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 Nation

Yes, I am a member of the Nation – so to speak.  The Hair Nation, that is.  It’s my favorite Sirius station.  I listened to that music constantly as a teenager.

Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Ratt, Vixen, Skid Row, Poison, Shotgun Messiah, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Slaughter, Tyketto … I can’t even remember all of them.  I listened, I liked … and I still do.

It was fun music.  Now it’s nostalgic, for me, at least, for my generation.  My son likes some of it.  He’s 12.  Sometimes when I put it on he just kind of looks at me and rolls his eyes.  “That stuff’s boring,” sometimes comes out of his mouth.  I laugh and feel like a dad.

I had the unfortunate privilege of hearing a Warrant song the other day.  Now, Warrant was a crap band.  Totally lame and gay and stupid, etc.  The only song that came close to being worth listening to was “Cherry Pie” because it’s just so childish and inane.   It was a marketing ploy and worked.  You only listen to it when nothing else good is on.  It’s like beer:  don’t be a doofus and drink a Miller when there’s a joyously wonderful craft beer in the house, like Stone’s Levitation or Russian River’s Temptation, or a Guinness or New Belgium’s Mothership Wit - you get the idea.  If there’s nothing else in the house and you’ve gotta have something to drink because your friends are complete twits, then drink the Miller.

So, there was nothing else on anywhere and I was stuck listening to this song.  It was the live version.  I honestly didn’t think Warrant could sound any worse than they normally sounded.  Holy crap, I wanted to scour my ears out with bleach.  That was awful.  Disgusting.  Utterly stupid. 

My point?  Warrant sucks.  I’m going to have to go home and put in the greatest of the 80s glammish, hairish metalish CD’s:  Hysteria by Def Leppard.  I’ll turn the stereo up to 11.

I will.  You’ll see.