Three star

Meat fans will be satisfied and to be fair, no-one will be expecting the big lad to produce an album which breaks the mould.

Same old, same old - Couldn't have Said It Better!

The opening track features a tinkly piano, Mr Loaf's gruff, growling lyrics and a contrasting female vocal - you get the picture.

The following ten tracks do little to depart from the formula apart from a little stop-start electronic tinkering on Love You Out Loud.

There are few things Meat Loaf has in common with Barbra Streisand and Liza Minelli apart from a nagging doubt about why they are famous.

Loaf is one of those artists who seems to have made a career out of one or two songs and there is no denying the quality of Bat Out Of Hell or even his more recent I Would Do Anything For Love But I Won't Do That.

But Couldn't Have Said It Better is the same song(s) repackaged and the fact he has to sneak in a 'hidden' live version of Bat Out Of Hell only confirms that.

MH