Category Archives: Def Leppard
Def Leppard – X
Def Leppard – X (2002, Island Records)
1. “Now” … 3:58
2. “Unbelievable” … 3:58
3. “You’re So Beautiful” … 3:31
4. “Everyday” … 3:08
5. “Long Long Way To Go” … 4:38
6. “Four Letter Word” … 3:07
7. “Torn to Shreds” … 2:56
8. “Love Don’t Lie” … 4:46
9. “Gravity” … 2:33
10. “Cry” … 3:17
11. “Girl Like You” … 2:49
12. “Let Me Be the One” … 3:29
13. “Scar” … 4:59
Band:
Joe Elliott – lead vocals
Rick “Sav” Savage – bass guitar, vocals
Rick Allen – drums
Vivian Campbell – guitar, vocals
Phil Collen – guitar, vocals
Producer: Pete Woodroffe & Def Leppard
It’s been a long time coming but I finally sat down and gave this album another spin. I bought it as soon as it came out and probably gave it 4 or 5 spins before deciding it was a disappointing follow-up to Euphoria. 9 years later, I’m listening to it again. I would’ve actually checked it out (again) a few years earlier but I lost my copy and finally snagged another copy a year or two ago.
Euphoria was no slouch of an album. It’s their most recent album to go gold, “Promises” was a minor radio hit, the album was hailed as a return to form by fans & critics alike after the alternative leanings of Slang and the band was all over VH1 at the time enjoying the renewed popularity that many “eighties bands” were experiencing.
So why, then, did the band go in yet another direction by turning in their poppiest, softest-rocking album to date? Well, I guess the lure of the almighty dollar was just too much. Sure, they sold 500,000 copies of the last album but what about going double platinum like Bon Jovi did?
Obviously inspired by the success of Bon Jovi’s Crush and “It’s My Life”, Def Leppard recruited some of the very same songwriters that the boys from Jersey had partnered with on that 2000 release. Names like Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson and Wayne Hector were all over the place in the late ’90s/early ’00s as they wrote hits for a number of boy bands like Backstreet Boys and pop tarts like Britney Spears. The band was obviously content to just let the “hits” come to them as not a single member had a hand in writing “Unbelievable” or “Long Long Way to Go”!
It blew my mind at the time that Def Leppard was able to recover from the cold response for Slang by handing in Euphoria (one of their best albums, IMO) and then do another turnaround with X. I actually lost a bit of respect for the band at the time because it was such an obvious cash grab and phony attempt at staying relevant.
Nine years on, my judgment isn’t as clouded and I can look back and say there are a number of good tracks on this album despite a few tracks where the band tries to play the role of a boy band. Funny thing is, the songs I ended up liking most are on the first half of the album — the half that features lots of outside co-writing credits! Tracks 6-13 were all written by the band with only producer Pete Woodroffe stepping in to co-write a few songs.
The one song I instantly loved off this album was “Now”. To me, that is a classic Def Leppard sounding song and actually does sound like something to follow-up Euphoria with. “Scar” is another very good guitar-oriented song that rocks a bit harder than the rest and sounds close to something they might’ve done in the ’80s.
The album is full of mid-tempo numbers and ballads. It’s a complete pop album but I have a lot more respect for it now. It’s not a classic but it’s not bad at all and I upgrade it to “decent” and remove it’s previous status of “bland”. Maybe I’m going soft.
Highlights: “Now”, “Unbelievable”, “You’re So Beautiful”, “Everyday”, “Love Don’t Lie”, “Cry”, “Scar”
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Buy ‘X’ on Amazon.com!
Def Leppard – Mirror Ball: Live & More
Def Leppard – Mirror Ball: Live & More (2011, Mailboat Records)
Disc 1
1. “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”
2. “Rocket”
3. “Animal”
4. “C’Mon C’Mon”
5. “Make Love Like A Man”
6. “Too Late For Love”
7. “Foolin’”
8. “Nine Lives”
9. “Love Bites”
10. “Rock On”
Disc 2
1. “Two Steps Behind”
2. “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”
3. “Switch 625″
4. “Hysteria”
5. “Armageddon It”
6. “Photograph”
7. “Pour Some Sugar On Me”
8. “Rock Of Ages”
9. “Let’s Get Rocked”
10. “Action”
11. “Bad Actress”
12. “Undefeated”
13. “King Of The World”
14. “It’s All About Believin’”
Disc 3 – DVD
- Behind the Scenes on the Sparkle Lounge Tour 2008-2009
- Live Performances: “Rock! Rock! (‘Til You Drop)”, “Armageddon It”, “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Hysteria”
- Music Videos: “Nine Lives”, “C’Mon C’Mon”
Band:
Joe Elliott – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Phil Collen – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Vivian Campbell – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick “Sav” Savage – Bass, Backing Vocals
Rick Allen – Drums, Backing Vocals
Produced by: Def Leppard & Ronan McHugh
Wal-Mart nabs yet another exclusive North American release from yet another band that has fallen into the classic rock category but this time it’s a live album (and more!). It’s a proven method for success these days as the album debuted at #16 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. with approximately 20,000 copies sold.
The live tracks were all recorded somewhere out there over the rainbow (it’s never specified exactly when and where in the liner notes) during the Sparkle Lounge tour that ran from 2008-2009. As someone who saw that tour and most recently caught them on tour in support of this album I can safely that Mirrorball is a good representation of what the band sounds like live. Obviously there is polish and trickery in the studio that cannot be replicated live (certainly true when it comes to a band like Def Leppard). As most “live” albums go, there is a little tinkering done not-so-live but this is still a faithful representation that plays out like a live greatest hits.
Which is basically what Def Leppard has been doing for a number of years now — a greatest hits set list, which is fine, but after awhile you wanna see them throwin some fan faves that they haven’t played in a number of years. The most recent album Def Leppard is playing live from in 2011 (other than “Undefeated” from this album) is 1993′s Retro Active! They’ve released 5 albums since then but all are being ignored… that’s a bone to pick for another time. Live versions of “Action” and “Bad Actress” are tacked on near the end of the album, supposedly they are “bonus” tracks. I guess maybe the Frontiers edition doesn’t have these songs?
Although I would’ve picked this album up regardless, the real bait for me was the three new studio tracks:
- “Undefeated” is a classic Leppard. The first few times I heard the leaked form on YouTube, I liked it but wasn’t really impressed (Joe’s voice seemed pretty weak). Since then, the song has grown on me in a big way. I’ve got it on my iPod for when I run and it’s a great choice to open the shows on the current tour. Sounds even better live. Classic Rock magazine said it was “as good as anything they’ve written in the last 30 years”. I wouldn’t go that far but it is a very strong number that is definitely as good as anything from the past 15 years or so.
- “Kings of the World” sounds like a track that didn’t make it onto Sparkle Lounge. Total Queen-worship here which the band doesn’t deny at all. Lyrically, it is very similar to Queen’s “Princes of the Universe” from A Kind of Magic. Slow song but good.
- “All About Believin’” wraps up the audio portion of Mirrorball and sounds like it could’ve come from Euphoria. Another good song.
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DEF LEPPARD – Hysteria
Def Leppard – Hysteria (1987, Mercury Records)
1. “Women” … 5:41
2. “Rocket” … 6:37
3. “Animal” … 4:02
4. “Love Bites” … 5:46
5. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” … 4:25
6. “Armageddon It” … 5:21
7. “Gods of War” … 6:37
8. “Don’t Shoot Shotgun” … 4:26
9. “Run Riot” … 4:39
10. “Hysteria” … 5:54
11. “Excitable” … 4:19
12. “Love and Affection” … 4:37
Band:
Joe Elliot – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Phil Collen – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Steve Clark – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Savage – Bass, Backing Vocals
Rick Allen – Drums
Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange
What can I say? This album is a pop-metal masterpiece on par with Def Leppard’s previous release Pyromania (I should really extend my “review” of that album). And like that album, SEVEN singles were released from this album all of which were hits and most of which can still be heard on radio and dominating Def Leppard’s live set to this day. I think “Women” is the only single the band doesn’t don’t play as much and I know it’s too long to have gotten play on pop stations but I think “God of War” could’ve done really well on rock radio and “Love and Affection” should’ve been a single as well.
I just recently bought this album. I held off on it for so long because I know most of these songs already practically every rock fan does whether they own the album or not. I first heard the complete album around 1999 when I was visiting a friend in Virginia who had recently picked up a used copy on CD. I always drag my feet on picking essential albums when I know them so well, for so long I couldn’t bring myself to pick up an album where I already knew half of it extensively.
Well, I was browsing Best Buy and had a $25 gift card, saw it for $9.99 and grabbed it. I know there’s a deluxe super duper remixed remastered bonus tracks edition available (and having heard it, I can say the bonus stuff is actually really good) but it goes for $25-30 most of the time. I’m fine with owning the original material and nothing else in order to shave off $15-20. Maybe years from now if it hits that $10-15 range I’ll get it.
I’m having a hard time deciding whether this album or Pyromania is their best. Pyromania set the blue print, Hysteria has sold more (though not by much), both seemed to equally be hailed as not only the best Def Leppard album but as one of rock’s best as well. I think I slightly lean towards Pyromania just based on the fact that most of the singles on this album have been played and played and played and played so much more than anything from Pyromania and with me at least when songs are overplayed as much as these, they tend to lose impact. Still great songs but it’s like “yeah yeah, I could go a few years without hearing this song”.
Hysteria was certainly my introduction to the band. I can remember watching “Pour Some Sugar On Me” on MTV (I would’ve turned SIX not too long after it was released) and I’ve always felt a close connection to “Hysteria” and “Love Bites”. Those are the three singles I remember most from those days. By the way, I HATE the “Animal” music video. I can’t believe they still do the whole circus theme on the video screens when they play it live.
Now, there is some filler on this album. “Don’t Shoot Shotgun” (which is just an odd title to me), “Run Riot” and “Excitable” are fairly uninspired and make the album feel bloated. They should’ve gone for 9 or 10 tracks like they did with Pyromania.
Highlights: “Women”, “Rocket”, “Animal”, “Love Bites”, “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Armageddon It”, “Gods of War”, “Hysteria”, “Love and Affection”
DEF LEPPARD – Yeah! Bonus CD with Backstage Interviews
Def Leppard – Yeah! Bonus CD with Backstage Interviews [Walmart Exclusive] (2006, Mercury Records/Island Records]
1. “American Girl” – Tom Petty … 3:34
2. Backstage Interview #1 … 3:12
3. “Search & Destroy” – The Stooges … 3:27
4. Backstage Interview #2 … 2:01
5. “Space Oddity” – David Bowie … 5:28
6. Backstage Interview #3 … 2:43
7. “Dear Friends” – Queen … 1:28
8. “Heartbeat” – Jobriath … 2:45
Band:
Joe Elliott – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Piano, Percussion (“American Girl”, “Space Oddity”, “Heartbeat”)
Phil Collen – Guitar, Lead Vocals, Bass, Drums (“Search & Destroy”)
Vivian Campbell – Guitar, Backing Vocals (“American Girl”)
Rick Savage – Bass, Lead Vocals, Guitar, Drums (“Dear Friends”)
Rick Allen – Drums (???)
Additional Musicians:
Marc Danzeisen – Drums (“American Girl”)
Jesse Sheely – Backing Vocals (“American Girl”)
Producer: ?
I considered updating the entry of Yeah!, just tacking this on at the end, but the more I thought about it the more I thought Walmart’s exclusive bonus CD to Yeah! deserved its own entry. Despite being called a “bonus”, it was sold separately for $6 and was released the same time as Yeah! and it is basically an EP that features 5 additional cover songs plus a three-part interview regarding the album and the band’s recent tours. I didn’t realize this bonus CD even existed until after buying the main album at Target, but a few months back, copies of this CD appeared at Walmart for only $3 (What, did they come across a forgotten box of this CD in their stockroom?) and I couldn’t pass it up.
For some weird reason, none of the songs here were recorded by the whole band. Joe Elliott and Vivian Campbell collaborated on “American Girl” but as for the rest, only one Def Leppard member appears. Kind of odd. Information as to who played what seems to be limited.
For what they are though, the songs are enjoyable. “American Girl” is fairly faithful, but I’m sick of everyone covering this song. I’ve never heard of Jobriath, but Joe Elliott’s cover of their song “Heartbeat” is my favorite song here.
Nothing essential here really and the interview is fairly standard stuff giving the album some back story, but since I’m a big fan of Yeah!, this was well worth the $3.
Highlights: “American Girl”, “Space Oddity”, “Heartbeat”
DEF LEPPARD – On Through the Night
Def Leppard – On Through the Night (1980, Mercury Records)
1. “Rock Brigade” (3:09)
2. “Hello America” (3:27)
3. “Sorrow Is A Woman” (3:54)
4. “It Could Be You” (2:33)
5. “Satellite” (4:28)
6. “When the Walls Came Tumbling Down” (4:44)
7. “Wasted” (3:45)
8. “Rocks Off” (3:42)
9. “It Don’t Matter” (3:21)
10. “Answer to the Master” (3:13)
11. “Overture” (7:44)
Band:
Joe Elliott – Lead Vocals
Steve Clark – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Pete Willis – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Savage – Bass, Backing Vocals
Rick Allen – Drums, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Chris Hughes – Synthesizer
Produced by: Tom Allom
Wait… What is this? Is this a Def Leppard album? Is this HEAVY METAL? “Yes” to both questions!
Despite Joe Elliott’s statements that Def Leppard were NEVER “heavy metal” (Seriously, Joe, are you trying to convince the fans or yourself?), this is indeed a heavy metal album. New Wave of British Heavy Metal, to be exact. I didn’t buy this album until far into being a fan of Def Leppard. I loved the “Mutt Lange sound” so much that hearing them do heavy metal wasn’t a top priority for me.
I’ve probably owned this album for about 7 or 8 years now and while I rarely listen to it, it’s a definite NWOBHM classic. I prefer the pop metal/glam rock sound the band would later evolve to, but you can’t deny the power behind metal classics like “Rock Brigade”, “It Could Be You”, “Rocks Off” and “Wasted” (my favorite song from this album). IF the band had continued in this heavy metal direction, they would’ve been doing just fine. More than likely, they wouldn’t have been as popular, but they could’ve been a great heavy metal band nonetheless.
You can really see how far Joe has come as a vocalist. He’s got the generic NWOBHM whiny/nasally vocals down here, but it pales in comparison to what he would do later. He’s not necessarily a great singer, but I’ve always enjoyed his voice.
Nearly 30 years after this album’s release, there are still some rock fans who call out for Def Leppard to “return to their roots” and get all New Wave of British Heavy Metal on us. Well, I think it is time to STOP saying that!
It’s been DECADES since On Through the Night and High ‘n’ Dry (which was somewhat of a bridge between this album and Pyromania anyway) and they were their first two albums. Many bands evolve as they continue to tour and record. Sometimes their “roots” aren’t really afforded the opportunity to shine until the band has proven themselves as a solid and bankable act. How many bands can say they sound exactly like they did on their first release? And would that even be a good thing to say? As far as I’m concerned, the sound they put in motion with legendary producer Mutt Lange is their “roots”. That sound has more in common with the glitter & glam rock they grew up on than this album does.
Longtime Judas Priest producer Tom Allom sat in the chair for these sessions. Not surprisingly, the band has kind of turned their back on this album, even going as far to say that High ‘n’ Dry is their first “real” release.
Highlights: “Rock Brigade”, “Sorrow Is A Woman”, “It Could Be You”, “When the Walls Came Tumbling Down”, “Wasted”, “Rocks Off”
DEF LEPPARD – Yeah!
Def Leppard – Yeah! (2006, Mercury Records/Island Records)
1. “20th Century Boy” – T.Rex … 3:41
2. “Rock On” – David Essex … 2:53
3. “Hanging on the Telephone” – Blondie … 2:23
4. “Waterloo Sunset” – The Kinks … 3:38
5. “Hell Raiser” – Sweet … 3:20
6. “10538 Overture” – Electric Light Orchestra … 4:31
7. “Street Life” – Roxy Music … 3:26
8. “Drive-In Saturday” – David Bowie … 4:07
9. “Little Bit of Love” – Free … 2:34
10. “The Golden Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll” – Mott the Hoople … 3:28
11. “No Matter What” – Badfinger … 2:57
12. “He’s Gonna Step on You Again” – John Kongos … 4:05
13. “Don’t Believe a Word” – Thin Lizzy … 2:19
14. “Stay with Me” – Faces … 4:30
[Target Exclusive Bonus Tracks]
15. “Action” [live] – Sweet … 4:05
16. “When I’m Dead and Gone” – McGuinness Flint … 3:18
Band:
Joe Elliott – Lead Vocals, Piano
Phil Collen – Guitar, Backing vocals, Lead Vocals (“Stay with Me”)
Vivian Campbell – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Savage – Bass, Backing Vocals
Rick Allen – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Justin Hawkins – Backing Vocals (“Hell Raiser”)
Produced by: Def Leppard
I always thought this album was underrated. It’s a mostly 70s glam cover album and it’s really fun to hear Def Leppard getting closer to their roots again.
This was the album of the Summer of ’06 for me and my woman. I had bought this album right before we went on a weekend trip to Panama City, Florida, to stay with my family in a condo they rented and we listened to it all the way there and back. I was surprised by how much my girl loved this album, with her especially getting into “Hanging on the Telephone” and “20th Century Boy”. Despite being covers, it converted her to being a Def Leppard fan.
I’ve seen lots of hardcore DL fans bash this album, everyone wants Pyromania 2 or even On Through the Night 2, and that’s all well and good, but this is still a pretty good hard rockin’ album and I definitely prefer it over 2008′s Songs from the Sparkle Lounge.
The album had a couple of different “exclusive” versions released. I ended up with the Target version, not realizing Walmart got a “bonus” EP packaged with their version. >=(
Highlights: “20th Century Boy”, “Hanging on the Telephone”, “Waterloo Sunset”, “10538 Overture”, “Drive-In Saturday”, “The Golden Age of Rock ‘N’ Roll”, “No Matter What”, “Don’t Believe a Word”
DEF LEPPARD – Adrenalize
Def Leppard – Adrenalize (1992, Mercury Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Let’s Get Rocked” … 4:56
2. “Heaven Is” …. 3:37
3. “Make Love Like a Man” …. 4:13
4. “Tonight” … 4:03
5. “White Lightning” … 7:03
6. “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)” … 4:31
7. “Personal Property” … 4:20
8. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” … 5:25
9. “I Wanna Touch U” … 3:38
10. “Tear It Down” … 3:38
Band:
Joe Elliott – Lead Vocals
Phil Collen – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Savage – Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Allen – Drums, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Phil Nicholas – Keyboard
Producer: Mike Shipley & Def Leppard
The 1990s were upon Def Leppard, but they were oblivious to the emerging hip hop and grunge rock scenes. Adrenalize follows in the grand ol’ tradition of the “Def Leppard sound”. It’s a winning formula and this album is just as bombastic and saccharine as Pyromania and Hysteria before it. And why shouldn’t it be? Mutt Lange co-wrote most of the album and was “executive producer”.
I was familiar with half this album because of the Vault greatest hits, but the rest of the album is probably even stronger than what was included there, in my opinion. “Make Love Like a Woman” is classic Def Leppard, silly but fun. Other songs such as “Heaven Is”, “Tonight”, “White Lightning”, and “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” all continue to get me “into the zone” and I find myself to singing along with the album as I do with Pyromania, Hysteria, and Euphoria.
I think Def Lep is probably the catchiest rock band ever!
I bought my copy used probably close to 10 years ago and I really need to get a new one. Time (and myself) have not been kind to the disc and it’s full of all kinds of scratches and skips these days.
Highlights: Great album with no filler.
www.defleppard.com
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DEF LEPPARD – Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits
Def Leppard – Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1995, Mercury Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” – 4:52
2. “Photograph” – 4:08
3. “Love Bites” – 5:46
4. “Let’s Get Rocked” – 4:55
5. “Two Steps Behind” [Acoustic Version] – 4:19
6. “Animal” – 4:03
7. “Foolin’” – 4:34
8. “Rocket” – 4:07
9. “When Love & Hate Collide” – 4:17
10. “Armageddon It” – 5:22
11. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” – 5:19
12. “Rock of Ages” – 4:08
13. “Hysteria” – 5:56
14. “Miss You in a Heartbeat” [Acoustic Version] – 4:05
15. “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” – 4:32
This album’s title says it all: “greatest hits”. Certainly, it’s not a “best of” because there’s a few songs here I could’ve done without and few songs I feel should’ve been added (the absence of “Too Late for Love”, which was a hit, is particularly glaring), but I played the heck out of this CD when I first bought it and it inspired me to check out the whole Def Leppard catalog. Funny that they included a brand new song for this comp, “When Love & Hate Collide”, because it wasn’t a “greatest hit” for them at all here in the U.S.
At the time, this was a good compilation, but it has been easily surpassed by the Rock of Ages collection that was released in 2005.
DEF LEPPARD – Pyromania
Def Leppard – Pyromania (1983, Mercury Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Rock Rock (‘Til You Drop)” – 3:52
2. “Photograph” – 4:12
3. “Stagefright” – 3:46
4. “Too Late for Love” – 4:30
5. “Die Hard the Hunter” – 6:17
6. “Foolin’” – 4:32
7. “Rock of Ages” – 4:09
8. “Comin’ Under Fire” – 4:20
9. “Action! Not Words” – 3:52
10. “Billy’s Got a Gun” – 5:27
Band:
Joe Elliott – Lead vocals
Steve Clark – Guitars
Phil Collen – Guitars
Rick Savage – Bass
Rick Allen – Drums
Additional musicians:
Pete Willis – Guitar backing tracks on all songs
The Leppardettes – Backing vocals
Booker T. Boffin – Keyboards
Produced by: Mutt Lange
Do I really need to go into how great this album is? It’s freakin’ Pyromania!!
Would you believe I never actually owned this album until around the time Euphoria was released? I had heard the singles forever, and I had owned their greatest hits CD for years, so I felt like I knew the album pretty well, so it was on my “I’ll get around to buying it someday…” list but never a top priority because I felt I knew it so well already.
Highlights: Pyromania, particularly “Too Late for Love” which just may be my favorite Def Leppard song
DEF LEPPARD – Euphoria
Def Leppard – Euphoria (1999, Mercury Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Demolition Man” – 3:24
2. “Promises” – 3:59
3. “Back in Your Face” – 3:20
4. “Goodbye” – 3:36
5. “All Night” – 3:38
6. “Paper Sun” – 5:27
7. “It’s Only Love” – 4:06
8. “21st Century Sha la la la Girl” – 4:06
9. “To Be Alive” – 3:53
10. “Disintegrate” – 2:51
11. “Guilty” – 3:47
12. “Day After Day” – 4:36
13. “Kings of Oblivion” – 4:18
Band:
Joe Elliott – Lead vocals
Phil Collen – Guitar, vocals
Vivian Campbell – Guitar, vocals
Rick “Sav” Savage – Bass, vocals
Rick Allen – Drums
Addition Musicians:
Ciaran McGoldrick, Gary Sullivan, Ricky Warwick – hey’s and claps on “Back in Your Face”
Mutt Lange – additional vocals on “Promises” and “All Night”, additional guitar on “All Night”
Damon “Demon” Hill – end guitar solo on “Demolition Man”
Produced by: Def Leppard & Pete Woodroffe
For my money, this is the last great Def Leppard album. It was a return to their typical sound (which can ONLY be described as ”the Def Leppard sound”) after an attempt at being modern & 90s on 1996′s Slang. I remember being so hyped up for this album, “Promises” is one of my favorite DL songs and it was played a lot on the radio by the local rock station where I was living, which surprised me because they give zero support to any of the so-called “80s bands” whenever they release something new and tend to only focus on 70s, grunge, and current bands.
I think “Promises” was the only single this album had that was actually successful, but it did the job because Euphoria went Gold. Imagine that, Def Leppard going GOLD in the United States in 1999: the age of rap-metal and nu-metal. It’s a long way from Pyromania sales figures, but was still great considering the musical climate then.
I enjoyed the album enough. “Promises” is classic Def Leppard and “Goodbye”, “It’s Only Love” and “To Be Alive” are great ballads, but it just didn’t stand up to Pyromania or even Hysteria like Def Leppard was practically guaranteeing it would. I guess I had my hopes up for it thinking it was really going to rock out, and while while many songs do that, there’s a lot of mid-tempo and balladry to be found here. So initially, my disappointment outweighed the quality.
Don’t get me wrong though, this is still a great album. Years later, while on a family trip to Disney World, this was one of the CDs I brought along for the 8 hour car ride. I listened to the whole thing on my discman and was blown away by just how good it really was from top to bottom. There’s really no a single bad track on the album. This is a great companion piece to Pyromania and Hysteria and in 1999, it was an incredibly refreshing sound and I was happy that these guys made a successful comeback on their own terms.
I would rank this #3 in DL’s catalog right behind The Big Two.
Highlights: “Demolition Man”, “Promises”, “Goodbye”, “All Night”, “Paper Sun”, “It’s Only Love”, “To Be Alive”, “Guilty”, “Day After Day”
