This one was a gamble. It was not cheap to ship. All I had to go by was the non-descript B-side “Rocket” (Live). No indication of where or when. It could have been the live version previously released on the “Rocket” single back in ’88. Or more likely, it could be the live version later released on the Mirrorball CD. On that disc, recordings are noted as “Recorded at various points around the world, in the not so distant past.” Thanks for the specifics guys.
I don’t know what prompted me to hit the “buy” button given the uncertain B-side and price. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was that Mrs. LeBrain was out of the house. Either way, in a couple weeks I had this rare 12″ picture single in my hot little hands.
Unfortunately it’s not much to look at: a Def Leppard logo on a black background. On the other side…the track listing on a black background with a grey clover leaf! Somebody at Mercury Records had no concept of what a picture disc can be!
Anyway, music trumps packaging. I don’t care about the A-side. It’s a crap song, let’s be honest. It’s Def Leppard trying be T-Rex for the umpteenth time. I care about the B-side. Upon first listen it was immediately obvious that this is an otherwise unreleased live version of “Rocket” and a great one at that. Unlike the mere 4:29 version on Mirrorball, this one is the fully extended version that Def Leppard sometimes play.
This extended performance of “Rocket” features an excellent Vivian/Phil guitar duel. At one point, Viv is positively in “Holy Diver” territory. It’s brief but it’s there and it’s unmistakable. This series of solos demonstrates one of the things I love about the guitar players in Def Leppard: they can shred when they want to! Then, after a brief segue, Joe Elliot breaks out “Whole Lotta Love” just as he did on the ’88 live version.
For the B-side: 5/5 stars
For the A-side and picture disc: 2/5 stars
Average: 3.5/5 stars
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