Battle of the 80s Rock LP's Volume 1: Slippery When Wet vs Hysteria

[cfmoran13]

Can’t agree with you more on Adrenalize. White Lightning is pretty good, the rest is a steaming pile of doo-doo.

White Lightning is head and shoulders above everything else on the album (and the only Lange co-write that doesn't suck on the album).  Tear It Down is definitely respectable.  The rest of that album could permanently disappear and I wouldn't flinch.

As for the Steinman sessions from Hysteria... I believe they were all lost in a flood.  I literally just finished a podcast interview with Joe Elliott about 5 minutes ago and he said nothing exists from those sessions at all.  It was all destroyed. 

[TAC]

As for the Steinman sessions from Hysteria... I believe they were all lost in a flood.  I literally just finished a podcast interview with Joe Elliott about 5 minutes ago and he said nothing exists from those sessions at all.  It was all destroyed.

Oh wow. Thanks for the info.

You have a podcast?

[bosk1]

White Lightning is head and shoulders above everything else on the album ...  Tear It Down is definitely respectable.  The rest of that album could permanently disappear and I wouldn't flinch.

I always like Let's Get Rocked too.  It isn't anywhere near the level of their best stuff.  But it's just a fun, mindless song.  I never understood the hate for it.

I couldn't remember anything else that is on the album, so I had to pull the CD off the shelf just now.  Looking at the some titles, I remember how parts of a lot of them go.  No strong desire to listen though.    It's just one of those albums that I wouldn't mind if it was on in the background, but I probably wouldn't ever think to put it on in the first place. 

Since I was grabbing it anyway, I grabbed a handful of Def Lep CDs off the shelf.  Decided to pop Sparkle Lounge into the player since I had no recollection of how any but two songs actually sounded.    Go is actually pretty cool.  But I have no recollection of this song at all. 

[HOF]

White Lightning is head and shoulders above everything else on the album ...  Tear It Down is definitely respectable.  The rest of that album could permanently disappear and I wouldn't flinch.

I always like Let's Get Rocked too.  It isn't anywhere near the level of their best stuff.  But it's just a fun, mindless song.  I never understood the hate for it.

I couldn't remember anything else that is on the album, so I had to pull the CD off the shelf just now.  Looking at the some titles, I remember how parts of a lot of them go.  No strong desire to listen though.    It's just one of those albums that I wouldn't mind if it was on in the background, but I probably wouldn't ever think to put it on in the first place. 

Since I was grabbing it anyway, I grabbed a handful of Def Lep CDs off the shelf.  Decided to pop Sparkle Lounge into the player since I had no recollection of how any but two songs actually sounded.    Go is actually pretty cool.  But I have no recollection of this song at all.

Because I’m a relative young, Adrenalize was my first exposure to Def Leppard (via the radio) when it came out. Let’s Get Rocked holds some sentimental value for me, and I’m a sucker for Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad. Heaven Is, Tonight, and Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion) also hold some sentimental appeal. But it’s not an album I ever really revisit.

[bosk1]

I forgot about Tonight, but I really liked that song as well.  For a ballad, it is kinda dark and has a bit of an edge to it, which I like.

[Cruithne]

Adrenalize was my first Leppard album and I still love it. Some of the lyrics are questionable, to say the least, and on reflection they really made a mistake trying to outdo the production on Hysteria as it had the air of looking back instead of looking forward.

Had they done the quicker, simpler record they'd originally intended to, gone with a more stripped back production and got the thing out before grunge hit the mainstream then they'd have looked pretty smart.

I find it a little odd for Phil to keep greasing up his body like a WWE wrestler before performing at this point in his life. 

The shaved and oiled up body plus groin level waistline trousers are, quite frankly, gross and a good reason never to bother seeing them live again.

Good on him for having a body to be proud of at any age, let alone the age he is, but put it away man.

[Kotowboy]

Plus the Phil Collen PC1 Supreme is one hideously ugly guitar.

[KevShmev]

I always like Let's Get Rocked too.  It isn't anywhere near the level of their best stuff.  But it's just a fun, mindless song.  I never understood the hate for it.

 

For me, it probably didn't help that it came out during the time period when I was getting into Rush, Yes, Zeppelin, etc., so a song that cheesy came out as limp and nutless, but even when I tried it again years later with a bit more perspective, I still found nothing I could grab on to.  I have no issues with a fun, mindless song - I like plenty of them! - but I just don't like that one. 

I think the only Def Leppard song post-Hysteria I like is Work It Out, which was quite a departure.  I really liked how different it was.

[Cool Chris]

As for the Steinman sessions from Hysteria...

What?

By the time Adrenalize came out, I had moved away from this genre of music, so I basically ignored it, other than what I heard on the radio. Let's Get Rocked was stupid, but I liked Tonight quite a bit. I doubt I could name 5 songs post-Hysteria to be honest. I couldn't name all their albums, actually.

[bosk1]

Is this a controversial statement about HND?:  To me, notwithstanding the singles and setlist standards in the early years, side 2 of High N Dry is MUCH stronger than side 1.  Side 1 is solid, and Bringin' on the Heartbreak is outstanding (perhaps their best ballad and one of my favorite power ballads from any band).  But side 2 is solid from the first note to the last and never relents for even a moment. 

[Stadler]

Is this a controversial statement about HND?:  To me, notwithstanding the singles and setlist standards in the early years, side 2 of High N Dry is MUCH stronger than side 1.  Side 1 is solid, and Bringin' on the Heartbreak is outstanding (perhaps their best ballad and one of my favorite power ballads from any band).  But side 2 is solid from the first note to the last and never relents for even a moment.

Nope, not controversial at all (to me).

[TAC]

Side 2 of HnD is awesome. It's definitely better than Side 1.

[Kotowboy]

The closest i've come to any Def Leppard is Waking Up The Neighbours by Bryan Adams. Similar sound and songwriting but I've always loved WUTN. Despite the heavy over-production

and drum machine. I just think there are better songs.

[cramx3]

I had to look up where the cutoff was for the sides of HND, but its actually really tough for me. Lady Strange and Mirror Mirror are two of my favorites but Let it Go and Bringing on the Heartbreak are also the other two favorites. It may be a tie. Definitely don't think it's a controversial opinion to like side 2 more

[KevShmev]

I am not as attached to High N' Dry as some of you are since I didn't grow up listening to it, but I dig it a lot now and it feels like a pretty consistent record.  Not sure which side I'd pick, although just eyeballing it now, I would say my three favorites are Switch 625, Lady Stranger and Mirror Mirror, and two of those three are from Side 2, so there ya go.

[TAC]

High n Dry is 40 years old today!

[KevShmev]

High n Dry is 40 years old today!

Isn't there a Facebook group for this or something?

[TAC]

High n Dry is 40 years old today!

Isn't there a Facebook group for this or something?

What's Facebook?

[WildRanger]

Cheesefest vs. cheesefest. I abstain.

[Nekov]

SWW. I was never much into Def Leppard