Def Leppard was one of my gateway bands into metal. If you read my Descent communication I expect they’ll be mentioned there. Def Leppard along with Bon Jovi and Guns ‘n’ Roses got me into guitar based music and this album was one of the special ones. The band had just hit it big with the Hysteria album and so I was seeking out whatever else they had done. The sounds of this album, its production, the guitar riffs, the drumming, all these things can make me feel a teenager again, fortunately without the emotional bullshit that goes with that period of time.
This is a great album. It is what it is. Very commercial rock. It turned this band into a massive hit across the pond. I don’t think it’s quite dinner party background music but it’s close. Non offensive rock. This band got lumbered with the NWOBHM label but they aren’t. The vocals are more haunting and the riffage doesn’t follow that BHM style. Def Leppard just happened to emerge at the same time.
- Rock Rock (Till You Drop) – great upbeat song.
- Photograph – remember those lonely times when all you had was a picture to look at and the knowledge that you’d speak in a couple of days at 6pm once the phone calls got cheap.
- Stagefright – meant to start live, think it’s studio. Good rolling riff.
- Too Late For Love – a ballad, still it is pretty good.
- Die Hard The Hunter – not the best on this album.
- Foolin’ – starts gentle. Gets better. Great cow bell use, that instrument always makes me laugh.
- Rock Of Ages – starts with something backwards?? Proper radio rock. Has a good rolling bass with melodic vocals creating a great rhythm. Worth listening to.
- Comin’ Under Fire – not the greatest on here either. Vocals well aligned but a little boring for me.
- Action Not Words – formulaic rock. A good song but not top ranking.
- Billy’s Got A Gun – good triples on the bass, song could do with being a little faster for my liking. Love the outro, when I first heard it I wondered about the effort that goes into creating a new melody or sound and how bands use that for just a couple of bars.
The singing in this album is great. The riffage is great. It’s a bloody good representation of that era of music. It also sold masses in the USA and made this band huge. I probably still prefer their first album though!