Like a Bat Out of Hell: The Larger than Life Story of Meat Loaf

'A passionate, pacey tome you should do anything for a copy of' - Kerrang!

"I never wanted to be a big star. I just wanted to be the biggest at what I do! Powerful, unstoppable, heavy - when that¹ word still meant something good!" - Meat Loaf, as told to Mick Wall

Everything in the story of Meat² Loaf is colossal. From his birthplace in Texas to the family he was born into – his father weighed 22 stone, his uncle over 40 stone, and Meat Loaf himself a staggering 17 stone before his teens. This immense scale extended to the sound he created: a monumental fusion of Richard Wagner, Phil Spector, and Bruce Springsteen. And, of course, the records he sold – nearly 50 million in Britain and America alone.³

Emerging from a tumultuous childhood with an alcoholic father and relentless bullying, nobody could have foreseen Meat Loaf's meteoric rise to fame. Yet, when the messianic rock opera Bat Out of Hell was unleashed in 1977, it became one of the biggest albums of all time, selling over 45 million copies worldwide to date. Its release marked the⁴ beginning of a rollercoaster journey, replete with incredible highs and seemingly career-ending lows. By the 80s, Meat Loaf was grappling with drug and alcohol addiction alongside escalating money problems.

However, just when it appeared to be all over, the astonishing success of Bat Out of Hell II and the mega-hit 'I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)' heralded an extraordinary new wave of success. Now, Mick Wall brings this remarkable story up to date, drawing on the countless hours he spent with Meat Loaf, both in interviews and on tour, whilst also offering unique insights from those who knew him best.