Def Leppard - Yeah!
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Free Music Notes for Yeah!
Free Music Review: Love the energy and vibe on this disc!
Hit: 5 Stars
When I had heard that the follow up to the greatest hits package was a covers album, I wasn't all that enthused. But until they put out a disc of absolute [...] (they came dangerously close with Adrenalize), I'll always be one of the first to buy Lep's new material. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Here's my review in a nutshell: BEST ALBUM SINCE "HYSTERIA".
Here's why it works. For the last 15 years or so, DL have tried so hard to follow some type of contrived formula to prove that they can be the next Aerosmith in terms of longevity and popularity. "Adrenalize" (Hysteria Lite), "Slang" (We can change with the times!), "Euphoria" (We want to be an Eighties band again), and "X" (Look how mature we've become. Kinda) all were out to PROVE something. To thier credit, there was a lot of quality music on these offerings. But it just seemed like the FUN and ENERGY were being replaced by FORMULA and DESPERATION. "Yeah" leaves all that behind, and should be a template for all future Def Leppard material. Stop trying so damn hard to create the NEXT BIG DEF LEPPARD HIT, and just play what you like and have fun doing it. The enthusiasm is contagious.
Anyway enough of that rant, I've been waiting a long time for them to come around! High points of the album: "Rock on" gives me chills everytime it kicks in at the end. "Hangin' on the Telephone" is great, fun and fast (remember when Lep did songs at a pace other than mid-tempo?) My wife could listen to "Waterloo Sunset" on a loop all day long, very classy. "10538 Overture" has a nice texture to it. I like the groove on "He's gonna step on you". And "Don't believe a word" is just a great song, particuraly Viv's solo. This is the type of ROCK SONG they should be doing more of: short, fast-paced songs with a 'tude, and maybe less of the plodding, "serious", 5 minute epics that, while great songs, are kind of a drag on the fun factor (White Lightning, Pearl of Euphoria, Paper Sun, etc...). There's really not a song on this album that I would skip over, stellar effort with a lot of highlights. Joe's voice is the best it's been in years, the guitar play is incredible, and I'm hearing things in the drum bits that I didn't think a one-armed drummer could pull off. Maybe it's electronically manipulated, but it sounds great.
Sorry I've run on for so long, go buy the album!
Free Music Review: Golden Age of Rock, Def Leppard Style
Hit: 5 Stars
Not every song on this album connects for me, but I have to give the band props. They have stayed true to their roots and produced a CD that really gives listeners insight into their influences. This is not Def Leppard's best album (try "Hysteria" or "Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection"), but it's up there near the top. The highlights:
1. Golden Age of Rock and Roll - The liner notes say they considered this as a title for the album, and it would have made sense. This is a rocker that sounds like a Def Leppard original. The intro by Ian Hunter would have made a great opener for the CD.
2. Rock On - I HATED the original version of this song, but I LOVE this one. The heavy guitars in the second half of the tune release all the built-up tension in the first half. This is how it should have sounded when it was first recorded. I suspect that the title to this one turned up in the lyrics to "Rock of Ages."
3. 20th Century Boy - This old T-Rex tune really rocks.
4. No Matter What - I've always loved this tune, and the band does a great job of covering it. I liked the Badfinger original, but this one improves on it (as did a more obscure version by another great melodic rock band, Lilian Axe, a few years back.
5. Stay With Me - Rod Stewart and the Faces' quintessential classic, sung here by Phil Collen in a way that stands up well to the original. Another great choice for the album.
The band delivers a couple of strong melodic tunes in the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" and Bowie's "Drive-in Saturday" that show where they got the inspiration for such songs as "Two Steps Behind."
Less interesting to me were covers of Blondie, Thin Lizzy and Roxy Music tunes. I would rather have heard Tom Petty's "American Girl" off the Wal-Mart bonus album, which also includes strong interpretations of Bowie, Queen and Iggy Pop. "Hell Raiser" from Sweet was a strong choice, but not as good as "Action" - another cover of that band's work that appeared on "Retroactive."
In all, this is a slightly uneven album, simply because strining together different influences is always a tough balancing act. But despite a few missteps, it's definitely worth it. When it's good, it's so good it's a must have, especially for Lep fans and fans of the glam-rock era.
Free Music Review: Brilliant stuff! Why aren't they in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame?
Hit: 5 Stars
Wow! This CD really rocks. Can they start a rock renaissance in '06 just like they did in '83 with some little project called PYROMANIA. Yes, there have been some hits and misses since that grand moment in '83 but this stuff is awesome. This CD really shows their musicianship and Joe's vocals have never been better. This CD sounds great but it isn't over produced like some of their previous efforts. Phil Collen's lead vocals on Stay With Me are dead on also. Of the 14 tracks I rotate about 11 regularly on my player. Their current radio song Rock On is easily the best version of this song when compared to David Essex or Michael Damian. The Lep/Journey tour should be great and those of you voting for the Hall should get both of these artists in soon!--And where's Foreigner for that matter? Blondie is in but no Lep, Journey or Foreigner??? Oh well, that's another issue for another time but if you do like the Leppard or simply like rock and roll you will love this effort. Should be in Billboard's top 10 instead of this garbage dominating the pop charts these days. Favorite tracks are: Waterloo Sunset, Rock On, Little Bit Of Love, Hell Raiser, He's Gonna Step On You Again, Hanging On The Telephone, Stay With Me, No Matter What, 20th Century Boy, Drive-In Saturday and the Mott The Hoople remake-- Golden Age Of Rock And Roll. Street Life and the Overture song don't do as much for me but they are still pretty good. Would give this one more than 5 stars if I could. This CD is refreshing straight ahead rock and roll for a change and yes it's a "cover" CD but it has a clear theme --artists that influenced the lads while they were growing up in England-- and they pull these songs off incredibly well. They really do. ROCK ON!Free Music Review: proves that they still know how to rock
Hit: 5 Stars
The Good
If you heard Def Leppard perform "20th Century Boy" (T.Rex) on VH1 Rock Honors then you were probably a little turned off by it. I'm happy to report that the studio version of the track is much better and have the group sounding like their days of old. With "Rock On," (David Essex) the band keeps the subtlety and trippy-ness of the original in tact. Toward the end of the track Leppard come with full guns blazing and a solo section that will have you reaching for your six-string air guitar. "Hanging on the Telephone" (Blondie) is a nice mix of melody, harmony, and just the right amount of guitar fuzz.
"Hell Raiser" (Sweet) has a guitar riff pattern that would make Angus Young proud. Joe Elliot managed to muster up the passion and energy that was missing from the group's last studio album. "10538 Overture" (Electric Light Orchestra) captures the sound of the 70s British rock scene perfectly, while adding just a bit of modern technology. "The Golden Age of Rock `N' Roll" (Mott the Hoople) uses a 50s style vocal intro that transforms into a rockabilly/70s fuzz hybrid. "No Matter What" (Badfinger) is one of those songs that have been remade quite a few times, but Leppard's version is just as melodic as and a little peppier than the original.
The Bad
It's not very difficult to mess up other artists songs (especially if they had some moderate success). Fans probably want more new material after getting a double disc hits package last year.
The Verdict
Def Leppard proves that they still know how to rock with Yeah! (I think we all forgot after Slang and X). It's better than your average covers album because the song selection is rather diverse.
Free Music Review: THE LEPPS ARE BACK
Hit: 5 Stars
I've never completely understood why classic-rock artists with catalogs as deep as Styx and Toto feel compelled to record an album of covers. But among the latest bands to pay tribute to their musical influences is Def Leppard, and Yeah! actually makes far more sense than either Styx's Big Bang Theory or Toto's Through the Looking Glass. In fact, it's easy to hear Def Leppard's roots in these 14 British pop-rock songs from the early and mid-1970s - including fully Leppard-ized versions of the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset," T. Rex's "20th Century Boy," David Essex's "Rock On," the Faces' "Stay With Me," Free's "Little Bit of Love" and Sweet's "Hell Raiser." The members of Def Leppard have always proclaimed their debt to that glam-slammed era, and not a single one of their choices sounds out of place here. It's just too bad they didn't do even more with ELO's "10538 Overture" and Badfinger's "No Matter What." Notably absent is anything by Queen.
Despite the limitations of recording a covers album - the band has to remain at least somewhat true to the originals to make its point - these songs are a natural fit, and Yeah! comes off sounding almost like a traditional Def Leppard album which evey they were having trouble producing. Of course, by the time this thing played out, I was ready to slap on High 'N' Dry, Pyromania or Hysteria. Don't get me wrong: This is a fitting tribute to the artists who inspired Def Leppard to become Def Leppard. But the band's own distinct brand of music speaks for itself -- and, in turn, has influenced countless other artists so much that a Def Leppard cover will one day belong on some other band's own version of Yeah!.