Part 2 in my series of Def Leppard Slang reviews! If you missed the first part, click here for “Slang”.
DEF LEPPARD – “Work It Out” (1996 2 part CD single, Mercury Records)
The second single from Def Leppard’s ill-fated but cult-favourite album, Slang, was the modern, powerful “Work It Out”. This immediate winner had drony 90’s qualities and organic, acoustic drums in addition to Rick’s electronics. It sounded like a breath of fresh air for this band, a clever reinvention that kept them fresh, melodic, guitar-oriented and layered, without resorting to stigmatized 80’s sounds such as squealing solos and shout-along choruses.
The cool thing is that the song was originally very different! This was Vivian’s first serious contribution to the band, and he brought it in completely demo’ed with him singing. It’s a much brighter, poppier version, some have compared it to Crowded House! It’s very 90’s pop-rock. That version is included on the CD 2 of this set!
“Move With Me Slowly” is a non-album track, maybe you’d call it a ballad, I dunno. It’s soulful, and there’s some really elegant guitar work going on here. I don’t know what’s Viv and what’s Phil, but all the playing here is soulful, bluesy and perfect. It’s songs like this — a B-side! — that prove what awesome songs this band can write. If this song had come out in, say 1990 instead of 1996, it would have been hallowed Def Leppard, another hit for the record books. According to the liner notes, this would have been the Japanese bonus track on their edition of Slang.
“Two Steps Behind” is the typical acoustic arrangement, live at the BBC Radio One Studios, in 1995 while the band were out promoting Vault. “Truth?” is a very different version from the album. Initially it starts the same, but goes into a completely different, much heavier set of verses. It’s bass heavy, less exotic, and more thunderous than the album version. All told, the album version is superior, but it’s basically a different (but related) song. It has some riffs and melodies in common but otherwise it may as well have a different name. This is a good example of how Def Leppard’s work ethic can turn a good song into a great one. This early version was not quite there.
The second CD came with a really cool set of post cards, of the first four album covers. The next four covers came with the next single, which was “All I Want Is Everything”. Coincidentally, that will be the next review in this series. Stay tuned.
I think Slang is a great album, and I think I’m going to talk about it soon , as I’m on a bit of a Def Lep kick these days. Yesterday I ripped this CD single, a 1996 “souvenir pack” with two bonus tracks and four post cards commemorating the band’s “Three Continents in One Day” concerts. Vancouver was the last stop — look how tired Rick Allen must be in the photo.
Slang, in many respects, was as forward-looking from Hysteria as Hysteria was from Pyromania. It was a reset, a brand new way of doing things, more organic and modern. Yet at the same time, even though it sounds nothing like classic Leppard, it still retains the impeccable attention to detail. Production-wise, it’s not the same beast, but it’s still a beast.
“Slang” itself was a brave choice for a single, and it did alienate many old-school fans, at least where I was working. Others dug it and got it. It’s a fun song verging on rap-rock, but really, isn’t that OK? Didn’t Def Lep kinda-sorta probe those waters with some of the singles from Hysteria? Bottom line, it’s catchy, fun, has the Def Leppard vibe without sounding like anything they’d done before. It’s a good song. The fact that they played it live during Viva! Hysteria in Vegas is proof!
The B-sides on the single include a “strings and piano only” version of “When Love & Hate Collide”, perhaps the most overrated Def Leppard song ever. I have so many versions of it, I really am not certain if this version is on anything else. It does have vocals, and even a guitar solo despite the description! This is just a remix with most of the instrumentation stripped off.
The other B-side is a really cool non-album track called “Can’t Keep Away from the Flame”. It’s acoustic but upbeat and cool. Production-wise, this is very basic compared to Slang: acoustic guitars, vocals, shakers. But it’s also really good, with a cool guitar part, totally memorable. Since then, Leppard’s recorded a lot more acoustic music but for 1996 this was definitely a standout.
According to the price tag, I bought this at Dr. Disc in Kitchener Ontario in May 1996, for the princely sum of $13.99. Money well spent, I have enjoyed these songs a lot over the years.
Just in time for their Viva! Hysteria & More tenure in Vegas, comes another re-recorded “forgery” (Joe’s words). This one is really good. It takes a bit to figure out which version it is, in fact. Musically, you can barely hear any differences, although the production sounds slightly less shimmery and saturated. A few guitar parts (probably Vivian) sound mildly different. Vocally, you can slightly tell it’s not the same version, but what’s incredible is how much Joe Elliott 2013 sounds like Joe Elliott 1987. I read that Joe spent a lot of time getting his voice into that shape again.
“Hysteria” has long been one of my favourite Def Leppard songs, probably since I first heard it. I think it’s an incredible song, one of the best from this commercial phase of Def Leppard’s career. Time stands still when I hear it. An original version is always going to mean more to the real fan. That’s just the way it is, that’s psychology. These forgeries were designed so Leppard could sell their music on iTunes on their own terms (ie; make more money than the label was offering them). It’s business — I have no problem with it. For $1.29, I have an alternate version of this track. I didn’t have to, I wasn’t tricked into it, and the song is clearly labelled as a 2013 re-recording.
Necessary for those who “have to own it all”, or those who want a quick easy cheap way of getting a studio version of the song online (like, say people downloading it for a wedding). This will be of little value to anyone else.
My initial thinking regarding this single was that I didn’t need it; both songs are available on On Through the Night. Then I found out that these single versions of “Wasted” and “Hello America” are earlier, non-album recordings. Rick Allen was in the band by this time but On Through the Night had yet to be recorded. This immediately put the single on my radar as a must-have.
On Through the Night was produced by Tom Allom (Judas Priest) but before settling on him, Leppard tried out Nick Tauber due to his history with Thin Lizzy. (He also produced Sheer Greed by Girl, the band that featured future Leppard alumnus Phil Collen.) Tauber worked on the earlier, folksier Lizzy, not the later version of the band that rocked out such classics as “Jailbreak” and “Bad Reputation”.
The story goes that the record label was unhappy with Nick Tauber’s results and put a halt to his work on the album. He had finished four songs: These two, plus “Rock Brigade”, and “Glad I’m Alive” which both remain unreleased. The label released “Wasted” as a single while recruiting Tom Allom to start over on the album.
“Wasted” boasts one of Leppard’s all time greatest riffs, if not the greatest. You can see how this song has remained a cult favourite all these decades later. This earlier version isn’t as adrenalized (pardon the pun) as the later album version, but there’s otherwise nothing wrong with it. I think Allom’s album version is safely still the definitive one. The two tracks are not that dissimilar, just Allom’s more in tune with the current heavy metal sounds.
The B-side, “Hello America”, would become a single in its own right the following year, in its guise as an Allom track. This might be one that I prefer in its Tauber version. Allom added a synthesizer riff to the chorus of “Hello America” that I always felt dated the tune. While this version is not as manic or electrified, it does have the bare unadorned chorus. There are bonuses to both versions.
It’s kind of funny to hear how shaky Joe Elliott’s voice was back then. He grew into a powerful screamer by the High ‘n’ Dry album, which is my favourite period of Def Leppard. They were all young back then, but Joe was clearly not as confident nor in his control of his voice in 1979.
Still, as a purchase, as a single, as a collectible, I am very happy with this. My only regret is that I didn’t find one with a picture sleeve.
Part 3 of a 4-part series on early Def Leppard singles!
DEF LEPPARD – “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” (1981 Phonogram/Vertigo single)
High ‘n’ Dry is my favourite Def Leppard album, and I can’t wait to review it (particularly the vinyl version). “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” was probably the biggest single from the album…I mean, freakin’ Mariah Carey even covered it! This is a cover version I have never heard and am not even curious to hear, but good on Def Lep for the success anyway.
The original 1981 version is the best known version of the song, although the 1984 remix (keyboards added) was the most pervasive in the late 80’s. The 1984 remix was done to capitalize on the success of Pyromania, and it was re-released as a single, and as a bonus track on the High ‘n’ Dry album itself. Also remixed and re-released was the B-side to “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” called “Me And My Wine”. They even made new videos for both remixes!
For many years, I had never heard the original “Me And My Wine”, as only the 1984 remix was made available on the new High ‘n’ Dry. I finally hunted down a copy of an original “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” single with picture sleeve, completing this phase of my Def Leppard collection!
“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” of course is Def Leppard’s first ballad, and one they still play in concert, a rarity for these early years. It’s always been a favourite of mine. Back then, you had to have a power ballad, but it had to remain tough. For example, “Still Loving You” by Scorpions was very soft, you could try to use it to woo a ladyfriend, but it had that awesome guitar solo. As if to say, “I’m sensitive, but tough.” This single is Def Leppard’s crack at the format. I think it’s very successful, the song has proven to have longevity. It has all the right elements: a killer chorus, dark and plaintive verses, a dramatic lead solo break, and the word “heartbreak” in the title!
“Me And My Wine” was the main reason I have been hunting this single. It’s one of Def Leppard’s fastest tunes, while they were still a metal band, and a bit of a cult favourite. The 1984 remix version is great, and many Def Leppard fans agree that it’s also the best music video they ever made. Hearing the original 1981 version for the first time, the differences are subtle.
The intro on the remix version is longer, with a count-in, the original mix does not have this. The drums on the original are a lot more raw. The remix sounds like the drum tracks are completely replaced by new electronic drums. The original features more prominent bass guitar as well. I have to say that after only a couple listens, I already believe the original version is superior to the remix. It’s groovier with the amplified bass, and I think the remixed drums really take the edge off. The original version just has more balls!
Part 2 of a 4-part series on early Def Leppard singles!
DEF LEPPARD – The Def Leppard E.P. (1979 Bludgeon Riffola)
I’ve been slowly, slowly working towards a complete Def Leppard collection. This is one of the last items from the early years that I still needed — The Def Leppard E.P. This is a 7″ single, 33 1/3 RPM however, and never have these recordings been released on a Def Leppard CD. This first EP had Frank Noon on drums. He was just a fill-in, and a month later Def Lep replaced him with a 15 year old Rick Allen.
I have been wanting this one since I was a young fella. Def Leppard was a band I was obsessed with back in highschool. They are in fact the band that really kicked off my collecting, as I described in one of the first Record Store Tales. “Ride Into the Sun” was the B-side to the “Hysteria” single, and it has long been a personal favourite of mine. What I found out later was that this B-side was actually a re-recording of one of the very earliest Def Leppard songs, pre-On Through the Night!
The self-produced 1979 version of “Ride Into the Sun” is a bit different, not as fast or heavy, and containing a different pre-chorus. It’s still a great, fun Def Leppard song from their brief “NWOBHM” period. “Getcha Rocks Off” is a Van Halen-style shuffle, a cool tune that really cooks, with hot solos and a couple smoking riffs. This recording was briefly available on Lars Ulrich’s NWOBHM compilation album. A heavier live (?) version of this song is available on the On Through the Night album.
Side B was taken up by a 7:50 epic track called “The Overture”. This song too was re-recorded by Tom Allom for the debut album (that version is just called “Overture”). Perhaps this song is as close as Def Leppard has ever been to a metal band. It riffs solidly along with some primitive dual guitar hooks. There are ample solos, pounding drums, and different sections and tempos. It’s like Def Judas Maiden. Or something.
The edition I bought is MSB001 of which 15,000 copies were made. This edition unfortunately did not come with the picture sleeve. The original cover was spoof of the His Master’s Voice logo, with a leopard instead of a dog.
I’m glad to finally have this Def Lep collectible. It’s been a long time waiting.
“Hello America” was the third of three singles from Def Leppard’s debut album, the first two being “Wasted” and “Rock Brigade”. Like many kids in the late 80’s, I first heard the song “Hello America” on Def Leppard’s video anthology, Historia. It was a weird video, with Rick Allen’s drums up front and the band in behind! Nobody would ever say that this was one of Def Leppard’s all time best songs, but it’s catchy with a driving riff. Joe Elliot hadn’t really found his voice yet. This is standard hard rock, but not outstanding. The guitar solo by Steve Clark is quite excellent.
Please note, Leppard’s first single for “Wasted” had an alternate recording of “Hello America” on the B-side. This is not that version. This is the standard album version.
The B-side, like the A-side, was produced by (Colonel) Tom Allom who had also produced Judas Priest’s British Steel around the same time. “Good Morning Freedom” was not on the On Through the Night LP, however. This is an exclusive track. Just over three minutes long, “Good Morning Freedom” is a good song, much in the same vein as the rest of Leppard’s music at the time. “Good Morning Freedom” (parsed as “Goodmorning Freedom” on the vinyl itself) is very New Wave of British Heavy Metal in style. It almost sounds like an Iron Maiden B-side from the same period. The track boasts a driving rhythm, rock-solid riff, but also another shaky Joe Elliot lead vocal. Not an outstanding song, but most definitely collectible. The tune is credited to Elliot, Clark, guitarist Pete Willis and bassist Rick Savage. It’s notable for its Rick Allen drum intro.
Not a bad single, comes with a picture sleeve, and rocks harder than their later material.
3/5 stars
Def Lep playing “Good Morning Freedom” in Vegas as part of Viva! Hysteria
Pyromania is one of those landmark albums that every melodic rock fan should own: Over 10 million copies sold, four classic hit singles, and a sound that at the time was so new and fresh that everybody took notice. This is before Rick Allen’s accident, before Steve Clark’s death, and before Def Leppard had any serious hits. Three would prove to be their lucky number when they set down to record their third album.
Pyromania is also the only Leppard album to feature a three-guitar lineup, in a sense. Pete Willis was fired mid-way through recording, ironically for alcohol abuse, the same illness that would take Steve Clark 8 years later. Phil Collen (ex-Girl, with Phil Lewis of the future L.A. Guns) was hired to complete the unfinished guitar rhythms and solos. Willis’ rhythm guitar appears on all 10 tracks, making this his final Def Leppard album.
Girl, featuring Phil Collen and Phil Lewis
At some point in the 1990’s, Pyromania was licensed out to Mobile Fidelity labs, who used the original master tapes to create a 24kt gold “Ultradisc II”. The discs are “custom pressed” (don’t know what that really means) on gold, because it doesn’t oxidize (IE, it’ll last longer). Although the back cover states that “all liner notes, photos and artwork from the original LP are faithfully recreated”, this is not so. All the Ultradisc comes with are the lyrics, and nothing else. Not even a producer credit. And the weird thing is, Leppard didn’t even print lyrics in their albums at the time.
The ultradisc comes in its own unique case seen below, and does sound tremendous, I can vouch for that. Does it sound better than the remaster? Hell, I don’t know. I’m no audiophile. They both sound good to me! The 24kt gold is obviously collectible, which is why I still have it, even though I upgraded to the deluxe since then.
The Ultradisc II’s unique case
Now, onto the deluxe. This was freshly remastered. It brings the glory of Mutt Lange’s groundbreaking production to daylight. The liner notes (by one of my favourite writers, Rolling Stone’s David Fricke) reveal Mutt’s obsession: At one point the band were laying down entire chords one note at a time in order to get the right alchemy. Their goal was to create an album that nobody had made before, and they succeeded. (Hard to believe that they would pull off the same stunt twice, and do it again on Hysteria, as different from Pyromania as Pyromania was from On Through the Night!)
This landmark album contains no weak songs: All 10 of its tracks were valuable use of precious vinyl. It even filled the vinyl, a full 45 minutes, pretty close to the maximum afforded by the format. From the melancholy apocalyptic riffage of the power ballad “Too Late For Love”, to the manic gallop of “Rock! Rock! (‘Til You Drop)”, this album is nearly flawless. Album cuts like “Comin’ Underfire” (tied for my favourite on the album) and “Stagefright” stick to the brain like peanut butter in the mouth. (“Too Late” is my other favourite.)
And that’s not including the hits: “Rock of Ages”, “Foolin'”, and “Photograph”, all classics in their own right, which I certainly hope you already know by heart. The combo of Def and Mutt had, by this point, gotten quite good at writing riffs with hooks, and the songs to go with them. “Rock of Ages” has a life of its own now, radio will never let this one die. “Photograph” was a mid-tempo pop rock classic, pointing the way to Hysteria, four years later….
Unlike the Hysteria and Adrenalize deluxe editions on the market, Pyromania has no B-sides. There were no extra tracks lying around unreleased, and no B-sides available. The liner notes reveal that an 11th song was written, but not much else is known about it.
Instead, the bonus second CD contains an awesome sounding show from the Pyromania tour. It’s important to remember that no live albums or videos were released by Def Leppard until post-Hysteria, so this is the only live release featuring Rick Allen before his accident. Def Leppard sound absolutely ferocious. Joe Elliot’s voice is at its vocal-cord-shredding best, gargling glass like Brian Johnson possessed. Steve Clark and Phil Collen (the new boy) rip and shred on their guitars, and weave them into a wall of thunder (listen to “Switch 625”). The two Ricks, Allen and Savage, keep it rolling on the rhythm, steady as she goes. And then Brian May of Queen even shows up at the end for a CCR cover tune (with a surprise foray into Led Zeppelin)! Some of these songs have never been heard live on a CD before. Indeed, Leppard rarely play anything pre-Pyromania anymore.
I mean, it’s always a treat to hear “Wasted”, isn’t it? Combine that with some great tunage from High N’ Dry, such as “Mirror Mirror” and “Another Hit and Run”. These are some of my favourite Def Leppard tracks anyway, and to hear them live in ’83 by a young and hungry band is really, really entertaining.
Pyromania being their third release, it would have been totally appropriate (and in hindsight very wise, considering the gap between albums) to release this concert as a live album back in the 80’s as the band buckled in for the very hard Hysteria recording sessions. For whatever reason, that didn’t happen. At least we get to hear it now!
5/5 stars
Pictured below: the three versions I currently own. The original LP, the 24 kt gold Ultradisc II, and the deluxe.
Def Leppard have released the second in their series of iTunes re-recordings. The first, a double single of “Pour Some Sugar”/”Rock of Ages”, was a pretty straight “forgery” (to use Joe Elliot’s phrase). The second, entitled “Acoustic Medley 2012” is exactly what it sounds like it would be. Apparently, Leppard were playing this medley live, and decided to commit a studio version to tape.
The songs in the medley are: “Where Does Love Go When It Dies”, “Now”, “When Love and Hate Collide”, “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad”, and “Two Steps Behind”. Total time: 7:32. The first two songs in the medley, I give Def Lep full points for. I’ve always been a sucker for the Slang album, so to hear something from Slang again, is just…wow. Maybe this is being done to pre-hype the Slang deluxe edition due 2013, eh?
“Now”, and the X album in general I’ve never been a huge fan of, as I made clear in my review. I give the band credit for putting “Now” back out there, since they rarely touch that album anymore. I’m all for obscure material being resurrected.
The other three tunes in the medley are a bit ho-hum, but taken as a whole it’s incredible how well they all work together. “Two Steps Behind” gets the majority of time in the medley, a song that I really never need to hear again. It’s pretty much identical to the standard version from the Retro-Active CD.
As mentioned, this is an iTunes-only release, but I’d love to see a physical product. Limited edition vinyl? I would buy that. Are you listening, Joe?
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