Summary
“Bad for Good” (Epic EPC 84361, 1981) is Jim Steinman’s gloriously over-the-top solo leap into the spotlight. If the name rings a bell, it’s because Steinman is the theatrical mastermind behind Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell.” This record is what happens when the mad composer steps out from behind the curtain and says, “Fine, I’ll sing it myself.”

Expect huge songs, bigger emotions, and a vinyl experience that feels half rock opera, half teenage fever dream.

About the Artist
Before “Bad for Good,” Jim Steinman was already a cult hero. A composer, playwright, and producer, he cut his teeth in musical theatre, fusing Wagner-sized drama with greasy-leather-jacket rock ’n’ roll.

He co-created “Bat Out of Hell,” one of the best-selling albums of all time, and by 1981, he was in demand from both rock stars and Broadway producers. “Bad for Good” was originally written as Meat Loaf’s follow-up to “Bat,” but when Meat Loaf’s voice gave out, Steinman simply kept the songs and took the mic himself.

About the Record
Genre-wise, think: bombastic arena rock meets gothic musical. There’s nothing “small” on this record. Tracks stretch, build, explode, and sometimes monologue their way into your brain.

In Steinman’s unofficial discography, “Bad for Good” is the missing link between “Bat Out of Hell” and everything he later did with Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, and even Celine Dion. Several songs were later re-recorded by other artists, turning this album into a kind of mythic blueprint for Steinman’s universe.

Another single album on 7-inch, Jim Steinman:  “Storm/Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through” is available for free exclusively with Jim Steinman’s album “Bad For Good” S EPC 117 . The 7-inch single also has the sleeve and both sides of the record in excellent condition.

About the Cover
The cover looks like a heavy-metal comic book panel. It’s a visual cousin to “Bat Out of Hell,” dialled up with even more fantasy and sci‑fi energy.

That sense of motion, danger, and wild adolescence sums up the music perfectly: unrestrained, melodramatic, and a bit tongue-in-cheek.

About the Lyrics & Music
Lyrically, “Bad for Good” is obsessed with youth, lust, rebellion, and doomed romance. Steinman writes like a rock ’n’ roll poet laureate of teenage catastrophe.

Standout moments:

“Bad for Good” – A mission statement of maximalist rock. Guitars, choirs, and drama for days.
“Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through” – Later a hit for Meat Loaf, here it’s a shimmering, hopeful anthem to the healing power of music.
“Love and Death and an American Guitar” – A spoken-word fever dream that later mutates into “Wasted Youth” on “Bat Out of Hell II.”
“Stark Raving Love” – Pure Steinman excess, with relentless tempo and arrangements that seem to grow extra limbs.
On vinyl, the dense production really stretches its legs: layered vocals, orchestral touches, and that famous “wall of sound” rock mix feel warmer and more three-dimensional than on digital.

Conclusion
If you love theatrical rock, big choruses, and albums that sound like movies, “Bad for Good” is essential. It’s eccentric, ambitious, and occasionally ridiculous—in all the best ways.

Other Recommendations
If “Bad for Good” hits the spot, spin these next:

Meat Loaf – “Bat Out of Hell” & “Bat Out of Hell II” (Steinman in full partnership mode)
Bonnie Tyler – “Faster Than the Speed of Night” (includes the Steinman-penned “Total Eclipse of the Heart”)
Pandora’s Box – “Original Sin” (deep-cut Steinman project with many ideas later reused)
Together, they form a wild, romantic, gasoline-scented saga—and this Epic EPC 84361 pressing is a fantastic way to enter that world.