Meat Loaf: 10 Incredible Forgotten Songs
4. Modern Girl
By the mid-1980s Meat Loaf was at a commercial low ebb. In his native United States the incredible success of Bat Out Of Hell had not led to a consistent period of hit-making. His relationship with Jim Steinman was also at its lowest point and Meat tried different producers and writers in the hopes of a hit.
Modern Girl was one of the few successes of that period, cracking the UK Top 20. As close to mid-'80s pop as Meat Loaf ever got, the song is built on his traditional piano-driven tempo and dynamic vocal performance with some production touches to make it aspire to the hair metal movement of the time.
Some syrupy strings and drum machine beats make Modern Girl a product of 1984 but an enjoyable stab at commercial success.
Meat Loaf's vocals were still strong and he is able to scream the song into a wailing guitar solo before quietening everything down with his whispered yet powerful delivery. Modern Girl is still a fun example of a more earnest and commercial Meat Loaf.