Saturday, 10th October 2015
Def Leppard 2015
Def Leppard release their new self-titled studio album on 30th October and here is what we know so far about the 14 songs included.
The album is released worldwide on 30th October and a Fanpack is available in the UK featuring a 116 page magazine. The foreword is written by Queen's Brian May.
The Standard 14 track UK CD will be released in the UK on Friday 27th November (30th October elsewhere). The digital version is out on 30th October alongside the Fan Pack.
All 14 tracks are listed below along with descriptions based on everything that is currently known about them.
Visit the Album News section. For more news on new music (based on band member quotes) dating back to January 2011.
01 - Let's Go - 5:01
"A fist pumping, stadium sized anthem in the style of classics like 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and 'Rock Of Ages'." - as the person writing this said on 15th September after the first few listens. There isn't much to say about this as everyone can hear it for themselves!
After 23 days it still sounds great and can be summed up as a classic sounding Def Leppard track with all the hallmarks of the Hysteria album mixed with elements of Adrenalize and Euphoria. A return of the "classic" BIG Def Leppard layered vocal harmony sound from those records.
Joe Elliott 15th September Song Description:
"It's a call to arms, you know? Rick Savage wrote 80 percent of the song. I wrote the verses, he wrote all the music and the choruses. He came in with it, and we knew it was a classic Def Leppard song. It's that three-minute pop-rock stuff with big chunky guitars and a big chorus. And it has that swaggering, mid-tempo rhythm, like "Sugar," and "Rock of Ages." The idea was, we wanted something familiar. I mean, when AC/DC comes back after years away, you're not going to get "Bohemian Rhapsody" from 'em, you know? And you don't want it, either — you want "Back in Black," or something like it. For us, this is what we do. And it's something we enjoy doing."
"Let's Go" could be the long-lost cousin of "Sugar."
Phil Collen has said the song was originally more "pop-oriented" when it was a Rick Savage-only demo with "lightweight" guitars on the band's first recorded version. They then made them more "violent", "aggressive and nasty". Phil also heavily referenced Pour Some Sugar On Me on the riffs - "I did the riffs pretty much how I did Pour Some Sugar On Me.".
Phil Collen - "We're really pleased with the way it come out." - "We went so overboard on the backing vocals."
What we know so far about tracks 2 to 14 based on band member interviews and journalist quotes:
02 - Dangerous - 3:26
A classic Def Leppard hit single song in the style of 'Photograph' and 'Promises':
Joe Elliott - "Dangerous" sounds a little like "Photograph." and according to a reviewer especially on its chorus.
"An awesome 'Euphoria'-ish up-tempo ultra-melodic Rocker."
Along with "Wings Of An Angel", it is described as being a song that- "Will blow every Leppard fan's mind!"
03 - Man Enough - 3:54
According to Phil Collen the song has a similar feel to Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' and has been described by people as being reminiscent of "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen. He also said it has similarities to Lep songs 'All Night' and 'Excitable'.
Rick Savage once cited Queen bassist John Deacon as one of his main bass influences which might explain the connection.
A song which has a "Slinky pop-funk strut." according to Rolling Stone.
"Bass-driven and Funky. Cross between "seventies-cover" like the YEAH! album with "elements of Queen circa 'The Game'"."
04 - We Belong - 5:06
A ballad and the song which features lead vocal lines from all five band members:
"An excellent ballad.".
A "Classy ballad." - reminiscent of something from the X album.
Joe Elliott - "The lines everybody sings are poignant to parts of their lives."
Joe Elliott - "What we're doing on this is we're just swapping lines, and I sing the rest of the song but on the verses, where everybody's taking a line each, even Rick."
05 - Invincible - 3:46
A song which according to Rolling Stone has "sleek New Wave–isms."
Joe referenced the song by saying it - "Kind of sounds like a cross between Billy Idol and the Psychedelic Furs.".
A "Driving Rocker."
Reminded one reviewer of UK bands - "GUN" and "Manic Street Preachers." which is no bad thing!.
06 - Sea Of Love - 4:04
Guest Vocals from Debbi Blackwell-Cook from Phil's band Delta Deep who previously guested on two Manraze songs.
Phil recently described her contribution as being - "This really amazing high vocal with Joe."
A song written by Phil and initially intended for Delta Deep. Sound-wise it had a "Lenny Kravitz vibe to it" and is "rock-soul" with elements of some songs by "Stevie Wonder". Showed to the band by Phil and it became a new Def Leppard song.
Since being 'Leppardized', the song is now "a lot jazzier" and "Hendrix-like" with "choir-style" vocals by Phil, Vivian and Sav. It's recording was described by Phil as being a "joy" and "such a thrill".
"Fun-sounding." - similar to songs from the last album - 'Songs From The Sparkle Lounge'.
Other descriptions include - "slightly nerdy", "70's Glam Rock" and "atmospheric".
07 - Energized - 3:23
Described by Phil Collen as being about the "sexual urge" and what it does to a person. A song which has a "Top 40 feel about it".
Also described by reviewers as being "Heavily-programmed" and "Euphoria meets X".
08 - All Time High - 4:19
One of the more rocking tracks mentioned by Vivian in February 2014 when he first gave fans an insight into the initial month of recording for this album. At least 3 or 4 of these more rock based songs appear to have made the cut for the album (and hopefully more than that!).
This has been described by those who have heard it as:
"A great up tempo track."
"Hard Rocking, guitar-driven."
Rolling Stone Description (of this and 'Broke 'n' Brokenhearted') - "Exude the band's classic mix of Seventies pomp-glam riffing, Eighties electro-shock rhythms and patented, tremendously stacked chorus vocal harmonies in a manner that's strikingly redolent of their past."
09 - Battle Of My Own - 2:42
An acoustic led song at least at the beginning with shades of classic Led Zeppelin circa Led Zeppelin II. The Led Zeppelin II reference was used by many band members in interviews over the last two years.
A song described as "Downtuned, acoustic psych-blues." by Rolling Stone.
Also described as a "Zeppelin-esque" acoustic song that doesn't sound quite like anything the band have recorded before.
Starts out acoustically before guitars kick in and uses strings. Likely to be the song featuring "keyboards" and a "Mellotron" referenced by Joe in the Rolling Stone interview.
Mentioned by at least two people as being their least favourite and that it has an "annoying refrain".
And along with 'Forever Young' - very short in length!
10 - Broke 'n' Brokenhearted - 3:17
A rocking song with a modern twist on the High 'n' Dry/Pyromania album sound. A song written in only ten minutes by Phil and Joe at the end of a recording session. Jeni Cook (wife of former Sex Pistols/Manraze drummer Paul Cook) said "I thought that was the Sex Pistols!" when she heard it in the studio.
Has elements of "New York Dolls, Sex Pistols." and "Mott The Hoople".
On the subject of guitar based songs, and as a possible reference to this song, in early September Joe said - "Trust me, there is some hard stuff on there. It's a guitar-driven album."
Rolling Stone Description (of this and 'All Time High') - "Exude the band's classic mix of Seventies pomp-glam riffing, Eighties electro-shock rhythms and patented, tremendously stacked chorus vocal harmonies in a manner that's strikingly redolent of their past."
11 - Forever Young - 2:21
A similar sound to songs from the last album - 'Songs From The Sparkle Lounge' according to a reviewer.
So far the least talked about song - perhaps due to it's length?.
Along with 'All Time High' and 'Broke 'n' Brokenhearted' it is described as a "fine guitar rocker.".
12 - Last Dance - 3:09
A "beautiful and serene balled." which has a slightly "Folky element.". Reminiscent of certain songs on Retro-Active (possibly 'From The Inside' in terms of the first part of the song and perhaps the semi-acoustic version of 'Miss You In A Heartbeat').
A demo version is included as the traditional bonus track on the Japanese version of the album.
This has been described as a "gather-around the bonfire acoustic guitar song".
13 - Wings Of An Angel - 4:23
A moody "Modern rocker."
Along with "Dangerous", it is described as being a song that- "Will blow every Leppard fan's mind!"
14 - Blind Faith - 5:33
The closing track which is described as being - "Introspective and somewhat psychedelic." and a ballad which could have been on the 'Slang' album.
Interestingly Joe said there are no traditional big sounding 80s power ballad type songs. The descriptions here match up with him saying that - "There's a couple of slowies but they're more organic-sounding."
Vivian Campbell - "We've ventured into a couple of new territories, like the closing track on the album, which is a psychedelic rock song."
Vivian has referenced this track many times and most recently said - "We also ventured to some musical genres we have never touched on before."
Described as a "flower-power ballad".
Do we really, really wanna have our - "Leppard fan" mind's blown?. - Yes!
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- Def Leppard - Def Leppard Album Section
- Def Leppard - 2015 Album News
- Previous News - 10th October 2015