Def Leppard

Let me start off by saying the new Def Leppard album that came out on Oct 30th, 2015 is by far one of the best that I have ever heard. I was transported back in time to 1989 when I heard the album “Hysteria” for the first time (I was a little late to the party) and could not believe how much I loved each song.Now, if you know me, you know that I am one of the biggest Def Leppard homers there is and you may be tempted to discount my review. Chances are you think I am like Donald Trump saying that everything Def Leppard produces is “huge” and “tremendous”. I completely understand, but know this, while I have eventually liked something about every Def Leppard album since Hysteria, none of them hit me like this. I did not like Adrenalized the first time I heard it in 1992, it had to grow on me.Another reason to possibly ignore my review is the fact that I have a very narrow window of what I consider acceptable music. Ask me to discuss politics or religion and I am very open to hearing ideas very different from my own. If you try to tell me that Nirvana or Pearl Jam are better than Def Leppard, chances are you will end up with a shiv in your back. Prison yard rules man.I for one say that this narrow focus and fierce loyalty makes me the perfect person to review the album. I am like a master sommeliers, knowing how to best pair each Def Leppard song to the emotion and feeling that come with it. So, without further ado here is each song and its perfect pairment.“Let’s Go”This song is pure Def Leppard, in fact, if someone else had done the song I would have said that they stole the guitar rift from “Pour Some Sugar on Me” in the beginning. Some may see this as a criticism, I do not. I like the fact that I can hear any AC/DC song in the world and know that it is an AC/DC song.I can really see this song at the beginning of a concert. The lights are off, the Def Leppard flag covers the stage, you hear the distorted “Do you really want to do this now?” intro, lights are flashing all around and then BAAM! The banner gets sucked up as the guitar rift starts, rock and roll memories are about to be made.“Dangerous”Again, another pure Def Leppard song, kind of has a “Promises” intro but different. Saying something sounds like Def Leppard is a lot like saying Dr Pepper taste like Dr Pepper. It is true, the only way to know what Dr Pepper taste like is to taste it. This song has a good jam to it and is very enjoyable.I would pair this song with anyone dating someone on the top half of the crazy hot matrix from How I Met Your Mother. Sure she is hot, but she is crazy, but she is hot, but seriously, she is crazy. Listen to the words of the song.“Man Enough”This song starts off with a little bit of “Another One Bites the Dust” and is one of the coolest songs on the album. Do not overly focus on the words. I am not really sure how someone is man enough to be my girl, all I know is I likes the jam. Much like The Killers and their song “Somebody Told Me”, I am not really sure what a boyfriend who looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year would actually look like. All I know is, I likes the jam, that is enough for me.This song is easy to pair with, I see a gentlemen’s club and girls covered in glitter dancing to this song. “Please welcome to the stage, Miss Crystal Chandeliers”.“We Belong”Great song, not too sappy like “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” but just sappy enough to put onto a mix tape for a girl you like or a very dear friend. 25 years ago when I was better known as Sir Mix a Lot, this song would have been a key song in my mix tape making factory. So, if I ever made you a mix tape between the years 1989 through 1998, go ahead and add this one to the mix, it is a good one.While the kids don’t make mix tapes now, I can easily see someone making a long distance dedication to someone that they care for and using the words of this song to express how they feel.“Invincible”This song is great and much like “Eye of the Tiger”, it is possible to get a little too pumped up listening to it. Be careful, if you are a runner who likes to listen to tunes while they run, chances are you are not really invincible and you just might pull a hammy running too hard.This song will be perfect after Baylor crushes TCU the day after Thanksgiving, Sic Em Bears.“Sea of Love”I was afraid that this was going to be a supper sappy song like “Where Does Love Go When it Dies”, it is not. Rather, it is a fun rocking song that has a much deeper meaning than what Def Leppard is usually known for. It is in line with songs like “Gods of War” and “Die Hard the Hunter”.This one is a hard one to pair with, all I can say is open up your mind believe in what you find.“Energized”This song is like no other Def Leppard song I have heard. You might have a moment of fear thinking your CD is scratched, nope, it is supposed to sound that way. It has a bit of “Paper Sun” feel to it. I really like the course and the lyrics, the song is Def Leppard but with a hint of blues to it.I would pair this song up with getting ready for a nice relaxing long weekend.“All Time High”This song rocks, by far one of my favorites. The guitar solo is awesome, one of the best I have heard. I really, really hope that this will make it into the concert mix. Great song.When Baylor wins the College Football National Championship, this will be a perfect song.“Battle of My Own”Very jazzy and bluesy, love the acoustic guitar and blend of Def Lep voices. It is also very short, only 2:42 minutes.Much like “Sea of Love”, having a hard time with what to pair this song with. Best I can come up with is if you have a battle of your own, this song could really work for you during this battle time.“Broke N Brokenhearted”This is a UFC fight song, great rock and roll. When Ronda Rousey takes the stage to take on Holly Holm she should play this song. Could also add Def Leppard’s “Undefeated” while you are at it.“Forever Young”From the title I thought it was going to be a remake of Rod Stewart’s classic “Forever Young” which I have to say I was kinda looking forward to. This one is not has hopeful as Rod’s song is, but it does really rock. Reminds me of Def Leppard songs like “Mirror, Mirror” from High and Dry.I would pair this song up with Vampire love movie, it has that kind of feel to it.“Last Dance”This song is both sad and it is sweet and I knew it complete, when I wore a younger man’s clothes. Perfect blend of Def Leppard voices and love the sound.I told my wife, when our 3 year old girl gets married, this will be the father daughter song we dance to, end of story. It covers a lot of emotions, it could be about someone who lost someone that they loved because of dying too soon, a wedding where a father gives away a daughter, or some knuckle head who lost the girl of his dreams because he slept with that hot crazy girl from “Dangerous”.“Wings of an Angel”I am picking up a little bit of a SAMCRO vibe when I hear this song. I fully expect to see a motorcycle club riding their bikes getting ready to cause mayhem. I hope they can make a video that is as good as the one I have playing in my mind. However, after seeing the video for “Let’s Go”, I think I would rather the video stay in my mind because it is awesome. Just take a few scenes from “Sons of Anarchy” and put Sir Mix a lot on the case and we will have a mighty fine video.“Blind Faith”It is rare that the last song on an album is my favorite. I am not sure why that is, does the band get tired and say that is it, we quit? What, what happens to the last song of a record? Now, if you were thinking I was about to say that “Blind Faith” is my favorite song, sorry about that, I might have been a bit misleading in my open sentence.However, the song is perfect where it is. You see, you have just spent the better part of 40 minutes listening to the best Rock and Roll in years. You have reminisced about lost love, got yourself super pumped up ready to get in the ring with Mike Tyson as well as pictured a girl named Candy Cain doing a lap dance all over your body. You need this song to bring everything down so that you do not go out and hurt something.

It’s always a great event when Def Leppard releases a new album, as these events are rare for various and obvious reasons. Even though the band hasn’t put out albums in later years as strong as they did in their heyday, any new music from them is still as refreshing to hear as it always has been, if for no other reason than nostalgia.It’s been seven years since 2008’s Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, a very long interval even by DL standards. That album marked more of a return to form for the band after the awful X album and the decent Yeah! covers album, but there weren’t really any tunes that stuck with you for long. The new self-titled album is at least more along the same lines as Sparkle Lounge and is perhaps another step back in the right direction.This album kicks off with “Let’s Go”, which borrows the classic riff from “Pour Some Sugar On Me”; a bit puzzling at first – why would they recycle such a classic distinctive riff? – but, on the other hand, fans have been clamoring for years that DL come out with an album that recreates the old sound, so perhaps this song is the band’s answer to them. Too bad the chorus is a bit weak and the lyrics insipid.The rest of the album follows a similar formula, trying to recreate their classic sound and borrowing riffs they’ve used before. While they hit on some of them, much of the album still sounds more like Sparkle Lounge than it does High ‘n’ Dry, Pyromania or Hysteria. One notable exception, and what I deem the album’s highlight, is “Man Enough”, a funky tune – a style out of the norm for the band, although attempted before – with a similar beat to Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” Their attempts at incorporating funk elements in the past have been hit and miss: “Slang” (the song) and “All Night” were misfires; “21st Century Sha La La La Girl” was pretty good. I really like what they’ve done with “Man Enough.” It doesn’t sound like anything they’ve done before. Sav has a killer bass line in it as well. “Sea of Love” also has a bit of a funky beat and it is quite catchy, but that one does retread ground for them that they’ve already trodden down, a la the aforementioned “21st Century…Girl.”Despite the opener’s blatant and vapid rip-off of “Pour Some Sugar…,” the rest of the album fairs better, mostly. Joe growls in his lower register as he has over the last fifteen years or so, but can still hold a tune. Viv and Phil can still play great guitars, working off each other skillfully as always. Rick can still kick the beats. As far as their rockers go, “Dangerous”, “All Time High” and “Broke ‘n’ Brokenhearted” sound closest to the classic sound and will be repeated more in future playlists than the others. The others are just too pedestrian. The only dud is “Invincible.” The ballads seem to break some newer ground at least, mixing in their classic sound with more acoustic (and modern) sounds than they usually have in the past. The best of them is “Wings of an Angel” (which kicks into a great classic mid-tempo DL riff). “Blind Faith” also holds up quite well. “Energized”, despite the song’s title, lacks energy and is forgettable. “We Belong” sounds more like the standard ballads they’ve produced on albums after Hysteria. “Battle of My Own” takes them down an acoustic path they’ve rarely tread, and it is an interesting sound for them, if not necessarily a memorable one. Overall, it’s a fairly pleasant album from the boys. And that highlights its main problem.Fans keep clamoring for DL to recreate their classic sound – and I’m one of them that has, being a fan since Pyromania came out – and to be fair, the band seems like they have been trying to do that. But what’s missing is the high level of energy that the older albums have, an edge, an attitude. While I actually liked most of the Slang album, I was euphoric when Euphoria steered back towards their classic and energetic sound. But, despite them striking gold on a song here or there since Hysteria (“Promises”, for example) they’ve not been able to get it quite right. For starters, Joe Elliott can’t scream like he used to, and that alone takes a distinctive edge off of their songs that their old songs used to have. He can’t be faulted for that, of course, but on this album especially he rarely even tries for the upper registers and the songs suffer a bit because of it. The two songs “All Time High” and “Blind Faith” really take off and soar to new levels when he does kick his voice into overdrive. They are the only two where he gets his voice up there. Also, on first listen, I wasn’t as thrilled with the production quality, thinking it muddled and mish-mash, but after a couple more listens, I’ve raised the ranking up a notch. But there is still something missing that is preventing them from capturing and harnessing the highest energy and edge that these songs need. And I think I know what that is.The band needs to reunite with Mutt Lange. He’s the one who produced the Big Three albums with the sound that we long-time fans want the band to return to. With his production savvy, I believe that the new album would have been mixed better, had the riffs tied together better, added that extra layer of harmony and melody that elevates a good DL song to a great one, and generated a more consistent and elevated energy across the whole album instead of on just a few of songs. Maybe he could’ve had Joe reach for the higher notes more, or done some magic in the studio to get that voice. Make no mistake, the album sounds good as it is. Lange would’ve made it sound great. If they can somehow coax him to set up shop behind the boards for them again, we just might finally get that album that we really have been wanting from the band.Having said all that, it is a good album from the guys, and even if it still falls short from what we long-time fans really want, I still recommend it. Keep on rockin’, boys!

Perfetto

🤘👍👍

Cinco años después vuelven con su disco homónimo. Estupendo.

As someone who appreciates the older bands and just, well, better music, I'm always wary about listening to a band's 'new stuff' - And this was no exception. The fact Def Leppard are still going boggles the mind, and to create a new album is no small feat. However, is it actually any good?The short answer is yes.The long answer is yes, it most certainly is. This album has material that harkens back to the band's glory days, of 'Hysteria' and 'Adrenalize', with production similar to 'High 'N Dry' in some ways. However it has some of their own stuff that branches off the norm, hence the eponymous, imaginative title, 'Def Leppard' - It's their own album with no record label, it's even 'liberating', quotes Joe in a BBC interview.The first three tracks are possibly the best from the album - An interesting but hardly bad point. 'Let's Go' is so 'Def Leppard', with a big chorus, glorious production and enough backing vocals to kill a cat. It's a terrific opener that essentially tells listeners, 'Buckle up and get ready for an hour you won't forget.''Dangerous' is another good track, generic at times but still typical Leppard. 'Man Enough' is mine and I imagine most peoples' favourite track from the entire album. It's catchy opening bass lick that anchors the whole song is so easy to hum to, with lyrics that invigorate the audience - Are you 'man enough' to hear such sound?!'We Belong' is a much slower but, for the most part, typical Lep song, with a generic 'lovey' message. It's a nice 4 or so minutes, and is a nice contrast to 3 high-energy, up-tempo songs.'Invincible' and 'Sea Of Love' are two songs that also utilize a med-tempo speed, and can easily be sat through and listened to. They're possibly among the most forgettable on this album, but seeing as I remember every song on it... I wouldn't take much notice.'Energized' is a slightly different track from Lep but still keeping to the old ways. I could honestly see it on HnD any day of the week.'All Time High' goes back to that invigorating track that you can't but bang your head to. It's pure action in a song.'Battle Of My Own' and 'Broke 'N Brokenhearted' are two slower, but more meaningful songs, and glide peacefully by as you come to realise the album is beginning to reach the end, but not without some fireworks first.'Forever Young' and 'Last Dance' are beautiful songs that add to this album that touch of not just action and fast-pace, but also meaningful lyrics and... impact.'Wings Of An Angel' is the last fast track we'll see on this album and the penultimate song overall. It's amazing, it's catchy, it's Lep. What more do I have to say?And lastly, 'Blind Faith' which beautifully draws the album to a sterling close. Well done, Sheffield lads!Overall, it's a good album. Not as good as 'Hysteria' or 'Pyromania', or even the experimental 'Slang', but then... could it ever be? It's easily an 8 out of 10 for me and I'm glad I took the leap into this newer stuff. If this is what Lep will be rocking out to until the day they die, I saw rock on!Def

Def Leppard machen es einem wirklich nicht gerade leicht. Im Vorfeld zur Veröffentlichung des neuen Albums, gab es immer wieder zu hören, das das neue Album, direkt an die Erfolgsalben der 80er und 90er Jahre anschließen soll. An Pyromania, Hysteria und Adrenalize.Solche Aussagen wecken natürlich auch ganz bestimmte Erwartungshaltungen. Neben den Aussagen gab es dann ja auch schon vorab zwei Songs zu hören. Let's go und Dangerous.Nachdem ich diese beiden Songs gehört hatte, war mir eigentlich klar, das das neue Album von Def Leppard tatsächlich das Feeling und den Spirit von den drei oben genannten Alben haben könnte. Und dann war ja da auch noch das schöne 80er Old School Cover zu sehen, auch besitzt das Album keinen Titel, sondern nennt sich ganz schlicht nur Def leppard. Auch das kann doch eigentlich nur großes bedeuten. Mehr Ursprünglichkeit, mehr Heavyness, einfach wieder prägnantere Gitarrenriffs. Wie gesagt, Let's go und Dangerous gingen da doch schonmal ganz klar in diese Richtung.Und dann war das Album da und plötzlich war alles ganz anders. Der Traum, das Def Leppard Def Leppard wieder mehr in die Richtung des Pyromanischen Heavy Rocks gehen würde zerplatzte schon während des ersten Hõrens des neuen Albums. Denn so wie das Album beginnt geht es leider nicht weiter. Die ersten drei Songs, darunter die zwei bekannten und Man Enough lösen das Versprechen des stärksten Outputs seit den Erfolgsalben sehr gut ein, danach verliert sich dieser Spirit aber ersteinmal ziemlich schnell. Ganz ärgerlich war für mich dann Sea of Love. Hier musste ich doch tatsächlich das Riff Muster von Sweet Home Alabahma ertragen. Nee ehrlich, so hatte ich mir Def Leppards Rückbesinnung zu alten Tugenden nicht Vorgestellt.Was ich zu hören bekam war eben eine Mischung aus Rock und Pop mit vielen Einflüssen diverser anderer Rock Größen. Bon Jovi, Kiss, Brian Adams, Led Zeppelin und QueenHmm....., so hatte ich das nach dem ganzen Rummel, der vorher um das Album gemacht wurde, echt nicht erwartet. Wo war das Ursprüngliche, wo der 80er Heavy Rock?Nun........, jedenfalls fand ich schon beim zweiten Durchgang von Def Leppard sehr großen gefallen an den Songs. Denn die Songs sind einfach mal gut. Richtig gut sogar. Retro hin, Heavy Rock her. Gute Songs sind gute Songs. Ja, sie sind poppiger als ich das erwartet habe, aber sie fetzen eben und als ich damals das erste mal Hysteria gehört habe, war ich auch erstmal geschockt, denn das Album war im Gegensatz zu Pyromania ja auch extrem poppig und anders. Irgendwann mochte ich es dann aber auch. Allerdings halte ich Pyromania bis heute für das beste Album von Def Leppard.Egal,.....zurück zum neusten Output. wie gesagt, es gibt hier richtig gute Rock Songs zu hören, aber die kann man nur Genießen, wenn man sich von dem Retro Gedanken etwas befreit. So erging es mir jedenfalls. Ganz befreien muss man sich von dem Retro Gedanken allerdings auch wieder nicht, denn wenn man genau hinhört, dann hat das Album diese Momente der 80er an vielen Stellen immer wieder zu bieten, nur man darf eben kein Album wie Pyromania oder Hysteria erwarten. Und ja, zwischen den vielen poppigen Momenten, blitzt auch immer mal wieder der gute alte Heavy Rock auf. Pop, Rock und leichte Heavyness verpackt in tolle Songs. Das macht wirklich Spaß. Wie gesagt, es gibt viele Einflüsse von den oben erwähnten Künstlern, aber diese sind eben ziemlich gut Integriert und stören mich nicht. Ich sags mal so, wenn Bon Jovi nochmal so ein Album raushauen würden, dann wären die Fans glücklich.Nun ja, Sea of Love finde ich immer noch schrecklich, aber ansonsten gefällt mir jeder einzelne Song und deshalb kann und will ich nicht weniger als fünf Sterne Vergeben.Klasse Album.