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: Def Leppard – High N Dry

As mentioned in my previous post, I consider Def Leppard one of the finest pop metal acts of the 80s.  Their debut album, On Through the Night, was a decent effort but the second record from Def Lep was light years beyond it.  High N’ Dry featured Joe Elliot, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Rick Allen and Pete Willis and was produced by Mutt Lange.

They sound young and raw on High N’ Dry – mostly because that’s what they were.  This record is terribly addicting.  From the rowdy opener “Let It Go” to the comedic closer “Me and My Wine” (depending on what version you have), High N’ Dry is a gritty and exciting metal milestone.

It was released in 1981 along with some other memorable records, such as Iron Maiden’s Killers, Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman and Motley Crue’s Too Fast For Love.  I know others will likely disagree, but I think Def Lep’s contribution in 1981 was the beginning of what 80s metal would become.  You can hear the rest of the decade in the chords and lyrics of all the songs on High N’ Dry.

Let’s talk favorites:  Like many, I think “Let It Go” is a superb track.  Clark and Willis are tight, the tempo is fast.  Just thinking about the sound starts my head banging.  “Another Hit and Run” is a seemingly quiet but potent track, ending harder than it begins.  “Mirror Mirror” I love because it just sounds so menacing.  “Switch 625″ was the first metal instrumental I’d heard and it’s just cool, really showing off Steve Clark’s outstanding talent.

And, of course, no discussion of High N’ Dry would be complete without mentioning its greatest track, “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak.”  It is the quintessential 80’s track.  Even now, twenty-six years later all anybody needs to hear is the first couple of notes and it’s instantly identifiable. 

“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” was another showcase for Steve Clark.  It’s also the best written song, lyrically and musically, on High N’ Dry.  Let’s face it, “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” rocked and everybody knows it and we all still love to listen to it!

High N’ Dry is a metal classic; it was an extreme improvement over Def Lep’s debut album and it alluded to the musical professionalism that Def Leppard would show off on their third album.  Plus, it showed that these boys can rock.

The Rythmic Pitch: Def Leppard – On Through the Night

I have already stated that I am a proud member of the so-called Hair Nation.  The hard rock and metal of the 1980s is still my favorite music.  I appreciate new bands, too, but always veer towards the music of my youth.

So, let’s talk about one of the greatest 80s bands ever:  Def Leppard.  Between ‘83 and ‘88, these guys absolutely ruled the hard rock scene.  With the respective records Pyromania and Hysteria the band assured themselves a place in the pantheon of pop metal gods.  Not only a place among these gods but, dare I say it, the throne itself. 

But, before those glory days of “Rock of Ages” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” there were the Early Years, the Shaping of the Legend.  Let us begin at nearly the beginning, 1978.  In that year, Steve Clark joined the band and motivated the group to ‘get out and play.’  They do and end up recording The Def Leppard EP.  This led to their first album, On Through the Night.

It was released in 1980 and had eleven tracks.  It opens with “Rock Brigade.”  It’s a cool rocker, played well.  Some other of my favorite tracks are:  “It Don’t Matter,”  “Answer to the Master,” and “Wasted.”  I guess what I liked about On Through the Night was the memorable nature of the songs.

I haven’t listened to it in years, probably fifteen or more.  Yet I can still remember the tunes, the choruses to most of the songs.  That’s due to Steve Clark’s masterful guitar work.  The lyrics aren’t necessarily that outstanding; they seem a bit banal, in fact.  But, it’s that singing Gibson of Clark that sells the record.  It hints at the sound to come.

The record features vocalist Joe Elliot, bass player Rick Savage, a two-armed Rick Allen, and two guitar players:  Pete Willis and Steve Clark.