One of the most successful (no kidding, 30 million+ albums sold) bands to survive the third generation of metal, better known as the NWOBHM. To me, mentioning Def Leppard in the same sentence as the true kings of the NW...etc. - Iron Maiden - is an abomination of all that is good taste. Def Leppard have their moments of rockin' away all right, preferably from the old material, but they are (Kiss deja-vu?) about as limited as they are pale. Def Leppard is/was by far the glammiest non-American band (not counting the Scorpions, at least they made GOOD music), not without humungus influence on the detestable glam scene. Therefore, with the timely death of girl metal, this band will forever be remembered (as is my dearest wish) as yet another overpaid has-been, joining the likes of Kiss, Motley Crue, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Van Halen as glam sweepstakers, not above ridicule.
Discography
HIGH 'N' DRY
Back in the days before the word "tragic" summoned up the Def Leppard experience, them Leps released some good, listenable rock-metal - like this piece. I mean, we got guitars here! Considered one of the true NWOBHM classics. That's not how I would refer to it, but I understand its importance (given which this album should never have been recorded) at the time. Today the music sounds extremely outdated, almost as a bad memory, and it's not fun very long. But there's still a lot of spirit and - what's the rock equivalent to head banging? Fist raising! Mainly riff-driven rock 'n' roll here, cosmetisized by typical glam rock lyrics. Leads and drums in general are mediocre, with a few exceptions, and most of the music won't raise any eyebrows, but there are definitely some gems to be found here, yes. Most noteably the famous Bringin' on the heartbreak, You got me runnin' (Elliot's voice sounds EXACTLY like the '70s pop loser Ray Saywer of the '70s pop losers Dr. Hook) and Lady strange. Now, Lady strange is my favourite Def Leppard song altogether, the main riff is just...SAVAGE! The bonus remix of Heartbreak didn't sound different to me, save for some lame sound effects in the chorus. The other bonus is crap, and everything else is average. For the record, I must also add that these are the UGLIEST glam-musicians I have ever seen, and just looking at Rick Savage will do more than two fingers down the throat (ok, that was lowbrow, but some things have to be said, if nothing else as a friendly warning, seeing as the band pics are taken without shirts, uuuh...). Not even the most desperate of rock groupies can find anything appealing about these clowns, or? Well, I guess they did. Give the riff-dependence and inane lyrics throughout, High 'n' dry remains a solid glam not-quite-metal record, destroying most of the putrid '80s crap put out by the fag likes of Winger, Poison or Cinderella (shudders...). Sad part is, this is as good as they ever got.
Best songs: Lady strange; You got me runnin'; Bringin' on the heartbreak
Bonus tracks on CD version
HYSTERIA
Well, everyone should know this album to the core, thusly, how much it stinks. Def Leppard had always been on the verge of glamming out, and this can be considered their final statement. This album was postponed a long time, because as you know, drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in that car accident. Tough break. Funny thing they didn't sack him though, and actually let him play on, using a specially designed drumkit. If that had anything to do with this being a piece of shit I don't know. Pour some sugar on me is the only song worth a second time 'round, and it's not really that great. The rest are beyond abhorrence (i.e. Rocket, Women, Don't shoot shotgun, Excitable etc.). And don't even get me started on the title track... Apart from everything, this is your average '80s collection of sugar-sweet sex songs, without any brains or spirit whatsoever. Pathetic guitar leads and particularly pathetic background-vox. Over-produced and synthetic, slow, lame, soft-ass, wimpy, feminine, every song written for radio-play (seven singles - and ten times platinum world-wide before the end of the decade, thank you!). In some dubious circles even mistaken for metal...'nuff said.
Best songs: Pour some sugar on me