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Offline bosk1

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The Def Leppard thread
« on: October 19, 2012, 06:24:20 PM »
Yeah.  I posted a Def Leppard thread on a prog. metal board.  Wanna make somethin' of it?  Come at me, bro.  :bringiton:

Here are the rules:  If you aren't really up for a BIG challenge, post your top 10 or so Def Lep songs.



If you're not a wuss and can handle a bigger challenge, step up to the plate for the deluxe Def Lep challenge:  Post your TOP 30 Def Leppard songs.  "Why 30?" you ask.  Good question.  Ten studio albums, not counting the covers album or collections.  You must pick at least one song from each album.  The average must be 3 songs per album.  That makes 30.  Again, all 10 of the following albums must have at least one song:

On Through The Night
High N Dry
Pryomania
Hysteria
RetroActive
Adrenalize
Slang
Euphoria
X
Songs From The Sparkle Lounge

No bonus tracks (most of the early good ones are on Retroactive anyway). 

Your top 30.  Now.  They do not have to be ranked.  Go!
« Last Edit: October 19, 2012, 06:44:41 PM by bosk1 »
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Offline bosk1

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2012, 06:28:24 PM »
After much deliberation, here's mine (and, yes, I REALLY struggled to pull something from X) in album order:

Rock Brigade
Wasted
Rocks Off

Let It Go
Bringin' On the Heartbreak
Mirror, Mirror (Look into My Eyes)
No No No

Photograph
Too Late for Love
Die Hard the Hunter
Foolin'
Rock of Ages

Women
Love Bites
Gods of War
Hysteria

Desert Song 
Ride Into The Sun 
Ring Of Fire 
I Wanna Be Your Hero 

Let's Get Rocked"
White Lightning

Turn To Dust
Deliver Me

Demolition Man
Paper Sun
Day After Day

Cry

Go
Cruise Control
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Offline FreezingPoint

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2012, 08:26:18 PM »
Ahh, I can't handle the big challenge, mostly because I haven't heard all of their albums. I am a huge fan of a couple of their albums though, can't get enough of em. Anyways, I will try for a top 10 here:

Ok, I may have bent the rules on one song, but I did try and include something from each of my favorite albums by them. This was incredibly hard for me.

1. Animal
2. Love Bites
3. Bringin' On the Heartbreak (Live 1988)
4. Hysteria
5. Billy's Got A Gun
6. Photograph
7. Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)
8. Love And Affection
9. Women
10. Paper Sun

It really is too bad, Euphoria is such a strong album, but it is let down by the mixing for me. The sounds are mostly all there, but the background vocals are way too loud, and the drums are too quiet. The balance is just off. That being said, it still is an enjoyable album.
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Offline Unlegit

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2012, 08:48:31 PM »
I'll only do a top ten.

10. Gods of War
9. Rock of Ages
8. Run Riot
7. Promises
6. Bringin' on the Heartbreak
5. Two Steps Behind
4. Let's Get Rocked
3. Photograph
2. Hysteria
1. Armageddon It

Offline yorost

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2012, 10:01:57 PM »
Formerly a huge fan, but I still enjoy them.  Can't do the list since it's been so long since I heard them all, but...

1. Desert Song
2. Paper Sun

Retro Active was probably favourite release of theirs, and despite it being so out of place for them I actually rather enjoyed Slang.

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2012, 11:05:56 PM »
In no order:

Love Bites
Mirror mirror
Bringing on the heartbreak
Let's get rocked
Action
Armageddon it
Hysteria
Foolin
Photograph
Lady strange

I used to really like them and saw them once before and remember it being an awesome show, if this were 10 years ago id do 30 songs but I haven't listened to them in so long that 10 was a struggle without listening to them.

Offline Big Hath

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2012, 11:34:59 PM »
Hysteria
Armageddon It
Photograph
Animal
White Lightning
Foolin'
Let's Get Rocked
Gods of War
Rock of Ages
Die Hard the Hunter
Winger would be better!

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Online Zydar

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2012, 11:46:31 PM »
Top 10 in chronological order:

Lady Strange
Bringin' On The Heartbreak
Switch 625
Stagefright
Photograph
Hysteria
Let's Get Rocked
Desert Song
Ring Of Fire
Demolition Man
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Offline TAC

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2012, 05:24:00 AM »
I was a huge fan when High n Dry came out. Pyromania is OK and that tour would be my first concert. Very dissappointed with Hysteria, especially after the long wait between albums. Saw that tour 3 or 4 times and thought the opening bands killed them (Queensryce, Tesla) anthough Europe kind of sucked..
Anyway, the only decent thing about Hysteria was the B sides. Remember the 45's covers that you could make a puzzle with?? Those B sides rocked, unlike the album.
When I heard Vivian Campbell was going to join them, I thought great! H e wil inject a little more of a hard rock edge. I bought Adrenalize and almost puked. WTF?? I have sampled a few songs here and there, and based on a recommendation from someone I respect, gave Euphoria a full listen. That sucked too.
While they were to be come wildly famous and successful, they remain as one of my biggest disappointments in music.

Anyway, my Top 17 songs in chronological order:

Rock Brigade
Wasted
Rocks Off
Overture
Let It Go
Another Hit And run
Switch 625
Lady Strange
Mirror Mirror
Die Hard The Hunter
Stagefright
Comin' Under Fire
Action Not Words
Billy's Got A Gun
Tear It Down
Riding Into The Sun
Ring Of Fire
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2012, 08:10:18 AM »
Don't have their entire discog, but of what I do have, here's the top 10 in no particular order.

Photograph
Die Hard the Hunter
Foolin
Animal
Women
Promises
Ring of Fire
Action
2 Steps Behind
When 2 Worlds Collide (yeah, I went there)
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
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Offline Lowdz

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2012, 08:15:31 AM »
I'll play.

I like most Def Lep albums excluding Slang (hate it on the whole) and enjoy X- You can't beat Pyro and Hysteria though. I prefer their ballads to the rockers on the whole. Def Lep just don't rock anymore.

Top 10

Let It Go
Die Hard
Billy's Got A Gun
Love Bites
Hysteria
Excitable
Love & Affection
Tear It Down
Bringing On The Heartbreak
Don't Shoot Shotgun

Top 30

Hello America
Rocks Off

Let It Go
High & Dry
Bringing On The Heartbreak

Photograph
Stagefright
Too Late For Love
Die Hard The Hunter
Foolin'
billy's Got A Gun

Love Bites
Gods Of War
Don't Shoot Shotgun
Hysteria
Excitable
Love & Affection

heaven Is
make Love Like A Man
Tonight
Tear It Down
White Lightning
Have You Ever Needed  Someone So Bad

Ring Of Fire

Breathe A sigh

Promises
Goodbye

Unbelievable
You're So Beautiful
Long long Way To Go



Offline TAC

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2012, 09:45:45 AM »
Def Leppard
October 12, 1987
Providence Civic Center







would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
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Offline LCArenas

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2012, 09:55:18 AM »
Favorites of each album (Not necessarily top 10)

Rock Brigade
Bringin' on the Heartbreak
Stagefright
Love Bites
White Lightning
Action
All I Want is Everything
Paper Sun
Scar
Undefeated I haven't heard Sparkly Sparkles enough yet nor I'm interested in it, so I'm gonna pass for that one and post a Mirrorball song instead

Offline Cruithne

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2012, 04:43:31 AM »
On Through The Night
1. Rocks Off
2. Wasted
3. It Don't Matter

High 'n' Dry
1. Switch 625
2. Let It Go
3. Mirror Mirror

Pyromania
1. Die Hard The Hunter
2. Rock Of Ages
3. Photograph

Hysteria
1. Run Riot (blazing solo too)
2. Pour Some Sugar On Me
3. Armageddon It

Adrenalize
1. Tear It Down
2. White Lightning
3. Stand Up

Retro-Active
(I'm not including Action 'cos it's a cover, otherwise it'd easily be in the top 3)
1. Ring Of Fire
2. I Wanna Be Your Hero
3. Desert Song

Slang
1. Pearl Of Euphoria
2. Work It Out
3. Gift Of Flesh

Euphoria
1. Paper Sun
2. Back In Your Face
3. Promises

X
1. Torn To Shreds
2. Scar
3. Now

Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
1. C'mon C'mon
2. Go
3. Nine Lives
« Last Edit: October 22, 2012, 05:05:08 AM by Cruithne »

Offline wkiml

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2012, 05:39:31 AM »
After much deliberation, here's mine (and, yes, I REALLY struggled to pull something from X) in album order:

Rock Brigade
Wasted
Rocks Off


Let It Go
Bringin' On the Heartbreak
Mirror, Mirror (Look into My Eyes)
No No No


After these two albums Def Leppard stopped making music I enjoyed
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2012, 11:23:45 AM »
I am not as old as most of the people in this thread, but there was a time DF was my favorite band. And that was based largely on Hysteria. I’ve said elsewhere it was my first or second ever CD, which I got at the same time I got my new stereo I bought with money I saved up from my paper route. It was glorious. I had been hung up on songs I heard on the radio and MTV but had never delved so deep in to an album like Hysteria before. It was so great from start to finish. I then went back and got High N Dry and Pyromania. They took a little longer to digest, but I loved them just as much. By the time their next album came out, I was getting in to classic rock and prog, moving away from what was on the radio and MTV at the time.

Anyway… I haven’t heard the last couple of their albums enough to comment, some not at all. They completely dropped off my radar, though I occasionally will listen to stuff from H&D-P-H.

Top 10, In random order:

Mirror, Mirror
Lady Strange
Die Hard The Hunter
Stagefright
Too Late for Love
Bringin' On The Heartbreak
Gods of War
Hysteria
Love and Affection
Tear it Down
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Offline bosk1

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2012, 11:34:37 AM »
I agree with you on Hysteria.  While Pyromania was a calculated move in a much more commercial direction than their first two albums and wasn't nearly as raw as those albums, it still rocked plenty.  As good as Hysteria is, it was MUCH more commercial, which was a hurdle for me at first.  But it wasn't long before it caught on with me and I began to appreciate how good it is.  The liner notes in the Special Edition do a great job of talking about the band's history during this period and what they were going through.  It highlights just how obsessed they (especially Joe) were with Michael Jackson's Thriller album and in trying to do a rock album that could have just as many, if not more, top 10 singles.  A lot of people think Rick Allen's accident was what caused such a long delay in putting this album out.  It was definitely a factor, but they delay would not have been nearly as significant if not for the band's obsession, which led to so much re-writing and re-recording over that time.  And, really, I have to say the result was worth it.  Yeah, the delay was a pain.  But in return, Hysteria was a grade-A album, and in addition, we got a LONG list of top-notch B-sides that would later form the backbone of Retroactive.

Anyway… I haven’t heard the last couple of their albums enough to comment, some not at all.

There is some decent stuff.  I think X is their weakest album by a long shot.  Yeah! is a decent covers album.  The covers they do are more obscure stuff, which I think actually elevates it, and the performance are pretty good.  But, ultimately, it's "just a covers album," if you know what I mean.  Sparkle Lounge was actually pretty good, IMO.  When you consider that this is a band that went full-on pop rock, and consider their age and the fact that it's hard for a band to sound "hungry" at this age, I think they did a pretty good job.  Nothing that will go down as a "classic," but it's still a fun album that I actually do want to take off the shelf and spin every now and then.
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Offline yorost

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2012, 11:40:35 AM »
Only two of us mentioned Slang that I see, anybody else not hate it?  I like that they have explored doing different things and think it's pretty fun as an album.

Offline bosk1

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2012, 11:42:37 AM »
Only two of us mentioned Slang that I see, anybody else not hate it?  I like that they have explored doing different things and think it's pretty fun as an album.

As a whole, no, I don't like it.  There are a couple of songs that are okay that I think are worthy of representing the album on a collection, but as a whole, I just don't care for it.
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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #19 on: October 22, 2012, 11:43:42 AM »
I kinda lost track of them after Retro Active.

Funny how back in the 80s, a four year lag was a huge gap between releases.  Yet, this year alone, Rush, Circus Maximus, Nightwish, Threshold and The Flower Kings just put out an album after 5 years off.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #20 on: October 22, 2012, 11:48:29 AM »
Yorost, to add to my prior post about Slang, for comparative purposes, here's how I would rank their albums:

1.  Pyromania
2.  Hysteria
3.  High N Dry
4.  RetroActive
5.  Euphoria
6.  On Through The Night
7.  Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
(Yeah!)
8.  Adrenalize
9.  Slang
10.  X

1-3 are almost interchangeable, and could look completely different if you catch me on a different day.  8-10 are albums I don't really care for and will probably never listen to as a whole.


@Chad:  I still think it's a huge gap.  Unless there is a good reason, I think anything longer than 3 years is inexcusable.  The only band I listen to out of the ones you posted is Nightwish.  And while I think Imaginaerum is great, there is no excuse for it taking 5 years.
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Offline yorost

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #21 on: October 22, 2012, 11:56:24 AM »
That's a pretty good ranking, I agree on how you split the top 5 and bottom 5(6) even if I might rearrange them.  I guess that might be a common way to split the top and bottom, though, so maybe that's not surprising. :dunno:  When I say I enjoy Slang it's really talking about having it maybe ranked 6th-8th (not counting the covers album).

Offline bosk1

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2012, 12:03:28 PM »
Yeah, makes sense.  For me, the biggest dropoff in quality is in between my 7 and 8.  In a way, Adrenalize is almost Hysteria pt. 2.  It was such a logical progression.  But the main problem with it is just the dropoff in quality.  And add to that the fact that there was just no need to do an album so similar because, after Hysteria, I just don't really want to listen to another album that sounds so similar, but isn't nearly as close in quality.  It was automatically going to suffer in comparison.  And while it's true that Euphoria also very closely followed the Hysteria formula, it brought back a bit of the edge that Adrenalize lacked, and it was simply a much better written album.

I will also say that if, hypothetically, Hysteria had been a double album that included the B-sides, it would unequivocally be my #1.  But then again, I guess that would kind of such because I'm not sure we would have gotten Retroactive, and a lot of the other songs from it may not have ever seen the light of day.
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Offline WebRaider

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #23 on: October 22, 2012, 12:04:32 PM »
Yeah, I 'll say this before I think on what my top 10 etc. would be... Hysteria gets too much crap now. Pretty much like the rest of the 80's and "hair metal" or whatever.

That album is a damn good album IMO and gets knocked I guess because of the attention it got. I also understand it was a turn away from what was considered their harder sound although they were never a metal band for me even with the early records they always sounded like a rock band with the singer screaming from time to time. Everything that came after Hysteria on the other hand is freely up for bashing...

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #24 on: October 22, 2012, 12:11:21 PM »
@Chad:  I still think it's a huge gap.  Unless there is a good reason, I think anything longer than 3 years is inexcusable.  The only band I listen to out of the ones you posted is Nightwish.  And while I think Imaginaerum is great, there is no excuse for it taking 5 years.

Oh, I agree.  It was a huge gap.  That day and age, studio releases was probably the primary source of revenue for a lot of bands.  nowadays, not as much.
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Offline yorost

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #25 on: October 22, 2012, 12:12:55 PM »
Can't agree with you more on Adrenalize, bosk1.  It just feels so dead as an album, despite seeming you should enjoy it.

Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #26 on: October 22, 2012, 12:29:45 PM »
For me they only have a top 10 - it's called "High -n- Dry"


Don't care for much of the rest of their output other than an odd track here or there.

Offline bosk1

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #27 on: October 22, 2012, 12:31:36 PM »
For me they only have a top 10 - it's called "High -n- Dry"

:lol  Fair enough.  But I have to ask:  original or remix?
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Offline TAC

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #28 on: October 22, 2012, 12:34:23 PM »
Have the Jim Steinman Hysteria tapes ever surfaced?
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
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Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #29 on: October 22, 2012, 12:35:31 PM »
For me they only have a top 10 - it's called "High -n- Dry"

 :lol  Fair enough.  But I have to ask:  original or remix?


I don't care much for the remix to be honest.

Offline Lowdz

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #30 on: October 22, 2012, 12:38:48 PM »
Only two of us mentioned Slang that I see, anybody else not hate it?  I like that they have explored doing different things and think it's pretty fun as an album.

As a whole, no, I don't like it.  There are a couple of songs that are okay that I think are worthy of representing the album on a collection, but as a whole, I just don't care for it.

Yeah I pretty much hated it but Breathe A Sigh is a good song. I'd take X over it, and Euphoria.

Album-wise for me

Pyro
Hysteria
High & Dry
Adrenalize
Retroactive


X
Euphoria
On Through The Night

Sparkle Lounge

Offline jammindude

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #31 on: October 22, 2012, 06:30:48 PM »
I was a huge fan when High n Dry came out. Pyromania is OK and that tour would be my first concert. Very dissappointed with Hysteria, especially after the long wait between albums. Saw that tour 3 or 4 times and thought the opening bands killed them (Queensryce, Tesla) anthough Europe kind of sucked..
Anyway, the only decent thing about Hysteria was the B sides. Remember the 45's covers that you could make a puzzle with?? Those B sides rocked, unlike the album.
When I heard Vivian Campbell was going to join them, I thought great! H e wil inject a little more of a hard rock edge. I bought Adrenalize and almost puked. WTF?? I have sampled a few songs here and there, and based on a recommendation from someone I respect, gave Euphoria a full listen. That sucked too.
While they were to be come wildly famous and successful, they remain as one of my biggest disappointments in music.

Anyway, my Top 17 songs in chronological order:

Rock Brigade
Wasted
Rocks Off
Overture
Let It Go
Another Hit And run
Switch 625
Lady Strange
Mirror Mirror
Die Hard The Hunter
Stagefright
Comin' Under Fire
Action Not Words
Billy's Got A Gun
Tear It Down
Riding Into The Sun
Ring Of Fire

You took the words right out of my mouth.  (although I did think that Euphoria was at least as good as Hysteria...and certainly better than Adrenalize or Slang)

But mostly, I think Leppard lost me post-Willis.    Everything that Willis was involved in was incredible.   Everything after he left was a Journey-clone....and not in a good way. 

The first three albums are all fantastic.   Everything after that only holds a mild passing interest for me.
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Offline Lowdz

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #32 on: October 23, 2012, 02:23:36 AM »
Saw them several times, the best probably at Donington Monsters Of Rock Festival with Rick's first official gig after the accident (they played a small warm up prior to the festival). The ovation he got was spine tingling.

Saying that, I never rated them as a live band. Too much stuff on tape to get any excitement going and Joe's vocals were never great live. Never saw them pre- Pyro though.

Offline jammindude

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #33 on: October 23, 2012, 01:19:52 PM »
BTW...my album ranking...

1. High 'n' Dry
2. Pyromania
3. On Through the Night
4. Hysteria/Euphoria


5. everything else...some of which I havn't even bothered with. (X, Sparkle Lounge, Yeah)
"Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world.
Than the pride that divides when a colorful rag is unfurled." - Neil Peart

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Offline Cruithne

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Re: The Def Leppard thread
« Reply #34 on: October 24, 2012, 02:59:13 AM »
Only two of us mentioned Slang that I see, anybody else not hate it?  I like that they have explored doing different things and think it's pretty fun as an album.

Oh, it was a struggle to choose 3 songs worth mentioning from Slang :) Actually, it was a struggle getting three out of X and Songs From The Sparkle Lounge too - I don't really feel that Leppard do "bad" albums, but they haven't managed a really strong album since Steve Clark died.

Def Leppard were never just about Steve Clark though, but he was the one who added the special sauce to their output, as far as I'm concerned. What's interesting is the following comment from https://www.steveclarkguitar.com/articles-and-interviews/last-words-from-steve-clark:

"On the older records I came up with virtually all the music."

Which doesn't really tally with the songwriting credits, but then different bands have different ideas as to what constitutes writing and what constitutes arrangement.

Quote
Too much stuff on tape to get any excitement going and Joe's vocals were never great live.

Joe's vocals is fair comment, but what have they ever had on tape beyond the intro? (I'm hoping it's not the inevitable answer...)