Do you wanna get rocked?  Time for a new series!  When we looked at the deluxe edition of Def Leppard’s Adrenalize, it was noted that many B-sides from that era were missing.  Songs such as “Only After Dark”, “Miss You In A Heartbeat”, “Action”, “From The Inside” and “She’s Too Tough” were not included on that disappointing deluxe.  Fortunately, LeBrain HQ has a stack of Def Leppard CD singles right here, to help inform readers where you can get the original versions of these tracks.  Let’s get rocked!

DEF LEPPARD – “Let’s Get Rocked” (1992 Phonogram CD single)

Hell and back — those words are as good as any to describe Def Leppard.  This, the first Def Leppard single in what seemed like ages, was also their first single without “Steamin'” Steve Clark.  That left a monster riff-sized gap in Leppard’s arsenal.  Rather than seek out a replacement immediately, Phil Collen stepped up to the plate and recorded all the guitars on Adrenalize himself (with a little acoustic help from Rick Savage).

“Let’s Get Rocked” hit the airwaves in early 1992, and immediately shot up the charts, such was the value of Def Leppard.  Even though the band maintained their disciplined studio techniques, layering guitar shimmer and vocals galore, “Let’s Get Rocked” sounds sparse compared to the Mutt Langue produced Hysteria.  Though Collen did his best in difficult circumstances, Steve Clarke is missed, as are his riffs.  “Let’s Get Rocked” was one of a few songs on Adrenalize without his name in the writing credits.

Def Leppard have a knack of picking interesting but obscure covers, which is one reason collecting their singles is so much fun.  The Mick Ronson (R.I.P.) solo song “Only After Dark” has that glammy vibe that Leppard love so much.  The liner notes state that “Mick’s been ill, and this track is out acknowledgement of his importance.”  Indeed, Mick passed away at the terribly young age of 46, from cancer.  This is a fun little cover, more lively than many of the album tracks.  It certainly sounds like the band were having fun doing it.

This version of “Only After Dark” is the original studio version.  The version released on the Retro-Active album features newly overdubbed guitars by Phil Collen and new guy Vivian Campbell, added in 1993.  You can also hear additional vocals on that mix.  Therefore the original B-side version is still exclusive to the single.

Unfortunately, “Let’s Get Rocked” only has two B-sides, one being “Only After Dark” and the second being a live take of “Women”, this one lifted from their live home video, Live – In The Round In Your Face (Denver 1988)  Strangely though, this track was previously released as a B-side on the previous Def Leppard single, 1989’s “Rocket”.  It’s also on the Hysteria deluxe…and the Adrenalize deluxe!  Talk about oversaturation.

“Let’s Get Rocked” was an acceptable first single.  The track itself was good enough, though it certainly broke no new ground at all musically.  “Only After Dark” was different than typical Def Leppard and another welcome B-side to the collection.  “Women” was just another re-release.  It could have been better.

3/5 stars

Coming next:  “Make Love Like a Man”!