Hell in a Handbasket

The album was produced by Neverland Express guitarist Paul Crook.{{cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/music/news/196285/Meat-Loaf-To-Work-With-Lil-Jon-And-Chuck-D-On-New-Album.htm |title=Meat Loaf To Work With Lil Jon And Chuck D On New Album |publisher=411mania.com |date=2012-05-10 |access-date=2012-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009052058/http://www.411mania.com/music/news/196285/Meat-Loaf-To-Work-With-Lil-Jon-And-Chuck-D-On-New-Album.htm |archive-date=2012-10-09 |url-status=dead }} Songwriters who had worked on his previous album also made a return, including Gregory Becker and John Paul White ("Let's Be in Love") and Tommy Henriksen (co-author of the digital bonus track "Prize Fight Lover"). Also prominently featured on the album is songwriter Sean McConnell, whose contributions were originally developed for Hang Cool Teddy Bear but wound up being discarded as the album took a different direction creatively (however, he is still thanked in that album's liner notes).{{cite web|url=http://seanmcconnell.com/news/meatloaf/ |title=Meatloaf (sic) |publisher=Sean McConnell |access-date=2012-06-27}} The album was released on Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, which overseas Meat Loaf's back catalog of releases on the Sony-owned Epic and Arista labels.

Due to the lengthy gaps between releases in various regions, Meat Loaf intimated in response to public demand that there was still time for longtime collaborator Jim Steinman to make a contribution to the album in its internationally released form. Meat Loaf concluded by noting "don't rule it out."{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddVqEag6XXk |title=Meat Loaf Responds to Facebook Questions, Vol. 22 |publisher=Youtube.com |date=2011-09-16 |access-date=2012-06-27}} This was a more specific variation on a previous statement, namely that he would work with Steinman again but that Steinman "doesn't know it yet."{{cite web|title=Facebook Q&A: Volume 17|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi52TlrEIoo}} Speculation then occurred as to what the contribution could be. In 2008, Steinman had stated on his website he was creating an album as a promotional tie-in to the then-forthcoming Bat Out of Hell musical with a working title of Bat Out of Hell: The Climax or The Final at Bat, which would feature "new versions of classic BOOH 1&2 songs, and ALL the brand newest songs, sung by many amazing artists." He hastened to add that there was "NO REASON Meat couldnt [sic] sing these too."{{cite web|url=http://jimsteinman.com/messageboard/d.php?id=24269 |title=The Rockman Record - LET ME EXPLAIN |publisher=Jimsteinman.com |access-date=2012-06-27}}

The title "Hell in a Handbasket" refers to the popular saying that things are going "to hell in a handbasket." According to Meat Loaf, he chose the title because "the world's gone to hell in a handbasket and every day that I listen to the news, I think the handbasket is getting bigger."{{cite web|last=George|first=Andrew|title=Meat Loaf talks hip-hop, news prior to Sands Bethlehem Event Center show|url=http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/music/index.ssf/2012/07/meat_loaf.html|work=Bethlehem Area News|publisher=The Express-Times|access-date=25 July 2012}}

"Stand in the Storm", featuring special guest appearances from Meat Loaf's Celebrity Apprentice teammates Mark McGrath, John Rich, and Lil Jon, was the first promotional single released digitally in May 2011, to benefit their respective charities.{{cite web |url=http://meatloaf.net/content/new-song-stand-storm-collaboration-john-rich-lil-jon-and-mark-mcgrath-itunes-now |title=New Song "Stand In The Storm" Collaboration With John Rich, Lil Jon and Mark McGrath on iTunes Now! |publisher=Meatloaf.net |date=2011-05-26 |access-date=2012-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330234516/http://meatloaf.net/content/new-song-stand-storm-collaboration-john-rich-lil-jon-and-mark-mcgrath-itunes-now |archive-date=2012-03-30 |url-status=dead }}

The first physical and second digital single, "All of Me", the album's opening track, was released for download exclusively through iTunes Australia on August 26, 2011.{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/all-of-me-single/id457721488 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113133920/https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/all-of-me-single/id457721488 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 13, 2012 |title=iTunes - Music - All of Me - Single by Meat Loaf |publisher=iTunes |date=2011-08-26 |access-date=2012-06-27}}

The album's seventh track, a cover of "California Dreamin'" (originally by The Mamas and The Papas) featuring Patti Russo, was released to radio in Australia in early September 2011.

Source:{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/pop-rock/hell-in-a-handbasket/654002 |title=JB Hi-Fi Australia |publisher=Jbhifionline.com.au |access-date=2012-06-27}}

{{Track listing

| title1 = All of Me

| writer1 = Dave Berg

| length1 = 5:17

| title2 = Fall from Grace

| writer2 = Gregory Becker, Bobby Huff, Bleu McAuley

| length2 = 3:46

| title3 = The Giving Tree

| writer3 = Evan Watson

| length3 = 4:54

| title4 = Mad Mad World/The Good God Is a Woman and She Don't Like Ugly

| note4 = Special appearance by Chuck D

| writer4 = Tom Cochrane, Paul Crook, Carlton Ridenhour

| length4 = 4:05

| title5 = Party of One

| writer5 = Dave Kushner, Franky Perez

| length5 = 3:59

| title6 = Live or Die

| writer6 = Gregory Becker, Tommy Henriksen, John Paul White

| length6 = 4:27

| title7 = California Dreamin'

| writer7 = John Phillips, Michelle Phillips

| note7 = Duet with Patti Russo

| length7 = 3:57

| title8 = Another Day

| writer8 = Wade Bowen, Sean McConnell

| length8 = 5:03

| title9 = 40 Days

| writer9 = Bill Luther, Justin Weaver

| length9 = 5:23

| title10 = Our Love and Our Souls

| note10 = Duet with Patti Russo

| writer10 = Sean McConnell

| length10 = 4:00

| title11 = Stand in the Storm

| note11 = Special guest appearances from Lil Jon, John Rich and Mark McGrath

| writer11 = Barry Dean, J. Smith, Troy Verges

| length11 = 4:37

| title12 = Blue Sky

| writer12 = Sean McConnell

| length12 = 2:57

}}

Sources:{{cite web|url=http://www.songonlyrics.com/meat-loaf-new-2012-album-hell-in-a-handbasket-tracklist-and-release-date |title=Meat Loaf New 2012 Album: "Hell in a Handbasket" Tracklist and Release Date {{pipe}} Music News |publisher=Songonlyrics.com |date=2012-01-18 |access-date=2012-06-27}}{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/meat-loaf-announces-hell-in-a-handbasket-tracklist-art-and-release-date/ |title=Meat Loaf Announces 'Hell in a Handbasket' Tracklist, Art and Release Date |publisher=Ultimateclassicrock.com |date=2012-01-17 |access-date=2012-06-27}}{{cite web |url=http://www.meatloaf.net/content/legacy-recordings-announces-stateside-release-hell-handbasket-new-full-length-studio-album-m |title=Legacy Recordings Announces The Stateside Release Of Hell In A Handbasket, The New Full-Length Studio Album |publisher=Meat Loaf |access-date=2012-06-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814121441/http://meatloaf.net/content/legacy-recordings-announces-stateside-release-hell-handbasket-new-full-length-studio-album-m |archive-date=2012-08-14 }}

{{Track listing

| title1 = All of Me

| writer1 = Dave Berg

| length1 = 5:17

| title2 = The Giving Tree

| writer2 = Evan Watson

| length2 = 4:54

| title3 = Live or Die

| writer3 = Gregory Becker, Tommy Henriksen, John Paul White

| length3 = 4:27

| title4 = Blue Sky/Mad Mad World/The Good God Is a Woman and She Don't Like Ugly

| note4 = Special appearance by Chuck D

| writer4 = Tom Cochrane, Paul Crook, Sean McConnell, Carlton Ridenhour

| length4 = 4:58

| title5 = California Dreamin'

| writer5 = John Phillips, Michelle Phillips

| note5 = Duet with Patti Russo

| length5 = 3:57

| title6 = Party of One

| writer6 = Dave Kushner, Franky Perez

| length6 = 3:59

| title7 = Another Day

| writer7 = Wade Bowen, Sean McConnell

| length7 = 5:03

| title8 = 40 Days

| writer8 = Bill Luther, Justin Weaver

| length8 = 5:23

| title9= Our Love and Our Souls

| note9 = Duet with Patti Russo

| writer9 = Sean McConnell

| length9 = 4:00

| title10 = Stand in the Storm

| note10 = Special guest appearances from Lil Jon, Trace Adkins and Mark McGrath

| writer10 = Barry Dean, J. Smith, Troy Verges

| length10 = 4:42

| title11 = Blue Sky

| writer11 = Sean McConnell

| length11 = 2:57

| title12 = Fall from Grace

| writer12 = Gregory Becker, Bobby Huff, Bleu McAuley

| length12 = 3:46

}}

• Produced and engineered by Paul Crook
• Additional production ("Stand in the Storm") by Lil Jon
• Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge

• Meat Loaf – lead vocals

• Paul Crook – guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, loop programming
• Randy Flowers – guitar, backing vocals
• Danny Miranda – bass guitar, upright bass
• Justin Avery – piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals
• Dave Luther – saxophone, backing vocals
• John Miceli – drums, percussion
• Patti Russo – female lead vocals (track 10), featured vocals (track 7), backing vocals

• Jamie Muhoberac – keyboard, synthesizer (tracks 1, 8, 10)

• Ginny Luke – violin (track 5)
• Caitlin Evanson – fiddle (track 6)
• Glen Duncan – mandolin (track 9)
• Bruce Bowden – pedal steel (track 11)
• Jerry Flowers – backing vocals (track 4)

• Chuck D – rap ("The Good God's a Woman and She Don't Like Ugly")
• Mark McGrath – vocals ("Stand in the Storm")
• John RichAustralian release only/Trace AdkinsNorth American/European release only – vocals ("Stand in the Storm")
• Lil Jon – rap, drum programming ("Stand in the Storm")

Meat Loaf embarked on the Guilty Pleasure Tour across Australia and New Zealand in October 2011 in support of the album, receiving mixed reviews for his vocal performance.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} The show in Sydney was recorded for DVD release.

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Category:Meat Loaf albums

Category:2011 albums

Category:Legacy Recordings albums