Bat", along with several key moments from "Dead Ringer", "Midnight at the Lost and Found", "Bad Attitude", and even "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" soundtrack and "Stoney and Meatloaf". Strangely, considering the date of the release, what it lacks is material from "Welcome to the Neighbourhood", which can be heard on at least one of the single releases from that album.

Date wise, according to the liner notes "Live around the World" was recorded between 1977 and 1996, only it sounds more like 1993 onwards. I'm guessing that this was recorded probably during any of the tours between 1993 and 1996. That's what we have here. The venues for these dates are all listed inside the album, I believe. (I could check but I would have to get up right now to grab it.) Whatever this really is, I can tell you one thing for certain, beyond any shadow of a shadow of a doubt: "Live around the World" is sensational.

May I repeat that? "Live around the World" is sensational.

Let's have a look at what's on offer. I'll preface this again by thanking the two producers Meat Loaf and Dave Thoener with Additional Production from Steve Buslowe and Randy Nicklaus. Everyone who worked behind the scenes on bringing this to us, a plethora of thank you's and congratulations! I feel like a fan at one of these concerts, probably the night Jim Steinman appeared on piano.

Also, the then current members of the Neverland Express as heard on these recordings: Steve Buslowe on Bass Guitars and Background Vocals also serving as the band's Musical Director, Kasim Sulton on Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards and Backing Vocals, Pat Thrall on Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals, Mark Alexander on Piano and Keyboards, also Backing Vocals, John Miceli on Drums and Percussion, Patti Russo with Lead Background Vocals, along with Pearl Aday on Backing Vocals, and oh so special appearances from Jim Steinman on "Heaven Can Wait" and "Objects in the Rear View Mirror", not to mention his monologue "Wasted Youth". I also have to add Steve Lukather playing Additional Guitars on "For Crying Out Loud", Paul Mirkovich with Additional Keyboards also on "FCOL", and Jeff Bova, Organist for "All Revved Up" and "What You See is What You Get".

I also have to think William, who created the almost complete Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman Lyric Archive, who crops up in my thoughts whenever I have to go looking for details like these. He listed all of this and more on his spectacular website which is available to fans now. I hope he's enjoying the promo mixes for Meat and Jim's new album. 

Without any further ado, tonight's review!

CD 1:

"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"---fans are treated to not only an original 90s live version of one of Meat's most iconic songs, certainly his highest charting, but possibly the most complete version I've ever heard. This alone is worth the listen.

"You Took the Words Right out of my Mouth (Hot Summer Night)"---what follows is this cool 90s version of one of the standards from "Bat 1". The band, Meat, everything is sounding great here.

"Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back"---I love this song on "Bat II". I also have an affinity with the remix version from 1998's "Very Best of" release. But this live one is something else again! The added "Life is a Lemon and I Want my Money Back" lines at the end are magnificent.

"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"---just the intro alone is brilliant, and it would have been nice to have had a Jim album that's nothing but these musical soundscapes going on for about seventy minutes, similar to Pink Floyd's "The Endless River". It is fantastic hearing this song live. I wish I could hear Rory's vocal live.

"Dead Ringer for Love"---since we're visiting 1981 here, we get this version of "Dead Ringer for Love". I'm not always the biggest fan of this song, but this version certainly reinvigorates things for me. Patti is doing a kick-ass job on these duets.

"Heaven can wait"---as if that isn't enough, maestro James Steinman is invited onto the stage to provide piano accompaniment on "Heaven Can Wait", the first song written for "Bat out of Hell". This alone is worth the price of the album, but to see footage would take care of how many Christmases?

"All Revved up with No Place to Go"---I love the intro! And Meat and the band are just ploughing through it.

"Paradise by the Dashboard Light"---we end CD 1 with this little epic, and Meat screaming "NEVER STOP ROCKING!" at the end. When he screams "Do you know where those dreams went? THEY WENT TO NIGHTMARES!" I know I'm experiencing an almighty performance. Patti certainly holds her own.

CD 2:

"Wasted Youth"---Jim's voice sounds tired here. He's probably been singing the whole night at this concert, but it makes this monologue sound even more feverous than ever. Instead of "Everything Louder", or the earlier "Stark Raving Love", this time the monologue (at least on this CD) segues into...

"Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)"---hell yeah! This is probably the first live version I ever heard. It's killer from beginning to end.

"Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are"---I've cited like two (!) reasons to buy this album, but this is the biggest one of all. Once again, Jim returns on piano, but this time with the band playing as well. For a moment, I almost feel like my experience as a fan of this music could be contained in this one performance. Who was there that night? Because that's like seeing Dumbledore versus Grindelwald!

"Midnight at the Lost and Found"---this is a pretty awesome version which I recognize from one or two compilations. We need this moment after the power of what's gone before.

"Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)"---I believe that this is actually a rehearsal. Don't quote me on that. I don't know if Meat or the band ever performed this live. Well, I wish they would have, because this!

"What You See is What You Get"---any "Stoney and Meatloaf" fans in 1996 must have had a real thrill when they heard this one. It doesn't feature Stoney, but they have given it a wicked arrangement and I love hearing it in a 90s live band context.

"Two out of Three ain't bad"---we come to that part of the evening where Meat sings this song. It is obviously a special moment.

"Hot Patootie (Whatever Happened to Saturday Night)"---Meat reprises his role as Eddie from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"! This is actually the first time I've heard this song live in its entirety. As a fan of "Rocky Horror", it hasn't lost its shine here at all.

"For Crying Out Loud"---I believe that this is also a rehearsal and that Meat apparently hadn't sung this song live after the 70s until "Bat out of Hell Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra". I'm not sure which one I prefer here. There is something very special about the M.S.O. version but hearing this at any time is pretty much magnificent.

"Bat out of Hell"---of course, we have to wrap it up with "Bat". Pretend like you're hearing it for the first time on this album. What a song! What a narrative! What a sound! What a performance Meat gives us! Not to mention the band!

And what a note for this to go out on! Get it and thank you,

Ryan.