Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through

"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" is a paean to rock music, celebrating how it is always there to help you through troubled times. One of its lyrics is "You're never alone, 'cause you can put on the 'phones and let the drummer tell your heart what to do." ==Release==

Several versions of the "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" have been released. The European and UK version included live versions of "Heaven Can Wait" and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". A second UK version had "Wasted Youth" and "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", while the 7-inch picture disc contains just "Wasted Youth". The US singles contained edited, live and acoustic versions of "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". ==Critical reception==

Meat Loaf version Upon the single release, Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "There were moments when it seemed like 'I'd Do Anything for Love' would never cool off. Its follow-up from the massive comeback set, Bat Out of Hell 2: Back into Hell, is an appropriately grand and cinematic rocker that places Mr. Loafs aching tenor amid rushes of choir vocals, tinkling piano lines, and chugging rhythm guitars. Diehards undoubtedly will draw comparisons to producer Jim Steinman's own rendition of the tune, while novice fans will happily snarl down this hit-bound version." Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five, saying, "Trimmed to just over five minutes, this long-awaited follow-up to 'I'd Do Anything for Love' is lighter than its chart-topping predecessor, but no less commercial. Radio is already leaping aboard, and a Top 10 placing is a certainty, though another number one seems out of reach, even though there's a 13-minute live version of 'l'd Do Anything...' included." Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "The carnivore rocker cuts another slice from the favoured Bat Out of Hell II loaf. Fewer drama and tempo changes mark the differences with the first single." ==Music videos==

Jim Steinman version The Steinman version's video features an empty, dark stage with two dancers, one male and one female, both in dancing suits and dancing performance art with a prop electric guitar. Steinman is seen throughout in a dark suit and aviator sunglasses standing still on a platform and lip synching the song. Scenes of a black bird of prey are seen at the beginning and end of the video. Meat Loaf version The video for the Meat Loaf version was directed by Michael Bay, who had also directed the videos for "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" and "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are". In the music video, Meat Loaf stands as a fortuneteller who comforts a recently runaway teenager (played by an 18 year old Angelina Jolie). Meat Loaf's character also protects a young boy from joining a gang and other people who are lost and lonely. Jolie's character, after the song ends, returns to her family. ==Live variations==

The song has been performed live various times since the release of Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. The song was featured on Live Around the World and a live soundcheck appeared on the MAXI single. It was performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2004 as a sound test, but was not in the actual concert (Its audio can be heard on a special edition of the Bat Out of Hell Live CD). It was showcased in the DVD 3 Bats Live with performance by Meat Loaf in London, Ontario in 2007. It can also be found on the special two-CD edition of Bat Out of Hell II and most recently on the live album Casa De Carne, a bonus CD with the Special Edition (US) Deluxe and Super Deluxe versions (UK) of Meat Loaf's 2010 album Hang Cool Teddy Bear. ==Charts==

Jim Steinman version Weekly charts Year-end charts Meat Loaf version Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Release history==