The Rythmic Pitch: Def Leppard’s Hysteria

Face it: without Def Leppard the music world would not be the same. Think of what Def Lep has contributed. Without them, we’d have no basis for one-armed drummer jokes. Without them, we’d never have Hysteria.

In 1987, that record reigned supreme in every high school around the world.  All right, at least in the US.  All of us ripped up our good jeans (to the chagrin of our parents) and wore tank top shirts and wristbands.  The guys with long hair had to put extra work into their locks in the mornings.  We all wanted to be Def Lep.

Hysteria was the pinnacle of the hard rock/metal that is known in contemporary terms as “hair metal.”  I don’t think that’s the best description, but whatever.  It has adhered itself to the music of my youth, much like Aqua Net adhered to the hair.  There are many who will even debate as to whether or not “hair metal” is true metal; in their opinion these cheesy rockers are just supernumerary players on the stage of True Metal – the rejects of the Glam Academy and such.  Again:  whatever.  Some of those bands have endured and have a loyal following.  In the elite of this group is Def Leppard.

Hysteria stands as their masterwork (oh, sure, some of you will say, “No,  you idiot, that’s Pyromania.”  I disagree, as much as I like Pyromania – see here).  It is well known that the band spent years perfecting the sound of Hysteria, obsessing over every note.  As Joe Elliott once noted, ‘there are bits on Hysteria that only dogs can hear.’  They worked with a few different producers on the record.  Jim Steinman began the work on Hysteria.  He was replaced by Nigel Green and eventually “Mutt” Lange came back.  He recovered from his “exhaustion” from working with The Cars, apparently.  Lange forced them to re-record their work and the result was the outstanding classic record we 80s kids still listen to today. 

It didn’t catch on right away back in the day.  “Women” is a fun song but it just didn’t grab anybody.  “Animal” is actually one of the best songs in the entire library of Def Lep tunes and it finally got the album noticed.  But it was that one song that pushed the record to legendary heights.  You know the one I mean: “Pour Some Sugar On Me”.  Oh, yeah; “love is like a bomb … ” yeah, you know the rest.  Sugar me sweet but did that song rock or what??  There was just something about that song, something mystical and energetic.  It crawled into your brain and would never leave.  The one-armed drum beat of “Sugar” marched Def Lep into legend.

It wasn’t just that song that made the record great.  As a whole it was just fantastic.  It embodied the 80s; it was the 80s.  Loud, exciting, overdramatic, silly, pompous … yeah, all that and more.  Every song is memorable.  This record and this band defined what “hair metal” was and could be:  a mix of confection and craft.  

TRACKS:

1. Women – Biblical in scope, carnal in truth, the song has a serious groove if you give it a chance
2. Rocket – a long, fun tribute song; cool drums
3. Animal – an earthy, powerful song; the thick, warm guitar lead blends beautifully with the vocals
4. Love Bites – enigmatic and dreamy, this was a huge hit for the boys; love the harsh, sarcastic title yet slow tempo music
5. Pour Some Sugar On Me – the drums are loud, the guitars are loud, the chorus is shoutable; this song defined all that 80s metal was:  step inside, walk this way …
6. Armageddon It – more British sarcasm, if you ask me; nice play on words and a raucuous party song
7. Gods of War – nearly a sequel to “Die Hard the Hunter” this song has a message delivered with a brooding Gibson guitar
8. Don’t Shoot Shotgun – I don’t really understand this song, but I love the sound
9. Run Riot – very overlooked song; had some good drumming
10. Hysteria – “Sugar” may have been the pumping fist driving this record but “Hysteria” was it’s heart and soul; beautiful song
11. Excitable – fun and brainless
12. Love and Affection – Nearly a match for “Hysteria” this track was forgotten, too; it has some superbly arranged guitar

The first half of the 80s was just a trial run for this record.  Once it arrived and ruled for a time, there was nothing left for anyone to do and so the decade and the music faded away.  Music shalt never have a decade like the 80s again and never shall we see the like of Hysteria evermore.

The Rythmic Pitch: Cinderella – Night Songs

My wife and I have two children; thus, many of our friends are people with kids, too.  About two weeks ago, I was talking to one of these friends.  He has a two year old daughter.  He said to me, “So, you and my daughter have something in common.”  Really?  What’s that?  “You both like Cinderella.” 

I didn’t know what to do at first.  I don’t watch that movie.  Oh, sure, we’ve got the deluxe version of it and all but that’s because my wife and my daughter like it.  What’s that got to do with me?  Then it dawned on me.  There’s Cinderella of the glass slippers and there’s Cinderella of the big hair.

Once I understood the joke, I had to agree.    rocks. 

So let’s talk about their first record, Night Songs.  It was released in 1986.  The first single I remember from it was “Nobody’s Fool.”  That song ruled in ‘86!  Fine, it didn’t rule, there were way too many other awesome songs.  Like anything from Metallica’s Master of Puppets.  Slippery When Wet had been released, too, providing some tough competition.  Still, “Nobody’s Fool” brought notice to Fred Coury, Eric Brittingham, Tom Keifer and Jeff Labar. 

1. “Night Songs“  - A boring and forgettable tune and not a very wise choice for the opener.  They would have been much better off starting the record out with the second track.
2. “Shake Me“ - It’s a solid song with one of those choruses you just want to shout out. 
3. “Nobody’s Fool” – Shall we say the quintessential Cinderella song?  It’s a lumbering giant of a song, with nonsensical lyrics here and there but it’s arranged well and the video was cool.
4. “Nothin’ For Nothin’” – Good sound, easy lyrics.  An overlooked track, I think.  It rocks.
5. “Once Around the Ride” – Okay but forgettable
6. “Hell on Wheels” – Unfortunately, this one’s not forgettable.  In fact, it’s embarassing and should have been stricken from the record.
7. “Somebody Save Me” – While the second track is classic, this song may very well be the best on the record.  Great hard rock feel, angry lyrics.
8. “In From the Outside” – This one showed the band’s leaning toward bluesy rock.  It’s definitely got rythym.
9. “Push, Push” – A fun, average rocker.
10. “Back Home Again” – The crunchy guitars showcased here approach really good metal.  I kinda wish they’d continued with this sound.  Cool song.

I think Long Cold Winter was a better record but Night Songs is still worth a listen now and again.  If you buy tickets for Rocklahoma this summer you’ll get a chance to see Cinderella rock again. 

The Rythmic Pitch: Def Leppard – Pyromania

I was first introduced to metal by an album and a song that was destined to become legend:  Def Leppard’s Pyromania.  The song was “Rock of Ages.”  I was twelve, I think.  I remember being at a friends house.  His name was Scott and he had a huge room in a basement.   This was a some years ago, so I may not be spot on with the details.  Anyway, there were three or four of us boys hanging out at his place and he said, “You gotta hear this.” 

Hear it I did.  A fan I’ve been ever since.  “Rock of Ages” is one of the ultimate metal anthems from the early 80s; an instantly identifiable classic.  I have no doubt that the song inspired later rebellious hits of the 80s, like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “Youth Gone Wild” and others.  ”Rock of Ages” is a fist pumping, head banging melody of defiance.  Yeah. 

Pyromania was released upon the world in 1983.  I was checking out the Metal Timeline  on About.com and remembering some of the great stuff of ‘83.  There were just some spectacular albums that year and  Pyromania is one of the best – a classic must-have in the history of metal.  Why?  Once you listen to it, you’ll understand.  The songs beg to be sung along with, shouted out, blared from whatever musical apparatus is handy.  The guitars are aggressive, the drums pound an unforgettable tempo. 

The music is gritty and tough yet the lyrics are written with brio.  The songs are alive, enthusiastic.  We can all connect to them.  They weave themselves into our consciousness.  I love the cadence of the words, the rythym of the spoken notes and not just the guitar notes.  Being a drummer, I really loved the booming power of Rick Allen’s kick drum.

Let’s take a stroll through Pyromania and recall its greatness.  It taught a generation of bands how to write and play raw music that appeals to a big audience.

1.  “Rock Rock Til You Drop” – I love the beginning of this song.  It sounds so … cool and then segues into a snappy rock groove.  Yeah, it rocks.

2.  “Photograph” – One of the most beloved Def Leppard songs.  Raucous and despondent all at once.  Perfectly written and played.

3.  “Stagefright” – One of the harder DL tracks; I really like the incisive rythym on this one.  It sounds menacing.

4.  “Too Late for Love” – The lyrics are very evocative on this track; I love the “play” metaphor employed.  It sounds rich and gorgeous, too.

5.  “Die Hard the Hunter” – Great storytelling on this song.  Sounds very First Blood-ish to me.  You can almost feel yourself being hunted when this song plays.

6.  “Foolin’” – One crazy video, but a pretty cool song.  A slower song, but powerful.

7.  “Comin’ Under Fire” – The chorus on this one is just sticky.  I hear it once and it just sticks around. 

8.  “Rock of Ages” – The ultimate, biggest metal anthem.  The father of all other defiant tunes.  The coolest lyrics, a fabulous lead guitar, and one outrageous video.  This song is 80’s metal.

9.  “Action Not Words” – Instead of using a play they went with movies as a metaphor here.  Fun song.

10.  “Billy’s Got A Gun” – Another outlaw track.  Excellent chorus, fabulous rythym.

Hey, I did all that from memory.  Rock on, eh?  Pyromania is an outstanding record.  Do not forget it or overlook it.  And, as Def Lep said, “Rise up, gather ’round … rock this place to the ground!”

The Rythmic Pitch: Van Halen’s 5150

Van Halen’s seventh album, 5150, was released in 1986.  It marked the Great Change; Sammy Hagar succeeded David Lee Roth as the lead singer.  This spawned the Great Debate over which singer was the best and which era of Van Halen orchestrated the best music.  It’s a tough discussion, but I think all fans can agree on this:  whether you liked David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar, either was better than Gary Cherone. 

I don’t know which I prefer.  But, whenever I think about listening to Van Halen I always think first of 1984.  Is that a subconscious clue?  It seems I forget about 5150, even though it was good. 

The songs from 5150 seem laid back compared to earlier Van Halen and I do like that.  “Get Up” is probably the only one with the verve and agility of the early Diamond Dave days.

But other tracks are beyond the ability of the Roth.  For example, my favorite track is “Love Walks In.”  I think it’s a sentimental yet sweeping ballad with some intelligent lyrics.  Hagar sings it with appropriate feeling; Roth would have made it lecherous.  “Dreams” is another excellent song, infused with hope and determination. 

Of course, the real reason we all listen to Van Halen is to hear the legendary guitar virtuosity of Eddie.  While there is some good guitar scattered throughout 5150, the melodies I remember the most are from the synth.  Eddie seemed to really get into the keyboards starting with 1984.   It was cool, if not as rough as earlier Van Halen albums. 

Later records with Sammy improved on the sound showcased in 5150.  The lyrics continued to progress and Eddie came back to the guitar.  Sometimes I wonder if timing affected this Van Halen album.  I mean, in ‘86 they had some high caliber competition in the rock and metal world. 

For example, a little band from Jersey released an album called Slippery When Wet and it nearly dominated the music scene that year.  Plus, Metallica released the greatest heavy metal album of ALL time that year, the legendary Master of Puppets.  Slayer’s Reign In Blood was out.  Oh and Whitney Houston, too.  Okay, that was a sick joke.  Sick.  I am disgusted with myself that I wrote it.

Well, anyway, 5150 is a solid entry in the hard rock world even if it is forgotten about. 

The Rythmic Pitch: Savatage – Hall of the Mountain King

Savatage is a powerful metal band.  They’ve been around for a very long time, they’ve gone through lineup changes and still they produce outstanding music.  It’s not just the music that’s excellent; the band combines that music with recherche lyrics.  Each album is a unique experience.

Hall of the Mountain King always made me think of a sword and sorcerery fantasy story.  It sounds ethereal, magical, sometimes diabolical.  Yeah, it’s metal all the way.

The opening track, “24 Hrs. Ago,” sets the tone.  Hard, fast, lonely.  “Hall of the Mountain King” is a classic, too.  “The Price You Pay” is very addictive.  But, it’s the fourth track that sold me on this record.

That’d be “Strange Wings.”  As soon as the song began, I knew I’d love it.   The opening riff is epic and moving.  The lyrics are enigmatic and sung with emotion.  I can’t help but put it in a fantasy setting; whether that’s just me or if that’s the subtle thrust of the whole record, I don’t know.  Every time I hear it, I imagine some armor clad woman riding some massive, fuming dragon.  Just cool stuff.

I’m sure there’s some deeper meaning to it all, but I just don’t get it right now.  Savatage is a brilliant band and Hall of the Mountain King is truly their beginning.