Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits

Performer: Def Leppard
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Def Leppard: Joe Elliott (vocals); Phil Collen, Vivian Campbell, Steve Clark, Pete Willis (guitar, background vocals); Rick Savage (bass, background vocals); Rick Allen (drums, background vocals). Additional personnel includes: Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Stevie Vann (background vocals). Producers: Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Mike Shipley, Def Leppard, Pete Woodroffe. Engineers: Nigel Green, Mike Shipley, Pete Woodroffe. Includes liner notes by Peter Mensch, Joe Elliott, Phil Collen and Rick Savage. Def Leppard was untouchable in the '80s. Over the course of four albums, the band established itself as one of the best and most popular hard rock/heavy metal groups of the decade, scoring a long list of hit singles. Vault compiles the biggest of those hits, as well as selections from their first album of the '90s, Adrenalize, and the outtakes collection Retro Active. Essentially, Def Leppard's legacy rests on two albums: 1983's Pyromania and 1987's Hysteria. On both records, the group created a sleek, shiny brand of hard rock powered by huge, catchy melodies and guitar hooks that owed more to Mott the Hoople and T. Rex than Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. It was a polished but potent sound, whether the band turned out rockers ("Photograph," "Rocket") or ballads ("Bringin' on the Heartbreak," "Love Bites"). Vault has all of the necessary items, from "Pour Some Sugar on Me" to "Rock of Ages." It's not a perfect collection -- it's not sequenced chronologically, it includes too much material from Adrenalize, and the new "When Love & Hate Collide" is simply average -- but that doesn't stop Vault from being a great greatest-hits collection. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine When Def Leppard arrived on American shores with 1980's ON THROUGH THE NIGHT, they were lumped with a New Wave of British Heavy Metal that also counted Iron Maiden part of the movement. Yet even then, the Sheffield quintet's inescapable pop sense separated them from their heavier brethren. As the '80's progressed, Def Lep soldiered on through tragedy, lengthy multi-year stays in the studio and quite a few world tours. VAULT culls the hits from the millions of albums they sold by way of MTV ("Photograph"), soundtracks ("Two Steps Behind"), and obvious sexual innuendo ("Pour Some Sugar On Me"). Influenced by the glam postures of Mott The Hoople, Bowie, T. Rex and Slade, Def Lep transformed their love of these artists into a sound shaped by Joe Elliott's raspy vocals, the synergy fueled by Phil Collen (who replaced Pete Willis in '83) and the late Steve Clark's guitars, and Rick Allen's punchy backbeat (seemingly unaffected by his loss of an arm in '85). Heavy guitars, sweet hooks and a rare ability to balance a harder-edged side ("Foolin'") with earnest power ballads ("Bringin' On The Heartbreak") show why Def Lep continue to soldier on long after pop-metal's '80s heyday, and they make VAULT a safe worth cracking.

Spin (12/95, p.85) - 6 - Reasonably Good - "...it might surprise you just how much care went into these seemingly disposable hits....There's something about the desperately American vocalisms of Joe Elliott (who is, after all, British) and the oddness of his lyrics...that pleasently suggests rock as a second language..." Entertainment Weekly (11/10/95, p.67) - "...the painstaking patience with which these hits were produced (mostly by Mutt Lange) pays off--with Byzantine layering of guitars, sumptous harmonies, and finely crafted pop hooks buried beneath the metal posturing." - Rating: B-

Before Def Leppard, heavy metal was associated with leather, studs, and motorcycles. After a pair of mega-platinum albums in the '80s, Leppard proved that pop hooks, hard rock, and good looks could equal massive success, hatching a slew of imitators in the process. Despite numerous setbacks such as drummer Rick Allen losing an arm in an accident, followed by the death of guitarist Steve Clark, the British band persevered, achieving even more popularity. Though they inspired legions of hair metal bands, their longevity is a testament to their enduring musical legacy.

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