San Diego, CA - Media Reviews

Billy Squier/Def Leppard @ San Diego Sports Arena By San Diego Union

Squier and company are downright elegant compared to Def Leppard, which owes its livid style and fanciful spelled name to the spirit of heavy metal pioneers Led Zeppelin.

Unfortunately, Def Leppard possesses none of Zeppelin's craft or inventiveness.

Instead, the quintet pounds a crowd into delirious submission with a familiar mass of blues-rock cliches, screamingly bad guitar licks and wanton ;et\s party songs - all of it cranked up to near the pain level.

Transparent as it may be, it works, and last night Leppard left the Sports Arena crowd in heat for more, which only made things easier for Squier.

Indeed, it's a safe bet that Def Leppard will soon surpass Squier as an arena draw.

Where Squier is controlled and cat-like, Leppard is a model of raucous abandon, with the right touch of Anglo flash.

In some cosmic battle of the bands, even a volcano would have its hands full trying to match Def Leppard's lava flow.

By San Diego Union 1983.

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