Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell - Vinyl Comparison

Bat Out Of Hell I’m sure requires no introduction from me. Released in 1977, it was singer Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman’s debut studio album and went on to become one the best-selling albums of all time. In this review we will compare an original UK pressing with the 1980 CBS Mastersound Half-Speed Master.

CBS Mastersound Series

The CBS Mastersound series is generally regarded as a bit of a flop. There are known technical issues with several of the titles and although half-speed mastering and digital was marketing gold at the time, doing it right wasn’t easy and didn’t guarantee stellar results.

For the CBS Mastersound series, analog master tapes were first converted to digital and mastered in the digital domain. The laquer was then cut at half-speed and finally, CBS touted a special new vinyl compound would be used coupled with an improved molding and pressing process.

Samples

The following vinyl recordings were captured using a Motu M4 played on an Audio Technica AT-LP5x turntable with AT-VM95ML cartridge and MoFi StudioPhono preamp.

Bat Out Of Hell

Original UK 1977

CBS Mastersound

You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth

Original UK 1977

CBS Mastersound

Summary

The original pressing of Bat Out Of Hell has always been a disappointment for me. It lacks bass, has no top end whatsoever and, as a result, lacks detail. I can’t really think of anything positive to say about it. Despite being musically brilliant, the production is quite complex for the time, which no doubt led to several complications during the recording process. There are even tape dropout issues which affect the original vinyl release and are even more noticeable on the CBS Mastersound.

That said, the CBS Mastersound release to my ears is light years better sonically than the original pressing. It is punchier and significantly more detailed, which really opens up the soundstage. It’s never going to be an audiophile recording, but at least the CBS Mastersound release is worth putting on. Is the CBS Mastersound release perfect? No. It could still be better in the bass department and the top end could be a bit much on some systems, but in my opinion, it’s still worth seeking out instead of an original.

I haven’t heard the more recent Friday Music release which gets rave reviews as it’s hard to come by outside the US. I will update this post if I get hold of one but until then it’s the CBS Mastersound I will reach for when I am in the mood for Bat Out Of Hell.