Part Forty-Four of the Def Leppard Review Series
DEF LEPPARD – Viva! Hysteria – Live at the Joint, Las Vegas (Part 3 – Japanese bonus track) (2013 Bludgeon Riffola)
Finally we reach the end of this sprawling, generous collection of live Def Leppard. As is often the case, the Japanese market included an exclusive CD bonus track. This bonus track is only available on DVD in North America. While that is enough for some, there are many Def Leppard aficionados out there (hello!) who obsessively collect formats like CD as well. This one’s for you.
Def Leppard’s “Acoustic Medley” was a standalone iTunes single around the time of the Viva! Hysteria shows. It was a surprise that they played it live at an acoustic session for fans, and then released that live version! It’s a casual affair in a small room with audience seated on the floor. Five ballads, all acoustic, and really well put together. Seamless, almost. “Where Does Love Go When It Dies” begins, with a total of four acoustic guitars – Joe and Sav both taking up the six strings. Rick Allen on the shaker! Onto “Now”, “When Love and Hate Collide”, “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad”, and “Two Steps Behind” (which the audience scream for). All the best parts of each song, and all of “Two Steps Behind”, make up the medley.
As stated ad nauseum, Viva! Hysteria is an excellent package from top to bottom. Great value for fans both casual and diehard. They put a lot of work into sounding as vintage as possible. Def Leppard pulled it off. If you’re serious about this live set and serious about this band, check out the Japanese import CD. It has completely different packaging and cover artwork, along with that elusive bonus live medley. Now that’s a magical mysteria.
5/5 stars
Previous:
- The Early Years Disc One – On Through the Night
- The Early Years Disc Two – High N’ Dry
- The Early Years Disc Three – When The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Live at the New Theater Oxford – 1980
- The Early Years Disc Four – Too Many Jitterbugs – EP, singles & unreleased
- The Early Years Disc 5 – Raw – Early BBC Recordings
- The Early Years 79-81 (Summary)
- Pyromania
- Pyromania Live – L.A. Forum, 11 September 1983
- Hysteria
- Soundtrack From the Video Historia – Record Store Tales
- In The Round In Your Face DVD
- “Let’s Get Rocked” – The Wait for Adrenalize – Record Store Tales
- Adrenalize
- Live at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
- Retro-Active
- Visualize
- Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits / Limited Edition Live CD
- Video Archive
- “Slang” CD single
- Slang
- I Got A Bad Feeling About This: Euphoria – Record Store Tales
- Euphoria
- Rarities 2
- Rarities 3
- Rarities 4
- Cybernauts – Live
- Cybernauts – The Further Adventures of the Cybernauts (bonus disc)
- X
- Best Of (UK)
- Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection
- Yeah!
- Yeah! Bonus CD With Backstage Interviews
- Yeah…Nah! (Record Store Tales)
- Songs From the Sparkle Lounge
- “C’Mon C’Mon” (picture disc)
- Taylor Swift & Def Leppard – CMT Crossroads (DVD)
- B.Sides
- Yeah! II
- Yeah! Live
- Mirror Ball: Live & More (Japan bonus track)
- iTunes Re-recordings
- Viva! Hysteria (CD 1 & DVD)
- Viva! Hysteria (CD 2 & bonus features)
Next:
45. Slang (2014 Deluxe bonus tracks)
46. “Helen Wheels” (from The Art of McCartney)
47. Def Leppard (Deluxe and Japanese versions)
I just had the DVD version. Now I have an mp3…thank you.
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WOW HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? ;)
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That was a great acoustic medley!
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Have to admit that whole schtick of Ded Flatbed idea was fantastic. Cool score here from Japan.
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A bit expensive for one song but what the hell, who cares.
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