Classic Rock Bottom

Artist: Def Leppard

Genre: Classic Rock/NWOBHM?

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Studio Albums: 11 (1980-2008)

Album: Pyromania

Released: January 20, 1983

Producer: Robert John "Mutt" Lange

Singles: Photograph/Rock Of Ages/Foolin'/Too Late For Love

Song Of The Week: Die Hard The Hunter

RIAA Certification: Diamond (10 X Platinum)

Album Cover: 8/10


This week we will look at Def Leppard's first Diamond album.  Pyromania was released in 1983, and as previously stated, it has sold in excess of 10 million copies.  That's not too shabby.  It hit number 2 in the US on the Billboard chart, and spawned 3 Top 40 singles (Photograph, Rock Of Ages and Foolin').   It is also noted for being Phil Collen's first album with the band.  According to Wikipedia,  Pete Willis did record rhythm guitar parts for the album.  

Quite simply, this is my favorite DL album.   It's the first album I heard by the band.  I didn't discover how good the previous album was until much later, but I still like this one best.  It's somewhere between the roughness of High n Dry and the polished sound of Hysteria.  The only song that I'd probably skip while listening to it is Action! Not Words.  Everything else is top notch, with Die Hard The Hunter and Comin' Under Fire being excellent hidden gems in the Def Leppard catalog.

Of course it's easy to find.  You can also buy a deluxe version, which I don't have but I do covet.  It has a live show from way back then as the bonus disc.  I have a bootleg live show from around the same time, and I'm interested in knowing if it's the same show or not.


Next Week: Jon and I go on tour again.

1. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)

2. Photograph

3. Stagefright

4. Too Late For Love

5. Die Hard The Hunter

6. Foolin'

7. Rock Of Ages

8. Comin' Under Fire

9. Action! Not Words

10. Billy's Got A Gun

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I would not call the genre NWOBHM. It was somthing different, a kind of new sound from DL. This album is just as good, as High'n'Dry, both albums are 10/10. I saw them on this tour in '83, and shook hands with Steve Clarke, just minutes before he allmost damaged my hearing on my left ear. Without Steve Clarke and Pete Willis, it's not really Def Leppard.

It's the last Def Leppard album to be good from beginning to end. Top me HnD was their pinnacle, kinda sad considering it's their second album.

Collen has stated that all he played on the album were the solos, the rhythm's and riffs were all Clark and Willis.  I tend to agree with Niels and Jon in that Def Leppard was never the same after Willis left, and with Jon that High and Dry is them at their peak.  However, I think that Hysteria is their last top to bottm great album.

 

I dont this it can be overstated how big this album was in 1983.  That being my senior year, I could'nt go anywhere without hearing it and not just the radio hits.  This was played top to bottom all the time.  All you had to do is walk around my high school parking lot at lunch or after school, it was blasting all over the place.

I was a big DL fan all the way up through this release (I also liked their debut album). But when they started changing more into a pop band, I stopped buying their music, even though I did eventually buy "Hysteria", but that was the last one I bought.

Up until this past fall, that is. I decided to "take a chance" when I found "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" at the used CD store for 5 bucks. I bought it, and even though it really is a pop record, it is very good in my opinion. I like every song, and the production is top notch.

But early DL will always be the "classic" DL to me. This is still a great record! Good to hear it again after it's been quite a while for me.

I have not listened to Sparkle Lounge yet, though I own it. :)

What about Slang. I'm sure lots of people hated that one. I liked it when it came out (I was still in High School). I'll need to revisit SLANG and see what songs I still like!

I really like Slang, my favorite DL album after the first 3. Then Sparkle Lounge and the rest way, waaaaaaaay at the bottom.

Slang is not my favorite, but I think it's pretty good.

This album was my first exposure to Def Leppard, it's my favorite. When it came out, it was a different sound from anthing else out at the time. I think the album's a classic & holds a viable place in Rock & Roll history.  I totally agree with RJ, it's  the perfect combination of the rough sound of High 'N Dry & the polished sound of Hysteria! I remember, having to work & disappointingly, miss out on seeing them during the Pyromania tour, but I at least I was able to see them during Hysteria.

I say the Hysteria tour too.  In Atlanta at the Omni.  Tesla opened.

Saw them in Columbia. They were actually, in Augusta for the Pyromania tour. Tesla was Great!!!

 

I saw them on the Hysteria-tour also. MSG opened.

Yeah, I forgot about "Slang". I really like that one as well, but I only have it on cassette (umm, personal cassette, when someone let me borrow the CD! ).

But the title track, and "All I Want Is Everything" , and "Work It Out" are 3 good songs from that release that I remember, at the moment. There is this little lead guitar at the end of "All I Want Is Everything"...the song starts fading out during this little closing lead, but the richness of the tone on that guitar lead is awesome!

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