While touring in support of their debut album, ‘On Through the Night’, Def Leppard opened for one of the biggest bands at the time, AC/DC. Famed producer, Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who produced AC/DC’s massive album “Back in Black”, took notice of the band and he was very impressed. So much so, he agreed to be their producer for the band’s sophomore album ‘High ‘N’ Dry’. A move that would change the course of history for this band and catapult them in to the stratosphere of rock stardom. But first, they had to do an album and this album saw the band head to a more melodic phase, however, the edge and rawness of the debut was still present.

The songwriting was more refined, everything seemed more purposefully composed, it was cleaner yet it was still powerful, engaging and after over 40 years with it, it is one of the best rock & roll albums of all time. Well…it is for me. The band, who was Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Rick Allen and Pete Willis, recorded the album between March and June of 1981 and it was released a very short time later on July 11, 1981. A short 16 months after the debut. Man, if they could’ve only kept that pace of releases, how much could they have released over the years. The album would go to #38 in the U.S. and #26 in the UK. Not a massive success, but enough of one thanks to the ballad “Brinin’ on the Heartbreak” which saw massive airplay on MTV, that the band was setup nicely for the next album.

Their third album ‘Pyromania’ was so big, so successful and so amazing, that ‘High ‘N’ Dry’ was re-released in 1984 with 2 additional tracks. One was a re-mix of “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” which added synthesizers and piano overdubs to make it sound more like what was done on ‘Pyromania’. The other track was “Me & My Wine” which was the B-Side of the original release of “Bringin On the Heartbreak”. It too was re-mixed for a more modern sound. This re-release helped sell more albums which has since seen the album go double platinum. They even did new videos for it with Phil Collen on guitar who was not on this album at all as Pete Willis was at the time. The copy we are reviewing today is the original release without the 2 new tracks, the way it should be heard. Let’s get to it.

The album opens with “Let It Go”, which has a massively killer riff that just explodes with the first note. The high energy rocker makes it abundantly clear that this isn’t the band of ‘On Through the Night’ as it is better constructed, better musicianship, better vocals and pure excitement and powerful. The guitar duo of Clark and Willis take what they did on the debut and make it 10 X’s edgier and 10 X’s insane. The song should sound familiar as we heard it on the live album ‘When the Walls Come Tumbling Down’ where it was known as “When the Rain Falls”. This is a vast improvement. The screams of Joe during the final moments of the song are some of his best rock screams ever and listen to Rick Allen pounding on those drums. It is impressive.

They don’t waste a second and tear right in to “Another Hit & Run” which opens with an incredible build-up driving the anticipation of what was to come. And they didn’t disappoint. The song might be the heaviest on the album as those guitars are crazy. The solo on this seems to be with both Pete & Steve and it is is freaking insane. The speed and dexterity is unmatched on this album. There is a cool part where things go quiet, Joe whispers a few words and with a 1, 2 the song explodes back to full force. A force to be reckoned with for sure.

“High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)” continues the onslaught of heavy rockers. The take no-prisoners attitude continues as the boys are ready party and pillage with their crunchy guitars, destructive drums and bombastic bass. Joe sounds angry and ready to party as his vocals have that perfect rock grit that delivers another perfect rocker. The song would make a huge list in the 80’s. It wound up on the “Filthy Fifteen” which was the Parent Music Resouce Center (PMRC) due to its lyrical content of alcohol use and intoxication. For the metal community this was a badge of honor!!

This leads us in to the albums only ballad. “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” would become the ballad all ballads are compared to for me. The song is dramatic, heartfelt and Joe’s vocals are perfectly suited with all the emotion needed to convey the lyrics. There is a sadness in the tone, the vocals and when the solo kicks in from Pete, it is transformative. The solo is quick, but pulls out the song’s feels and truly delivers. A powerful, emotional track that was what the band needed and MTV certainly liked it.

The transformation from “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” to the instrumental “Switch 625” was flawless. The Thin Lizzy style instrumental is the best the band has ever done or ever will do. It is now done live as an homage to the late great Steve Clark as this was his masterpiece. And masterpiece doesn’t do it enough justice. This is what made Steve Clark a legend in my book. His playing, along with Pete Willis is second to none. Even Rick Allen’s drumming at the end is perfection as he adds to the texture and color of the song. It is mesmerizing, hypnotic and will leave you speechless it is that good. And you can’t play one song without the other as the two a linked forever.

Then it is back to rocking with “You Got Me Runnin'”. Another guitar heavy track, who am I kidding, this whole album is guitar heavy. That is the name of the game for their sound. The dual guitars is their signature sound and thank the good Lord for that. This is a striaght ahead rocker that slams from beginning to end. The melodic, catchy chorus to the blistering solo, it is foot to the floor power.

Then we get to one of my favorite tracks on the album with “Lady Strange”. The guitar riff on this one is truly impressive and instantly recognizable for me. When I hear it, I’m amped up ready to rock. A song that is the sound of Leppard to come and shows how far they’ve progressed. Listen to the live version of their previous tour where this was played and you can see how much better they are in such a short time. The killer piece on here is the guitar solo, it races through skidding through the curves and speeding through the stop lights and stop signs feeling like you are being chased by the cops and losing them in your dust. Damn, the adrenaline.

“On Through the Night” the title track…wait…the title track of the last album. Who do they think they are, Led Zeppelin. This is another high energy rocker with more speedy guitars and Joe sings with an urgency as he races through the verses. If there is a weak track on the album, this is it, but it is still great and gets full credit. This one sees a heavier side, but there is a softer side to it as well, but when it rocks, it really rocks.

Then we get to my favorite track on the album…I’ve said that before. Well, I have two favorite tracks and this is the other with “Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)”. It opens with a haunting riff and then Rick lays down some fills and sets the groove with Rick Savage thumping hard on the bass. A great groove indeed as it is Sav’s standout track. Joe’s vocals are also as haunting as the guitars. There is a dark, foreboding eeriness to the song that I truly love. It is a band hitting on all cylinders with this one…pure perfection.

The final tracks brings us “No, No, No”, an almost speed metal track that is full on shredding from start to finish. Joe’s energy matches the intensity. It is foot to the floor, pedal to the metal gutar frenzy that will leav you breathless by the end. The band goes out screaming and do they want to stop? Well, No No No as the scream plays out. If you have a certain vinyl copy, the “No, No, No” is an endless loop which is so cool. My copy, sadly, does not.

Track Listing:

1. Let It Go – Keeper
2. Another Hit And Run – Keeper
3. High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night) – Keeper
4. Bringin’ on the Heartbreak – Keeper
5. Switch 625 – Keeper
6. You Got Me Runnin’ – Keeper
7. Lady Strange – Keeper
8. On Through the Night – Keeper
9. Mirror Mirror (Look Into My Eyes) – Keeper
10. No No No – Keeper

The Track Score is 10 out of 10 Tracks or 100%.  Mutt focused the boys in to a fine, well oiled machine that could do 0 to 60 in one note of their guitars. This was a guitar extravaganza as both Steve Clark and Pete Willis put on a clinic on how to rock out. Joe’s vocals are in fine form with just the right amount of metal grit to sound like a rock veteran.  He came in to his own with this one.  Rick’s drumming just keeps getting better as it fills the album with so much sound. Rick Savage’s bass playing is underrated as his grooves and lines are really top-notch.  The band found a sound and delivered a heavy, heart-pounding rock & roll record. In my opinion, this is my favorite Def Leppard album is it is at it’s essence, a rock & roll record and nothing more.  Mutt was the magic the band needed to take it to the next level.  But they still had levels that needed climbing.  My Overall Score is quite obviously a 5.0 Out of 5.0 Stars. It don’t get better than this.

NEXT UP: ‘TOO MANY JITTERBUGS – B-SIDES AND RARITIES’ (2020)

THE DEF LEPPARD COLLECTION SERIES

1. Def Leppard E.P. – 7″ Single (1979)
2. First Strikes 1978-1979 (Bootleg CD)
3. Girl – Sheer Greed (1980)
4. On Through the Night (1980)
5. When the Walls Came Tumbling Down (April 26 1980) (2020)
6. High & Dry (1981)
7. Too Many Jitterbugs – B-Sides And Rarities (2020)
8. Raw – Early BBC Recordings (2020)
9. Girl – Wasted Youth (1982)
10. Pyromania (1983)
11. “Photograph” 7″ Single (1983)
12. “Too Late For Love” 12″ Single (1983)
13. Live at the L.A. Forum 1983 (2018)
14. Seattle, August 3, 1983 (Bootleg CD)
15. Pyromania TV Collection (Bootleg DVD)
16. Hysteria (1987)
17. “Animal” 7″ Single (1987)
18. “Women” 7″ Single (1987)
19. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” 7″ Single (1987)
20. “Hysteria” 7″ Single (1987)
21. “Armageddon It” 7″ Single (1988)
22. “Love Bites” 7″ Single (1988)
23. “Rocket” 7″ Single (1989)
24. Animal Instinct – The Def Leppard Story – Book Review (1987)
25. Rarities – Volume One (2018)
26. Live in Mountain View – August 17, 1988 (Bootleg DVD)
27. Historia – DVD (1988)
28. Live: In the Round, In Your Face (CD Video / DVD) (1989)
29. Adrenalize (1992)
30. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” – Cassette Single (1992)
31. “Tonight” CD Single (1993)
32. Live Shefield 1992 (Bootleg DVD)
33. Retro Active (1993)
34. Visualize DVD (1993)
35. Hard Rock Café – Singapore, Malaysia October 26, 1995 (Bootleg DVD)
36. Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (1995)
37. “When Love & Hate Collide” – CD Promo Single (1995)
38. Video Archive (1995)
39. Slang (1996)
40. Montreal: The Classic 1996 Broadcast (Bootleg CD)
41. Live Bites: FM Broadcast (Bootleg CD)
42. Live in Argentina 1997 (Bootleg DVD)
43. Euphoria (1999)
44. Rarities – Volume Two (2019)
45. Rarities – Volume Three (2019)
46. Tokyo 1999 (Bootleg CD)
47. Cybernauts – Live (2000)
48. X (2002)
49. Hysteria: Classic Albums DVD (2002)
50. Best of Def Leppard (2004)
51. Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005)
52. Yeah! (2006)
53. Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
54. Man Raze – Surreal (2008)
55. B-Sides (2021)
56. Yeah! II (2021)
57. Yeah! Live (2021)
58. CMT Crossraods – Taylor Swift & Def Leppard (2009)
59. Down ‘N’ Outz -My ReGeneration (2010)
60. Man Raze – PunkFunkRootsRock (2011)
61. Down ‘N’ Outz -The Further Adventures of… (2014)
62. Def Leppard (2015)
63. The Lost Session (2018)
64. Personal Jesus 7″ Single (2018)
65. Down ‘N’ Outz -This is How We Roll (2019)
66. Hits Vegas: Live at Planet Hollywood – Vinyl (2020)
67. Hysteria: Live – Vinyl (2020)
68. Def Leppard Acoustic Vegas – 10″ Vinyl (2020)
69. Down ‘N’ Outz – The Music Box E.P. (2020)
70. Diamond Star Halos (2022)
71. High & Dry – Picture Disc (RSD) (2022)
72. Drastic Symphonies (2023)
73. Drastic Symphonies – Picture Disc (2023)
74. Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard (2023)

PREVIOUSLY POSTED:

1. The Def Leppard E.P. (1979/2017)
2. Def Leppard: Interview Picture Disc (1982?)
3. “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” – 12″ Promo Single (1984)
4. Live at the Top (Bootleg) (1987)
5. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” –  5″ Shaped Picture Disc (1987)
6. Hysteria U.S. Tour 1988 – Tour Book (1988)
7. “Make Love Like a Man” – 12″ Single (1992)
8. “Let’s Get Rocked” – 12″ Single (1992)
9. Adrenalize: The 7 Day Weekend Tour (1992/1993)
10. X: World Tour (2003)
11. Mirrorball – Live & More (2011)
12. Def Leppard: The Definitive Visual History – Book Review (2011)
13. Viva! Hysteria (2013)
14. And There Will Be A Next Time…Live from Detroit (2017)
15. Hysteria: 30th Anniversary Box Set (2017)
16. The Story So Far – The Best of (2018)
17. The Collection, Volume 1 (2018)
18. Hysteria: The Singles Box Set (2018)
19. Live at Abbey Road Studios (2018)
20. Def Leppard: Concert Review – Charlotte, NC June 9th 2018 (2018)
21. The Story So Far – The Best of Volume 2 (2019)
22. The Collection, Volume 2 (2019)
23. London to Vegas (2020)
24. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 29 March 2019 (2020)
25. The Early Years ’79-’81 (2020)
26. The Collection, Volume 3 (2021)
27. Def Leppard Funko Pop!