Def Leppard

[Lara Coimbra]

Do you like this rock band?

I know that they opened some Ozzy concerts in 1981, and a funny incident happened
when Randy met the band. I started listening to Leppard's material a few weeks ago and
I wanted to know your opinions about their style, what songs do you prefer and so on.

[RR-ElectricAngel]

Def Leppard is one of those bands that found a producer (Mutt Lange) that made their sound the envy of all. While Pyromania (1983) is still the album that gets the most kudos I am partial to On Through The Night (1980). Songs like Wasted, Rock Brigade, Answer To The Master, It's Don't Matter are the ones I remember and tried to learn on guitar first. Of course you can't escape Photograph or Too Late For Love which get regular airplay to this day. IMO I think Die Harder The Hunter and Billy's Got A Gun kick the most ass off that 1983 album. I'm a rocker so I am attracted to rock songs. Def Leppard made some exceptional b-sides you might want to check into as well. Ride Into The Sun and Ring Of Fire are great songs off of the 1993 Reto Active album. The newer stuff (after Euphoria (1999)) is getting less inspired or is simply not my kind approach to rock. I don't hate it, I just don't have the same reaction to it as I did when I was younger. Great band live by the way. They put on an excellent show. Hope that helps a little.

There is one story I'd like to tell about Def Leppard. In 1999 they did an impromtu performance in a Wal-Mart parking lot with a huge stage as a way to thank San Antonio for all of our support to the band. It was free and caused incredible chaos. Over 10,000 people rushed to that Wal-Mart and IMO was probably the most spontaneous and fun thing any band has ever done since. That is why I will always have a soft spot for that band. They flipped the bill and everyone still talks about it to this day.

[Lara Coimbra]

Cool!!
Thanks for sharing all this info!
I like the first album too, wich I started from.

[whoopiecat]

On Through the Night was a great debut album from these guys, and the follow-up High 'N' Dry was no slouch, either, with cuts like Let It Go, Another Hit and Run, the title track, Lady Strange and one of the least wimpy ballads out there in Bringin' On the Heartbreak.
Pyromania was a great album as well. I was in 10th grade when that album came out. The three hits were great, but like the other two albums, the deep cuts were just as strong.
Hysteria was an album I did and still do like, but it had a bit too much polish on it. I understand that the band had a great deal of time with Rick Allen recovering and getting acclimated to his new style of drumming and kit, still, the album was chock full of hits...I could go the rest of my life without hearing Pour Some Sugar ever again.
I agree with David, Retroactive had some great B-sides on it, and is a good choice if you're looking to collect everything available from the Steve Clark era.
I must admit, I really haven't paid much attention to them since Steve's passing. I gave Adrenalize a few spins when it first came out, but haven't owned or listened to it since.
Hard to believe he's been gone twenty years this past January.
As an aside, Tesla paid tribute to Steve Clark on the track 'Song & Emotion' from the album Psychotic Supper.
Speaking of Tributes, this was a great one the band put together in memory of their friend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hls6ADNOnO0

~T.

[Lara Coimbra]

Speaking of Tributes, this was a great one the band put together in memory of their friend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hls6ADNOnO0

~T.

Thank you for showing this.
Steve's death was tough for the band and fans to accept, mainly because he was destroying himself little by little.
Well, now the good news.
Recently I listened to Pyromania, and it sounds much different than the first 2 albuns. I have to listen one more time to take better conclusions.
High N' Dry is winning untill this moment!

[RR-ElectricAngel]

the follow-up High 'N' Dry was no slouch, either, with cuts like Let It Go, Another Hit and Run, the title track, Lady Strange and one of the least wimpy ballads out there in Bringin' On the Heartbreak.

Absolutely...Steve Clark gave the group incredible edge. Wanna see some great stage presence? Go to youtube and look at how Steve plays Wasted live. Now that rocks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWp_DLxoto

[whoopiecat]

That was awesome! I am baffled as to why a lot of bands seem to have been filmed during the 80's, (especially in Europe), but none of this stuff is available.
I would easily plunk down $20 on an entire show from the Pyromania tour!
Lara, if you have access to it, the magazine Classic Rock that should be on the stands now, (issue# 159 with Eddie from Iron Maiden on the cover), has a pretty cool 4 page feature on Lep entitled 'Hello America', about working with Mutt on the High 'n' Dry album, which will turn 30 next month.

~T.

[Lara Coimbra]

Whoopiecat,
We don't have this magazine here in Brazil,
but I've seen it's cover at Def Leppard page on facebook. It seems very interesting!
I like the song "Hello America" it get stuck in our heads.

[Trigger]

I saw Def Lep at the first show the played after the drummer lost his arm! they were OK but didn't light up the sky or anything.

[Rattler]

There is one story I'd like to tell about Def Leppard. In 1999 they did an impromtu performance in a Wal-Mart parking lot with a huge stage as a way to thank San Antonio for all of our support to the band. It was free and caused incredible chaos. Over 10,000 people rushed to that Wal-Mart and IMO was probably the most spontaneous and fun thing any band has ever done since. That is why I will always have a soft spot for that band. They flipped the bill and everyone still talks about it to this day.

The Wal-Mart @ I-10 & De Zavala....I bought a lawnmower from there that day, it was just before they went on...I saw them in 1979 in Cleveland at the World Series of Rock...nobody knew them then (many thought they were gonna be Led Zeppelin under a different name).

Any who I like their second album the best.

BTW when they were playing the Wal-Mart parking lot (which, I believe they did in a few cities) I thought they were really on their way down....I didn't stay for the show, I had to cut the grass.

[RR-ElectricAngel]

I can see why...I don't remember the length of time but Slang was the previous record they had recorded. I did NOT like it. It was done in the vein of 90's Grunge. It was too far removed from their earlier material for me to get into. Euphoria was the first record in 10 years that I liked. That's why I went that day. I was diggin' that record at that time. They went back to a more Pyromania production style recording. Like all records, some songs I love while others get the fast forward treatment. A much better direction though IMO.

[Paul Wolfe]

On Through the Night and High and Dry are both great records. When I was in High School I had a Def Leppard patch prominently displayed on my denim jacket and people would say, "There's no bad called 'Def Leppard', that's fake." Then Pyromania was released and everyone knew them! Unfortunately I lost interest withPyro as it was too polished for my tastes... I still listen to the first to records, though.