Def Leppard - ‘The Early Years 79-81’ boxset - March 20th, 2020

[ProfessorPeart]

Not sure how many Leppard fans there are around here, but this set has me excited. Price is a bit high on Amazon right now, but I really want the 5 disc set. They will put the albums out individually, but the bonus material on here looks great. This would fit nicely with my deluxe Pyromania and Hysteria sets (I own nothing else after these).

https://www.defleppard.com/early-years-79-81-boxset-available-20-march-2020/



‘The Early Years 79-81’ boxset represents the band’s first two albums, ‘On Through The Night’ (1980) and ‘High ‘N’ Dry’ (1981), and has been prepared in conjunction with singer Joe Elliott who has acted as executive producer on the set. The mastering has been done by the band’s long serving sound engineer Ronan McHugh.

This deluxe set comes with 5-CDs consisting of the original album remastered, B-sides, rarities and re-mix versions, Radio One sessions, Live from Reading and the first ever appearance of an unreleased and newly mixed show from Oxford in 1980. These remasters have been highly anticipated, and much requested, by Def Leppard fans globally.

The album also features an instant grat track, the much sought-after Nick Tauber produced version of ‘Rock Brigade’, which was originally pencilled as a single for the UK but was never released at the time. Today, 40 years on, the track receives its first release. Listen to the track HERE

Joe Elliott says, “Well the fans asked, and we listened! Really excited to have our early years reworked with a load of rare material including the newly unearthed Live at the Oxford New Theatre, recorded on the 1980 UK tour …. It’s been a trip  putting this boxset together and I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as we did working on it! ”

‘On Through The Night’, the band’s debut album, was released in 1980 and immediately put the rock world on notice. The band were destined for big things with the album charting at #15 in the UK and #51 in the US. Produced by Tom Allom (Judas Priest, Black Sabbath), it featured many of the band’s live favourites and some updated versions of early singles. The album achieved platinum status in 1989.

‘High ‘N’ Dry’, the first of Def Leppard’s albums to be produced by Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange, was released in 1981. It reached #26 in the UK charts and #38 in the US, further cementing the bands status.

‘The Early Years 79-81’ boxset includes a history of the band’s first two albums written by Mojo and Classic Rock writer Paul Elliott (no relation) featuring personal insights from the band on the making and releasing of those early records as well as rare photos and memorabilia.

Both albums have been remastered and will be available on 1CD version, black vinyl, and limited edition coloured vinyl.


‘The Early Year 79-81’ 5CD Boxset

CD ONE: ON THROUGH THE NIGHT – RE-MASTERED

    Rock Brigade
    Hello America
    Sorrow Is A Woman
    It Could Be You
    Satellite
    When the Walls Came Tumbling Down
    Wasted
    Rocks Off
    It Don’t Matter
    Answer to The Master
    Overture

CD TWO: HIGH ‘N’ DRY – RE-MASTERED

    Let It Go
    Another Hit and Run
    High N Dry (Saturday Night)
    Bringin’ On the Heartache
    Switch 625
    You Got Me Runnin’
    Lady Strange
    On Through the Night
    Mirror Mirror (Look into My Eyes)
    No No No

CD THREE: WHEN THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN – LIVE IN OXFORD 26/04/1980

    When the Walls Came Tumbling Down
    It Could Be You
    Rock Brigade
    Satellite
    Medicine Man
    Answer to the Master
    When the Rain Falls
    Sorrow Is a Woman
    Good Morning Freedom
    Don’t Matter to Me
    Overture
    Lady Strange
    GetchaRocks Off
    Hello America
    Wasted
    Ride into The Sun

CD FOUR: TOO MANY JITTERBUGS – B-SIDES AND RARITIES

    Ride into The Sun – The Def Leppard EP
    Getcha Rocks Off – The Def Leppard EP
    The Overture – The Def Leppard EP
    Wasted -Single
    Hello America – Single
    Rock Brigade – Unreleased Nick Tauber produced version
    Glad I’m Alive – Unreleased Nick Tauber produced version
    Good Morning Freedom – Single
    Let It Go – Single Edit
    Switch 625 – Single Edit
    Bringin’ On the Heartbreak – Single Edit
    Me and My Wine – Original Version
    Bringin’ On the Heartbreak – Remix
    Me and My Wine – Remix

CD FIVE: RAW – EARLY BBC RECORDINGS

    Glad I’m Alive (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
    Sorrow Is A Woman (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
    Wasted (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
    Answer to The Master (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
    Satellite (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
    Rock Brigade (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
    Wasted (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
    Good Morning Freedom (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
    Satellite / When the Walls Came Tumbling Down (Live at the Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
    Medicine Man (Live at the Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
    The Overture (Live at the Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
    Lady Strange (Live at the Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
    Getcha Rocks Off (Live at the Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)

[Stadler]

There's another box set I've been eyeing that has a disk similar to CD four, but it also has I think the first five studio records (which I have already).   Best I've seen is about $65 bucks, and for one CD, that's a no-go.  I'll buy this though.  All over this.   

[cramx3]

DL fan, but I have little interest in it.  The unreleased concert is the only thing of real interest and I wonder what the sound quality is like before I'd even say I really want it.

[ProfessorPeart]

I'm sort of hoping the concert is on par with the '83 Forum show that they included with the Pyromania deluxe edition. That is a really nice recording.

[ShadowWalker]

I'm sort of hoping the concert is on par with the '83 Forum show that they included with the Pyromania deluxe edition. That is a really nice recording.

My only complaint on this show is that it is not the entire concert. I have a bootleg of it. Missing are some solos and pretty much all the stage banter. I would rather it be a 3-CD set with the full show rather than the edited version that appears on a single bonus CD.

As for the early years box set, Yep, that's a must buy...

[Stadler]

Quick back of the envelope comparison between the "Rarities" on the Complete Vol. 1 set I referenced and this one, and it isn't even close.  I'll be getting this set, provided I don't have to take a second mortgage.

[TAC]

I can live with the Forum show the way it is. The Pyromania tour was my first concert.


$80 for that package is fucking steep. No chance. I have a couple decent boots from that era and I'm good. I might consider it if it was half the price. There are certainly some goodies on this though.

[EPICVIEW]

Good stuff   I saw them a few times with Pete even so to me this is cool and Id like to hear the remaster of On through the night.

[bosk1]

Yeah, I think I'm going to be all over this, notwithstanding the steep price.  I have needed to replace a lost copy of High N Dry for years without getting around to it before now anyway.  And all this bonus content makes it completely worthwhile to me as a longtime fan.  These guys were my first real "favorite band," and I know how rare a few of these tracks are.  I think I know what I want for my birthday.

[EPICVIEW]

Yeah, I think I'm going to be all over this, notwithstanding the steep price.  I have needed to replace a lost copy of High N Dry for years without getting around to it before now anyway.  And all this bonus content makes it completely worthwhile to me as a longtime fan.  These guys were my first real "favorite band," and I know how rare a few of these tracks are.  I think I know what I want for my birthday.

Boss... I hear ya I must have 3 copies of High N Dry and never can seem to find any of them when Im looking LOL. I think it was remastered a few years back

[bosk1]

Yup.  And it's cool that they're combining the first two albums rather than either keeping them separate or throwing in later stuff that they've already done anniversary releases for, just to jack up the price for content that isn't needed.  The only thing in this set that is superfluous to me is disk 1, just because I already have it (not remastered, but that's not a big deal to me).  It's also really cool that you get the original track list for High N Dry, and then the two remixed tracks on one of the bonus disks.

[ProfessorPeart]

Down to $61 at Amazon. Just locked in my pre-order. Hoping it drops some more with the guarantee.

[cramx3]

Now this is a release I will be buying

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/def-leppard-to-release-london-to-vegas-dvd-and-blue-ray-in-april/?fbclid=IwAR1d8NDKn0E4LO7GWXwrESLz-7_6qLPhUa7glKuUiDjKuiV9WW_4d2DMJpA

According to Amazon, DEF LEPPARD will release "London To Vegas" on April 24 in 2DVD/4CD and 2Blu-ray/4CD editions.

The official product description reads as follows: "Special deluxe edition featuring 2 unique shows! In 2018 Sheffield's finest made their long-awaited debut at London's O2 Arena. DEF LEPPARD performed the ground-breaking 'Hysteria' album in its entirety. In 2019, the newly minted Rock & Roll Hall of Famers returned to Las Vegas for their infamous Sin City residency, featuring stunning video walls, two stages and rarely performed album cuts, making for an unforgettable concert experience. Includes exclusive behind the scenes bonus features."

I'm not that interested in the London Hysteria show (we have Hysteria.... on their last Vegas residency video) but another full Vegas set with the deep cuts is what I want. 

[TAC]

I see Fenway on the cover.

[ShadowWalker]

It's a shame that only the Hysteria Live In London is getting a separate release, but to get the Vegas set, the whole box set needs to be purchased. Annoying.

[ProfessorPeart]

Finally digging into my Early Years set. Wow, this thing is awesome! The live show from 1980 sounds excellent and is heavy. Probably the heaviest I have heard this band sound. The BBC recordings are crisp and clean, as always. The rarities disc contains the original Def Lep EP from 1979 and it sounds really good. Had no idea they had a different drummer then as the tracks are played by a session dude named Frank Noon.

This set is high quality and well worth the $60 I paid. Couldn't be happier with this set.

[PetFish]

JP and PC really need to do a Youtube workout series.  They're both beasts.

[TAC]

Had no idea they had a different drummer then as the tracks are played by a session dude named Frank Noon.

Frank Noon would play on the first Waysted album.

[ShadowWalker]

After getting through the live disc from 1980, I can safely say that I will likely never listen to On Through The Night ever again. The versions on this disc, plus the added tracks far eclipse what was captured in the studio for the debut album release. The BBC disc is solid and the rarities disc is as well. The band hit a home run with this release. I was never a fan of the pre-High n Dry material but am re-evaluating that with each listen. There is some real good stuff here that I pretty much ignored because I never liked the sonic quality of that debut album. Now I have definitive versions to really sink my teeth into.

If you are a fan of the band's early days, I highly recommend this box set. Well worth the money.

[cramx3]

Some clips from the new live album:

Def Leppard - Billy's Got A Gun (Hits Vegas)

Def Leppard - Run Riot (Hysteria At The O2)

What sucks is you can only get this in the box set of both concerts on video and cd if you want the vegas set on blu-ray.  I only care for the Hits Vegas set as that has the goods.  I don't really need another Hysteria set video.  But I'm tempted because the vegas set looks awesome.  And the clips do look/sound good.  Ugh, I am having such an urge for live music too that I may bite.

[bosk1]

Just ordered this last night, and am listening to the free digital download.  I'm 11 tracks in on the 1979 Oxford show disk, and I am loving this. 

After getting through the live disc from 1980, I can safely say that I will likely never listen to On Through The Night ever again. The versions on this disc, plus the added tracks far eclipse what was captured in the studio for the debut album release. The BBC disc is solid and the rarities disc is as well. The band hit a home run with this release. I was never a fan of the pre-High n Dry material but am re-evaluating that with each listen. There is some real good stuff here that I pretty much ignored because I never liked the sonic quality of that debut album. Now I have definitive versions to really sink my teeth into.

If you are a fan of the band's early days, I highly recommend this box set. Well worth the money.

Nailed it.  Man, they sound HEAVY on some of this stuff.  And although I was a fan before Rick Allen's accident, I never appreciated what a good drummer he actually was.  He is doing some pretty fast and pretty complex stuff at times, and it sounds great.  I became a fan during the Pyromania era, and then went back and discovered the first two albums.  Never really dug On Through the Night all that much, but enjoyed a few songs, and had fun listening to that album every now and then.  I thought High N Dry was fantastic.  These guys were the first "favorite" band I ever had back then.  And although it took a bit of getting used to, I thought Hysteria was fantastic as well.  Those first 4 albums were just about untouchable in my eyes.

Although I was a fan of the early stuff, and I found or at least knew of some of the early stuff that was not on the albums, I am enjoying some surprises on this latest release.  I had never heard of Medicine Man or When the Rain Falls before.  Listening to these on the Oxford disk, they both brought a big smile to my face as I listened to those riffs and vocal melodies and easily recognized them as early versions of Rock! Rock! Til You Drop and Let It Go.  And the thing is, both of these sound pretty good as-is, so I'm kind of surprised they got worked into something different for later releases.

Anyhow, this is a great package.  I'm really glad I decided to pick it up.

[cramx3]

I know this isnt the same release from the thread title, but since it's been discussed here... this came in the mail yesterday:



Really nice packaging.  I started watching the Vegas bluray last night and it's really nice.  Quality is fantastic, Joe is a little low in the mix, but otherwise the band sounds good.  Lots of rarer songs on that set which is why I bought the whole package.  Venue looks pretty small too which is a cool setting for the show.  I'll eventually watch the London set, but I'll be enjoying the Vegas one first.