Mister Loaf

I leaned today that Meat Loaf has passed away at 74. Wow, didn’t know that Mister Loaf was still around. Always called him Mister Loaf after seeing him referred that way in a record review of his first album in the NY Times. I found out this morning that he actually had more than that one album. Back in the day I abhorred his bombastic show-tuney over the top shlock and avoided him and his music like the plague. Way too much cornball drama IMHO. I should probably give him and his ilk credit for my abandoning AOR/classic rock radio in the late 70’s and my embracing making mixtapes for road trips, parties, etc. Also in my many years playing records in bars I never once played any Loaf and I don’t think I was ever asked. 

His 1977 album Bat Out of Hell was all over the radio in 1977-78 which was the same time as so much great punk and new wave music was coming out. That new music was a direct response to the same old tired AOL corporate rock epitomized by the likes of Meat Loaf.  I really didn't know there was a BOOH 2 and 3. I guess his album is a cult classic.

There were so many great albums released in 1977 and 1978 that I wonder why anyone paid any attention whatsoever to Mister Loaf. Albums from The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Ramones, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Television, Iggy Pop, Wire, Sex Pistols, Magazine, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat, Big Star, Devo, Buzzcocks, Squeeze, Pere Ubu, Tom Waits, Patti Smith, The Jam, Bob Marley, etc, etc.

I also never liked The Rocky Picture Horror Show and the whole midnight movie scene. I went and saw it down at the TLA and I thought it sucked. Meat Loaf was in the original production. Later people went down to the midnight shows all dressed up as characters and it went on for years. Crazy.

It turns out he died from a bad three day case of Covid after spewing anti-science and anti-vax nonsense for the last few years

Oh, well. RIP. Meat Loaf made me swear off commercial rock radio for the rest of my life.