Blind Before I Stop

Infobox Album
Name = Blind Before I Stop
Type = Album
Artist = Meat Loaf


Released = September 1986
Recorded = 1986
Producer = Frank Farian
Length = 48:33
Label = Arista Records
Genre = Rock
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jxfyxqe5ldae link]
Last album = "Bad Attitude"
(1984)
This album = "Blind Before I Stop"
(1986)
Next album = "Live at Wembley"
(1987)

"Blind Before I Stop" is a 1986 album by Meat Loaf. The album was produced in Germany by Frank Farian and was the first to fully embrace the 80s sound. Critics were concerned about the album missing the characteristic Steinman-influenced sound by incorporating synth chords and samples. According to Meat Loaf's 1998 autobiography, he would have preferred to wait to work with more Steinman material, but his contractual obligations with Arista required him to complete two more albums by the end of the 1980s, including this album and a Live album.

Meat Loaf co-wrote three of the songs on the album. One of them, Blind Before I Stop, was performed live on Saturday Night Live, with Meat Loaf playing guitar. 'Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries', a duet with rock singer John Parr, was released as a single in the UK. Meat Loaf never managed to sing the song live with Parr because of an incident just after the release of the single. During a sold out show in London, the singer failed to introduce Parr onto the stage. Even after leaving dozens of phone messages begging for forgiveness, the tour never reincorporated Parr. During his late 1980s tour of Europe, Meat Loaf picked up pianist Frank Doyle. Richard Raskin had made contributions to arrangements on previous musical tracks some years before and his style can still be heard on bass.

The single, "Getting Away with Murder", also spawned a music video [http://www.mtv.com/#/music/artist/meatloaf/artist.jhtml] . Tracks from this album were on featured on the CD re-release of "Bad Attitude", in lieu of inclusion of "The Very Best" album.

Track listing

# "Execution Day" – 6:32 "(Meat Loaf/Dick Wagner)"
# "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" – 5:00 "(Michael Dan Ehmig/Alan Hodge)"
# "Getting Away with Murder" – 3:52 "(Terry Britten/Sue Shifrin)"
# "One More Kiss (Night of the Soft Parade)" – 5:40 "(John Golden/Meat Loaf)"
# "Blind Before I Stop" - 3:33 "(Paul Christie/Golden/Meat Loaf)"
# "Burning Down" – 4:59 "(Billy Rankin)"
# "Standing on the Outside" – 3:59 "(John Lang/Richard Page/Steve George)"
# "Masculine" – 4:23 "(Rick Derringer)"
# "A Man and a Woman" – 4:11 "(Jerry Riopelle/John Harris)"
# "Special Girl" – 3:56 "(Eddie Schwartz/Dave Tyson)"
# "Rock 'n' Roll Hero" – 4:30 "(John Wilcox)"

Personnel

*Meat Loaf — lead and backing vocals, guitars (tracks 2, 5)
*John Parr — guest vocals (track 2)
*Mats Björklynd — guitars (tracks 1, 2, 3, 8), bass (tracks 3, 6), keys, programming, drums (tracks 5, 9)
*Johan Daansen — guitars (tracks 2, 7, 10)
*Peter Weihe — guitars
*Dieter Petereit — bass
*John Golden — bass (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
*Harry Baierl — piano (tracks 4, 7, 8), keyboards, programming (track 2)
*Pit Löw — keyboards and programming
*Mel Collins — sax (tracks 1, 3, 6)
*Curt Cress — drums
*Amy Goff — female vocals (track 9), backing vocals
*Frank Farian — additional vocals (tracks 2, 6), backing vocals
*Peter Bischof — vocals
*Bert Gebhard — vocals
*Bimey Oberreit — vocals
*Elaine Goff — vocals
*The Jackson Singers — choir (tracks 1, 6, 7)

ingles

"Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" became a minor hit, but never made a big impaction the 80's, but had a couple extended mixes and a Rare exclusive song, "R.P.M" on its singles.

"Getting Away with Murder" and "Blind Before I Stop" , the title track, were released as singles too and both had extended remixes, but no exclusive songs.

"Masculine" was performed Live by him in his concerts long after the completion of the "Blind Before I Stop" Tour, well into the 90's and appears on an "Objects in the Rear View Mirror" single.