I have a number of controversial opinions. The one that is pertinent to this review is this: “Hysteria” is one of Def Leppard’s least good records.
It sounds like it’s been produced to within an inch of it’s life. Glossy, shiny, little substance.
It looks nice on the menu but like a McDonald’s, it’s not as tasty as it should be, and it’s ultimately not filling.
Four years before they took on the world and won, in 1983, they released a record that is in every way its superior. Raw, rock n roll, with the same great choruses but an air of danger.
And “Pyromania” is here, a lavish box set with about three million bonus tracks. It is Def Leppard’s best album, although (another controversial statement perhaps) 2022’s “Diamond Star Halos” runs it close).
The best stuff doesn’t date. Ever. If its “of its time” its had its day. “Rock Rock (Till You Drop)” proves it. If that comes out today. You buy it. Simple as that.
And ok, there’s many reasons for me to be biased to this record, but here’s the one I am putting in print (ahem!) “Photograph” is the best song they ever wrote, and there’s many more brilliant songs on it too.
“Foolin'”, “Rock Of Ages” and pretty much all the others – but there’s no point in me saying anything about them, because you’ll have your own ideas, so this will all come down to whether you’re arsed with the hours of demos and outtakes.
“No You Can’t Do That” is a nice instrumental, but is it essential? You can judge – ditto the six untitled riffs. Completest corner, really.
The same is true of the demos. “Too Late For Love” is the music without Joe. Interesting, but you’ll only play it once, let’s be honest.
There’s loads of them here, and “Rough Mixes”. The sort of thing that was b-sides before Spotify ruined music.
“Stagefright” is particularly good – and “Photograph” even with half the words missing, is still glorious. Likewise “Die Hard The Hunter” where you can hear the genesis of what it became.
Again, how many times you’ll play a proto “Foolin'” even if it sounds raw, is open to question. “Rock Of Ages” stripped of all the bombast, is fun though, as is “Billy’s Got A Gun” – perhaps one of the less heralded tracks on the record, it comes into its own here.
Much more interesting are the live songs on Disc three. Live in Dortmund, just before Christmas in 1983, these are live and dangerous – in a good way. “…(Till You Drop)” fair fizzes and hearing them play these songs just after the album came out, must have been special. There’s a proper energy about it. “Rock Of Ages” rockets at a million miles an hour, “Let It Go” could start moshpits.
They’re in even more blistering form a couple of months before in LA at the Forum. It would have been brilliant to see them then, racing through “Rock Brigade” and the rest. The title track of “High N Dry” is a neat reminder of what they were, and hearing them do “Mirror Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)” – which I don’t think I’ve ever seen them do (although I didn’t see them until the “Slang” tour).
They were really in imperious form here, “Bringin’ On The Heartache” slashes, burns and soars, “Switch 625” is Steve Clark at his best, while “Wasted” really does have them sounding like a gang. They still are up to a point, but the hunger burns here.
There’s a surprise to finish too, with Queen’s Brian May popping in for a rendition of “Travellin’ Band” – did they know then, you wonder, that May would induct them into the Rock N Roll Hall Fame?
And they deserve to be. They deserve their status as some kind of elder statesman of arena rock. They are a British institution and always seem like the type of blokes you could still have a chat with. They love music, still. You only have to listen to Joe Elliott’s passion on the radio show he does to hear that, but when it comes to their own, they’ve never sounded more on fire than here.
Skip the demos and head for the live stuff. That’s sensational.
Rating 9.5/10
