Def Leppard - Adrenalize
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Free Music Notes for Adrenalize
Free Music Review: Some good material, but definately overproduced...
Hit: 4 Stars
There are some really great songs on here to be found, and great talent cannot be covered up (which Def Leppard displays greatly on this album). The production, however, is a whole 'nother story.
Upon hearing the percussion on this album, you want to say "would you like some drums with that reverb?", and the guitars are washed in walls of chorus and "pretty boy" effects that add unneeded sparkle and twinkle.
If this album's production was much more straight forward and in your face, I truly believe that would make all the difference in the world. Rawness is what the latter Lep albums lack, and it's something that I think all fans miss. Who doesn't miss the in-your-face sound of On Through The Night or High N' Dry?
I think the band is at fault as well...they were trying to recreate another Hysteria but failed miserably. When you write a hit album, with major success that launches you into fame, one thing you should NEVER do is try to mimic that album on your next release. It will always fail, and is a tried and true procedure. That's when a band should make a drastic turn, and write something that sounds nothing like their previous hit album. This will gain further respect from their fans, because they have "grown as a band" and have "matured musically". This is the key to staying on top in the music business. Def Leppard failed to follow this secret and unfortunately, we now have albums like "Euphoria" and "X" which is even more obvious that the band has run out of original material and must revert back to their glory days in the late 80s, changing minor details on their hit songs, and re-releasing them under different song titles. "Slang" was an attempt at changing direction, but by then, it was too late for the band. They had already "sold out", so to speak.
There is hope for this album, however. Heaven Is, Tonight, Stand Up, Personal Property, Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad, and I Wanna Touch U are all great songs musically and lyrically. Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion) is probably one of the greatest songs ever written in the 1990s, and it never ceases to amaze me that this song did not climb higher than all of their other famed hits from Adrenalize.
If you already own the other Lep albums, go ahead and buy this to complete your collection; but if you're looking for one solid Lep album, let me suggest On Through The Night, High N' Dry, or Pyromania. That infamous Lep magic was lost a long time ago, and the remnants were left behind on those releases.
Free Music Review: Another long wait but this time it wasn't exactly well spent
Hit: 4 Stars
HYSTERIA had amazing staying power, spawning hits well into 1989, nearly 18 months after its release. As the dust settled from that holocaust, Def Leppard went to work on a follow-up...or a reasonable facsimile. More tragedy would come their way as guitarist Steve Clark sank deeper into alcohol abuse, and would eventually do himself in. While ADRENALIZE may have been intended to prove that Def Leppard had survived once again despite the odds, it was clear Clark's death had robbed them of a fair amount of soul. The panoramic instrumentation is still there, but it's mostly used to augment the slow ballads that are the focus of much of the album. In fact, the album's 5 hits were far cries from, say, "Pour Some Sugar On Me". "Make Love Like A Man", "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)", "Tonight" and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" are well-written songs as usual, but the performances could use a little more oomph. Quite simply, even 5 years after HYSTERIA, Leppard was still a little road-weary. The rockers that do exist on here are a little bit more successful. The "infectious with a capital I" opener "Let's Get Rocked" is a wonderful flashback to the early '70s glam rock that has always been an inspiration to Def Leppard. Of course, its place as an opener betrays the album's overall somber mood. While ADRENALIZE managed to enter the charts at #1 in 1992, even in the midst of the grunge explosion, that was basically a testament to Def Leppard's immense popularity shortly after HYSTERIA. As the next album SLANG would show, possibly Leppard had exhausted its formerly-foolproof formula for bombastic hair metal. Either way, ADRENALIZE showed Def Leppard as a band with a lot less adrenaline in them than usual.Free Music Review: Still a classic, if not their best
Hit: 4 Stars
To me, this album as a whole sounds like the softer half of Hysteria, which is certainly not bad at all. The thing is, there is very little that is heavier than the lead track and first single from the album, the catchy, tongue-in-cheek "Let's Get Rocked". This is a very fun song for sure but not very heavy. While nice pop rockers like "Heaven Is" and "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)" are sprinkled throughout, the true hard rock rarely hits. Even the one song that I would call an "anthem", the tribute to Steve Clark "White Lightening", is not all that heavy--although it is a fine song."Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" was the ballad that was the biggest single on this album, but to me the much better ballad here is "Tonight", as it has much better harmonies as well as lyrics.
The one true rocker on this album is the last track--the epic "Tear It Down", which was originally heard on rock radio back in the "Hysteria" days as a B-side to one of that album's singles. I loved that song when it came out and was glad they decided to include it here.
This album is quite simply not as epic as all of its predecessors, but it is still a very worthy entry in this band's catalog. I bought this the week it came out over 10 years ago and played it all the time like with most Lep albums. It is still a very fun album to listen to. It just doesn't rock all that hard compared to the '80s stuff.
Free Music Review: Maybe not their Best, but My Personal Favorite
Hit: 4 Stars
How could I give my favorite album only four stars? Well, I'm a Def Leppard fanatic, but I have to bow to the fact that the general population probably wouldn't list Def Leppard as the most talented band of all time.
This album is actually a change from the early Def Leppard rock vein. For this reason, however, I feel that this album can easily appeal to listeners outside of the Def Leppard fan base. Songs like "Tonight", "Stand Up", "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" could easily find appreciation in the soft rock crowd. Moreover, they are some of the first songs Def Leppard did (besides maybe "Hysteria") that actually deal with love and romance, and not just lust and sex.
But for the Def Leppard fans, there's plenty to rock out to here as well, with tracks like "Let's Get Rocked", "Heaven Is", "Make Love Like a Man", and "Personal Property".
The last two tracks (especially track 10) are a little weak, but I feel that the quality of the first 8 more than makes up for that. I would have loved it if the CD had more than 10 tracks, but what's there is good, and the price (this CD will probably cost you less than $3) is right.
If you're just dabbling in rock and roll and aren't ready for the hard stuff yet, Adrenalize is a great place to start.
Free Music Review: Adrenalize
Hit: 4 Stars
I've been a Def Lep fan since I was a kid, and their music has had an influence over a lot of musicians...This was their first album that was released after the death of Steve Clark, although most of it was written while he was still alive. It's as sweet as sugar (pardon the pun)and all 10 tracks have a great feel...the album still put out quite a few singles. Highlights are "Let's Get Rocked", "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" and "White Lightning". The guitar work of Phill Collen was incredibly impressive as he handled all of the guitar duties. If you listen closely you can always hear about three or four guitars doing different parts in the songs. Although not as successful as Pyromania or Hysteria, Adrenalize belongs in any rock collection.