High 'N' Dry

Performer: Def Leppard
Engineer: Nigel Green; Mike Shipley
Producer: Robert John Lange
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Def Leppard: Pete Willis, Steve Clark (vocals, guitar); Rick Savage (vocals, bass); Rick Allen (vocals, drums); Joe Elliott (vocals). Recorded at Battery Studios, London, England. Personnel: Pete Willis, Steve Clark (vocals, guitar); Rick Savage (vocals, bass guitar); Rick Allen (vocals, drums); Joe Elliott (vocals). Recording information: Battery Studios, London, England. Between the time of Def Leppard's 1980 debut, ON THROUGH THE NIGHT, and the band's second album, HIGH 'N' DRY (released one year later), the young group had improved tremendously. An extended world tour had made the band musically tighter, but they'd also become better songwriters--HIGH 'N' DRY contains several tracks that longtime Leppard fans point to as classics. Another major reason for the group's vast improvement was that renowned producer Mutt Lange was involved in the proceedings. While the album wasn't a smash hit, it faired extremely well on the U.S. charts, due to touring and a newly born cable network called MTV, which aired Def Leppard's low-budget clips from HIGH 'N' DRY quite often. Highlights included the power ballad "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" (which would soon become a concert staple for the band), as well as the album-opening anthem "Let It Go," the instrumental "Switch 625," and the rough and rocking title track. HIGH 'N' DRY was reissued in the mid-'80s with a remix of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" and a previously unreleased track from the album's recording sessions, "Me and My Wine." The late-'90s version deleted these two extra tracks, however.

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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