Meat Loaf – Hell In A Handbasket (Album Review)

Following up 2010’s ‘Hang Cool Teddy Bear’, a pretty impressive concept album, Marvin Lee Addy, or Meat Loaf to his fans, brings out another concept album, this time how earth is going to hell in a handbasket, hence the title. Coming in at a weight fifty-three minutes and a neat change on front cover depending on which territory you buy the album, this album is perhaps on a par with that album but slightly less impressive compared to his more seminal albums.

Opener and lead single ‘All Of Me’ is a typical Meat Loaf track complete with emotional lyrics but perhaps not up to the standard of previous leads ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’ and ‘Los Angeloser’, but that aside is a pretty good opener to the album. The chorus is fun and his voice is on good form as usual and melds into a great conclusion.

‘The Giving Tree’ in comparison is a little bit middle of the road but the chorus is a grower and the mix of Meat Loaf’s vocals and the backing singers work well, especially when it comes to the gospel-infused acapella ending.

My favourite album of the track appears third and is the first stand-out one on the album. ‘Live or Die’ is full of Loaf theatrics, beginning with country-styled instrumentation before the rock returns. With a memorable chorus this should have been the lead single and is the closest to classic Meat Loaf that the album gets to. It’s a shame the conclusion seems rushed and premature.

Track four is an intriguing concept of three tracks merged together. ‘Blue Sky’ is a piano-led short track and a pre-curser to its reprise later, a slower track which soon leads into the rockier ‘Mad, Mad World’, a second highlight of the album that fits well in with the album themes with an exciting chorus, though that’s in lieu of any other hooks. This song in turn bleeds into the lengthy titled ‘The Good God Is A Woman and She Don’t Like Ugly’ which is basically a rap by Chuck D that signals something different in his catalogue of songs and works really well, sounding much like a missing track from a Gorillaz album. ‘Mad, Mad World’ is soon returned to, to round off an album that impresses in its variety and scope.

Next on the album is the token cover, not though of a Jim Steinman track. Loaf’s version of the Mamas and the Papas classic ‘California Dreamin’’ is satisfyingly different to the most famous version with a slower style and being far more introverted and downbeat to fit in with the gloomy outlook of the album, but not quite up to the quality of the original. Patti Russo’s additional vocals add well to it and feels, at times, much more cold and wintery than the original to fit the lyrics. I’m glad this was covered for the album as it’s enjoyable to hear, especially in the content of the concept album, but even though it grows with each listen doesn’t quite match the classic.

‘Party Of One, bringing the first half of the album to its closed, is a fast-paced tune in the style of ‘Dead Ringer For Love’ if that had been a solo song. Again being home to a cracking chorus it’s another stand out track on the album, even if like the cover that preceded it, it’s not sure how to end and thus peters out after much deliberation.

‘Another Day’ is a rock ballad that passes by happily but is a little pondering in its nature, but the chorus is good enough. ‘Forty Days’ is, unsurprisingly, full of Biblical imagery but it’s a little ordinary lyrically and musically with the copious comparisons in the lyrics joined some less than inspired wordplay. The ending and chorus, as usual, make up the numbers with the record.

‘Our Love & Our Souls’ is a nice balance between Loaf and Russo’s vocals, with Patti particularly keeping this track afloat, but it’s once more too pondering to work. There is definitely something here but not in this form. Thankfully the opus that is ‘Stand In The Storm’ saves the album from its midway slump with far more energy and some variety in the form of different voices from Trace Adkins and Mark McGrath plus a great rap from ‘Lil Jon’, channelling his guest appearance on ‘Yeah’ all those years ago. All these elements together make this a track worthy of a listen and something that breaths life back into ‘Hell In A Handbasket’.

Penultimate track ‘Blue Sky’ returns to the sample played earlier in the track four Montage with some well produced chorus effects and ominous drumming, while closer ‘Fall From Grace’ is a pertinent end to the album, pulling together its themes, though it’s not a particular impressive track in the line up.

Overall Meat Loaf’s twelfth album is a grower and, though it has its fair share of filler, does have some tracks that, although not up there with his greatest, deserved to be recorded and are welcome songs to hear and show that he still has it in 2012.

7/10