Back when 'Bat Out Of Hell' came out I was just building my 'record collection'. I had asperations of building it into one of those wall hugging floor to ceiling libraries of Rock, but on a telephone operator's salary, I realized it'd take awhile. It was an eclectic stack to be sure--heavy on David Bowie, Prog Rockers ELP, Elton John and Aerosmith. It wasn't til college that I discovered the force of nature boldly calling himself Meatloaf. The critics at the time sneered at Marvin Aday, but couldn't look away. He far exceeded that humble moniker. He was big but to my eyes that came off as imposing because when you watched him perform he didn't just sing. HE CRESENDOED!! It was loud, but never screetchy. He could sing high notes, but like an angel. In a flowing white shirt, blonde hair wind tossed like a supermodel, he worked 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light' like teenage hookup ballet, the foreplay became baseball play by play. Dramedy in a rock song. Unheard of before Meatloaf. Bat Out Of Hell was one of the albums that was leaning against the orange crate for quicker access. The curtain may have fallen on Meatloaf but I don't mourn his passage. I felt the joy of realization. That sometimes rock love songs are dirgey and morose, but Meatloaf changed all of that. And sang what we all were thinking about relationships and sex in the lyric: "..so now I'm praying for the end of time, to hurry up and arrive. 'Cause if i have to spend another minute with you i don't think that I can really survive."