Best Bat out of Hell recording

I think, there is none. Tried to find one some time ago, too. I found the information, that the mastering was done so bad, that plans for a reissue were buried.
Great Music, inferior recorded. A real pity...

HiFi News did a review (2 years ago I think?} of the Bat Out Of Hell recording and a review of currently available versions (LP and CD, maybe even SACD as well?} and concluded they are all poorly recorded and mastered. Having said that, I am sure there is one version better than the others. I have not heard the HD Tracks version, maybe worth a listen.

Unfortunately at the end of the day Meatloaf is Meatloaf.

SACD version is the best of all! I own one

It's a mess. My understanding is that "BOOH" was a really low budget recording session that Todd Rundgren (a top three all-time rock/pop musician, in my book) financed out of his own pocket after every record label in town passed on it. I'm not certain, but I think that it may have been recorded at Rundgren's Bearsville Studio, the birthplace of many of the worst sounding records in my collection. Rundgren's a hero of mine, but when he screws up the sound of a record, he usually does so royally. Unfortunately, "BOOH" is a good example of that.

BTW, the history of the record is interesting: Although it may be an apocryphal tale, Clive Davis reportedly called it the single worst record he'd ever heard.

Yep, flat, bass shy, no soundstage...bummer

What Marty said.

Have not heard a really good BOOH ever, vinyl or CD. Maybe there is a miracle digital remastering out there I have not heard. Dunno. The sound quality on teh limited Rundgren material I am familiar with in general is some of the worst I can cite.

I was listening to my ripped from relatively recent remastered cd version a bit yesterday. Recording is about par for most rock pop recordings, not bad but lacking any soundstage depth and limited dynamics. Otherwise not bad for what it is.