Def Leppard - Hysteria
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Free Music Notes for Hysteria
Free Music Review: The production is engineered to hell, but it's soooo good
Hit: 5 Stars
Hysteria(1987). Def Leppard's fourth studio album.
Whether the band wants to believe it or not, DL was once a full British heavy metal band starting out the decade with On Through The Night(1980). Then the band found the infamous producer Robert John Mutt Lange for High N' Dry(1981). This guy has been known to work wonders for most bands that he's touched (until the 90s, that is). DL managed a hit from that album in the form of the ballad 'Bringing On The Heartbreak', but they didn't hit it really big until Pyromania(1983), their best album to date. It was also the last one to have their heavy edge that they started with. You could say that it was the bridge between the heavy metal DL and the soon to be pop DL sound. The band were sure to rule the glam metal scene of the mid 80s until an unfortunate accident resulting in drummer Rick Allen's arm to be amputated caused the next album to be put off for 4 years. But come 1987, DL managed to come back with the overall solid Hysteria.
As everyone knows, this is the first DL album to really capture a power-pop hard rock sound. Nearly all the heavy metal edge they had from before is gone in place of a HEAVY 80s pop production. Hysteria wasn't successful from the get-go, but did become HUGE in 1988, and managed to gain a massive fanbase. Lots of girls were now listening to DL so that they could say that they like "heavy metal". Well, a true metalhead knows that these people are misled because heavy metal this is not. But the most important thing though is that these are awesome songs. You can tell that DL and Mutt Lange spent a great deal of time planning this album. In terms of success, Hysteria managed to beat out Pyromania's popular status by releasing SEVEN HIT SINGLES, a feat that few artists ever managed to pull off. Even though I really care less how successful albums are to the public, you have to admire a band that can pull off that many singles and still write good pop hardrock music. Anyways, onto the album itself.
There are twelve tracks on Hysteria, which at the time was very uncommon. This album, Dokken's 'Back For The Attack', Guns N Roses's 'Appetite For Destruction', and Rush's 'Hold Your Fire' were among the first albums of the era to really take advantage of the storage space of a CD. Most everyone who doesn't live under a rock has heard the hits 'Rocket', 'Animal', 'Love Bites', 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', 'Armageddon It', and 'Hysteria', so I won't go into those songs too much. 'Rocket' is a unique rocker, and a personal favorite of mine. 'Love Bites' is their first sappy power ballad, but unlike the ones that came after this one, Love Bites is actually decent. 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' has an infectious beat and some surprisingly saccharine and nasty lyrics. Now let's direct our attention towards some of the lesser known tracks on the album. 'Women' was the band's first single, but it actually was the least successful. I don't see why though because this song is quite excellent and melodic. My favorite Hysteria track and one of my 4 all-time favorite DL songs ('Die Hard The Hunter', 'White Lightning', and 'Ring Of Fire' being the other three), is the epic 'Gods Of War'. It might not be radio material like all the other songs on here, but anyone who knows good music can see that it's a stellar rocker. 'Don't Shoot Shotgun' and 'Run Riot' are both the fastest songs on the album, showing that Rick Allen can still keep up the drumming even with only one arm. 'Excitable' is also fast, but lyrically dumb and silly as well. It's probably the weakest track. 'Love And Affection' is a more optimistic mellow song much like 'Hysteria', and ends the album on a good note. I used to not care for it, but it has since grown on me.
So if you can get over the fact that DL will never sound like heavy metal again, Hysteria can be enjoyed for what it is: a solid collection of power pop rock songs. My absolute favorites are still Pyromania and High N Dry, but Hysteria belongs in every DL collection. My suggestion to new DL fans is to skip over DL's horribly put together Vault collection and just buy this album and Pyromania. Essentially, you'd still be getting most of Vault's hit material, plus more. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Other similar sounding albums:
-'Pyromania' by DL
-'Euphoria' by DL
-'Slippery When Wet' by Bon Jovi
-'Ocean Machine' by Devin Townsend (not the same genre, but if you want to hear a similar guitar tone that's used on Hysteria, it'd be well worth your time to check out this album)
Free Music Review: Def Leppard
Hit: 5 Stars
Def Leppard's Hysteria is quite possibly one of the most successful and greatest albums of all time. After a four year studio silence, and nothing less than an excellent Pyromania, Leppard fans were getting hysterical for a new album. Talk was even in the air between record label executives, questioning whether or not Def Leppard could actually play live. So, the anticipation was enormous for Hysteria. Especially with the return of drummer Rick Allen after losing his left arm in a car accident.
On to the songs.
Women -- Obviously, the opening song on the CD says everything about Def Leppard's favorite topic to write songs about. This song is great, it's a bit slow but both the main riff and chorus are so melodic and sad sounding it almost makes you want to cry. Awesome song overall.
Rocket -- This is a really long one. Great vocal harmonies and the catchiest beat make this song alive every single time you listen to it.
Animal -- One of the big songs. Also one of the many with the sing-along, gang vocal choruses. Mid paced and pleasing to the ear, I love this song.
Love Bites -- Every last band of the 80s needs to have at least one ballad. This is Def Leppards most famous ballad, and probably the best constructed one too. As all go, it's slow, harmonious, and a heart breaker.
Pour Some Sugar On Me -- Chart topper, #1 hit, probably the most popular and well known song Def Leppard ever put out. It has the most un-mistakable sound, it's heavy and jumpy and suggestive. I have grown to consider it another song among many on the album, but this is only because I have heard it endless times on the radio and on TV. But it's still a monumental song.
Armageddon It -- Another big radio hit. EXTREMELY catchy, and the guitar work of Steve Clark and Phil Collen is amazing.
Gods Of War -- This song kind of lurks in the shadows of the other songs on the album. Although not very popular when released, its still a great well structured song to listen to, and just as good quality of all the other ones. The lyrical content is similar to Die Hard the Hunter; anti-war.
Don't Shoot Shotgun -- I have still yet to figure out the meaning of the lyrics in this song. However, it's wonderfully paced and at a great tempo, perfect chorus to sing along to. I love this song.
Run Riot -- My favorite song on the album. It's fast, well sung, well played, and very fun. I can't get enough of this song, the chorus backing vocals are excellent behind the main ones, and the verses are raw and smooth-flowing. My favorite.
Hysteria -- This is the quiet, mid-range slower tempo song of the album. The guitars are almost always clean, and the parts are just great. The overall mood of the song is similar to the opening song and commonly found in great Def Leppard hits.
Excitable -- No matter what situation you are ever in, if you listen to this song it will make you forget about your troubles and want to get up and party. The opening words "Stand up... Say YEAH!" pump energy into you before the song kicks in. It's one of the most straight up rockin' songs on the album.
Love And Affection -- Although it's still a prime and great quality song, it's probably also the least popular. The structure is great but its not the most catchy tune. But, it is only fitting as the best choice for which song to close the great CD.
Overall, this is the CD I find myself listening to 50% of the time I even listen to music in general, it's that good. This is a great album to buy no matter what your musical interest is. It is very listenable, catchy and fun. I love this album. Unfortunately however, the album was so successful, Def Leppard's popularity skyrocketed high above anything it ever was before. Resulting, the band was on the road non-stop promoting the fantastic album. The hard life on the road led co-founder and guitarist Steve Clark to reach for the bottle of alcohol more often than he already was, hurting his dangerous struggle with alcohol. Tragically, Steve Clark would die from a deadly combination of drinking and taking perscription drugs in a hotel room in 1991.
Free Music Review: GREATEST CD EVER 5 Stars
First of all, I am turning 20 in march so this is not really a kid's review. This is my favorite cd, the best cd in the world, played by the greatest band in the world.Women
(10/10)
The song is about women, much like the title suggests.
Rocket
(9/10)
This is the real version, not the crappy short version from the vault cd. The words that they say every now and then in the song are actually played BACKWARDS! They are saying "Fighting the gods of war" and recorded it backwards, sounds rather strange. Interesting song.
Animal
(9/10)
Pretty good song, especially the chorus.
Love Bites
(10/10)
This is one of def leppard's most popular songs. It can easily make an emotional person cry if they listen carefully to the deep meaning hidden in the lyrics. Good for slow dancing too, I might add.
Pour Some Sugar On Me
(10/10)
If you have never heard this song before, then you must have been asleep for the past 20 years because this is THE def leppard song, cuz everyone has heard it at one point or another, and almost everyone likes it. Lyrics are a bit R-Rated, but who cares? The guitar work here is incredible. Oh, and this is the original version, not the one from the vault cd. The only real difference between the two is that this one has a line spoken in slow motion before the song starts "step inside, right this way, you and me, hey hey".... and the one from the vault version does not have that.
Armageddon It
(10/10)
Awesome song! It can get you in a good mood within seconds. Random name, but do not judge a book by its cover or a song by its name!
Gods Of War
(10/10)
Incredible song, I have no idea why it did not make the cut on the rock of ages compliation, oh well. It talks about fighting wars, and it is hard to listen to this song without feeling good and confident afterward.
Don't Shoot Shotgun
(9/10)
It has a strange into, but then it gets good. A little weak compared to other songs on the disc, but it is still very good.
Run Riot
(10/10)
Now the cd picks up again. Fast paced and fun to listen to.
Hysteria
(10/10)
Oh my gosh, what a relaxing song! Def Leppard were musical geniuses (heck they still are!), they make music like this, and you think to yourself what the heck happened to music, it just does not sound this good anymore with newer groups! This is definately one of the best songs on the cd.
Exciteable
(8/10)
The weakest song on the cd. I never really liked it much, but it's not that bad. It just does not stand up to the rest of the disc.... and hysteria (the song) is a tough act to follow. Still great tho!
Love & Affection
(9/10)
Brilliant closer. Not as relaxing as Hysteria (the song), but a good way to end the greatest cd ever made.
Overall grade: A+
This cd is a masterpiece. It will truly stand the test of time, being almost 20 years old and still so popular. If only the great Steve Clark was still alive, then Def Leppard would have become even bigger rock legends than they already are. That aside, they are still the greatest band in the world.
(...)
Free Music Review: A milestone in 80's music, pure rock perfection
Hit: 5 Stars
It isn't really possible to praise Def Leppard's Hysteria more than what others have already praised it here, but I thought I'd simply tack on another (deservedly) 5-star review. I've always felt that the term "masterpiece" is majorly overused these days when describing an artistic medium, whether it be a movie, painting, album, etc. However, masterpiece (take note: without quotations) is a more than appropriate label for Hysteria. I remember first buying this album back in '87 on cassette shortly after it came out. From the very beginning I was hooked, and to this day it remains one of my all-time favorite albums.
Few albums out there can boast as many #1 chart-topping singles as Hysteria. From the mindless and fun "Pour Some Sugar On Me" to the pensive and somber "Love Bites," this album is filled with just about every human emotion possible. The title track has to be one of the greatest love songs ever written, in any genre of music. IMO only 2 songs could be somewhat classified as filler: "Don't Shoot Shotgun" and "Excitable." And even these are good songs in their own right. The other non-#1 hit songs, "Gods of War," "Run Riot" and "Love and Affection" are all single potential without a doubt. In fact my favorite song on the album is the epic and timeless "Gods of War." It's chillingly ironic how this song captures the sentiments of many people today in 2004 when thinking about the state of the world as it did back in '87.
It seems like many people have issues with Hysteria's production, calling it overproduced. Yes, the sound is glossy and slick, but that only adds to the dynamic and "loud" sound. I rather like it. I don't think these songs would have the same effect with toned-down production. These songs were meant to be stadium epics, packing a punch and demanding the listener's attention. And after all, the 80's was known for shameless over-abundance and taking things to extreme levels. Hysteria takes full advantage of that and never apologizes for it. Condemn this all you want, but there's no denying the greatness of the songs.
Def Leppard would go on to make more great music, and I'm not saying that Hysteria is their only worthy album (Pyromania is also a classic). But there's something magical about Hysteria that places it at the top of their career. Albums like this don't come along every day. A must-have for any fan of music, yound and old alike.
And for the devoted fan, a recommended purchase would be the Japanese import of Slang. It's pricy but contains a bonus disc of an acoustic set Def Leppard did in Singapore. This gig includes "Animal," "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Armageddon It." Hearing these songs performed acoustically is one nice treat, and they pull it off superbly. In addition, the British import of "Vault" also contains a bonus disc, this one being a regular live concert where several songs from Hysteria including "Rocket" are performed.
Free Music Review: Greatest Pop Metal CD of all time!
Hit: 5 Stars
This here is what pop metal is all about. 7 singles released, 6 hitting the top 20. Not one weak track on this record in my eyes, every track could have been a top 20 smash. It has gone on to sell 12 million copies in the U.S and 17 million all together, an impressive feat. Here is my track by track review of Def Leppards Hysteria:1. Women- An excellent opening track. Would have hit the top 20, had it been released earleir. Only hit #80. A mid tempo song, and the end gutair solo always gives me chills. 10/10
2. Rocket- An epic that was shortened on the Vault- Def Leppards greatest hits. An excellent song with a nice middle, and a fist pumping chorus. Hit #12. 10/10
3. Animal- A nice little pop rock tune that screamed radio. A catchy chorus and solid verses and gutair playing make this a great song. Hit #19.
4. Love Bites- Ah yes. The love/ power ballad everyone has heard. Great chorus, sentimental lyrics make this song a smash. Hit #1. 10/10
5. Pour Some Sugar On Me- The song everyone has heard. Leppards most recognizable song, is a great one. Different sounding then most their songs, but its still great. Hit #2. 10/10
6. Armageddon It- My fav. song on this album, and along with Photograph, my fav. Leppard song. Great Chorus and great playing by the band make it top notch. The end gives me chills. Hit #3. 10/10
7. Gods of War- The epic on the album, like Die Hard the Hunter off Pyromania. Great song, if it would have been released, it prob. would have been shortened taking away its power. Great song! 10/10
8. Don't Shoot Shotgun- Maybe the weakest track on the album along with L+A. But the weakest on this album still makes it an excellent song, still single material. More fast paced then most on the album. 9.5/10
9. Run Riot- This use to be my fav. song from the Lep when I was a little kid. Great fast paced rock with a catchy chourus and awesome verses, and an amazing guitar solo by the late Steve Clark. Spectacular! 10/10
10. Hysteria- The last single on the album, but a great one at that. Nice ballad that was perfect for radio. As good as Love Bites in my eyes. Hit #10. 10/10
11. Excitable- I love this song! Sure it gets repetitive, but it still is great. I love the verses and the chorus. It could have been a great single, but because of its dance like beat, the Lep would be called ultimate sell outs. 10/10
12. Love and Affection- A great song, but not as strong as Hysteria or Love Bites. Nonetheless, a touching ballad with a very strong eneding. Single worthy. 9.5/10
Overall this is what pop metal was all about. Def Leppard are masters of the rock genre, after all, they havent sold over 30 million records in the U.S because they [are bad]. this is my fav. band at their prime, so go on, pick up your copy of Hysteria and be ready for the ride of a lifetime!