Ah, Def Leppard. Along with that other lot named after a medieval torture device one of the most successful bands with their roots in the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days going on to spectacularly successful careers and untold riches.
Way back then in the late 1970s, the Leps, being from Sheffield, were home town favourites. Saw them many a time around the city in teeny-tiny venues and once took the train over to Manchester to see them support Sammy Hagar leaving immediately after their set to make the last train home over the Pennines.
That initial EP from the Leps (how I wish I still had my original copy of that) showed what a brash, confident and talented mob they were and surely on the escalator to the top as a hard rock/metal band. And surely their debut album would be further proof of that.
Er, well……for me that’s where it all started to go wrong and I’ve not had any time for Def Leppard since On Through the Night came out in 1980. In my opinion a cheesy cover and production which sucked the life out of the promising heaviness in to overly glossy songs with the bite taken out of them.
Take the opener – Rock Brigade. Should hit hard – right? But it doesn’t – well I think it doesn’t. Have a listen to see what you think:
Hello America perhaps giving a hint as to where the band’s attention was turning – the vast untapped fortunes to be made over the pond. Slick, glossy, boring. Then we have Sorrow is a Woman and a misfiring ballad which never takes off.
Early which found their way on to it such as Rocks Off, Wasted, Satellite and Overture lost all their power and swagger with making On Through the Night a big miss in my book.
At various times during the 1990s I was (somewhat reluctantly) dragged to see them a few times by an old flame who did like them. However those evenings were for me hollow affairs with no bite up there on stage. Should have taken a good book with me…….
I got my “revenge” by taking her to see Rush a time or two. HA HA.
Anyway – Def Leppard not for me after On Through the Night. Didn’t like it nor have I liked any of their albums I’ve heard since. I did try to like High and Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria etc. as I felt I should make the effort – though each album left me cold.
Clearly I’m in the minority as in the blink of an eye Def Leppard became a stadium act – and fair play to them for making squillions of quid as a NWOBHM-era band made good.
If you’re not familiar with the band and want to start from the beginning – pick up a copy for yourself.
>> DEF LEPPARD ON THROUGH THE NIGHT ON AMAZON HERE <<
Coming next: some proper “old school” NWOBHM from bands you may not have heard of or remember but are jolly good. Starting with Excalibur in a few days.