Blind Before I Stop

Blind Before I Stop is the fifth studio album by American singer Meat Loaf, released in September 1986. The album was produced in Germany by Frank Farian and was the first to fully embrace the '80s sound. Critics were concerned about the album missing the characteristic Steinman-influenced sound by incorporating synth chords and samples. According to Meat Loaf's 1998 autobiography, he would have preferred to wait to work with more Steinman material, but his contractual obligations with Arista required him to complete two more albums by the end of the 1980s, including this album and a live album.^{[citation needed]}

Quick facts: Blind Before I Stop, Studio album by Meat Loa... ▼

Blind Before I Stop
Original Arista album cover
Studio album by Meat Loaf
Released	22 September 1986 [1]
Recorded	February–June 1986
Genre	Hard rock pop rock heavy metal[2]
Length	48:33
Label	Arista Atlantic (US/Canada)
Producer	Frank Farian
Meat Loaf chronology
Bad Attitude (1984) Blind Before I Stop (1986) Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993)
Singles from Blind Before I Stop
"Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" Released: August 1986 (UK) [3] "Getting Away with Murder" Released: November 1986 [4] "Blind Before I Stop" Released: February 1987 [5] "Special Girl" Released: April 1987 [6]
Alternate US album cover
Alternate cover used for the US release

Table info: Review scores, Source, Rating... ▼

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
Kerrang!	[8]
Record Mirror	[9]

Meat Loaf co-wrote three of the songs on the album. Two of them, "Blind Before I Stop" and "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" were performed live on U.K. show Saturday Live, with Meat Loaf playing guitar.[10] "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries", a duet with rock singer John Parr, was released as a single in the UK. Meat Loaf sang the song live with Parr on only one occasion and did not do so again after an incident just after the release of the single. During a sold-out show in London, the singer failed to introduce Parr onto the stage and Parr walked off after the song was over. Despite leaving dozens of phone messages begging for forgiveness, Meat Loaf never heard from Parr again. During his late 1980s tour of Europe, Meat Loaf picked up pianist Frank Doyle. Richard Raskin had made contributions to arrangements on previous musical tracks some years before and his style can still be heard on bass.

Music videos were created for several singles from the album, including "Getting Away with Murder" and "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries".[11] Several songs from the album were featured as bonus tracks on the 1998 CD re-release of Bad Attitude in lieu of their inclusion on The Very Best of Meat Loaf compilation album released the same year.

Billboard said of "Getting Away with Murder that Meat Loaf "rocks out r&b style."[12] Cash Box said it could "signal a solid chart comeback for Meat Loaf" and praised the arrangement and production."[13]