 DEF
LEPPARD
Yeah!
Island Records 2006
www.defleppard.com
What’s the 4-1-1?
Def Leppard finally releases their long-awaited 70s covers album.
Genre
Hard rock / melodic rock
The Good
If you heard Def Leppard perform “20th Century Boy” (T.Rex) on VH1
Rock Honors then you were probably a little turned off by it. I’m happy
to report that the studio version of the track is much better and have the group
sounding like their days of old. With “Rock On,” (David Essex) the
band keeps the subtlety and trippy-ness of the original in tact. Toward the
end of
the
track Leppard come with full guns blazing and a solo section that will have
you reaching for your six-string air guitar. “Hanging on the Telephone” (Blondie)
is a nice mix of melody, harmony, and just the right amount of guitar fuzz.
“Hell
Raiser” (Sweet) has a guitar riff pattern that would make Angus Young
proud. Joe Elliot managed to muster up the passion and energy that was missing
from
the
group’s last studio album. “10538 Overture” (Electric Light
Orchestra) captures the sound of the 70s British rock scene perfectly, while
adding just a bit
of
modern technology. “The
Golden Age of Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Mott the Hoople) uses a 50s
style vocal intro that transforms into a rockabilly/70s fuzz hybrid. “No
Matter What” (Badfinger) is
one of those songs that have been remade quite a few times, but Leppard’s
version is just as melodic as and a little peppier than the original.
The Bad
It’s not very difficult to mess up other artists songs (especially if they
had some moderate success). Fans probably want more new material after getting
a double disc hits package last year.
The Verdict
Def Leppard proves that they still know how to rock with Yeah! (I think we
all forgot after Slang and X). It’s better than your average covers
album because the song selection is rather diverse.
Did You Know?
On March 16, 1999, Def Leppard was one of the inaugural recipients of the newly
launched Diamond Awards in the USA. The award is for over 10 million sales
in the US of one album in the history of recorded music. That album was Hysteria of course.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages: The Definitve Collection
--George Dionne
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