The tide was changing, Def Leppard’s success was palpable at this point, but not quite there…YET! Robert John “Mutt” Lange was back as producer and the band hit the studios in January 1982 and went through November of that year at Park Gates studio in London. All didn’t go smoothly, there was one big issue and that issue was Pete Willis.

Pete’s drinking problem was…well, becoming a problem. It was causing issues that were impacting his work and the band. It got so bad that on July 11, 1982, mid-way through work on the album, the band fired Pete. This was not a rash decision as it was discussed fully amongst the band because on July 12, 1982, the very next day, the band announced his replacement in the likes of Girl’s guitarists, Phil Collen. By this point in recording, Pete had already recorded all his rhythm parts and those are still on the album. Phil came in and added a few guitar parts and as well as some solos, he had it easy.

The album was finished, it was called “Pyromania” and it would basically change the landscape of music for quite some time. It saw the band’s sound go from heavy metal to a more polished hard rock sound that was more radio friendly. They worked on their craft diligently with Mutt and their playing and their songwriting was getting better and better. The band was now Phil, Steve Clark, Rick Allen, Rick Savage and Joe Elliott, this is considered the classic line-up to some. The album saw the light of day on January 20, 1983 and would shoot up the charts going to #2 on the Billboard Charts. It was held out of the #1 slot thanks to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ album.

Thanks to MTV and the Leppard videos, the band would sell over 6,000,000 copies within the first year or so and go on to sell over 10 million copies making it Diamond Status. There would be 4 singles from the album and it would change me forever as this was the album that made me a lifelong fan and collector of the band’s music. It changed my listening habits and the 80’s hard rock sound was it for me and that would be all I listened to during the 80’s…heck even today I still love it as much as back then!

SIDE 1:

The first track on the album would be very familiar to anyone who saw the band live pre-High & Dry’ album. “Rock!, Rock! (Till You Drop)” was originally called “Medicine Man”. The band re-worked it with a different rhythm section, new lyrics and Phil added the solo. Mutt turned it in to an incredible opening track and a blistering heavy rock song with that eerie opening, the heart pounding drums and those guitar riffs were as metal as this album would get. A song about the rock & roll lifestyle, the band put on full display that they meant business and this was not the Def Leppard you knew before. The album pumped you up and get the juices flowing for what was to come.

Then with no mercy, we get “Photograph”.  First…the song is NOT about Marilyn Monroe.  The song is about an obsession with a woman and all you have of her is that photograph.  The Marilyn Monroe part was added for the video to help tell the story.  And it captures it perfectly.  As the video shows that obsession going a little too far. The song was perfect in my book and the video was mesmerizing.  The two together captured my attention like nothing ever had before and every time MTV showed, I turned up the volume!  The song has such a melodic melody and the guitar solo and background vocals were all spot on thanks to Mutt Lange behind the boards.  The guitar riff on the song that is played throughout is instantly recognizable. More heart pounding drums as Rick Allen was maturing in to an amazing drummer. Joe’s vocals had also matured and his tone was perfect for this style of music and he owned it.

One interesting fact, it was one of the last contributions to the band from Pete Willis. The second interesting fact, the keyboards are done by none other than “She Blinded Me With Science” Thomas Dolby. And apparently in the video, Joe Elliott does what might be the first flying spread eagle split on MTV.  It was later outdone by David Lee Roth in Van Halen’s video for “Jump” (according to Songfacts.com). The song was the opening single for the album and went to #12 on the Top 40 and #1 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart.

Then we get one of the coolest opening tracks for a live show with “Stagefright” and probably the other heaviest song on the album. The song was done to make it sound like it was done live with added crowd noise, but the energy of the song is also what makes it feel live. It is fast, furious and frenzied. There is a rawness quality to it that sucks you in and grabs hold tight. Both Steve Clark and Phil Collen simply kill it on guitars with this one. It is a pure rock & roll anthem!

Then through the misty fog of the next song, they slow things down a little with the power ballad “Too Late For Love”, but is it a ballad? It is dark and eerie and when the power comes in it turns it in to more of rock song. A song about love and regret had all the emotions needed in the vocals as Joe could hit some really cool screams and notes. A song that wasn’t going to be a single, but due to the success fo the first three singles, they though let’s release another one and it went to #9 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, but didn’t hit the Top 40 as no offical video was done for it.

“Die Hard the Hunter” opens with the sound of a helicopter and machine gun fire and is representative of war, the Vietnam War to be exact.  The song is about a war veteran who comes back from war, but can’t seem to let it go.  The battles the soldier faces being home as he can’t seem to stop fighting the battles and now they are in his mind.  The evils of war are following him everywhere and he is struggling to let go of the bad and find the good.  A common problem with soldiers then and even today.

What I love about the song is the seriousness of the music.  The heavy metal chords that are used give an impending feel of doom and gloom.  Like “Too Late for Love”, there is a darkness to the music, an eeriness but there is also a sadness that captures the feelings the soldier were going through.  You can actually feel the weight of it all through the music.  It is quite fantastic how they captured that feeling musically. Steve Clark’s solo on this is fantastic.  He has a really cool riff and along with Pete Willis’ rhythm guitar, the two made a great pair and helped deliver the sound that captured the essence of the song.  It was simple sounding, yet brilliant.  Not too flashy, but not understated either.  Joe delivers the vocals in a way to also help convey the emotions of the song.  Always has been one of my favorites on ‘Pyromania’.

SIDE 2:

If you thought the first side was good, hold on to your hats. “Foolin'” kicks off Side 2 and what a start it is. A song about love and heartbreak inspired by a girl Joe had met while on tour in the U.S. He fell for her, but apparently she cheated on him…Bitch!! The song has an acoustic opening and sounds like another darker song. The song has elements similar to “Photograph” and I am sure that is by design. The chorus with their multi-layered harmonies are perfection and Mutt’s influence is all over this thing. One of those songs you never tire of hearing as it don’t get much better than this. This was the third single off the album and it went to #28 on the Top 40 and #9 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The final Top 40 single from the album as the fourth single didn’t chart in the Top 100.

“Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen” kicks off “Rock of Ages”, but no one knows what it means as it is just gibberish. Joe speaks the following lines “All right/I’ve got something to say/It’s better to burn out/Than to fade away”; which are a reference to Neil Young’s song “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)” and heck even Kurgen from Highlander quotes the lines. The song is a rock anthem with some wicked guitar work, some kick ass cowbell and you can never have enough cowbell. The lighting of the match and burning the place down is so ‘Pyromania’ as the title of the album comes from the song as well.

I also read that during the guitar solo, several vocal phrases were recorded backwards. When played forward, the phrases “Fuck the Russians” and “Brezhnev’s got herpes” can be heard. Who knows if true, but I like to think it is. The song was the second single from the album and went to #16 in the Top 40 and #1 on the Mainstream Rock track as well. But it is that opening line that everyone remembers the most. A song that owes a lot to Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll” as Joe credits that for the inspiration.

Then it is time for the deep cuts and first up is “Comin’ Under Fire”. There is a chugging beat to the song and it drives it hard and fast. The drum and bass combo beat also have an impact on the style of the song. I love the verses see little instrumentation but when the bridge & chorus come in everything explodes with some heavy rock sound with a lot of great pop sensibilities.

“Action! Not Words” is more of a poppy hard rock song with its twangy-style guitars. It is the only song I would call a little corny, but damn when it sounds like this who really cares. A song about basically being a star to get women, what else could it be about, it is purely sexual. Towards the ends with the “Lights, Camera, Sound, Give Me Action!” is so rock & roll and I love every cheesy minute of this sleazy track. Sometimes, sleaze is good!

Can danger have a sound? Well, if so then “Billy’s Got a Gun” is that sound. Listen to that bass line by Savage as it is just that…savage. Joe’s voals are so powerful and he feels everything with those screams and the way he sings that chorus. The guitar work is also great mixed with Rick’s drumming. The song is about Billy whose mental state is degrading fast and he is starting down a road that will lead to violence. In a time that was before mass school shootings, maybe this was a prophecy of what was to come. The ending of the song is cool with a “bang, bang” and then an electronic sounding piece that is really a hidden track named “The March of the Wooden Zombies”.

Track Listing:

1. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) – Keeper
2. Photograph – Keeper
3. StageFright – Keeper
4. Too Late For Love – Keeper
5. Die Hard the Hunter – Keeper
6. Foolin’ – Keeper
7. Rock of Ages – Keeper
8. Comin’ Under Fire – Keeper
9. Action! Not Words – Keeper
10. Billy’s Got a Gun – Keeper

The Track Score is 10 Tracks out of 10 or 100%.  If you thought High ‘N’ Dry was good, then this is equally as good to me.  It depends on the day which I like the most.  The great thing about it is that is sounds nothing like their prior album, it is an entirely new sound. Still heavy, but a lot more pop sensibilities as the band was heading to a more radio friendly sound. Some would say this was the start of the degradation, but for me, that was still two albums to come. This was prime Def Leppard with songs like “Photograph”, “Foolin'” and “Rock of Ages” along with the metal hitters like “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”, “Stagefright” and “Die Hard the Hunter”. The band had found a new sound thanks to Mutt and this would be the start of superstardom, I say start because they haven’t reached the pinnacle yet.  My Overall Score is easily a 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars!  The band is just getting started!!

NEXT UP: DEF LEPPARD – “PHOTOGRAPH” – 7″ SINGLE (1983)

THE DEF LEPPARD COLLECTION SERIES

1. Def Leppard E.P. – 7″ Single (1979)
2. First Strikes 1978-1979 (Bootleg CD)
3. Girl – Sheer Greed (1980)
4. On Through the Night (1980)
5. When the Walls Came Tumbling Down (April 26 1980) (2020)
6. High & Dry (1981)
7. Too Many Jitterbugs – B-Sides And Rarities (2020)
8. Raw – Early BBC Recordings (2020)
9. Girl – Wasted Youth (1982)
10. Pyromania (1983)
11. “Photograph” 7″ Single (1983)
12. “Too Late For Love” 12″ Single (1983)
13. Live at the L.A. Forum 1983 (2018)
14. Seattle, August 3, 1983 (Bootleg CD)
15. Pyromania TV Collection (Bootleg DVD)
16. Hysteria (1987)
17. “Animal” 7″ Single (1987)
18. “Women” 7″ Single (1987)
19. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” 7″ Single (1987)
20. “Hysteria” 7″ Single (1987)
21. “Armageddon It” 7″ Single (1988)
22. “Love Bites” 7″ Single (1988)
23. “Rocket” 7″ Single (1989)
24. Animal Instinct – The Def Leppard Story – Book Review (1987)
25. Rarities – Volume One (2018)
26. Live in Mountain View – August 17, 1988 (Bootleg DVD)
27. Historia – DVD (1988)
28. Live: In the Round, In Your Face (CD Video / DVD) (1989)
29. Adrenalize (1992)
30. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” – Cassette Single (1992)
31. “Tonight” CD Single (1993)
32. Live Shefield 1992 (Bootleg DVD)
33. Retro Active (1993)
34. Visualize DVD (1993)
35. Hard Rock Café – Singapore, Malaysia October 26, 1995 (Bootleg DVD)
36. Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (1995)
37. “When Love & Hate Collide” – CD Promo Single (1995)
38. Video Archive (1995)
39. Slang (1996)
40. Montreal: The Classic 1996 Broadcast (Bootleg CD)
41. Live Bites: FM Broadcast (Bootleg CD)
42. Live in Argentina 1997 (Bootleg DVD)
43. Euphoria (1999)
44. Rarities – Volume Two (2019)
45. Rarities – Volume Three (2019)
46. Tokyo 1999 (Bootleg CD)
47. Cybernauts – Live (2000)
48. X (2002)
49. Hysteria: Classic Albums DVD (2002)
50. Best of Def Leppard (2004)
51. Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005)
52. Yeah! (2006)
53. Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
54. Man Raze – Surreal (2008)
55. B-Sides (2021)
56. Yeah! II (2021)
57. Yeah! Live (2021)
58. CMT Crossraods – Taylor Swift & Def Leppard (2009)
59. Down ‘N’ Outz -My ReGeneration (2010)
60. Man Raze – PunkFunkRootsRock (2011)
61. Down ‘N’ Outz -The Further Adventures of… (2014)
62. Def Leppard (2015)
63. The Lost Session (2018)
64. Personal Jesus 7″ Single (2018)
65. Down ‘N’ Outz -This is How We Roll (2019)
66. Hits Vegas: Live at Planet Hollywood – Vinyl (2020)
67. Hysteria: Live – Vinyl (2020)
68. Def Leppard Acoustic Vegas – 10″ Vinyl (2020)
69. Down ‘N’ Outz – The Music Box E.P. (2020)
70. Diamond Star Halos (2022)
71. High & Dry – Picture Disc (RSD) (2022)
72. Drastic Symphonies (2023)
73. Drastic Symphonies – Picture Disc (2023)
74. Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard (2023)

PREVIOUSLY POSTED:

1. The Def Leppard E.P. (1979/2017)
2. Def Leppard: Interview Picture Disc (1982?)
3. “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” – 12″ Promo Single (1984)
4. Live at the Top (Bootleg) (1987)
5. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” –  5″ Shaped Picture Disc (1987)
6. Hysteria U.S. Tour 1988 – Tour Book (1988)
7. “Make Love Like a Man” – 12″ Single (1992)
8. “Let’s Get Rocked” – 12″ Single (1992)
9. Adrenalize: The 7 Day Weekend Tour (1992/1993)
10. X: World Tour (2003)
11. Mirrorball – Live & More (2011)
12. Def Leppard: The Definitive Visual History – Book Review (2011)
13. Viva! Hysteria (2013)
14. And There Will Be A Next Time…Live from Detroit (2017)
15. Hysteria: 30th Anniversary Box Set (2017)
16. The Story So Far – The Best of (2018)
17. The Collection, Volume 1 (2018)
18. Hysteria: The Singles Box Set (2018)
19. Live at Abbey Road Studios (2018)
20. Def Leppard: Concert Review – Charlotte, NC June 9th 2018 (2018)
21. The Story So Far – The Best of Volume 2 (2019)
22. The Collection, Volume 2 (2019)
23. London to Vegas (2020)
24. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 29 March 2019 (2020)
25. The Early Years ’79-’81 (2020)
26. The Collection, Volume 3 (2021)
27. Def Leppard Funko Pop!