Def Leppard - Retro Active
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Free Music Notes for Retro Active
Free Music Review: Better than some of their full-fledged studio albums!
Hit: 5 Stars
I truly feel that this album would've been a lot more successful if Def Leppard had simply not promoted the fact that it consisted of mostly b-sides. Most bands WISH they could write and record songs as good as Def Leppard's b-sides! In fact, despite being a leftovers collection, this album blows away their previous meticulously-assembled studio album "Adrenalize", which was a virtual song-by-song remake of "Hysteria". The disc is remarkably cohesive, with an enticing mix of ballads, hard rockers, mood pieces (a Def Leppard signature), and just plain fun tunes. I wouldn't call a single one of these 14 tracks filler. The weakest tune is probably "From The Inside", and even that's interesting because it's fairly experimental (recorded with wind and acoustic instruments courtesy of the Irish roots-music group Hothouse Flowers) and because it explores the topic of heroin abuse. The Zeppelinesque "Desert Song" and the pulsating "Fractured Love" (awesome intro) could've easily been big hits had they not come out at the height of grunge and the early 90's hair-metal backlash. Elsewhere you find the catchy "She's Too Tough" (recorded by Canadian cheese-metal band Helix in the 80's), the fun "Only After Dark", a great remake of Sweet's "Action", and two versions of the big hit "Two Steps Behind" and three versions of the shoulda-been-a-hit "Miss You In A Heartbeat" (okay, so maybe there's a LITTLE filler here). Also of great interest is the hard-rocking (as post-"Pyromania" Def Leppard goes, anyway) "Ride Into The Sun", a remake of the first song they ever recorded together as a band back in the late 70's. It's what good hard rock should be - simple, repetivite, great riffs, fun tune.Free Music Review: retro rocks
Hit: 5 Stars
Retro active, Def Leppard's compilation album of B-sides totally rocks, the songs are really heavy and the ballads are perfect, Desert song is an awesome opening song with an amazing guitar solo by Steve Clark and cool chorus, the song mostly tells a story about a person trapped in the desert. Fracured love the second song starts off soft but then gets really heavy, really cool song. Action is a song by a band called Sweet and leppard did a cover version and the song really stands out. Two Steps Behind is a really nice acoustic ballad that makes you want to sing along with the chorus. She's Too Tough is another song the band covered and is a fast rocker. Miss u In a Heartbeat is another really nice piano ballad and there is 3 versions of it on the album, GOD WHY SO MUCH!. Only After Dark is another cover song the band did, originally recorded by Mick Ronson it is a catchy melodic song. Ride into the Sun is a epic tune on the album, it was the first song the band ever committed to vinyl on their first ep, all they did was change some of the lyrics,but a really hard driving rock song. From the inside is a folky ballad telling about the pitfalls of herione use, probably the softest song on the album. Ring of fire is a cool heavy rock song with a really awesome guitar riff, (I wonder if the band got the title from Johny Cash?) I Wanna Be Your Hero is a ballad and a rock song mixed in one, alot like Too Late For Love. The last two songs on the album are electric versions of Two Steps Behind and Miss u in a heartbeat,both sound great. Listen for the piano only version of Miss U In a Heartbeat stuck at the very end.Free Music Review: Showcase of the Lepp's Depth - A Classic Record
Hit: 5 Stars
Take away a couple of throwaway tracks hastily pasted together and you have a classic leppard record - one that takes us from on of their earliest songs "Ride into the Sun" to the contemporary radio friendly "Two Steps Behind".This album rocks and like "Slang", without the sometimes overwhelming presence of Mutt Lange, the Lepps rock out without a care - sounding as raw and passionate as they did with their earliest cuts.
I think "Desert Song" is a hidden classic. Why this did'nt make it to either Hysteria or Adrenalize, I will never know... a track of tremendous passion and power with not one but two killer solos by Phil and Steve, this is in my book one of the Top 5 Def Leppard Songs. Another standout is "After Dark" which is probably a first for the Lepps - a song without a defining chorus... by all the same it's a captivating track with some great vibes by Vivian Campbell.
I was pleasantly surprised by "From the Inside", a genuinely good song with some marvellous playing by the boys and their friends from Hothouse Flowers.
All in all a great record and a must buy. It actually rates 4.5 stars in my book, but being a Lepp addict, I will make it 5 stars.
Free Music Review: Remembering Steve Clark
Hit: 5 Stars
The ONLY downside to this entire CD is that with the exception of Desert Song, Fractured Love, & Two Steps Behind....each of these tunes had original releases as B-sides. For the most part, those songs have been tweaked here and there for reasons only the band can answer. I am a Leppard fan through the Adrenalize album. Aside from the song Promises, Euphoria and each release afterwards has gone farther away from the Leppard I grew to love. When Love & Hate Collide was even a track which had it's start long before it was released and the "demo" version contained the "last" recorded Steve Clark guitar solo from the studio.
This release culminaates alot of loose ends for the Lepps when it came to the legacy of Steve "Steamin" Clark. As others above have said, it is MORE than worth the price and is probably the last of the "old" Leppard sound. I love this disc because it pays homage to a guitar-man who had a short time on Earth to share his gift of passion and music.
In short, if you LOVE the old Leppard you will MORE than enjoy this everytime you play it.
Rock ON!!!! R.I.P. Steve, you ARE missed.
:)
Shawn
Free Music Review: Hard to believe these were left on the shelf.
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been a huge Leppard fan for years and have never quite understood there thinking regarding some of there releases. It may have been the fact that there management really advised them poorly , atleast that is my personal opinion, atleast they recently parted ways with the for lack of better word "useless" Q Prime. On too the album. This album starts out with possibly the greatest Leppard back to back song pairings. 'Desert Song' is without a doubt one of the best written songs in Leppard's catalog. This should have been the proper studio album instead of the dreadful Adrenalize. This was a blueprint for the terrific 'Slang' album. A much more organic sound , no booming programmed drums and the backing tracks actually sounded like humans singing instead of computerized robots. The only negative thing i can say about this album is one to many versions of 'Miss You In a Heartbeat' three versions is really too many, but they were clearing out the vault so to speak so i am not going to complain. This also includes the vastly underrated 'From The Inside' a Zeppelin influenced sort of folk song. It would be refreshing to see Leppard go in this direction on another studio release.