I have written about Def Leppard several times on my (Original) Rock Brigade Blog and since I have made "my comeback" this is the second time in just four posts. I have followed their career from the near beginnings as closely as I have followed any band. I have their complete catalogue and for a stretch there were a few albums I couldn’t really get into. Slang, Euphoria and X all had their moments and when I listen to them now I tend to favour them more than at the time of their release. But they didn’t grab me like the music they played when I was in my younger years.
However, in recent years in my opinion they have put out some very solid recordings. For me it really started again with Yeah!, the 2006 release of all cover songs. I was hesitant about a covers album, but I faithfully buy all Def Leppard releases. To my surprise this one quickly gained heavy rotation from me. Most of the covers were not clichéd and it was a very fun record. Then came Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, the 2008 release of all new original material. In my opinion this was their best effort since the mega selling Hysteria.
Now after over 30 years in the business they release they first full length live album, Mirrorball. This one has two CDs worth of live tracks, plus three new songs and a bonus DVD. I was curious to how this one would come across because of Def Leppard’s known signature slick produced studio sounds. It works and it works very well.
All their hits that we have heard many times are on this one, but in many cases they sound fresh again. Some songs come across as more upbeat than they do in their original format. The songs Animal and Hysteria, for example, are both great mid-tempo songs from the Hysteria record. On Mirrorball the songs have more of a lively (no pun intended) feel to them and more of a jump to them. It is refreshing to hear the multilayers of the original versions of many of these songs stripped down and sounding so great in their live format. Def Leppard have also been known for putting off a great live show and it is captured here nicely.
There are a few songs on here that the casual fan may not be familiar with including Switch 625 (an instrumental number from the 1981 album High n Dry), three songs in total from The Sparkle Lounge record and Action, from 1993’s Retroactive album. There are 21 live tracks in total (most of them very familar) plus the three aditional new songs. I would have liked to have heard another track or two from High n’Dry or even something from On Through The Night, their very first full length album.
The three new studio recorded songs are also solid tracks. The first, Undefeated, has a guitar riff on the verses that almost keeps with that stripped down feel but moves into the normal vocal blends that we often find in Def Leppard songs. It is a catchy tune and I heard vocalist Joe Elliot mention in an interview that they may use it as their opening number on their summer tour. The song’s opening steady drum beats that lead into the guitar riff makes it a good choice for that purpose for sure. The second new track, Kings of the World, has a Queen like feel to it being laced with numerous vocal harmonies. The final new song, It’s All About Believing, also has a catchy riff and that unmistakable Def Leppard sound.
The DVD is fun enough to watch too. There are some live performances and some backstage behind the scenes footage, including some banter between the guys and Billy Idol when he opened up for them on some dates during the Sparkle Lounge tour.
In my pervious post I had said that I hoped this would be a fun record to play while relaxing on the deck with summer fast approaching. It is that for sure. If you catch Def Leppard live this summer on tour with Heart I would love to hear about it.
For all my other Def Leppard thoughts in my blog posts including a couple of concert reviews click here.
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