Hysteria – Def Leppard

Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange

Released: August 3, 1987

Rating: *****

I am guilty of loving Hysteria. It encapsulates a lot of memories from my early teen years. Every generation witnesses 1 or 2 monster albums that will stand the test of time and this is one of them. Is it over produced? I guess I look at Hysteria the way I look at Terminator 2. With that movie we were treated to CGI graphics for the first time and what a treat it was! Mind blowing. Special effects like these had never been seen before. Even more impressive was the very effective well written story.

Hysteria was probably the first album of its kind. It was a land mark album in terms of what is capable in the studio. I mean there are LAYERS of tracks on this album some of which can only truly be uncovered through the use of headphones. Some subtleties can only be described as stunning. Check out the quiet yet beautiful vocal track of Joe Elliot humming through the guitar solo on Love And Affection. Later in that same tune Elliot can be heard grumbling something nearly indistinguishable as the track fades out. Indistinguishable yes, but awesome nonetheless. This is an example of what I think is missing from every Lep album released since Hysteria. Excruciating attention to detail. Although I am not a fan of the opening track, check out Joe’s vocal intro that mimics the guitar. This is the album that introduced us to their trademark “gang” vocals. Again just layers and layers of tracks. Perfect examples of this are found on Animal and Armageddon It.

As for the song writing….. this is it. This album contains some awesome tracks. Sure, some of the singles (ESPECIALLY Pour Some Sugar On Me) have been way over played. Tracks like Rocket, Armageddon It and Animal (what a GREAT song) are IMPOSSIBLE not to sing along with. What impresses me most about this album 21 years on is the power of the 2nd half of the album. Hysteria is the only single found here and the other 5 songs are some of the albums best including Don’t Shoot Shotgun, Run Riot and my favorite all time Lep song, Love And Affection. That my friends is the sign of a good album, when the non singles are as good or better than the tracks that saturate the radio. How good is the song writing? Dave Mustaine, ex Metallica axe slinger and founder of fellow thrash band Megadeth once commented on this metal lite release saying that, “There isn’t a bad note played on that album.” Check out the completely restrained and understated solos from Animal and Armageddon It. Steve Clark’s guitar tone on this album at times brings tears to my eyes. At times it’s as if the guitar is speaking to the listener.

Are the lyrics nonsensical at times? Absolutely. Armageddon It is a goofy play on words and Pour Some Sugar On Me makes no sense. In addition for about 10 years I had no idea what the hell Elliot squeals after each chant of the main verse Rocket….. “Rocket! Yeah,” followed by some cockney sounding gibberish. For those keeping score, the words Elliot sings are, “Sattelite of love.” Gods of War seems a bit dated especially with Ronald Reagan’s stern call to war. Excitebale is perhaps a bit too cheesy when packaged with the rest of these gems. Especially when followed by Love And Affection, a song whose title is just as cheesy as Excitable, yet is possibly one of the genre’s most beautiful and least talked about tunes.

Like Terminator 2, Hysteria ussured in (regrettably) a TON of followers using studio magic and over production to over compensate for poor song writing. This was Def Leppard’s crowning jewel and it would never be this good again. As I see it, Def Leppard has three masterpiece albums showcasing a different side or personality of the band. High N’ Dry is the bands “rocker” and Goddamn it’s awesome. Still an unknown band at this time, they were more AC/DC on this album (not shocking considering “Mutt” Lange had produced the bands monster hit Back In Black as well as Highway To Hell and For Those About To Rock We Salute You before begining his work with Lep) then they were Pour Some Sugar On Me. Pyromania saw the band becoming far more commercial and radio friendly, yet still retaining some of their raw edge. Hysteria was a full on commerical assualt that saw the band achieving success that few bands ever will.

Hysteria is as much a Mutt Lange album as it is a Def Leppard album. This is as far from garage rock as you will ever get. At times the lyrics do leave the listener wondering what the hell they just heard. Hysteria is also a great example of how far things can be pushed in the studio while yielding phenomenal results because the entire thing started with great songs. In this listeners humble opinion, Def Leppard have been chasing Hysteria with every subsequent release. At times trying to sound nothing like it while other albums have been feable attempts to capture that “classic” Def Leppard sound. Now that “Mutt” is a single man, perhaps he can help Sheffield’s favorite sons kick the worlds ass just one more time. If so, we can probably expect that release around 2015.

Pyromania – Def Leppard

Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange

Released: January 20, 1983

Rating: **** 1/2

In 1983 there were three albums that you could not get away from even if you tried. Michael Jackson’s Thriller, ZZ Top’s Eliminator and this album which was the #2 selling album of the year. Thriller was #1. In 1983 MTV was still a relatively new concept and the success of all of these albums was fueled by the fledgling cable network. Michael Jackson, ZZ Top and Def Leppard all had extremely memorable videos that accompanied the singles. At the end of the day, it is true that what matters most is the music. Quite honestly, all three of these albums succeeded because of the superior quality of the songs.

For Def Leppard, this was the 2nd album in what I call the Def Leppard Trifecta. Fans of this band are fiercely divided over which album is the band’s best. The debate is typically over Pyromania or Hysteria, although some fans will tell you that the last “real” or “good” album the band recorded was High ‘n’ Dry. Regardless, there is no denying that Def Leppard raised the bar (for themselves and every other band) when they released Pyromania. “Mutt” Lange was back in the saddle which insured top-notch production. One listen and it becomes clear that Lange and the boys were focussed on getting these songs on the radio. High ‘n’ Dry was a hit with the metal kids, but this album had a more global focus.

The album opens with the fist pumping battle cry, Rock Rock (Til You Drop) and it doesn’t take long to hear the layers of vocal and guitar tracks that became the signature Def Leppard sound. In the history of rock, there are some timeless riffs and Photograph is right up there with the best. The opening riff to this song is as good as it gets. As good as Zeppelin’s Black Dog, Aerosmith‘s Walk This Way or AC/DC’s Back In Black. Unforgettable is what it is. The song starts with what sounds like a guitar being plugged in. Classic “Mutt” Lange.

Too Late For Love was the 4th single from the album and is a Def Leppard classic. Very moody, with a great riff and killer solo section. Even moodier is the single that really sold me on the band, Foolin’. With an acoustic guitar intro, this song constantly builds momentum and teases the listener. Jack Russel (lead singer for Great White) once commented that when he first heard this album he was surprised at how many “hooks” the songs had. “The verse was a hook, the chorus was a hook, the bridge was a hook…..” Foolin’ is a perfect example of what Russell is talking about. The momentum in the song keeps building until it reaches the solo, which is one of my favorite guitar solos of all time. Rock Of Ages is the other single from the album and was a huge hit with radio and fans alike.

Like most great albums, it’s the strength of the “other” songs that help make Pyromania memorable nearly 30 years later. Comin’ Under Fire is an amazing track that could’ve easily been the albums 5th single. The more upbeat Action Not Words would’ve been a superb live song. It’s also is the only Def Leppard song, if I am correct, that features slide guitar. There really isn’t  bad track on Pyromania, including the quasi-Vietnam tune Diehard The Hunter and the social commentary of  Billy’s Got A Gun. Even these two tracks, with their more serious subject matter, have sing-a-long bridges and choruses. Is it wrong to “sing-a-along” with songs about violence? I’m sure Rolling Stone would think so, but fans of this album don’t seem to mind.

For all practical purposes “Mutt” Lange was the 6th Leppard. His production clearly took the band and this album to a completely different level and he received a song writing credit on all 10 tracks. Some detractors may scoff at that, but who can argue with the results? Do I think Lange was solely responsible for the band’s success? Not exactly. I do feel that he mentored the band, helped them hone their song writing skills and tossed in the occasional idea of his own. In other words, he did his job as a producer.

Pyromania was Def Leppard’s breakthrough album and served as a bridge between the straight forward approach of High ‘n’ Dry and the massive production of Hysteria. Whatever your preference, Pyromania is sure to please.

High ‘n’ Dry – Def Leppard

Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange

Released: July 11, 1981

Rating: *** 1/2

Whether you consider yourself a fan or not, it’s impossible to deny that Def Leppard’s rock n’ roll journey is as entertaining and interesting as it gets. Filled with high’s and low’s, drama, heartbreak and massive success, their tale is better than anything Hollywood could conjure up. The band formed in England in the late 70′s. Following the release of their self-funded EP, Getcha Rocks Off, the band released their debut, full length album On Through The Night and were originally considered part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

On Through The Night is okay, but I tend to find the songs forgettable and feel the album sounds a tad disjointed. In fact, Hello America is really the only track I care for. Following On Through The Night, Def Leppard teamed up with “Mutt” Lange for the first of three albums. Lange had just produced three hugely successful albums for AC/DC (Highway To Hell, Back In Black and For Those About To Rock We Salute You) and his results with Def Leppard would prove to be equally, if not more impressive.

The minute you hear the opening riff to Let It Go it becomes clear that High ‘n’ Dry is on a completely different level than the band’s debut release. Along with slick production and incredible riffs, you’ll find catchy choruses and the “gang” style background vocals that would become a Def Leppard trademark.

High ‘n’ Dry is the first album in a trifecta where each album showcases a different side of the band. Each album has its own, unique personality, if you will. High ‘n’ Dry is clearly the most “metal” of the bunch. Another Hit And Run is a tad moody, High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night) is a CLASSIC metal song with a killer riff (in the style of Ace Frehley KISS, no less) and Bringing On The Heartbreak is a ballad that even a diehard metal-head would enjoy.

The instrumental Switch 625 written by the late Steve Clark is as metal as it gets and the manic No, No, No is more proof that Def Leppard didn’t start out writing pop-rock. My favorite track is, without a doubt, You Got Me Runnin’. This is one of several tracks on the album that foreshadows where the band was headed. Loaded with catchy riffs and a sing-along chorus, You Got Me Runnin’ is impossible to resist.

I think High ‘n’ Dry has a similar sound to the three AC/DC albums that Mutt had just produced. Obviously, this makes sense. To me, it always sounded as if Def Leppard and “Mutt” Lange got acquainted with each other on High ‘n’ Dry. It’s like they were trying to figure out where they wanted to go. I gave High ‘n’ Dry a *** 1/2 rating simply based on where they were going. This is a very good album. It’s a great example of very early 80′s heavy metal. After the success of Pyromania, Def Leppard would re-release a re-mastered version of High ‘n’ Dry. The only noticeable changes are the addition of synthesizers on Bringing On The Heartbreak (a sure sign of the 80′s) and a new track, Me & My Wine. Def Leppard were a part of a genre that had yet to be defined. This was their first step in conquering the world.